It's finally here! After years of dedication and hard work, today, Traci L. Lee gets to present her baby to the world. She has nurtured this project, fueled by her passion for education and the empowerment of young black women. I am honored to be along for the ride as Executive Editor; honored to be trusted with the delicacy of her dream. I am truly inspired by Traci's entrepreneurial spirit!

So, what is Babygirlz Magazine?

An online magazine catering to young African-American women, ages 11-21, with a focus on "Growth Beyond Boundaries".

Babygirlz is all about encouraging young women to see themselves outside the box, and the earlier this process starts, the less time our girls waste suppressing their greatness. We want them to know that no goal is impossible to achieve when you have a support network behind you. Sometimes, all it takes is a little push in the right direction.

I encourage you to stop by Babygirlz Magazine, and bring your daughters, sisters, nieces, cousins, and sistah girls with you!

Its a little hard to put into words the experience of growing up in North Richmond, just one of the neighborhoods in the city where drugs and crime have the upper hand. I remember being almost immune to the sound of gunshots because they were so common. I also remember having to walk the same sidewalk where a woman's brains had been splattered the night before, on my way to get the bus to school. And then, there was that time when there was a drive-by on my street, where several people were gunned down, at 7:30 in the morning while kids were heading to the bus stop for school. I would have been amongst those gunned down had I not already been at school because I had an early class that year. Heavy experiences for youth and everyone else who desired to live in peace.

If I said that the killing of this young mother was a surprise I'd be lying. The entire city has a reputation. Just this past Sunday, a couple of guys actually walked into a church in Richmond and opened fire. A church! Luckily, nobody died, but two people were hit, this time the intended targets. Its pure senseless madness, and it has me wondering, what will come of us? Us as people who still live in neighborhoods like this. Us as people who want to go back to our neighborhoods bearing resources. Us as a people. Period. Do you have any idea how much of a challenge it is to rise above these kinds of conditions? When you are living in the middle of a war zone and every direction points in, instead of out?

I just really feel for this woman's children. In a split second, two children were left without their mother, and a baby will never get to take its first breath.

Below is a song by a couple of friends of mine who go by the name The Wryters. They give a little account of what its like growing up in Richmond from the perspective of young black men. Take a listen.

That's what students were met with, and felt, as they stood up for public education.

As the occupation of Wheeler Hall took place, the Chancellor not only called in the UCPD, but he also felt the need to call in city law enforcement, who arrived in riot gear, obviously ready to do battle. They agitated the hundreds of supporters outside the building, and began pushing them, poking them, and beating them with their batons, all while our Chancellor sent out emails throughout the day saying how the safety of the students was a priority. There are reports that a woman's hand was broken by a police baton, and there are others with bruises from the rubber bullets. The ecalation was a real surprise and shock. We had already had two days of peaceful protest and were rounding up the campaign against the fee hike with a third. We had seen the beatings and pepper spraying of UCLA students and were happy that it wasn't happening on our campus... and then suddenly, it was.

Thankfully, none of our moms or babies were hurt, as we had received word of the police presence and planned accordingly. But, we were still there!


On the front lines! Arms linked, and not taking no shit, because, we don't set foot on campus everyday just for ourselves, but for our children and families. They can't just request $2,500 more from us and expect us to hand it over willingly. I can happy that I will not be returning next semester for various reasons, however, saddened for what this means for those who will be returning or just entering (and those "just entering" will be few).

Take a look at the short videos below to have a first hand look at just how much of a priority the safety of UC Berkeley's students were on Friday.

We stood in solidarity this week, and were semi-defeated with the approval of the proposed 32% fee hike to tuition within the UC system. So, that means that $2,500 will be tacked onto the already $4,176 - $4, 874 (depending if you have opted to be covered under the University's health insurance plan) next semester, bringing tuition costs to $6,676 - $7,374 for Spring 2010. This is detrimental to students who are already struggling to pay for their education, and it is devastating for certain campus communities, such as students of color and student-parents. Although the Regents say that low-income students will be shielded from this hike, we are having a hard time trusting that. The fact that the University is laying workers and faculty off left and right, closing child care centers, imposing new regulations and eliminating vital resources, DOES NOT provide any ease. We all fear that this is the beginning of the "death of public education".


We have been reminded by fellow students that this decision to approve the fee hike was not solely the decision of the UC Regents, but more of a snowball effect of our dry state. California's budget crisis has not improved and people are still feeling the sting of frigged air from being left out in the cold for what is starting to feel like forever. Whatever the reasons, we simply CAN NOT afford to dish out more money, and we are being told that neither can the financial systems that have been in place to aid us. So, then what? What happens to the student who has invested so much, but can not afford to continue on the journey? What happens to high schoolers who may not be able to get fully funded? How will the University, particularly, UC Berkeley, maintain its status as one of the most prestigious schools in the country if it has to shut out thousands of hopeful applicants? There will surely be some interesting times ahead as things continue to unfold.


The movement to stand up, fight for what is right, and be heard, will press on today, as students have organized themselves for another day of protesting. There is still a great belief in the power of a mass and collectivity. The hope is that the University will see that the students they serve "ARE the University and they have the power to shut it down". No business as usual for many, even as the semester is ending and finals are being thought up, students still have justice on the brain. I can't predict an outcome, but I can show my support by participating in the movement as I have been while I am still officially on campus, and show my solidarity to my UC Berkeley community once I move on.

Click here to read the story of my friend, and UC Berkeley single dad, Ramon Quintero, as he bussed down to LA with other UCB students for the UC Regents meeting. He is an inspiration and he couldn't have made his Cal student-parent community more proud!

(Note: "We are the University and we have the power to shut it down"... its ringing true, if only for today, as UCB strikers have succeeded in shutting down one of the buildings on campus in massive protest. The same is in progress at UC Davis.)

If you have been following the national news, you will have learned of the recent gang rape of a 15 year old girl, outside of a high school homecoming dance. The crime scene? My alma mater. I can't even explain the level of shock that came over me as I stood in front of my tv watching the local news report. Gang rape? People watching? People filming? WHAT?

Being a high schooler at Richmond High wasn't a cake walk when I was a student there. We were faced with outdated materials, the school district's debt, low quality instruction, and the occasional experience of a teacher leaving a classroom in the middle of a semester because s/he was offered a better opportunity at a "better" school. Within this, there were a few teachers and administration who truly gave a damn. Two of those people are part of the reason that I was able to recognize UC Berkeley as a possibility. I had a teacher who saw potential in me in my Freshman year at RHS, and he nominated me for a scholarship. Through that scholarship, I was paired with a mentor for four years, who took me around networking, bought my prom dress, and volunteered her car for my driving test that landed me a license. Our career councilor took me under her wing and made sure that I knew about every single scholarship that came across her desk. As a result, I graduated from Richmond High School with $55,000 in scholarships, including a full ride to Cal.

But that was then. Recent years at RHS haven't even had a career councilor. Recent years at RHS haven't yielded scholarships. Recent years at RHS seem to be extremely different and severe. And now, students are faced with further tarnishment of the school's name and reputation. This is an unacceptable high school experience. An unbelievable high school environment... one in which students are expected to excel and are viewed as incapable and un-valuable when they do not.

My heart goes out to the victim and I am wishing her all the best in her recovery from this horrible ordeal. I am incredibly proud of the students who have stood up and made their voices heard about their worth and how this crime has affected them. Proud of the girl who had the courage to call the police after she saw the victim in distress. I am also glad that the boys involved are being rounded up and arrested and I am hoping that justice will prevail in this case.

Join me over at Moms of Hue, where I talk about the beautiful contribution that my friend, and fellow student single mother, Koko Mulder, has made to student families at the University of California, Berkeley.

Such an intimate, hilarious experience. Thank you Traci for sharing your win with me!! I had not expected to be smiling at all this weekend, yet, I smiled, danced, laughed and sang along for 3 hours.

We were just two, of hundreds, who came out to show their love and support for the multi-talented Mr. Foxx. He definitely didn't disappoint, giving us a night of comedy, theatrics and sexy vocals. He kept the attention of every lady in the building, and by the end of the night, the fellas were smiling from ear to ear in contemplation of that good lovin' they were sure to get when they got their ladies home.

As I grooved and swayed and thought about Jamie in ways that I probably shouldn't have, I started to appreciate him in ways that I hadn't before. I mean, I've been a fan of his for years, but for some reason, on this particular night, I felt him on a whole new level. Perhaps its because he is on a whole new level now with his acting and music. The man just has pure talent, and I'm glad that he is able to express it across the board. Not many are hitting big in film and in music, and at the same time. Jamie is doing double duty on the road these days as he is on the Blame It tour and on late night promoting his new movie Law Abiding Citizen, which I am hoping to see.

If he comes to a city near you, and you are a true fan of his work, I'd encourage you to check him out in concert. Now if I could only get to see Maxwell in concert!!

In lieu of the proposed 32% tuition hike for next year, both students and faculty from UC campuses statewide have come together in solidarity and claimed today, September 24th as a day of action. UC Berkeley has staged a walkout and rally to "fight the power" scheduled to take place at noon. Those who are not walking out will stay in and hold teach-ins, where they will lecture to students about the budget crisis, cuts and what it all means. The picket lines are already in full swing and the people are descending on the campus, getting ready to band together. The budget crisis and mass budget cuts to the state and UC system has left furloughs, pay cuts, and layoffs in its wake, not to mention less classes being offered as a direct effect of this. These nouveau institutional conditions are already a burden on students who are striving to complete their academic careers, but fee hikes add a whole new dimension. This would not only be detrimental to folks who are still on the grind, but also to students who hope to come into the UC system.

Within the CSU system, students have already been turned away in large numbers because of the campuses' inability to support them, and my campus, good old Cal, is planning to admit a large number of international students because their tuition costs are higher than students who have CA residency; thus the University can pull in more money from these students to fill in financial gaps left by the current crisis. Like I said, this situation is pretty urgent. Desparate times are calling for desparate measures, but there are costs.

A part of me wants to believe that the rising up of students and faculty today will make an impact, however, from experience, I know that no matter how big the number and how strong the support, the University is an institution and it will do whatever it has to in order to save itself. They already know this fee hike is a serious proposal. They already know that faculty are fighting to keep their jobs and fighting for a livable wage. They already know that students are losing out big time and are pissed off about it. They know all of this, yet, at the end of the day, they've said that there isn't anything else they can do except for what they are already doing, which is to continue to lay off and induce furloughs.

We'll see what impact the contributions of those across the 10 UC campuses will make on the powers that be.

-Johannes Mehserle had a bail hearing today, in which bail was granted. The judge set bail at $3 million, stating that Mehserle was not a flight risk or a danger to the community.

-Mehserle has hired a new attorney who is arguing that the crime committed was not murder, but manslaughter.

-A second officer, Tony Pirone, is currently under investigation. Pirone, who pinned Grant's head to the ground with his knee right before Mehserle fired his gun was also seen, on video, leaving a man unattended to go punch a restrained Grant in the face, knocking him to the ground.

-"Resisting arrest" charges dropped against a man who was beaten by Mehserle a few weeks before the killing of Oscar Grant.

-Oakland police department under investigation in cases involving the mishandling of warrants.

-Mehserle says that he "thought Grant had a gun". (at what point, since Grant's hands were behind his back?)

-News of the "bail, not jail" led to more angry protests today in Oakland and heavy police presence was enforced to try to avoid rioting.

-UC Berkeley's BAMN (Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration
& Immigrant Rights, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary) teamed up with other UC campuses, including Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz for a statewide march for demands in the case:

• Jail All the Killer Cops
• End BART's and District Attorney Orloff's cover-up—Open an independent public investigation of the murder
• Disarm the BART police, and keep the BART police out of Oakland
• Drop all the charges against protesters

-BAMN held a press conference + speakout on the UC Berkeley campus

Since the mini riot in Oakland, CA, there have been a number of other peaceful protests in Oakland and San Francisco, as well as members of the community and community leaders attending meetings with BART and the district attorney's office. There has been an overwhelming push for the arrest of Johannes Mehserle, the former BART police officer who killed Oscar Grant on New Years day, and now it has finally happened. Mehserle was arrested yesterday in Nevada on a warrant for murder that was issued by Alameda County. The Bay Area now awaits Mehserle's return. You can read more about his arrest --->here<---.

Although this is a victory toward justice, there is still the possibility that there will be no justice for Oscar Grant in this case. Authorities have worries about finding an impartial jury should this case go to trial. Will the jury be able to view the video evidence without police bias? They feel that the level of emotion surrounding the case and the personal experiences and views of people concerning the police will not allow for a fair trial. Will this trial be a repeat of the Rodney King trial, which also had video evidence? Will Mehserle walk? With little faith in the justice system, he could, but I see that being difficult to explain since he was clearly captured firing the fatal shot. In any case, I hope Mehserle now has his story straight because we are all waiting to hear it.

The fight continues as there will be another protest today in Oakland calling for justice. Protesters will stage a "die-in", where they will lay face down on the ground with their hands behind their backs. They have also built a coffin that will also be used symbolically during the protest. Aside from community leaders and ordinary citizens rallying around this issue, UC Berkeley's civil rights activist group BAMN (Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration
& Immigrant Rights, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary) has also gotten involved in the "movement".

BAMN organizer and UCB alum Ronald Cruz writes,

This is an important first victory for the movement fighting for justice
for Oscar Grant. We can and must make sure that Mehserle and all the cops
who assisted are convicted and that killings like this never happen again
in Oakland. We must continue to stand strong and fight for our demands:

* Jail all the killer cops
* End the BART cover-up—Open a public investigation of the murder
* Disarm the BART Police—BART Police Out of Oakland
* Drop all charges against protesters

MARCH TODAY from Oakland City Hall to the District Attorney's office
Demand justice for Oscar Grant!

Senseless violence. Senseless police violence. Senseless police violence toward a black man.

Another senseless murder of a black man at the hands of a police officer.

I have been trying to come to terms with this ever since the news hit. I did not personally know the man who was killed, but I do know him... we all do, at least those of us who are aware of the historical murdering and police brutality of black men in this country. On the heels of the murder of Sean Bell, who was unarmed at the time he was shot 41 times in New York by police, Oscar Grant of Hayward, CA has joined the list of victims. Like Sean, Oscar leaves behind the woman that he had hoped to marry and their 4 year old daughter. Everyone is trying to figure out why and how this could happen. Again!

If the crime itself is not horrible enough, the sequence of events leading up to Oscar's death have been in heavy rotation across the tv screen. Yes, this time the whole thing was caught on video. Several videos from several angles shot by hand held cameras and cell phones. Showing a handcuffed Oscar being held to the ground by a couple of officers, one of which held his knee on Oscar's head, and a short time later the other drawing his weapon like he was at a showdown in the old West firing a shot into Oscar's back. Although the evidence is there. Murder in plain sight. Officials did not question, arrest or anything else, the officer who fired the fatal shot. They instead are asking the public not to "create stories to go along with what they have seen on tape", while allowing the officer to seek refuge under his lawyer. He hasn't been asked what happened. Why he drew his weapon when there was no threat to his life at the time. Why he fired that weapon into the back of an unarmed, handcuffed man. But, while Oscar Grant is currently laying in a casket, in a church being mourned, the officer involved is under police protection because he is now receiving death threats. I will not say that he should be fearing for his life after what he's done, but I will say that the anger of those who are doing the threatening is COMPLETELY understandable. Someone has been murdered, the murder has been caught on tape, the murderer's identity is known, but he is not treated as a murderer because he carries a badge.

And people wonder why the black youth walk around with a chip on their shoulders. When will people realize that although it appears that we have made some progress, it is clearly not enough. They say we have come so far, but we still have so far to go. Well, I feel that we really haven't had that much progression because this country is still structured in a way that makes it impossible for certain people to thrive. Hell, there are systems in place that make it hard for certain people to live! You may no longer be able to hang a black man, but you sure can make the threat (Jena) and you sure as hell can shoot to kill if you are a man of the law. What message does this send to our adolescent black boys? Barack has made it so there is no longer a reason that you can't shake off the impossible and do and become whatever and whoever you want in America. As long as you don't have your black ass in the "right" neighborhood at the wrong time because the locals will call the cops on you for looking suspicious. As long as you don't move a muscle if you ever get stopped by the police because they will beat your ass and say you were resisting arrest. As long as you don't enjoy any after hours fun and catch the public metro system back home... because you might not make it back home.

I am going to provide you a few videos that you can check out to get a little more on the story or to just enlighten yourself on the many struggles that the black community is still fighting to overcome. You might not wanna have the little ones looking over your shoulder because I believe this first video does show the actual shooting of Oscar Grant. I also encourage you to check out the short documentary that Eb has over at Black Renaissance Woman. It features the reactions and fears of black adolescent boys to the murder of Sean Bell. It kind of puts this whole thing in perspective when thinking about how these kinds of events affect young boys who run the risk of meeting the same fate just because they are black.



This video gives a pure and multi-perspective response to the shooting of Oscar Grant.



If you have room to stomach one more video you can click --->here<--- to see a recent broadcast of the latest in the case. This brief broadcast identifies the officer and talks about how he has been affected by what he has done. Oh woe the hell is he!

Just when I was about to swear off watching the news past the weather forecast forever, I heard and saw something that made me smile. Apparently, little Miss Obama was sporting the threads of an Oakland, Ca based children's clothing manufacturer called Biscotti, the night that her daddy made history. Oakland gets so much bad press and I am happy to hear that now Biscotti's dresses are flying off to retailers who are getting an overwhelming amount of orders for what they are now calling the "Malia dress". I think the actual article can tell the story much better than I can, so go here to see how the owner realized that her dress was on the back of the new first daughter.