Lynette Holloway

2011-02-26T01:09:00.003-06:00

New York Latest Target of Black Anti-Abortion Billboards
Update: A controversial ad that raised the ire of Planned Parenthood and the mom of the child depicted in it will be taken down, according to a statement by the Rev. Al Sharpton's office.
By: Lynette Holloway | Posted: February 24, 2011 at 1:36 PM

It's safe to say that few things shock New Yorkers. But a new anti-abortion billboard erected in New York City's SoHo neighborhood has created a firestorm of controversy. It depicts the image of a pensive 6-year-old girl in a red sleeveless summer dress beneath these ominous and portentous words: "The Most Dangerous Place for an African American Is in the Womb."

The billboard -- placed at the bustling intersection of Sixth Avenue and Watts Street by the nonprofit pro-life organizations Life Always and thatsabortion.com -- is about half a mile from one of three Planned Parenthood locations. Those facilities jointly reported nearly 17,000 pregnancy terminations in 2010, according to Life Always. A Planned Parenthood spokesman confirmed that number, adding that about 92 percent of terminations were conducted during the first trimester. Twenty-eight percent were medication-induced abortions performed within the first nine weeks.

Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice advocates have lashed out against the startling advertisement. In a prepared statement, Planned Parenthood called the billboard "an offensive and condescending effort to stigmatize and shame African-American women while attempting to discredit the work of Planned Parenthood."

The Rev. Al Sharpton and New York City Council member Letitia James had been planning to hold a press conference in front of the billboard Friday afternoon. A statement released by Sharpton's office earlier today said that the billboard "sends a message of racial profiling and discourages a woman's right to choose." However, in a rapid turn of events, a message sent by Sharpton's office later in the day said that the activist "salutes the decision of Lamar Advertising to pull the billboard." The press conference was also canceled.

"The billboard has come down," the receptionist of the Baton Rouge, La.-based company confirmed for The Root. She added that the company spokesman, Sal Kilshaw, vice president of government relations, was traveling and could not be reached for comment. Roger Rathman, a spokesman for Planned Parenthood of New York City, applauded the decision, saying, We are "pleased to hear that Lamar Advertising has listened to the thousands of voices of outraged New Yorkers and decided to take down the offensive and reprehensible billboard."

The mother of the child depicted in the ad had also been on the offensive. Tricia Fraser told Fox 5 News on Wednesday night that she wanted the billboard taken down. The image of her daughter Annisa was a stock photo, and not taken specifically for the purposes of being used on the billboard. Life Always did not respond to a message left by The Root.

But in a prepared statement released early yesterday, the group said that the billboard was placed in honor of Black History Month. "We celebrate our history, but our future is in jeopardy as a genocidal plot is carried through abortion," said Life Always board member Stephen Borden. "We have seen the heartbreaking effects of opportunists who happen to be black abortionists perpetrating this atrocity. It's not just babies who are in danger; it's also their mothers and our society at large."

Addressing the higher-than-average abortion rate among African Americans, Planned Parenthood said that it's simply a result of more unintended pregnancies. The rate is affected by a myriad of societal factors, including poverty, access to information and education, access to birth control and intimate-partner violence.

Planned Parenthood said that it also provides care to more than 50,000 men, women and teens each year. Services include cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, contraceptive consultations and ob-gyn exams.

When the billboard initially popped up in New York City, all eyes were on Ryan Bomberger, co-founder of the Radiance Foundation, which is the progenitor of the nationwide anti-abortion billboard campaign toomanyaborted.com.

Bomberger told The Root in an e-mail that while he supports the effort, he is not involved in the SoHo billboard campaign. His organization does plan to head to New York because of the city's alarming abortion rate, he said. The most recent stop was in Los Angeles, known as the "abortion capital" because of the large number of terminations performed in the city's 424 abortion clinics, he said.

"We believe any approach to the epidemic issue of abortion -- especially in New York, where 1,489 black babies are aborted for every 1,000 black babies born -- should always affirm the beautiful intrinsic value of women, men and children, born and unborn," Bomberger said.

Planned Parenthood Speaks Out on GOP Attack

2011-02-20T19:08:00.009-06:00

Planned Parenthood Speaks Out on GOP Attack
On the defensive after a House vote to defund it, the group explained to The Root just what a world without Planned Parenthood would look like for black women.

By: Lynette Holloway | Posted: February 19, 2011 at 12:07 AM

Just hours after the Republican-dominated House of Representatives passed a measure to strip Planned Parenthood of funding on Friday, the embattled organization hit back, setting the stage for a showdown in what is widely seen as a symbolic effort to repeal the health care law.

The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, sponsored by Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, prohibits federal dollars from going to any organization that provides abortion services. It is an amendment to the omnibus spending bill now before Congress.

"In attacking Planned Parenthood, the House Republican leadership has launched an outrageous assault on the millions of Americans who rely on Planned Parenthood for primary and preventative health care, including life-saving breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual exams, family planning visits, birth control, HIV testing and more," Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a prepared statement.

"To be clear, the amendment to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding does nothing to reduce the deficit, and it does nothing to improve the economy," she continued. "In fact, health professionals will actually lose their jobs as a result, and most egregiously, it takes health care away from American women who cannot afford to pay for it on their own."

Planned Parenthood says it serves 3 million patients a year, and about 48 percent receive Medicaid and/or Title X funding. Many of those patients rely on Planned Parenthood for services other than abortions, the group stresses.

In a bruising battle, the House voted 240-185 to defund the organization, with only seven Republicans voting against the measure, while 10 Democrats voted in favor of it. The House, however, must still vote to approve the spending bill before the measure goes to the Senate. It would cut about $330 million through the end of September for preventative-health services, including federal funding for contraception and cancer screening at the nation's 800 Planned Parenthood clinics across the nation, according to ABC News.

The vote comes as no surprise. Abortion foes and conservatives across the country have led a robust grassroots campaign in recent months, with a special appeal to the black community. Activists emblazoned billboards with the alarming message that the womb is the most dangerous place for black children because of the high abortion rate among black women. Many of the attacks were centered on Planned Parenthood, which its critics accused of overpopulating black neighborhoods with abortion clinics. And for the most part, the 95-year-old organization has stood silent during this period, saying its history speaks for itself.

That is, until now. Willie J. Parker, M.D., a medical director at Planned Parenthood Metropolitan in Washington, D.C., spoke to The Root in a wide-ranging interview the day before the Title X vote was cast.

Single, with no children, he lives in D.C. and works for Planned Parenthood as an abortion provider and wellness provider. He has been with the organization for about two years.

Despite its symbolic nature, the Title X measure could be harmful, Parker told The Root. The rest of the interview is below:

The Root: What do you have to say in your defense about the upcoming House vote?

Willie Parker: We've known for a while there have been conservative political forces who don't like the work of Planned Parenthood. We know that we have been under attack politically for a while. While it's done in the guise of reducing the deficit and controlling spending, it's a politically driven assault on Planned Parenthood, and additionally an assault on women's health.

TR: What do you mean by assault on women's health?

WP: Given that Planned Parenthood sees 3 million patients in 800 centers across the nation, 97 percent of the services consists of well-woman health visits, breast and cervical cancer screening, contraception and planning, and health education. To try to drive Planned Parenthood out of business will displace millions of medically dependent women away from their primary health care.

The question is, where would those women get their care? We have been around for well over 90 years. We will always be committed to the health and well-being of women. We won't go away. The challenge of serving the vulnerable population will be all that much greater.

TR: Specifically, how will the vote affect black women?

WP: African-American women tend to have more chronic illness and disease. So in terms of having just basic health maintenance and well-woman care, when women get a general health assessment and exam, many things get discovered, like undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes and all of those basic primary health care needs. Usually, Planned Parenthood helps get that patient to someone who manages chronic illness. So 15 percent of our patients are African-American women. Many are often uninsured, and programs like Medicaid and Title X allow those women to have access to basic health screenings.

If they didn't have Planned Parenthood, where they could come to be seen on a sliding scale, or where we might be the only agency in their region that takes Medicaid, or where many African-American women have their medical home, you are destabilizing the safety net that many people of color rely on. A hit on Planned Parenthood really becomes a hit for African-American women.

Kanye West Performs for Chicago Public Schools

2009-07-06T09:46:00.004-05:00

Kanye West Performs for Chicago Public Schools
Posted by Lynette Holloway AOL Black Black Voices on Jun 16th 2009 6:18PM

Well, it seems as if Kanye West has finally calmed down, especially with news of girlfriend troubles and a brutal caricature on South Park.
West returned home last week to Chicago to carry out a mission started about two years ago by his educator mother before her untimely death: To help combat the skyrocketing national high school dropout rate.

The Chicago native performed twice on Thursday at the historic Chicago Theatre for the Kanye West Foundation, which he co-founded with his mother, Donda West. It was the first major foundation event since her passing.

"It was definitely a great experience just to see the work that the team put together and to take it to this level,'' West told AOL Black Voices on the red carpet. "I've been to many foundation events and I feel like now this foundation is at a point where it can really expand and the ideas can really be heard on a national level. And it can become what my mother dreamt about.''

More than 2,000 students who improved their grades during the school year were treated to a free performance. The star-studded red carpet event in the evening was the second Stay In School Benefit Concert and was attended by more than 3,000 people. It will air July 25 on the cable channel Fuse.

The performances served as a catharsis for West, he acknowledged to AOL Black Voices. Surprisingly subdued, he said he hoped the effort would have a major impact on helping students stay in school. The foundation works with schools to partner with community organizations to help indigent youth gain access to music production.

Tickets ranged from $49 to $500 for a VIP reception and benefit concert attended by John W. Rogers, founder and chief investment officer of Ariel Investments and who played basketball at Princeton University with Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson; Michelle Williams, singer from Destiny's Child who sported a new short asymmetric hairstyle; Raven-Symoné, actress; Matt Forte, a running back for the Chicago Bears; and Antoine Walker, NBA free agent who attended Mt. Carmel High School on Chicago's South Side, also Craig Robinson's alma mater. Many of the celebrities said they were there to support West and the work of his foundation.

"I am here to support Kanye and his show,'' said Raven-Symoné, who said she is impressed with the work of his foundation. "I love his music.''

Matt Forte, a running back for the Chicago Bears, said education is important, saying he went to Tulane University in New Orleans to earn an undergraduate degree in finance after his first year in the NFL and maintained a 3.7 grade point average.

"It's important,'' Forte said. "I support education all the time. Kanye is from Chicago and everyone who listens to his music will come out in support of education."
NBA free agent Antoine Walker said the event on Thursday was his second live West performance. He described West as a rarity who can rap and produce.

"What Kanye is doing is terrific,'' Walker said. "Crime is growing in Chicago. With the senseless crime and the events that have happened, it's important that as athletes that we give back in some type of capacity. It's important that we continue doing events like this to raise money and put positive programs together for the youth.''

A limber West delivered an energetic evening performance to an estimated 3,000 fans. The tuxedoed band played on two sides of a raised platform with West performing on a slightly lowered level in the middle. Flashing video screens covered the front of each platform.

West, casually dressed, performed solo. He roused the crowd to its feet for many of the selections new and old, including 'Flashing Lights,' 'Homecoming,' and 'Through the Wire.' He performed 'Hey Mama' without missing a beat, which was not the case shortly after his mother's death, according to some news reports at the time.
He rocked the crowd with 'Put On,' especially during a dialogue when he talked about Chicago. "When I'm working on Jay-Z's album, all I'm thinking is they goin' love this in Chicago...We have to be more creative to give children a reason to feel they can make it...''

David Abrams, a sophomore at Highland Park High School, and co-founder Zack Harris attended both concerts. That's because he played special role in helping to bring the events together. The efforts were praised earlier in the day at a news conference attended by Mayor Richard M. Daley and other city officials. Abrams and a friend came up with the idea to form Students Helping Our World (S.H.O.W.) and created a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools, the city of Chicago, former Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton and the Kanye West Foundation to put on the events. On the red carpet, Abrams was proud to see the fruition of his work.

He really connected with the kids Abrams and Harris said of the high school concert. "It was perfect,'' Abrams said

Jennifer Hudson: A Family's Nightmare

2009-03-08T12:07:00.006-05:00

By Michelle Tauber, Alex Tresniowski
She Escaped Mean Streets and Found Fame. Now the Oscar Winner Copes with the Murders of Her Loved Ones
PEOPLE Magazine
November 10, 2008 Vol. 70 No. 19

She was in the middle of a double publicity blitz for her self-titled debut album and her new movie The Secret Life of Bees, but last month, when Jennifer Hudson learned her mother, Darnell Donerson, was ailing, she put everything on hold. Right before the movie opened, "we got word that Jennifer's mom was sick," says Bees producer Joe Pichirallo. "She said she couldn't do any more publicity because she needed to be with her mom."

Her decision hardly surprised those in the actress-singer's close inner circle. Jennifer's family—especially Darnell, brother Jason and sister Julia—"were all very tight," says Richard Lyons, who was Jennifer's acting coach for her Oscar-winning 2006 film debut, Dreamgirls. "From what she told me, they did everything together. And of course when she started moving on in her career, they were all behind her. Her mom was her rock."

Now Jennifer's world has been shaken to the core—her beloved family foundation obliterated in an astonishingly brutal rampage. The nightmare began on Oct. 24, when Darnell, 57, and Jason, 29, were found fatally shot in the house where Jennifer grew up in the crime-ridden Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side; after those killings, Julia's 7-year-old son, Julian, was missing from the home. A hysterical Julia, 31, immediately called Jennifer, 27, who had been in Florida with her fiancé, David Otunga. "Despite her being who she is, she is still my sister," Julia, a school bus driver, said at a press conference on Oct. 25. "She was screaming. She flew in right away."

For three days Jennifer prayed with her sister, offering a $100,000 reward for Julian's safe return. But on Oct. 27 their worst fears were realized: Julian's body was discovered in Jason's white Suburban SUV, which had been abandoned miles from the family home. The boy had been shot in the head, but police believe his murder took place after the killings in Donerson's house. "I just want to pray for her as much as I can, because when you feel like your rock is gone, then you feel alone in the world," says Lyons. "I don't know how anyone can get through something like that."

Who committed the killings—and why—is the subject of an ongoing investigation. Within hours of the discovery of the bodies at Donerson's home, police arrested Julia's estranged husband, William "Flex" Balfour, 27, for violating parole for a sentence of attempted murder and carjacking in 1999. (He served nearly seven years in prison.) At press time authorities would only say that Balfour, who was Julian's stepfather, was a "person of interest" in the crimes.

For surviving members of the Hudson family, the focus was not justice, but grappling with unimaginable grief. When the time came to identify Julian's body at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, it was Jennifer—arriving with a few other family members—who stepped forward to handle the task. "She was incredibly strong for her family," says spokesman Sean Howard. "She was the leader." Jennifer positively identified Julian—a child whom Jennifer's aunt Dorothy describes as "such a fine person, very bright." Howard recalls that "everyone in the room was crying. But they're a strong family. They held hands."

The murders stunned Jennifer's friends in Chicago as well as her Hollywood peers. "My heart and soul goes out to her," says American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who has known Jennifer since her Idol breakthrough in 2004. "The world is an ugly place right now." Jennifer also received condolences from Sen. Barack Obama, who had personally requested that she sing the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August. "Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken," he said in a statement.

Despite Balfour's arrest, Chicago police cautioned that many questions remain. "We don't know what the motive really was," Chicago police superintendent Jody Weis said at an Oct. 27 press conference. "But clearly you have people who do know each other, so it wasn't a case of a stranger-type homicide." Valerie Griffin, a neighbor, says Balfour—who had been thrown out of the Donerson home last winter—would say threatening things after domestic fights. "He used to say, 'I'm going to kill Julia and the whole family,'" says Griffin. "But I think he just said it out of anger. In my heart, I don't believe he would do it because of the love he has for Julia." Balfour's mom, Michele, defended her son, saying, "They have the wrong person."

It is the type of senseless violence Jennifer seemed destined to escape when she left Englewood to become one of Hollywood's hottest young stars. The youngest of three children of Darnell and Samuel Samson, a bus driver who died when she was a teen, Jennifer revealed her talent early on. "My mom tells this story of when I was a baby in church," she told Australia's Sunday Telegraph Magazine in September. "They were teaching the choir a note, and they couldn't hit it. I was just 8 months old, but I hit the note."

She found jobs at Burger King and performed on a Disney cruise ship until she tried out for American Idol in 2003. Despite her impressive pipes, she was prematurely ousted by viewers and lambasted by judge Simon Cowell for the way she dressed. And yet the plucky Chicagoan got a happily-ever-after: She attended an open casting call for the film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls and beat out 800 other hopefuls for the role of Effie. Once again she credited her mother for helping her realize her dreams. "Anything she tells me I can do, I end up doing," she told Sister 2 Sister's November issue.

It was only fitting, then, that Jennifer was accompanied by her mom for her crowning night in Hollywood: the 2007 Oscars, where the first-time actress—who by now had elevated her fashion game from off-the-rack to couture—scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Dreamgirls. It was one of the very few times Darnell allowed herself to share her daughter's spotlight. "Jennifer was always telling me, 'Oh, I always gotta force my mom to come [to events],'" says Lyons. "Her mom was so proud of her but so humble." Her success also brought great pride to her community. "If she made it, we all made it," says local activist Bobby Israel. "Not too much comes up out of here—nothing positive. She was still just Jennifer to us."

Despite Jennifer's pleas, her mother refused to leave Englewood, where she owned a tidy house bordered by vacant lots. "That was her preference," says Jennifer's aunt Dorothy. "She could have moved anywhere." Jennifer's slain brother Jason lived at home, and although he'd had a few scrapes with the law, "he had a heart of platinum," says Israel. "In this block, all we've got is each other."

Jennifer herself moved out only recently and didn't go far: After Dreamgirls, "I was giving her advice, and I said, 'When you start making some money, buy you some real estate in L.A.!'" recalls Lyons. "And she was just like, 'I'm happy in Chicago.'" In February 2007 she bought a duplex in the tony River North area for $537,000. In September she and David Otunga, who is also from Chicago, announced their engagement.

Beyond keeping Chicago as her home base, Jennifer found other ways to stay close with her family. On the Dreamgirls set, "Julian came several times," recalls executive producer Patty Whitcher. "I just remember how happy he was to be with Jennifer and how proud she was of him." During her Idol tour in 2004, "it was always Jennifer, her mom, her sister and Julian," says her friend, fellow Season 3 contestant LaToya London. "Four peas in a pod."

Now that bond—Jennifer's lifeline—has been tragically broken. But those who know her best say the woman who has raised herself up against all odds before will do so again. "I'm sure it's not going to be tomorrow, but definitely in her time she will pull through this," says London. "Because Jennifer is just a strong person. She's a fighter."

Contributors:Lynette Holloway/Chicago, Hilary Shenfeld/Chicago, Jeff Truesdell/Chicago, Nina Burleigh/New York City, Rennie Dyball/New York City, Tiffany McGee/New York City, Cynthia Wang/Los Angeles.
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Streets Under Siege
The victims' Englewood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, home to some 47,000 people, has long been wracked by drugs and crime. In 2005 its 37 murders were the most in any of Chicago's 25 police districts. "You hear gunshots every day around here—morning, noon and night," says longtime resident Bobby Israel. "You just hope they're not heading at you." Still, others say Englewood has deep, generational roots and a defiant sense of place. "I'm still proud of the community," says John Jones, 33, who has lived there all his life. "There's still hope. It's still home."

First Lady Looks: Michelle Obama's Wardrobe

2009-03-03T12:17:00.006-06:00

First Lady Looks: Michelle Obama’s wardrobe
Tuesday, 10/21/2008

By Lynette Holloway
Shopperati.com/Style Insider.com

When it came time for Vanity Fair Magazine to pick the world’s “best dressed,” Michelle Obama made the list (one of the pictures, left). They called her “the commander in sheath.’’ Sometimes likened to Jackie O. by fashion observers for her simple, elegant clothing choices, Obama’s wardrobe has been front and center for many months.

A distinguishing characteristic of the potential first lady’s style: She doesn’t mind showing off her curvaceous figure. She is not a size 0, and she flaunts it with panache.

She likes prints by designers such as Thakoon, or bold colored sheaths by Maria Pinto. She favors slim dresses in brilliant primary colors of blue, red, and green that fall to the knee. Fabric choices are cotton, silk, satin and knits. More often than not, Obama’s dresses are accented with a bow, flower or a brooch. Some examples from the past few weeks:

When her husband claimed the Democratic presidential nomination, Michelle Obama wore a Maria Pinto purple sheath (top, left). The dress, cinched with a black Azzedine Alaïa belt, was one of the reasons listed for her inclusion in Vanity Fair’s list this summer.

She wore another brilliant turquoise Maria Pinto sheath (top, right) while giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and that choice got some glowing fashion reviews. She dressed it up with a big starburst brooch at the V-neck.

On the final night of the convention, when husband Barack delivered his acceptance speech, she sported a Thakoon Panichgul (above, left) printed bubble-sleeve sheath accented with three glistening crystal flowers at the neckline.

Michelle Obama doesn’t shy away from prints. When she appeared on The View, she sported a black-and-white spaghetti-strap Donna Ricco print dress (above, right) from White House | Black Market that fell to the knee. Simple but bold, the dress became a summer hit for women wanting to look cool without showing too much skin.

Still, Obama has a formula and she sticks with it. Last week, for example, she wore a form-fitting blue knit dress (above, left) accessorized with a Hawaiian-style beaded necklace bedecked with three decorative pink and blue flowers at the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. She also regularly sports “gobstopper” sized fake pearls and similarly sized green baubles, or no necklace at all.

On Larry King Live, she wore an iconic satiny purple sheath dress (above, right) adorned with a jeweled purple feather brooch (which may have raised some fashionista eyebrows). In a CBS News appearance (above, left), her look was a bit preppy: pale blueish-gray sweater set, smoky gray slacks. But that periwinkle floral pin with a silver sparkly center gave it a bit of flash.

On another occasion she opted for a wool black and white houndstooth Chanel-style dress (above right), a simple, a little Jackie O, but keeping the “you can never go wrong with black and white” style mantra in mind.

Obama’s not afraid to “keep it real.” She’s been seen sporting a blue “Support our Troops” T-shirt and black capri pants while assembling care packages for troops overseas in August.

Wardrobe summary? Michelle Obama opts for simple, clean, elegant outfits - primarily dresses - that hug the knee and flatter her figure. She is not afraid of bright colors or unsubtle prints, and if her sheath is too simple, she’ll up the ante with artfully placed jewelry. Just as often, though, she’s been spotted dressing up her dress with nothing but small pearl studs or a single strand necklace.
Topics: Maria Pinto, Michelle Obama, Political Style, Thakoon, Vanity Fair
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