This morning President Obama signed into law a bill that seeks to end the pay disparities between men and women. I love it that he says “This is not a women’s issue, but a family issue.” And to compare with the first bill passed by President Kibaki’s Parliament in 2002, was to raise the pay for the Members of Parliament. Sad indeed.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which states that the 180-day statute of limitations for pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck, inspired by Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found that the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit begins at the date the pay was agreed upon, not at the date of the most recent paycheck, as a lower court had ruled. (more…)
IBé
I’m an African man. Hold on, scratch that. I’m a Guinean man. No, even that involves some generalizations I’m not comfortable making. I’m a Maninka man, a Maninka father. I have been in America for more than half my life, but I am a Maninka at my core. This fact defines many things I am.
When I was growing up, and as far as I know today, in our culture, child rearing (at least the daily chores associated with this) are entirely the task of our mothers. Fathers are responsible for going out and getting the bread. The mothers take care of baking it, feeding it to the children, and taking care of the rest. Never in my entire life growing up did I see a Maninka father put pants on a baby, let alone change diaper. Fathers don’t know whether food is cooked with wood or charcoal. Needless to say, first giggles and first steps happen entirely in their absence. (more…)
Here are some excerpts from an article by Njoroge Wachai as posted on Post Global . It reverts back to the question of how much should Africans rely on outside help to develop the continent? Who really owes Africa: Obama or our leaders? Here are some main points, but do read the whole article here.
Now Mr. President, please don’t get me wrong; we’re not seeking handouts from your administration. We’re smart enough to know America doesn’t dole out freebies. What we want is an Africa that sticks to some of the ideals that you too much championed during the campaigns: democracy; respect for human rights; accountability and transparency from our leaders; trade policies that can create wealth in Africa and put more people to work. We’re tired of visiting Washington with a begging bowl in hand. (more…)
There is a new map being put together, that shows Minnesota’s broadband, high-speed Internet. The Map, once completed, will show where Internet service is poor or speeds are slow. I love this because you get to test your connection speed and compare your results to what your Internet Service Provider is selling you. Finally, I’ll be able to verify whether I am getting my money’s worth when it comes to Internet Service. That’s a start.
Go to MPR to read more about this or listen to the full story. Otherwise, to test your Internet speed, go to Connect Minnesota.
Although broadband Internet service here in Minnesota and in other states is becoming cheaper and more available, it is not as readily available in Africa. However, our hope is that this will rapidly change, and enhance the already ongoing efforts to reduce poverty, create jobs and improve the means of communications between African countries and their connection with the rest of the world.
In line with these hopes, NEPAD (The New Partnership for Africa’s Development) has launched what it calls a
“Broadband Infrastructure Network, [which] will connect east African countries to a communications network stretching from South Africa to Rwanda. A second broadband network will connect Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritius, Namibia and Madagascar to an undersea cable running along East Africa.”
SPNN is now accepting applications for youth to join the Set It Up next semester. Set It Up is a teen-produced TV show exploring issues affecting teens in St. Paul. To apply to be a Set It Up crew member, you must be a high school student (9th-12th grade), a resident of St. Paul, and have an interest in community issues and media/television production. Crew members will receive high school credit for their contributions, as well as a bus pass to get to and from SPNN.
This is a rare immigration story. As the economy worsens, immigrants are increasingly seen as a burden and competition for welfare resources, but this story in Newsweek gave a much needed fresh angle of the impact of immigrants on the American economy. Here are some excerpts, but make sure you read the full article.
Barely a decade ago, Lewiston, Maine, was dying. The once bustling mill town’s population had been shrinking since the 1970s; most jobs had vanished long before, and residents (those who hadn’t already fled) called the decaying center of town “the combat zone.” That was before a family of Somali refugees discovered Lewiston in 2001 and began spreading the word to immigrant friends and relatives that housing was cheap and it looked like a good place to build new lives and raise children in peace. Since then, the place has been transformed. Per capita income has soared, and crime rates have dropped. In 2004, Inc. magazine named Lewiston one of the best places to do business in America, and in 2007, it was named an “All-America City” by the National Civic League, the first time any town in Maine had received that honor in roughly 40 years. (more…)
Almost 3 million of America’s black population are foreign born and between 1980 and 2005 this population has more than tripled. By 2005, at least 1 million US born black children had at least one foreign born parent. To capture these developments, a new documentary film “The Neo African Americans” by director Kobina Aidoo looks at how “… rapid immigration from Africa and the Caribbean is transforming the African-American narrative.”
Here’s the trailer for the “The Neo African Americans”
It doesn’t seem like the job market is getting any better. Just yesterday 35,000 people lost their jobs. There is little job security in almost every field. But there are jobs available, only that competition is stiff. (more…)
Just wanted to share this news with those of you who have been following the tragedy in the Congo, for which Nkunda bears some responsibility. What are your reactions?
According to the BBC;
Gen Laurent Nkunda, the leader of the main rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has been arrested, the military says.
He was arrested as he fled into Rwanda while trying to resist a joint Rwandan-Congolese military operation, the operation’s joint command said.
Gen Nkunda is being detained in Rwanda, and is expected to be handed over to Congolese authorities soon, the BBC’s Karen Allen reports from Goma in DR Congo’s North Kivu province. (more…)
I am a Liberian. I love Liberia. I am an immigrant. I am a legal resident.
Lately, there has been lots of talk on the TPS/DED status of Liberians in MN. I am deeply affected by it because it is my community and my people. After years of living in the U.S. and contributing to the communities in which they live, many Liberians on TPS/DED should be given permanent residence status. They are legal, they pay taxes, they work like every American. They have investments (homes, children, etc). We came here fleeing war and prosecution. America gave us protection. For that, we are grateful. Thank you.
Not to sound ungrateful, but Liberians on TPS/DED need your help again. It is an inconvenience to send these people home at this time. Our nation is fragile and under equipped to take such a burden. With 80% unemployment and a poor infrastructure, country cannot accommodate us. Please understand. Liberians in the U.S. are the bread wieners. Without support from families and friends here, our children cannot receive basic necessities, like education, health care and food. Our love ones cannot prosper, and our country cannot rise up.
Please gave all Liberians on TPS/DED permanenet residence status.
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