As President Obama, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Officer James Crawley prepare for a ‘peace-be-still’ session over beers tonight; the rest of America is tripping over the latest addition to the drama.  In an email that has recently surfaced, Officer Justin Barrett wrote that Gates acted like a ‘banana eating jungle monkey.’  Since then the Boston Police Department has taken quick action by placing the officer on administrative leave pending an evaluation that could result in termination.

So who is surprised?  Not Black America!  While America’s first African-American president is met with grace and open arms around the world,  the same respect hasn’t traveled down the lines to all of Black America many of whom are still seen through the lens of the worst stereotypes.

While it isn’t the job of President Obama to heal racism wounds overnight or cure the world of racism, at least he is doing his part to bring this ugly episode of racial strife to a close.  

With this latest turn of events, should race matters become an Obama Administration issue?  Tell us here.

Video courtesy of cnn.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

Fight! Fight! Fight!  That was the chant from the modern ‘rumble in the jungle’ that has recently taken place between Professor Gates and Cambridge policeman James Crowley.  If you missed any of the fight, here’s a quick recap:

Round 1: Professor Gates was arrested in his own home by Cambridge policeman James Crowley
Round 2: Crowley refuses to apologize
Round 3: President Obama steps in and states ‘police acted stupidly’
Round 4: The media takes over for a brief intermission with racial profiling headlines
Round 5: President Obama steps in and calls for a truce meeting over beer
Round 6: What needs to happen next?

When Pres. Obama stood up and addressed the racial profiling issue that has been plaguing Black Americans for decades, people everywhere stood proud that the issue was being addressed.  However, President Obama caught heat from the policeman across America, White Americans and the media.  He in turn, stated that both Gates and Cambridge ‘overreacted.’

Its great that the President can call a truce between the two men, its great that he’s trying to show us how to talk out our issues rather than fight BUT as a Black person, should we feel some type of way about him giving-in to the issue.

Should Pres. Obama have stood by Gates, stayed out of the situation all-together or handled it the way he did?  What do you think?Video courtesy of youtube.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

While election protests in Iran have been all but squashed, the heat on President Obama to react is getting higher.

Though he had previously released a statement on the matter, the President took to the airwaves to address Iran, as well as health reform and the economy.

So what did he say when pressed by Chuck Todd of NBC’s Nightly News to give a firm stance on punishments for Iran’s violation of human rights?

“I realize you are on a 24-hour news cycle — I am not. . . . we do not yet know how this will play out.”

For the moment, President Obama has chosen to stand back and allow Iran to govern itself as outraged Iranians have hit the streets and internet with calls that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent victory was rigged. Many Republican critics have said that the President is going soft on Iran.  What do you think Obama should do?  Should he step in or step back?

What do you think Obama should do?  Should he step in or step back?Video courtesy of cnn.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

Tickets to a standing-room-only, intimate jazz performance featuring the legendary Marsalis family surely would be worth a pretty penny – if you could even get your hands on them. But a chance to watch their performance up close and personal and then take music lessons from them? Priceless.

First Lady Michelle Obama treated over 140 students from across the country to such a once-in-a-lifetime, never-forget-it opportunity, when she hosted them Tuesday at the first White House Jazz Studio. The students attended interactive educational workshops, dancing and playing their own instruments, as they learned about the history of jazz and the African Americans who created it. They also enjoyed performances by Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis, his father Ellis Marsalis and brothers Jason and Branford Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, Tony Madruga, Zach Brown, Kush Abadey and Elijah Easton, who is a high school student at the Duke Ellington School of Music in Washington D.C.

“Today’s event exemplifies what I think the White House, the people’s house, should be about,” Mrs. Obama said. “This is a place to honor America’s past, celebrate its present and create its future…. And what better example of this is there than jazz, America’s indigenous art form?”

The President and the First Lady have made it no secret that, unlike their predecessors, they plan to infuse the White House with art and cultural events that celebrate all races represented in the American population. To that end, Mrs. Obama noted that jazz was created “through the African American experience” and is now “performed and listened to by people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, ages and creeds.”

Mrs. Obama also shared the story of her introduction to jazz as a young, African American girl growing up in Chicago. Her grandfather, who went by the nickname “Southside,” blared jazz from speakers in every room of his house as loud as the volume dial would let him. Hoping to pass on an appreciation for jazz to her family’s next generation, the Mrs. Obama brought daughters Sasha and Malia to the Jazz Studio to make them “aware of all kinds of music, other than hip-hop.”

What do you think of Michelle Obama’s efforts to include African American performing arts like jazz in White House events? What effect will this have on the greater American public’s perception of African Americans and appreciation of African American contributions to our nation?  Tell us here.

-Megan Cosby, tvoneonline.com White House Correspondent

Megan Cosby is the fouder of Polichicks: The It Girl’s Guide to Politics, a nonpartisan political website for women.

Though President Obama has a large fan base, he still has his fair share of haters.  In this week’s Hater Watch news, we at The Daily Obama have decided to highlight an often unexpected Obama hater—a Black pastor. Harlem preacher James Manning, chief pastor at the ATLAH World Missionary Church, has been speaking out against the President for some time now but his latest attack has him reemphasizing his belief that Obama’s mother was “White trash.”

The President’s refusal to respond has angered Manning even more as he claims Obama’s lack of defense is a clear validation of his point.  Manning has upped the ante by taking it to the streets, requesting people to co-sign his point by making “Obama’s Momma is White Trash” signs.  Whether the people agree with him or not, Manning has been getting thousands of views of his video messages.

Manning is going extremely hard and he’s almost begging for a response.  If there’s one thing certain about Black America, bringing someone’s momma to a fight is a sure way to get dropped.

What do you think of Manning? Is he going too far by bringing Obama’s momma to the table? Should the President retaliate or is he above it? Tell us here.

Video courtesy of youtube.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)