Empire Notes: U.S. Bombing Africa

“Hundreds of people shouted anti-American slogans Tuesday in a southern Somali town that was hit a day earlier by a U.S. air strike targeting an al-Qaida terrorist linked to attacks on U.S. embassies in east Africa.

“The U.S. military has staged several attacks on suspected extremists in Somalia over the past year. America has been concerned [...]

Quote of the Day: Umar

“Avoidance of sin is lighter than the pain of remorse.”

Umar, second caliph

Hat tip: Abu Sahara

This Week: Reduced Crack Sentences

Hat tip: KPThe sentencing guidelines went into effect Monday — the result of a December decision by the U.S. Sentencing Commission to ease the way the system came down far harder on crack-related crimes than on those involving powdered cocaine.
Previously, a person with one gram of crack would receive the same sentence as someone with [...]

The Root: "What Color Does It Hurt? Why blacks don’t want to talk about depression"

“In his 1995 book Rage of a Privileged Class, Ellis Cose noted that behind the external trapping of success—good educations, comfortable incomes, nice homes—middle-class blacks are angry and disillusioned.
“In her new book, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting (Scribner) author Terrie M. Williams warns that over a decade later something’s still wrong. [...]

Obama To Blacks: Turn Off The TV

“It’s not good enough for you to say to your child, ‘Do good in school,’ and then when that child comes home, you got the TV set on, you got the radio on, you don’t check their homework, there is not a book in the house, you’ve got the video game playing,” said Obama while [...]

S.I.T.O. (Stuck In The Office)

This is for those still stuck in the office like me (rich), hopefully, with the door closed. Blackthought drops about a million N-words.
“75 Bars.” From The Roots’ upcoming album Rising Down.