(NNPA)—The economic problems we face are right in our own backyards. Unfortunately, until our problems reach crisis level we are content to engage in spirited conversations and philosophical diatribes about the likes of Tiger Woods, a billionaire who could not care less about the economic plight of Black people. We live vicariously through super rich entertainers, many of whom would not even stop to shake hands with us if we met them on the street. We get lost in the euphoria of having a Black president, arguing about his issues and his battles in D.C., rather than dealing with our own in hometown USA.

(NNPA)—Michelle Obama has now challenged Americans to deal with the growing problem of obesity in children. Childhood obesity has tripled in the last thirty years. Nearly one-third of US children are now overweight or obese; nearly one in three will eventually suffer from diabetes. In the African-American and Latino communities, the proportion is almost one in two.

This is, the First Lady said, possibly “an even greater threat to America’s health than smoking” with staggering costs. A recent study put the health care cost of obesity related diseases at $147 billion a year. Obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers from military service.

There are a lot of reasons why people end up going to college. Sometimes it’s because you can put a ball through a hoop or run really fast, perhaps you’re just really smart, and in some cases someone else is paying your way. But those are the practical reasons, the real reason why people go to college is to meet friends, potential spouses and get to know different types of people that may help you personally or professionally down the road. Unfortunately for many fraternities at the University of California San Diego their members obviously went to college to perpetuate ignorance, racism and their own inflated sense of privilege.

by Benjamin L. Hooks

(NNPA)—The nation’s top officials at the Federal Communications Commission came to Memphis to learn about the state of our high-speed Internet service and how it affects our city. These officials wanted to find out whether high-speed services are being deployed in a way that allows all Americans to benefit.