Black kids get more in-school spankings than Whites.

If the adage that sparing the rod spoils the child, Black schoolchildren are a lot less spoiled than their White counterparts. A new study shows that of the more than 200,000 children who got spanked at school last year, Black and Native American and kids with disabilities got more than their fair share. You can find more about the findings at BET.com/News. 

Study says Blacks are treated fairly in sentencing. Researchers at the University of Nevada-Reno say that, contrary to the common perception, African American defendants do not get a raw deal from the justice system when it comes to sentencing. When such factors as socio-economic status, education, criminal history and drug use, there is no indication that the courts favor White defendants over Blacks, the researchers said. “A similarly situated African American or Caucasian or Hispanic appeared to be treated fairly in the same way across the board,” said Judge Douglas Herndon. The results of the study, revealed Monday at a legislative hearing, reviewed the circumstances of Black and White inmates currently serving time. It did not explore issues other than their race and incarceration. Gary Peck, of the American Civil Liberties Union, told Channel 8 Eyewitness News that the researchers are wrong if they believe that Blacks and Whites are treated fairly by the courts. “It would be wrong to conclude on that basis that the system is devoid of race-based iniquities or institutional racism,” said Peck. The fact that people of color are far more likely to be arrested amplifies the magnitude of the race problem.

The potential first lady gets the magazine’s style nod.

Vanity Fair magazine, in releasing its 2008 International Best Dressed List, has named possible first lady Michelle Obama among its fashionistas. Obama, the wife of presumptive democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, is the person the editors called “our commander-in-sheath.” The magazine mentions some of the standout ensembles she has worn throughout the year, including the Maria Pinto purple sheath, with a black Azzedine Alaïa belt, when her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination; and the Donna Ricco black-and-white print dress from her appearance on “The View.” Kanye West also made the list, which can be seen at th magazine’s just-released slide show.