AA Boomers

Arts & Culture

By: Nikki Woods, Black America Web

The highly anticipated movie "Red Tails" hits theatres this Friday, Jan. 20th.  "Red Tails" stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Ne-Yo, among others, and tells the real-life account of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black World War II fighter pilot squad. The squadron, which was sent to North Africa and Italy to escort white bomber pilots, consisted of some of the best fighter pilots in the Air Corps.

Meet Roscoe Brown, one of those Tuskegee Airmen.

Growing up in the 1930s in Washington, D.C., Brown made model airplanes and imagined himself flying like the pilots he saw during air races that his parents took him to on weekends, although for a long time, flying was just a dream because of racial barriers. But his parents encouraged their two children - he was the younger child - to aspire to do great things.

Read the full story at Black America Web.

Nikki Woods is senior producer of "The Tom Joyner Morning Show." The author of "Easier Said Than Done," the Dallas-based Woods is currently working on her second and third novels. You can friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter: @nikkiwoods.

Careers

By: Caludio E. Cabrea, The Root

USA Today

Wal-Mart made history on Friday when it named a black woman the first female and African American CEO of Sam's Club.

Rosalind Brewer, 49, was the former president of the retailer's U.S. East business unit. She also held a number of executive positions at Kimberly-Clark Corp. She begins her position on Feb. 1.

Wal-Mart's Sam's Club warehouse business accounts for 12 percent of Wal-Mart's annual sales. Revenue rose 5.7 percent at the store in the third quarter of 2011.

Brewer will replace Brian Cornell, who was credited with turning around Sam's Club, which was the company's slowest-growing unit entering 2009.

It's great to see Wal-Mart promote from within and make history in two areas with an African American and a woman taking over one of its most prized properties. We wish her all the best.

Read more in The Washington Post.

Express Yourself

In Honor of MLK, Jr. National Holiday, January 16, 2012

By: P.S. Perkins, Author and Founder, Human Communications Institute, LLC.

“….where my children will no longer be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” MLK, Jr.

Have Black people finally gotten to the point where they no longer judge each other by the color or hue of their skin? Do we see each shades of Blackness in an equal and desirable manner? Sadly, we would all have to say that it is very apparent that lighter-skin is revered and desired more than darker-skin (especially in women). Amongst the members of the African Diaspora globally, the darker brethren are (generally) the least beautified, quantified and qualified.

Did you Know?

By: Time.com

Nationwide (January 13, 2012) -- Ever wonder what happened to Ted Williams, the homeless man with the "Golden Voice," after he was plucked out of obscurity and thrust into the viral limelight?

It's been just over a year since Williams became a star, after a YouTube video featuring the then-homeless Columbus, Ohio man presented his pitch-perfect, classic radio voice to the world. Entertainment Tonight caught up with him to see how the past year has dramatically changed the former panhandler's life.

Topic of the Day

WEAR PEARLS TO SUPPORT  FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA ON HER BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 17

By: Lois-Ann Clark, Publisher, AABoomers.com

Last week, I, like many other supporters of President Omama’s first campaign, received an email from the President, asking that we send birthday wishes to Mrs. Obama in recognition of her birthday on Wednesday, January 17^th.  I did ,and was pleased to do so,  but wondered what else I could do to show  my support of this  “phenomenal woman”, in light of all the  negative publicity she has received  in the mainstream media from the beginning of the President’s run for office.  The remarks have been so ridiculous; they would almost be laughable, if they weren’t so blatantly mean-spirited.