Essence magazine’s Cynthia Gordy reports that a major civil rights victory came to pass last week, when the U.S. Senate voted to pay a long-blocked $1.15 billion settlement to black farmers. For years Dr. John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, has advocated for the case, involving thousands of black farmers who successfully…

Julianne Hing of ColorLines reports that African Americans and Latinos are going to school at a higher rate, but many are going to community colleges or for-profit programs, unlike their Asian and white counterparts. Standards have increased for admission to colleges and universities, including the need for AP courses, extracurricular activities and higher SAT scores.…

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its annual report on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States. The data, for 2009, show a continued high burden of STDs — particularly among African Americans — but also indicate some signs of progress. The STD surveillance report includes data on the three STDs…

MSNBC has announced that it has suspended Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough for two days for giving $500 in contributions to friends and family members running for office. The network that suspended Keith Olbermann earlier this month for making political donations has admonished Scarborough for doing the same thing. Donating to political campaigns is a…

One passenger has taken up the privacy issue about TSA searches at airports by exposing his privates. Instead of submitting to a body-scan machine or pat-down, he chose to disrobe. He stripped down to his underwear to avoid being “molested” by TSA agents. Sounds like an exhibitionist to us. Someone so concerned with his privacy…

With one of the year’s busiest traveling days fast approaching, the Obama administration’s top transportation security official on Monday urged passengers angry over safety procedures not to boycott airport body scans. Transportation Security Administration Chief John Pistole said in nationally broadcast interviews that he understands public concerns about privacy in the wake of the TSA’s…

Troubled rapper DMX is in the slammer again, this time for a parole violation. He was arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs, including cocaine. Arizona officials say this is now the fifth time that deputies have arrested him. DMX (government name Earl Simmons) had served about nine months of an 18-month probation…

Jezebel is telling it like it is regarding the miraculous presence of what one could term a “dance-challenged” Bristol Palin in the top three of Dancing With the Stars. It has been alleged that the Tea Party’s “Operation Bristol” is keeping the teen mom in the competition. However, the real conspiracy is that her conservative…

James Rucker, executive director of Color of Change, which has 800,000 online members, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking her to oppose the candidacy of Bobby Rush (D-Ill.). Rush is about to become the ranking member on the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. Wired reported that Rucker said, “Congressman Rush has…