Posted June 28, 2008 – Eric “Lil E” Wright is bound and determined not to relive his father’s history.  But to honor his father’s legacy, he’s helping to save lives. The son of Eazy E, the rap legend who died of AIDS in 1995, Lil Eazy joined other celebrities, activists and political figures in Los Angeles on Friday to pump up the effort to get one million people tested for HIV. “Anything that has anything to do with AIDS testing and AIDS awareness is part of getting the message out to the kids that you need to test yourself to be safe,” says Lil Eazy, who grew up in the same house as his famous father, but who made it clear in a National Public Radio interview that he is determined to make some different choices. He says he decided to become active in the AIDS fight in high school when, after he became sexually active, a female asked him if he’d taken an HIV test, given the way his father had died. That was the light-bulb momen,  Lil’ E says.  The moment of inspiration might have been different for the other celebrities, activists and political figures who gathered at the Los Angeles Sentinel to support the One Million Testes campaign on Friday, but the purpose was the same: to work to get one million folks to take the HIV tests. Those making the pledge crossed age, gender and genre boundaries. Among them: Rapper Coolio, actors Harold Perrineau (”Lost”), Al Reynolds, Darius McCrary (”Family Matters”), Jimmy Jean-Louis (”Heroes”), Tasha Smith (”Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married”), NBA veteran Doug Christie, singer Jody Watley and Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Diane Watson (D-CA). As part of the Test One Million campaign, they’re making calls to their friends and family to ask: “Have you taken an HIV test?  Lil’ Eazy is to be commended for standing up, and turning what obviously was a grim reminder of the destructive nature of AIDS into a positive, life-saving action. What about you? Who are you going to call to help save a life in honor of National HIV Testing Day? Go to the Black AIDS Institute for more on the One Million Tested campaign and to hear the supporters’ personal stories. Also, find out more about Lil Eazy’s life’s jouney on his MySpace page. 

Posted June 27, 2008  –  Here’s the deal: a fourth of the people who are HIV positive don’t know it. And since HIV is hitting African American women more than than other Americans, don’t you think you should know whether you’ve been infected and whether the person you might be invovled with is, too? Recently, we asked if you could tell whether someone was HIV positive or not. You can check for your self, but I’d bet my manolo blahniks (if I had them) that you can’t. And that’s the point. If you can’t tell a person’s status from looking at him or her, isn’t it better to ask and get tested yourself to find what’s really going on? That’s why a number of celebrities are getting together in L.A. today, National HIV Testing Day, to support the “Test 1 Million” campaign. Their plan is to help stop aids by calling one million people to remind them to get tested. So, what are you doing on HIV Testing Day to stop HIV/AIDS? Is it time for you to make the call to someone you know to remind him or her to get tested? Isn’t it time for you to take the test yourself? There’s more on how to get it done and what you need to know at BET.com’s Body & Soul.

June 26, 2008 – A group of African-American pastors, apparently led by the niece of civil rights giant the Rev. Martin Luther King, is expected to come to Washington, D.C., today to demand that Democratic and Republican Party candidates refuse donations from Planned Parenthood. They are reacting to YouTube Videos that alleged that a Planned Parenthood worker agreeing to a racist donor’s demand that his donation be spent to abort Black babies. Planned Parenthood, which provides contraception education and services across the country, denies the charges. In a statement to a Washington blogger, the organization said: “Planned Parenthood does not tolerate racism of any kind. For more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has worked to address racial and economic bias in access to healthcare and ensure that all women receive care. We are committed to providing basic and preventative health services to women, men, and teens, especially in underserved communities.” But the ministers say they have  proof Black babies are being targeted. “We are very concerned that Planned Parenthood is targeting African American communities and African American babies,” said Alveda King, niece of the slain civil rights leader. Don’t these charges seem a bit outrageous? Why would Planned Parenthood, a group that has been the only refuge for pregnancy prevention advice in many communities and been headed over the years by Black women, be complicit in a plan to target Black babies? Plus, aren’t we too often seeking abortions on our own as a means of birth control? Federal figures show African Americans make up 12 percent of the population and account for 36 percent of abortions. I’m not sure of the source of the videos, or what impact the ministers actions will have, but wouldn’t their efforts be better served if they spent making sure young women and men had more incentives to delay sex and pregnancy as teenagers, and that if they are sexually active that they used condoms? Wouldn’t those actions make the whole issue mute? Watch the video, and you be the judge.

Posted June 24, 2008 – There’s a new article circulating that says nerd girls are the new sexy. The premise is that nerds – defined as brainy, shy, unfashionably dressed and a social misfit – have gotten a makeover, as evidence by a new TV show that features young hot, Tuffs University women who are using their engineering smarts to change the world. You probably remember those dorky girls from school that seemed to have all the answers, except to how to be socially savvy. Well look out, she’s come out of her shell and is now the new it girl. “For a long time, there’s been this stereotype that either you’re ugly and smart or cute and not suited for careers in math, science or engineering,” says Annalee Newitz, the co-editor of “She’s Such a Geek!”, a 2006 anthology of women writing about math, tech and science. “One of the big differences between Generation X geeks and girls in their teens now is really just an attitude—an indication that they’re much more comfortable.” What does that mean for young girls today? Well, maybe, just maybe smart will now be in. Girls won’t have to hide their smarts behind low self esteem just to show they’re cool. Take young starlet Shakira, for instance. Not only can the young Colombian woman sing and write her own songs, but she is a voracious reader and in her spare time takes history classes. Maybe now more folks will get the memo that being geek is now chic not just for young girls, but for young people in general; that there’s nothing wrong with getting good grades, wanting to pursue an engineering, entrepreneurial or science career or being FINE and still being smart. Some say smart is the new sexy, but personally, I think too much emphasis is place on sex appeal. Even so, if being smart and sexy translates to getting good grades and still being popular or more socially acceptable, or if it shatters the old stereotype of what being smart looks like and raises test scores at the same time, then I’m all for the nerd girl new hip status. Read more about the trend at Newsweek.

Posted June 20, 2008 –You’ll know her face before you recognize her name. But, actress Jenifer Lewis, whose most recent film credits include Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “Meet the Browns,” wants you to know something else about her. She’s gone through the hell of being bi-polar and comeb back. Now, she’s sharing her story in hopes that she can help someone else get why folks need to address this debilitating mental disorder head on, before it destroys the lives and relationships of people you love. Read what she has to say about being bipolar at Body & Soul. And to get help, Lewis suggests you go to Bridgetoabrightertomorrow.com.

Posted June 18, 2008 – It appears that something is amiss when the only way for pass a bill to better regulate cigarettes in America is to exempt the one type of cigarette that African Americans smoke the most – menthol. Congress is considering a bill that gives control of tobacco products to the Food and Drug Administration and would ban flavor additives such as mint, clove and vanilla, which appeal to young people. However, menthol flavor, which is preferred by more than 75 percent of Black smokers and only 25 percent of Whites, according to government estimates. Menthol cigarettes such as Kool were marketed during the 1960s in advertising campaigns targeting urban Black folks, according to the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network. That group withdrew its support from the tobacco control bill last month over the menthol exemption along with several former health secretaries, including Dr. Louis Sullivan, health secretary from 1989 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. “If we’re banning things such as clove and peppermint, then we should ban menthol,” says Dr. Sullivan, one of seven former health secretaries who sent a letter to lawmakers opposing the menthol exemption. But, apparently, the fix is in that if there’s no menthol exclusion, the bill that would put cigarettes under the purview of the FDA would sail through Congress with support from both sides of the isle. Supporters say by giving the FDA authority to reduce harmful ingredients in cigarettes, there would warnings about harmful substances in cigarettes and no more misleading labels such as “light” and “mild.” But am I the only one who thinks that it’s wrong to balance the rest of American smokers’ health on the backs of Black Americans? We already have higher rates of cancer and cancer deaths from smoking. What’s it going to take for our lives to be taken as seriously everyone else’s What do you think should be done aga?

Posted June 16, 2008 – He was a gregarious person of big heart and persona. He was also my boss in my other life as an NBC Washington Bureau freelance producer. But when Tim Russert, 58, NBC’s Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief and respected host of Meet The Press, fell ill while taping promos for his Sunday show, it was a stunning blow to the gut. By all accounts, he’d been following doctors’ orders after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease, in which plaque deposits block the blood flow to the heart. He’d been exercising on a treadmill, watching what he ate more carefully and taking cholesterol-lowering medication. He’d also recently passed a stress test. But he died suddenly on Friday after suffering a heart attack, when a clot burst in an artery, blocking blood flow to his heart. It was not only an example of the quirkiness of life, but a wake-up call. It shows how the fallacy of medicine, the quirkiness of life and, more importantly that you can’t take your health for granted. Stress, lack of sleep and a diet on-the-go also can take their toll, particularly for people with a history of heart disease. African Americans die more often from heart disease than Whites, and Black men are particularly at risk. Unfortunately, we also disproportionately suffer from all the major risks that lead to heart problems – greater instances of diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. There’s no doubt that once you are is diagnosed with heart disease, you have a better chance of surviving it if you change your lifestyle. But, the better way to avoid a heart attack is to head it off all together, especially while you’re young. If you’re getting a little heavy around the middle, see your doctor about losing weight right away. If you’re not getting enough sleep or exercise, change up. Doctors say that even if you’re making the prescribed lifestyle changes – eating better, working out and staying on your meds – you’re still at risk if you don’t get your rest or cut fatty, cholesterol clogging foods from your diet. And there’s new evidence that the greater your girth, or the more expansive your waist line, the more stress you are putting on your heart – and that can heightening your chance of having a heart attack. On the other hand, there’s evidence that the cumulative affect of exercise over the years can help.The death of this consummate family man, master interviewer and astute political observer [ he was one of the first to recognize the tenacity of Barack Obama's run for the White House] is a great and tragic loss. But was also a wake-up call to me. It’s not like I hadn’t had enough examples of people in my life who died way to young from a heart attacks to know that if I take exercise more seriously, get more rest and cut the fat from my diet I stand a better chance at living than dying. But there was something about the death of giant in my own profession dying way too young and so suddenly that drummed home the point that maybe it’s time for me to take my own health more seriously. How about you?

June 13, 2008 – As we prepare to mark Father’s Day we do so with a ting of sadness. Truth is that Black men have the worst health of all ethnic groups and genders’s in America, and live shorter lives. In cities like St. Louis, Philly and the District of Columbia, Black men are killing each other at an alarming rate. But Black men don’t need that kind of help to cut their lives short. They already have the highest rate of diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer and deaths from strokes, particularly if you live in the South. (For instance in South Carolina, African-American men are almost four times more likely to die from a stroke (search) than White men.) While the AIDS crisis affects us all, middle-age Black men still die more often from AIDS in the U.S. But Father’s Day is about celebration. This being Men’s Health Week, maybe it’s time this Father’s Day to think about what you can do to help extend the lives of the men around you. Here are five ideas:

* Cook a heart-healthy breakfast instead of going out for a fat-filled brunch. It’s not as hard as you think. Pick lean meats instead of the fatty, greasy ones. Even a small portion of a lean steak can be better than a serving of fried bacon. For more ideas, go to Better Homes And Gardens.

* Slip in a pedometer with your favorite Father’s Day gift (hopefully it includes some workout clothes, shoes or something else that will get him moving).

* Help him eat healthier. Point his browser to the video from Men’s Health editor Mark McGrath, author of the book “Eat This Not That,” for simple ways to make healthier choices at his favorite fast food joint (and yes, he can have that quarter pounder.).

* Help him get those six-pack abs he’s been talking about. Ironically, it’s not all about the crunches. Check Men’s Health.com for foods that can help him reach his goal. 

* Give him a IOU ticket to some activity you can do together. Here’s a way to get your man off the couch. Put a little note in that Father’s Day cart that says: ‘This card entitles you to one _____ date (you fill in the blank).” It could be a tandem bike ride, a golf match, a Power Yoga class or something else you know he’ll enjoy. It can even be a ticket to a night of sex. After all sex can burn up to 270 calories.

What’s on your Father’s Day gift list that can help the men in your life live healthier?

June 11, 2008 – If you’re seriously dating a New Yorker, you really need to get real about what’s up with your partner. Health officials in the Big Apple are saying that MORE than a fourth of New Yorkers have herpes, a sexually transmitted disease that can cause sores and increase the spread of HIV. That rate is worse than the rest of the country. New Yorkers: DIDN’T YOU GET THE CONDOMS MEMO? As you can imagine, as with other sexually disease nationwide, Black New Yorkers have a higher rate of herpes infections than White ones, and more women have it than men. In fact, Black folks nationwide have a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. But the larger issue is why aren’t people protecting themselves from herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases? Herpes is treatable, but not curable. It never goes away. Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it for life. But what’s more frightening is that if you have herpes, that means you’ve left yourself open to other disease such as HIV invection and HPV that can cause sterility, death, or can otherwise rock your world, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There’s nothing wrong with spontaneity. But, sister girls, you have to insist that your man use a condom even if you have to carry one yourself. And brothers, with women more commonly infected with the disease then men it’s in your best interest to use a condom. Herpes doesn’t always have symptoms, but if you DO see sores or something else not quite right, STOP. Don’t take a chance on a lifelong illness. Get checked, and, if you’re already infected, get treated and insist that you’re partner do the same.

Posted June 8, 2008  – What does Hill Harper know about the turmoil young Black females endure while growing up in America? Plenty! Harper’s latest “Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny” provides a daily lesson plan as well as humorous and poignant and inspirational letters and emails the actor of CSI NY fame writes and has gathered from some of his closest friends: Nikki Giovanni, Michelle Obama – on the keys to REAL Happiness; Ruby Dee on being daddy’s girl, Niecy Nash on heartache, Cathy Hughes, Blair Underwood – on lying, cheating men, Angela Bassett, Tavis Smiley and Dr. Elizabeth Ford and Nia Long on following your heart.  Harper, who read from his book last week to a Harlem audience, told me that the impetus for the book was a question from a young lady who approached him during a book signing for his first book, on young men reaching their potential. Her timidity in the face of outward beauty, struck him as tragic, but her written request  for him to help her understand what she needed to do to find happiness inspired him to do what he could to help young women combat the challenges around them that stop them from feeling beautiful and strong and living their dreams. Yes, sister girl. Harper heard you. And so did the other writers.  Gabrielle Union talks about how she refused to be defined by a gun-in-her face rape she experience at age 19.  And Tavis Smiley provokes you to think about what is the one thing that you enjoy doing so much that you’d do it for free? And Nia Long recounts telling one of her dates “you’re only nice to me when you want something.” The whole point, Harper says, is for young women to define themselves and shape their own destinies. That might sound like a bunch of gobbly gook to some. But Harper insists that if young girls should stop “believing the lies they’ve been told” and start chanting to themselves each day that they ARE really FINE, as in “Fine, Interesting. Necessary and Essential,” hence the subtitle “DeFINE Your Destiny.” The point is that Black girls can realize their potential and shape a different future than the one clouded by the images staring them in their face. The brotha who comes from a family of physicians and scientists quotes Einstein, who said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” But this is no stuffy read. In his words, and the words of a cadre of powerful women and men who share their experiences and advice, “Letters to a Young Sister,” inspires, excites, and provokes in a way that is often humorous, emotional and personal. It speaks very strongly to the point that if young women don’t feel good about themselves, they are more apt to get involved in risky behavior such as unprotected sex and fall into the trap of believing they are hemmed in by the walls they see around them. Anyone who’s got a young daughter or knows of a young girl struggling with growing up and trying to find her place in this confusing world that threatens to beat them down adn choke their dreams out of them could benefit from the life lesions in “Letters to a Young Sister.”