Belvedere is among several brands working with Project RED to support the Global Fund, one of the world's largest financiers of programs fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. "I'm just happy to be a participant with any organization that's going to make people aware of the disease that's killing us [Black people] by the millions," Lyte told Hip-Hop Wired. "There are so many sick in our backyards right now. There's not just [Project] RED but many other organizations that I work with that are all about bringing awareness [and] educating the youth about protecting themselves."

With staggering numbers of those infected with HIV in America, the Black community seems to be hardest hit by the epidemic. It is estimated that Black people represent nearly half of those newly infected with the virus in the U.S., despite making up only 12 percent of the population. The lack of awareness and prevention methods contributes to the growing problem which, according to Lyte, is the result of two distinct reasons. "One, for some reason we think it can't affect us," said Lyte. "Two, some of us really don't find life worth living, and there's a couple of other reasons that I can think of but the bottom line is we get the message to people. I was going to say kids, but really it's adults as well, so that they'll take it seriously."

While HIV infections among Black people in America has remained steady since the early 1990s, there are different organizations working to make a dent in the statistic. To learn more about HIV/AIDS prevention methods visit www.blackaids.org.

At the end of the four minute long video, Ackerman notes via title displays,  "During the filming of this video only 3 people said anything about me not really being black... Which I find disturbing."

Regardless of Ackerman's supposedly noble intentions, blackface is racist. Point blank period. It hearkens back to a time in America were African-Americans were barely removed from slavery and minstrel shows that played up grotesque stereotypes proliferated, subtly and not so subtly further ingraining racism into America's fabric. Nothing good comes from the tradition. Watch Spike Lee's Bamboozled if you don't want to bother reading up on the misntrel show's evil history.

Ackerman adds "Fight ignorance with ignorance" at the clip's conclusion. The struggle clearly continues. How's this for post-racial America?

Sixth grade teacher Tim Olmsted is on paid leave after being accused of racial discrimination towards Black kids in his classroom at Heights Community School. The bigoted teacher allegedly told student Latasha Tolbert that her future included her standing on the corner with a sign begging for money.

Tolbert also stated that he toldstudents,

"He told the whole entire class that it is easier for him to teach rich white folks than poor black people."

Meg Kane, an education attorney representing three of the families involved, said none of the kids have been in any trouble at school.

The kids also told the attorney that all of them had to sit at the back of the class and were called "fat, black and stupid" and told such things as: "You will never amount to anything" and "You only have one parent."

Kane is asking that Olmsted be fired. There's no telling what these comments did to these children's self-esteem.

Peep The Video coverage below and comment and let us know what you think of this injustice. 

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Graham's family, who assert that the officers acted out of line in trying to apprehend the teen, released the footage, which was aired by local New York station WPIX. Reporters from the station visited the area and home of Graham, where neighbors say the police never once identified themselves and were threatening to residents. The landlord to the Graham residence, Paulette Minzie, said police shoved their weapons in her face and searched her home for weapons. The officers had no search warrant.

Since Thursday, NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly named 30-year old officer Richard Haste as the shooter in the case, saying that Haste shouted to Graham to show his hands and offer up a gun before shooting the teen in the chest inside a bathroom in the home. Kelly has placed Haste, a three-year veteran, and Sgt. Scott Morris, also present on the scene, on desk duty pending investigation.

Rev. Al Sharpton is helping to raise funds for Graham's funeral and also to help assist helping the teen's grandfather arrive to the States from Jamaica for the service. Sharpton spoke openly of the case over the weekend.

“Why would you break in a house and shoot a young man and kill him?" Rev. Al Sharpton said on Saturday. "You cannot get to a conclusion without starting with the premise. The premise is wrong. They had no business breaking in the house.”

The police said that the 35-year-old was not wearing a seatbelt and was declared dead at the scene. The New York Knicks said that Stoudemire is traveling to Florida to be with his family and will not be with the team for Monday night's game against the Utah Jazz in New York.

Our condolences go out to the Stoudemire family.

As previously reported, detective Jason Arbeeny, a 14-year police veteran, was found guilty in October  by Brooklyn State Supreme Court Justice Gustin Reichbach of falsifying business records, submitting a false instrument for filing and official misconduct.

Prosecutors say, Arbeeny, who worked the NYPD's Brooklyn South unit, planted a small bag of rock cocaine on a man and woman during a search four years ago.

During this week's sentencing, Arbeeny told Justice  Reichbach  that he could not look at himself in the mirror anymore. He then said to the judge, “Please, sir, I'm begging don't send me to jail.”

He also apologized to the victims. (I wonder if he'd be apologizing if he didn't get caught.)

The soft hearted judge said he intended on giving Arbeeny a jail sentence but the crooked cop's pleas got to him.

Arbeeny was sentenced to 5 years' probation and has to do 300 hours of community service.

Now the real question is  how many people did he plant evidence on in the past and got away with it.

All his arrests and convictions  need to be looked into.

I swear white people get all the breaks.

So never ask why Hip-Hop artists make songs like these!!!

This rabbi then proceeds to pronounce Eddie Long as King in "god's government" lifting him up in his chair/throne and carrying him around the stage.

I wonder what T.I. would have to say about this.

We pray for anyone still a member of this circus show.  As if, allegedly, brainwashing young men and pretending to be a father figure to sleep with them wasn't enough, now he's a king.

I think Barnum and Bailey Circus may want to add this to their show after they get a view of this.

Gives new meaning to the name "Eddie King, Jr." Watch the clip below.

Earlier today, K'naan tweeted, "Yo @mittromney I am K'naan Warsame and I do not endorse this message." Now, in a brief statement, K'naan further makes it clear that Romney's use of the track was not authorized nor appreciated.

“I have not been asked for permission by Mitt Romney's campaign for the use of my song,” said K'naan, “If I had been asked, I would certainly not have granted it. I would happily grant the Obama campaign use of my song without prejudice.”

According to the rest of the statement, K'naan was offended by Romney's use of the song and does not endorse the candidate in any way. K'naan's management and legal team are exploring legal action options in order to prevent Romney from using the song during his campaign any further.

Along with being a social activist working on causes alongside Bono and promoting causes to help assist African nations, K'naan just dropped his latest EP More Beautiful Than Silence last week.

Martelly thanked Penn for keeping the spotlight on the Caribbean nation.

Peep the full story at The Grio. 

In 1934, the Apollo opened as a showcase for black artists after previously being an all-white music hall and burlesque house. According to the Apollo's official history, the opening-night show featured  number of acts, including 16 dancers billed as "Gorgeous Hot-Steppers."

The Apollo Theater was a launching pad for acts such as: Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown,the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Lauryn Hilland Jazmine Sullivan, among others.

Head on over to The Grio and learn more about the legendary Apollo and peep the slide show of some of music's biggest stars who got their break at the famed venue.