The blogosphere is up in arms over the death of 10-year-old Jasmine McClain, whose mother, Samantha West, found her hanged. Chadburn, N.C., police were set to rule the death a suicide when they were alerted by McClain’s schoolmates on Facebook that the girl had been badly bullied at school. The Daily Mail reports that Chadbourn…

MSNBC is reporting that a funeral for rap legend Heavy D will be held at a historic black Baptist church in New York: Grace Baptist Church of Mount Vernon. Grace Baptist Church’s website says its congregation was founded by five black women in 1888. The funeral will be broadcast live on the church’s website. The…

The AFP is reporting that Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has rejected a government offer to honor him with one of the nation’s highest awards. The 80-year-old novelist was to be awarded the Commander of the Federal Republic title on Monday, but he has refused it, reportedly citing the state of the country, which has long…

Yahoo News is reporting that Amarantus BioSciences, a biotechnology company developing MANF, a first-in-class disease-modifying therapeutic protein, today announced that both Gerald and John Commissiong are among the Bay Area selectees for the 12th Annual 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology. The selectees will gather in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14 and 15, 2012, for…

Black Money is reporting that Juan Gilbert is a 2011 recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. The award, presented by the White House to individuals and organizations, recognizes the crucial role that mentoring plays in the academic and personal development of students studying science and engineering — particularly those…

Joel Hood of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that despite reforms targeting low-income families in Chicago Public Schools, the achievement gap between black and white students has actually increased. Hood writes: Across the city, and spanning three eras of CPS leadership, black elementary school students have lost ground to their white, Latino and Asian classmates…

Trymaine Lee of HuffPost Black Voices is reporting that between 1971 and 1991, Donald Fitzpatrick, a longtime Red Sox clubhouse manager, systematically molested and abused African-American boys in their hometown of Winter Haven, Fla., where the baseball team held their spring training. Lee highlights the story of Leeronnie Ogletree, who was molested by Fitzpatrick at…

EURweb is reporting that legendary rapper-producer Erick Sermon, 42, is recovering in a hospital after suffering a heart attack last week. News of the EPMD star’s hospitalization broke over the weekend when the group’s longtime collaborator DJ Scratch tweeted, “Erick Sermon had a heart attack … He’s ok, but still send your prayers.” Sermon, listed…