Women were prompted to be accountable for their part in the violence in order to stop the violence, and all were encouraged to vote in support of President Obama at the third annual Women’s Walk for a Peaceful Community 2010 on the North Side, Oct. 16.

“We joined together different neighborhoods, different cultures in one united voice for knowledge of peace. This was an opportunity to stop pointing fingers and blaming others for the realities of interpersonal, family and community violence,"said Ronell Guy, executive director of the North Side Coalition for Fair Housing.

WOMEN UNITED—Women from throughout the city came together to show their support for the Women’s Walk for Peace. (Photos by J.L. Martello)

"It’s time to share in the responsibility for the part we as mothers, grandmothers and girlfriends play in the perpetuation of violence. The walk begins the reality and acceptance and ends with the healing and the solutions. The walk is an opportunity to do your individual part for ‘Peace.’”

“I started out doing my thing on the music side, but as a professional I also produced my music and other artists. My camp at that time consisted of K-Ci, DeVante and JoJo of Jodeci, Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case and others. Uptown Records was in full effect at the time and it was a rotating pool of young talented people who all ended up working together and we became family.

AL B. SURE!

With national elections just weeks away, Arlene Holt Baker is only half joking when she calls this time of year her “busy season.” But the two-term executive vice president of the AFL-CIO isn’t too busy to fly across the country and speak at the 21st annual Harvest Celebration Dinner, the major fundraising event for Just Harvest.

RALLYING CALL—Keynote speaker and AFL-CIO Vice President Arlene Holt Baker urges guests at the Oct. 12 Harvest Celebration Dinner to continue the fight for economic justice. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

“Just Harvest’s work is impressive, not just its direct service, but its focus on public policy and helping people get ahead,” she said. “More than just giving someone a bottle of milk, it’s about having the economic ability to get good sustainable jobs.”

Vibe magazine recently published an article that is not only controversial, but also evokes a lot of dialogue between supporters, opponents and even those who aren’t quite sure what to think.

In the magazine’s October/November issue is a feature article entitled “The Mean Girls of Morehouse.” For anyone who may not be familiar, Morehouse is the only all-male historically Black institution in America. Located in Atlanta, the college is known for its commitment to produce men who are “spiritually disciplined, intellectually astute and morally wise.” Indeed, Morehouse men have a reputation of being renaissance men who contribute greatly to society. Some of the distinguished college graduates are civil rights advocate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Atlanta’s first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson Jr.; filmmaker Spike Lee; former NAACP board chair Julian Bond; and even the late rapper, Keith “Guru” Elam.

Considering the reputation and standards of Morehouse, one can understand how Vibe’s article was a bit off-putting to some.

The main subjects of “The Mean Girls of Morehouse” piece are a small group of current and former Morehouse students who are openly gay and oppose an “Appropriate Attire Policy” that was enacted a year and a half ago. Among the items in the Appropriate Attire Policy that were prohibited were wearing caps, do-rags, “grillz” or sagging pants. The part of the policy that the subjects in the Vibe article opposed was the standard that prohibited wearing women’s clothing—no dresses, skirts, tops, tunics, purses or pumps.

While I certainly believe that an individual’s sexual orientation is their personal business, I also understand the importance of businesses, organizations and schools maintaining certain standards.

Despite what the Vibe article suggests, Morehouse College is not anti-gay. As a matter of fact, in a statement, Morehouse President Robert Franklin said Morehouse does not discriminate against certain groups of students, “specifically gay, transgendered and bisexual men. We have worked diligently to ensure that Morehouse is a safe, inclusive and respectful community with a strong commitment to social justice, diversity, and respectful tolerance.”

The thing that’s so disappointing to me about Vibe’s article is the focus and its timeliness (or lack thereof). The article primarily spoke with a few men who dressed in women’s clothing. They didn’t talk to straight students, nor did they talk with the college president. In addition, the policy was implemented well over a year ago, yet the article suggests it happened recently.

As media outlets, we have to practice responsible journalism. I’m not saying speaking with gay individuals isn’t responsible writing, because it certainly can be (though it wasn’t in Vibe’s case). I mean it’s important to be fair, balanced, researched well and also think of the impact such unjust defamation can bring to an individual or entity.

Morehouse has a rich history in this country—not just amongst HBCUs, but traditional colleges as well. Sensationalizing a story for the sake of increasing readership was not a wise choice for Vibe. If anything, this article reduced whatever credibility the publication may have had.

Another aspect to consider is that all the gay men in the article were born male and consider themselves men, despite their lifestyle. I find it incredibly disrespectful to them, Morehouse and Black people in general to use the headline “The Mean Girls of Morehouse.” Girls? Is Vibe serious? How profoundly insulting.

Morehouse College isn’t saying that the men can’t be homosexual, the school is simply asking them (and those who wear do-rags, oversized shirts, sagging pants and grillz) to be respectful of the school’s attire policy. A policy that to some degree or another has been in effect since the inception of Morehouse.

Kudos to Morehouse for setting high standards for years. Boo to Vibe for its sensationalized attempt to defame a noteworthy institution. Vibe also gets an extra boo for forgetting the standards we were all taught as budding journalists.

(You can e-mail comments to Shannon Williams at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)