21Century Digital Slaves

If you are not able to code and if you are not computer literate, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave.  If you don't have access to and are using the internet for personal growth and development, you are pretty much a 21st century digital slave.  If you are not encouraging your schools to teach coding and computer literacy to your children, and if you are not allowing your children to learn, read and write code, you are promising your children 21st century digital slavery.    If your children are playing video games, rather than creating video games, they too, will be consigned to 21st century digital slavery.  If you are not learning coding yourself, you have relegated yourself to the old way of being educated and the old way of existing.  You have made yourself obsolete.  You have volunteered to be a 21st century digital slave! It is time for all people, but especially Black people, to run away from digital slavery to digital freedom and digital excellence!  The most widely spoken language in world in the near future is not going to be English, Chinese, Hindi, Swahili or Spanish-it is going to be a language of computer coding.  People in every country will speak this language.  90% of all new jobs in the world will require employees to speak this language.  You will not be able to live (well) anywhere in the world without this language. The Black Star Project will offer introductory classes to coding and computer literacy during the holidays.  Effective education can no longer occur just between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm, Monday through Friday, for 200 school days a year.  Learning has become too important to leave to schools!  Learning must be driven by parents, families and communities, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!. Learning is no longer a local activity, but a global imperative.  Just as some slaves became accustomed to chattel slavery, some people are becoming accustomed to the new 21st century digital slavery.  The only way to break these bonds that rob people of dignity and freedom are with "new learning".    Please have your 8- to 14-year old students join us for homework help, computer coding, financial literacy, college exposure, entrepreneurship, Black History (without slavery) and more at our Holiday Saturday University over the next 2 weeks.  While there is no cost for the classes, the learning that your children will receive is invaluable! Please call Raquel at 773.285.9600 for more information about these free classes.

kids off the block annual holiday events

Join me this Saturday with kids off the block annual toy give-a-way
KOB
116th Michigan Ave. Chicago
1-4pm

In case you missed the FEED A TEEN Thanksgiving Annual Dinner, here's a sample:

President Obama Remembers Former President Mandella

This section is from Black Star Project

Making Progress; Moving Forward! Nelson Mandela Sexting and Bullying An Hour of Code for Every Student Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom U.S. Students In Middle of World Academic Pack In Israel, More Control of Youth In Summer Links:The Black Star Project's website: blackstarproject.org Black Star Journal: blackstarjournal.org Become a Member: Click Here Event Calendar: Click Here Like us on Facebook: In Honor of  Nelson Mandela President of South Africa and Freedom Fighter July 18, 1918 to December 5, 2013          South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg - Click Hereto Read Full Story    Sexting, digital harassment down among young people, survey says   By Emily Alpert Reyes October 24, 2013  People use BlackBerry smartphones in this arranged photograph taken in... (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg Stop the presses: There's some good news about teens and sexting. Fewer teens and young adults have received sexual messages or other forms of "sexting" than a few years ago, according to a new survey of nearly 1,300 people ages 14 to 24. Two years ago, 32% said they had been involved in some form of sexting; this year that number fell to 26%. Pollsters also found fewer numbers of teens and young adults had suffered from digital rumors, spying or other harassment. The survey released Thursday by MTV and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research used online panels to survey young Americans about their digital habits. Why are those numbers dropping? It might be that young people take online harassment more seriously. Teens and young adults are increasingly aware that digital abuse is destructive, the survey found, with 72% calling it a big problem that should be addressed. Click Here to Read Full Article     An Hour of Code  for every student "Basic global literacy has expanded from simply being able to read, write and perform math to now having the ability to read and write computer code."    Phillip Jackson  The Black Star Project       Why computer science?   Computer science provides a foundation for virtually any career - everybody can benefit from learning the basics. Visit Code.org for inspiration.  What's an Hour of Code?  It's a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code" and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, an innovator. We'll provide a variety of self-guided tutorials that anybody can do, on a browser, tablet, or smartphone. We'll even have unplugged tutorials for classrooms without computers. No experience needed. How can I host the Hour of Code at my school, company, or organization?  At your school: If you are a parent or student, ask the principal or a tech-savvy teacher for their support to allow you to host the Hour of Code. We can show you how to organize events and connect to the Hour of Code tutorials. See our school participation guide for more information. If you are a teacher, we have resources to support your leading an Hour of Code. Our tools are simple, painless, and easy to use. Don't have enough computers in your school? Don't worry, we have offline or phone-based options. See our school participation guide for more information. At your company: Sign up your co-workers for an hour of code. See our employer participation guide for more information. At your club or nonprofit: We have event ideas to share that will help you get your members excited and activated to host an Hour of Code in your community. See our community participation guide for more information. At home: Organize a family hour of code and let your kids teach you. You can use PCs, tablets, smart phones, or one of our Hour of Code unplugged activities (example). Everything is available online, to make it easy for busy parents to participate.   What day do I need to do my Hour of Code?  You can do your Hour of Code on any day during CSEdWeek (December 9-15, 2013).   What if I live outside of the US? You are welcome to participate in the Hour of Code.   Click Here to Learn More About An Hour of Code Click Here to see video on Coding  In Theaters Soon Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM is based on South African President Nelson Mandela's autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country's once segregated society. Idris Elba (PROMETHEUS) stars as Nelson Mandela along side Naomie Harris (SKYFALL) as Winnie Mandela with Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL) directing. Click Here to see film trailer

don't worry, be happy!

Henry Evans and Chad Jenkins: Meet the robots for humanity

feed a teen Thanksgiving 2013

12 years a slave?

Are we still slaves?
Ask yourself the question?
If you're tied down to anything, chances are, it's slavery!
What do you think?

KOB Feed a Teen Annual Thanksgiving Dinner!

It is an honor and a privilege to work with an organization that is walking the walk, not just talking!

Kids off the Block is run by a community of people who care, spear headed by founder and cel

(2011 CNN Hero) Mrs. Diane Latiker of the Roseland Community.

KOB is designed to give youth positive something to do.

As the Videographer of KOB, we film their events every year, 

and every year some child walks up to me and tells us how much

they appreciate our coming out to film the "GOOD IN THE HOOD",

while everyone else talks about the violence!

We salute Kids off the Block!

Keep up the great work Diane and KOB Team!

Tony Hogues - Producer/Host

Men On Higher Learning TV Show

Official KOB Videographer

part 1

part 2

                                                          part 3

Phillip Jackson of Black Star Project Speaks truth...

Making Progress; Moving Forward! Privatizing Prisons Is Like Trading Slaves 1 in 3 Black Males Will Go to Prison One of Best Speeches of 21st Century Teach Students Philosophy and Critical Thinking Skills Boo! At the Zoo Do We Need Algebra in 2013? Links:The Black Star Project's website: blackstarproject.org Black Star Journal: blackstarjournal.org Become a Member: Click Here Event Calendar: Click Here Like us on Facebook:   "Privatizing prisons in the 21st century is like trading slaves in the 17th, 18th and 19th century!" - Phillip Jackson  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------   Corrections Corporation of America wants to run the prisons of America with a guaranteed 90% occupancy      (Excerpts from Letter by Corrections Corporation of America Chief Corrections Officer Harley G. Lappin to governors in 48 states in early 2012)       Dear Governor _______________:    I am writing to brief you in advance about a new program - the CCA corrections investment   Initiative - that we plan to begin discussing with you and other key decision-makers in the State of _________ in the coming weeks. In short, CCA is earmarking $250 million for purchasing and   managing government-owned corrections facilities.  The program is a new opportunity for federal, state or local governments that are considering the benefits of partnership corrections.  We're proud to consistently deliver safe and efficient operations and high quality educational and rehabilitation programming for inmates and detainees under our care.  We want to build on that success and provide our existing or prospective government partners with access to the same opportunity as they manage challenging corrections budgets. Interested parties would execute the sale to CCA and enter into a long-term management contract of 20 years or more.      Physical requirements for facilities that would be eligible for purchase by the fund would include:   * A minimum rated occupancy of 1,000 beds;   * A structure age of no more than 25 years;   * A designation that the structure is suitable for immediate occupation or is already   occupied by an inmate population; and   * An assurance by the agency partner that the agency has sufficient inmate   population to maintain a minimum 90 percent occupancy rate over the term of the   contract.      Please feel free to call or contact me directly at (615) 263-3001 if you have any questions,   comments or interest. I would be delighted to hear from you. Meanwhile, please accept my best wishes for a great 2012.    Sincerely,     Harley G. Lappin Chief Corrections Officer    Stock quotation for: Corrections Corp Of America NYSE: CXW - Oct 22 4:02 PM ET 37.08 -0.38 (-1.01%)    Open 37.40, High 37.72, Low 37.03 Volume 1,119,719; Avg Vol 939,000; Mkt Cap 4.29B    Click Here to Read Complete Letter    (This is not 1913 or 1953.  This is 2013 in America!!!) 1 In 3 Black Males Will Go To Prison In Their Lifetime, Report Warns This may put U.S. in violation of 1992 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights   By Saki Knafo October 4, 2013  One in every three black males born today can expect to go to prison at some point in their life, compared with one in every six Latino males, and one in every 17 white males, if current incarceration trends continue. These are among the many pieces of evidence cited by the Sentencing Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for prison reform, in a report on the staggering racial disparities that permeate the American criminal justice system. The report was submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Committee this week in advance of the U.N.'s review of American compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights later this month. It argues that racial disparity pervades "every stage of the United States criminal justice system, from arrest to trial to sentencing." "Racial minorities are more likely than white Americans to be arrested," the report explains. "Once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, they are more likely to face stiff sentences." The report's findings lead its authors to conclude that the U.S. is violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that all citizens must be treated equally under the law. The U.S. ratified the treaty in 1992. The problem begins with police activity. According to Justice Department data cited in the report, police arrested black youth for drug crimes at more than twice the rate of white youth between 1980 and 2010, nationwide. Yet a 2012 study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that white high-school students were slightly more likely to have abused illegal drugs within the past month than black students of the same age. Blacks are also far more likely than whites to be stopped by the police while driving. The Sentencing Project report largely attributes the racial disparities in both traffic and drug arrests to "implicit racial bias" on the part of the police. Click Here to Read Full Story

kidz corner

youth in the news...

shoe shine master! Being True to Oneself

do you really need a lot?

hln-tv improv players www.HigherLearningNetwork.org

Actor Avery Brooks on film

no excuses, only results

arsenio haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllll!!

arsenio hall on the view!

arsenio hall and the champs!

celebrate the truth!

Father Michael Pfleger THE TRUTH SALUTE... Father Mike Pfleger: 2o Years of Giving Correspondent: MG Media No one can say that Father Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church and founder of The Ark of St. Sabina: A Shelter From Urban Storms does not care about his beloved community. He has, for decades, dedicated himself to serving the people of the Auburn Gresham, where the over 100 year sanctuary holds down under-served community, and does so without hesitation or reservation. He has even put his career as a Catholic priest in jeopardy multiple times to aligning his concerns with the community than the Catholic hierarchy. Pfleger has sometimes been the single driving force bringing awareness to issues like poverty, unemployment and youth violence in the city of Chicago. He has also been a target of street gangs who see him as treat to their way of underground street and drug culture. But overall, he has survived the naysayers and the detractors who says a white man can't change the direction of the hood. Well, for 20 years, he has done just that. And he will be rewarded for his tireless effort to transform the lives of tens of dozens of young people over his tenure as the head of The Ark of St. Sabina. Father Pfleger is also the founder of the Employment Resource Center, the Ark Youth Center, Saint Sabina Social Service Center, Thea Bowman Spiritual Advance Center, Samaritan House for the homeless, Saint Sabina 80-unit Elders Village and the Beloved Community, Inc. As a minister, Pfleger has sought to break down the walls of racism and denominationalism by building unity among all people founded on truth and based on Jesus’ command to love one another. This holy calling has led him to be parent, a preacher, a teacher, a lecturer and an activist. However, he believes his most important role is an errand boy for Jesus! And on Thursday, September 19, the entire city of Chicago will honor Pfleger during a20th Anniversary Celebration of The ARK of St. Sabina at 1840 W. Hubbard (Chicago). This momentous event, Chaired by Mary Mitchell of the Chicago Sun-Times, will also celebrate the work and accomplishments of five distinguished guests: The HonorableJacqueline Collins, Senator, 16th Legislative District; Rev. Yehiel Curry, Pastor, Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church; Monica Haslip, Executive Director, Little Black Pearl Workshop; Dr. Dominica McBride, Founder & CEO, Become, Inc.; and David Whittaker, Executive Director, Chicago Area Project. The money raised at this event will provide continued support to their after-school program and youth in the community. The celebration will feature many more esteemed guests, food, live entertainment, cocktails and a silent auction. For more details or to purchase tickets, call Jocelyn Jones or Marchae Miller at 773-483-4333 or go towww.thearkofstsabina.org.

naturally 7

hacker resistent passwords

Hacker-resistant passwords — Ted Demopoulos

Figuring out most passwords is trivial for hackers, the NSA, and even me. Lots of free tools to “crack” and guess passwords are available. We “good guys” call this “password auditing” instead of “cracking” usually.

Also, we have far too many passwords to remember.

The standard advice of using a different password for every site or service and never writing passwords down is simply wrong. Here is what I suggest.

1) For very important sites (e.g., banking, website access) use a unique password, change it at least occasionally, and make sure it is a great password. A great password is long (I like 10+ characters), NOT a dictionary word, name, or anything related to you that could be guessed (like your kids’ names concatenated together), and contains letters, digits, and other characters as well.

• “redsox” is a horrible password
• “R3ds0x” is better but still too short and “cracker” programs do try simple substitutions like “3” for “e” and “0” for “o”
• “4Aug!985R3ds0x” is a great password, and maybe if you are a massive Red Sox fan and that is an important date for you it is simple to remember.

2) For less-important and non-important sites, like newspaper sites and others that make you register, use a common password that is relatively easy to remember and don’t worry about it.

You can also go to 3 tiers of passwords: Passwords for critical sites, passwords for less-important sites, and a generic password for all others.

Now if you have a number of very important sites and hence passwords, they can be hard to remember. Feel free to write them down if necessary, and treat them like credit cards! You do not leave your credit card info lying around, do you? (For example, written on a PostIt note on your monitor?) And if you lose your wallet/purse, you would cancel/change all the cards IMMEDIATELY, right?

So, how do you determine which passwords are most critical, other than perhaps common sense or gut feel? Ask the question, “How bad could it be if someone got into this account?”

maleness to manhood

the butler, interview with cuba gooding, jr.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. was born in the Bronx on January 2, 1968, but raised in Los Angeles from the age of 4 on. Best known for his Oscar-winning portrayal of the charmingly-arrogant Rod “Show Me the Money!” Tidwell in Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire, he first found fame in 1991 when he received critical acclaim for his performance in John Singleton’s coming-of-age classic Boyz n the Hood.

Cuba followed-up that success with roles in As Good as It Gets, What Dreams May Come, and the Oscar-nominated A Few Good Men. The versatile thespian’s repertoire also includes roles in pictures ranging from Red Tails to Radio to Men of Honor to Pearl Harbor to American Gangster to Shadowboxer to Boat Trip to Snow Dogs to Norbit.

Among his upcoming big screen projects are Don Jon and the sequel Machete Kills. On television, he played the title character in the award-winning Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, as well as in Firelight, the highest rated Hallmark Hall of Fame movie ever.

A decade ago, Cuba’s extraordinary achievements were recognized when he was awarded with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here, he talks about his work opposite Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey in Lee Daniels’ The Butler. 

 Kam Williams: Hi Cuba, appreciate the time.

Cuba Gooding, Jr: Anytime, Kam. How are ya, buddy?

KW: Great, and you?

CG: Very well, thank you.

KW: What interested you in The Butler?

CG: Well, to give you a little history, Lee Daniels and I had been friends even before he was a producer, manager or casting director. When he offered me the role of the shadowboxer in Shadowboxer, I was invited into the editing room. We’ve done this thing throughout his career from Precious on, where he sends me screenplays that he’s considering. So, I feel like this is an invested relationship I have with him. He sent me this screenplay about five years ago, suggesting that I might be the butler.

KW: Were you upset when you didn’t land the title role?

CG: No, one thing led to another in casting choices, and now I couldn’t imagine this movie without Forest Whitaker playing the lead and Oprah playing his wife. I think they’re both deserving of Oscar nominations. Their relationship in the movie’s so powerful, and so is Forest’s with David Oyelowo’s character.  

KW: You did a great job, too.

CG: Thanks. It just feels so good to be involved again with a movie that’s socially relevant. I recently met a 27 year-old white male who admitted that he didn’t know about the sit-ins until seeing this movie’s scene with the kids being refused service in a segregated diner. And it hit me how we can so easily forget, because I’m in my forties. There’s such a disconnect from the next generation in terms of all the brutality. That’s why it feels good to be a part of this film which revisits that time period and talks about what transpired.

KW: Especially because it tackles the material from a fresh perspective.

CG: It’s interesting, too, because when Django Unchained came out, so many people were alienated by it, while others who thought it was just a really cool ride from Quentin Tarantino said, “Get over it!” If you look at the latter group, a lot of them were really young kids who had a disconnect from slavery. To them, all they saw was their hero being freed, shooting back, saving the day and getting his girl. It’s funny, I started dating my wife, who’s Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes, in 1987. I got hate mail when I did Boyz n the Hood saying stuff like, “I can’t believe your girlfriend is white.” But I hadn’t grown up in the South back in the days when blacks were lynched for even looking at a white woman. And when you look at what I did today, it’s elementary compared to the attention being paid to the issue of same-sex marriage. So, we’ve moved away for the better, but we just can’t afford to forget all the sacrifices and trials and tribulations.

KW: How much research did you have to do to prepare for the role?

CG: Well, I’d been researching and gathering information on the subject for several years for both this script and for a Martin Luther King story about Selma. So, it’s a time period I’d already become pretty well-versed in.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: How similar are you to your character in The Butler, Carter Wilson?

CG: I AM that guy! [LOL] Sometimes, I can be pretty goofy, and a bit of an exhibitionist. I don’t think I’m quite as free with the lips as he is, but I can tell a joke or two. Some of those lines I ad-libbed.

KW: How emotionally affected were you seeing the film for the first time?

CG: I was a wreck. I sat and hugged Pam [producer Pam Williams] like someone had died in the family. And, to be honest with you, Kam, it wasn’t so much the history lesson, but simply that my eldest son who’s 18 was going off to college, and I couldn’t get back to L.A. to see him off when he left because I was stuck in New York. The father-son relationship just hit me, man, especially the scene where Cecil Gaines says goodbye to his son departing for college. What I experienced wasn’t a feeling of sadness, but rather a realization of this higher calling in life, and how we’re all a part of this chain.    

KW: Speaking of your being in New York, Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: How did you enjoy being on Broadway? What play were you doing, A Trip to Bountiful?

CG: Yes, sir, since February. I loved it. I actually started in theater, that’s where an agent found me in ’86, I was doing a Shakespeare festival. On the stage, if you don’t understand every word of what you’re saying, it is apparent in your countenance. So, I was always about living the character. Then I got stolen away by TV where I got my start as MacGyver’s sidekick for awhile which was easy to phone in. You know the guy, you know the peril, and you know how to save the day. So, I leapt at this opportunity to go back, and it reignited my creativity. Just to be across from Cicely Tyson on that stage every day, was great. My creative passion is back!

KW: Harriet also asks: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?

CG: That’s an interesting question I’ve never been asked. Just last night, literary, I was sitting around talking with some friends about those old movies with a Broadway theme. Maybe one of those.

KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?

CG: Well, I smile a lot more on the red carpet.

KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

CG: I would fly. I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was 5 years-old.

KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?

CG: Social work. Or maybe coaching kids sports. I’ve always been a people person. It would have to be something where I could help people.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?

CG: The Boys and Girls Clubs of America is one of them. I have a few.

KW: Can you give me a Cuba Gooding, Jr. question to ask other celebrities?  

CG: Yeah, what still scares you?

KW: Thanks, and thanks again for the time, Cuba.

CG: My pleasure, Kam. 

courtesy of www.BeanSoupTimes.com