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Google will be offering $10,000 a year to students planning on attending 4-year universities in fields related to computer science and computer engineering.

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Black Web 2.0 Reports:

Applicants should demonstrate leadership and a commitment to and passion for computer science and technology through involvement in their community. In addition, applicants should have a strong academic record, be from an underrepresented group in computer science and demonstrate financial need.

Winners will receive $10,000 each year for up to four years.

To apply for this scholarship and find more like this offered from Google go to their online application page. The Generation Google Scholarship is due on February 20, 2012.

Read More At Black Web 2.0

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Since Planned Parenthood is the focus of an inquiry spearheaded by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), in efforts to determine if public money was illegally spent on funding abortions, the life-saving partnership between the bastions of women’s health has been nullified.

Coincidentially, conservative Karen Handel, who lost a gubernational race in Georgia in 2010 running on a strict anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood platform, was recently named Komen’s vice-president. In her campaign blog, Handle made her position clear:

I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood.”

While Barbara Walter consistently stated that “federal funds are not used to fund abortions at Planned Parenthood” and Whoopi Goldberg insisting that the “the investigation is false,” Elisabeth Hasselback stayed true to conservative form, stating:

If it was political and if Susan G. Komen would never be associated with someone because they are the nation’s largest provider of abortions, then why would they have ever have partnered with them over the years and years and years?”

See The View debate below:

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Don Cornelius: Love, “Rest In Peace,” And Soul

Police dashcam video captured a light flying across the sky in Texas.

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(CNN) — Whenever a hugely popular and successful company goes public, many people wonder what will happen to all the newly created millionaires.

What will they do now that they are financially “set for life”? Will there be “1,000 millionaires”? Will they suffer “sudden wealth syndrome”?

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Five Ways “Soul Train” Changed America

Why Soul Train Will Never Leave America’s Station

YES, we’re serious!

In a recent service on January 29th 2012, Eddie Long who is Bishop at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church invited Ralph Messer who claims to be a Rabbi bringing torah truth to Christians. It is too bad that such a beautiful lesson is lost in this temple.

New Birth Crowns Eddie Long As King

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Don Cornelius, We Wish You Love, Peace, And Soul

1) How to start and build a business: “Soul Train” was not a show that some big corporation gave to Don Cornelius. It was his baby. Cornelius started off in Chicago with a hot local show and eventually took the show to national syndication.  He saw a void in entertainment and filled it.  He carried his dream to the national level, and now his vision remains a perpetual piece of Black entertainment history.   Most of us have dreams, but most of those dreams die. Find your dream, learn how to create your dream, and then put your heart into building that dream.  You’ll be amazed at what you can do.

2) Edu-tainment really does work when it’s done properly: “Soul Train” did what BET’s “106& Park” should have done – it entertained Black people while encouraging us to develop our minds.   I recall seeing the video of a 19-year old Rev. Al Sharpton on the show, and another with Jesse Jackson sporting the coolest Afro I’d ever seen.  Don understood the importance of maintaining a double bottom line of social responsibility and corporate profitability, and he earned his millions conscientiously.

3) There is a lot of value in creating your own platforms: Most Black entertainers are excellent at performing their craft but know very little about the business models that bring their work to a wider audience.   Rather than hoping that some other show would grant media space for Black entertainers, brother Don took matters into his own hands. As a result, scores of Black superstars were born who never would have existed otherwise.  That’s what you call making something out of nothing.

4) Black is always beautiful: The ongoing theme on “Soul Train” was “Blackness.”  Cornelius always kept it authentic. The show allowed us to be cool, funky, intelligent, progressive, wild, and creative without being endlessly scrutinized by the descendants of our historical oppressors.  Don used his opportunity as a chance to tell all of us that we can be special if we choose to be, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

5) The true power of Ujamaa: Ujamaa is the concept of unity, working together, and supporting one another, especially in the area of economics.  When we created our Ujamaa initiative to support Black-owned businesses, we were inspired by the  likes of Don Cornelius, whose show got off the ground via sponsorship from the Johnson Products Company, a Black-owned enterprise. By conjoining Black consumers with Black businesses and Black entertainment, Cornelius was able to create one of the greatest economic and entertainment empires in Black American history.  There’s no limit to what we can do when we work together.

Goodbye Don Cornelius, you were oh so special to all of us.  You were the guardian of our collective soul, and a piece of that soul will be carried with you into heaven.  May you always rest in peace.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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Five Ways “Soul Train” Changed America

Every February, people throughout America take 28 days to learn about, remember, and celebrate the contributions of Black people to American society. During the more than four centuries that have passed since this nation took its first steps toward existence, people of African descent have been an integral part of the American story, playing key roles in the political, cultural, and scientific progress we’ve enjoyed thus far.

The Origins Of Black History Month

Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,” which historian Carter G. Woodson conceived in the second week of February because of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s birthdays (Feb. 12 and Feb. 14, respectively). It was expanded into a full month in 1976.

At NewsOne this month, we’ll celebrate Black achievement with profiles of historical figures, photo galleries exploring pivotal years in modern Black history, trivia quizzes, original pieces on the many facets of our history, and more. But we’ll also be doing something different: Celebrating the achievements of little-known, everyday folks who are making contributions to their community on the local and national level. They’re called GAME CHANGERS, and you can take a look at them here as we roll out all 28 over the course of February. Be sure to check back often!

A final note: Over the years, there has been much debate over whether Black History Month is necessary, and whether its existence is counterproductive to recognizing “Black” history as simply American. This month at NewsOne, even as we celebrate, we plan to explore and engage with those criticisms as well. We hope you’ll join the conversation and share your own opinions with us in the comments.

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH FROM NEWSONE.COM!!

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Obama on Wednesday was to draw attention to a proposal he outlined in his State of the Union address to allow homeowners with privately held mortgages to take advantage of record low rates, for an annual savings of about $3,000 for the average borrower. Obama was detailing his plan during a visit to a northern Virginia community center.

The administration proposal faces a major hurdle in Congress. The program would cost between $5 billion and $10 billion, depending on participation, and would be paid for by a fee on large banks. The administration has tried unsuccessfully before to win support for such a tax on large banks.

The plan would expand the administration’s Home Affordable Refinance Program, which allows borrowers with loans backed by government-affiliated mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to refinance at lower rates. About 1 million homeowners have used it, well short of the 4 million to 5 million the Obama administration had expected. Moreover, many “underwater” borrowers – those who owe more than their homes are worth – couldn’t qualify.

The new administration plan would permit homeowners to refinance their mortgages into loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration. To qualify, borrowers with privately held mortgages would have to have no more than one delinquency in the six months preceding refinancing. Their loans would have to fall within the mortgage limits set by the FHA in their home counties.

Under the program, banks would have to reduce mortgage balances for homeowners who owe more than 140 percent of the value of their homes.

The administration estimates that 3.5 million borrowers would have incentive to refinance under the plan.

The features of the new proposal were confirmed Wednesday by a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the program ahead of Obama’s remarks. The Wall Street Journal first reported the details Wednesday.

The Obama administration also plans to announce new industry standards for mortgage servicers, a sort of “bill of rights” for borrowers that would protect them in their transactions.

Obama also is expected to announce a program that would allow the sale of foreclosed homes by Fannie Mae to investors who would then offer the properties for rental. Administration officials say there is a high demand for rental housing and such a program would also sustain neighborhoods by keeping foreclosed homes from falling into disrepair.

A punctured housing bubble was at the center of the recession, prompting widespread foreclosures and leaving millions of homeowners with houses valued at less than their mortgages. Hit hardest were Nevada and Florida, two states that figure prominently in the presidential campaign and that Obama is counting on winning to secure re-election.

Under the refinancing plan, any homeowner current on his or her mortgage could take advantage of historically low lending rates. The average rate for a 30-year mortgage is 3.88 percent.

About 11 million Americans – roughly 1 in 4 with a mortgage – are underwater, according to CoreLogic, a real estate data firm.

Half of all U.S. mortgages – about 30 million home loans – are owned by nongovernment lenders.

From NBC Chicago: Publisher John H. Johnson, who created Ebony and Jet magazines, will be honored on this year’s Black Heritage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

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A Tuesday ceremony is planned in Johnson’s hometown of Arkansas City, where he lived until moving to Chicago with his family at age 15.

Johnson founded Johnson Publishing Co. on a $500 loan using his mother’s furniture as collateral. At the time, he was working as a clerk at a black-owned life insurance company.

He created Ebony in 1945 with a press run of 25,000 copies. Its circulation topped 1.6 million at the time of Johnson’s death in 2005 at the age of 87. Johnson also founded the newsweekly Jet in 1951.

For more on this story, go to theGrio.

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There’s something captivating about an attempt to break a previously set world record. We’ve looked before at Guinness World record holders with some of the most unique talents. A recent video of 145 water skiers pulled by one boat got us thinking, what about other records set by large groups of people?

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During his speech, the President touched on the economy and jobs, but focused primarily on rising tuition costs and college affordability. His proposed initiatives had the crowd very enthusiastic. To see his speech and the out line of his new initiatives click here.

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READ ALL OF TAMIKA MALLORY’S BLOGS HERE

When most people think about Haiti, the first thing that comes to mind is the devastating earthquake that ravaged the country. That’s exactly what I used to do — that is, until I had the remarkable opportunity to visit the first free Black nation in the Western hemisphere. I joined about 30 others as we spent five days absorbing the rich history, culture and determination that defines Haiti. Yes, there is still great suffering from the horrific quake of 2010, but if there’s anything I learned on this eye-opening trip, it’s that resilience and a passion for life still dominate the people.

As an American who sometimes takes for granted the amenities we have available, my first reaction when we landed in Port-au-Prince was that of shock. The devastation from an earthquake that killed at least 300,000 and injured countless others was still prevalent especially in this city that was the epicenter of the disaster. Parents lost children, children lost parents, families were torn apart and some just disappeared in an instant. Even two years later, the effects of this dreadful quake are visible everywhere, and the sheer scope of the damage was a big hit to my chest. Going past tent cities where people are still living without proper homes or clean running water, and watching young children with missing limbs go to school touched all of us in a way that words cannot even describe.

But just like the structures that re-emerged from the rubble, the spirit of the people uplifted all of us. Cooking meals on the street, mothers made sure their daughters still had barrettes in their hair as they ran off to play and clean uniforms as they went off to school. It was those little things – the signs of hope – that reinvigorated our own passion to continue helping the people of Haiti. Visiting the Oasis Institute, an orphanage and learning center for young girls, we were honored to watch these kids as they smiled and sang their hearts out for us despite their own circumstances. We were all humbled.

As part of our trip, we also spent some time in the city of Milot taking in the unique background of a country where slaves were freed even before abolition occurred in the United States. In that realm, we were escorted up the large mountainside of the infamous Citadelle Laferriere, constructed as a one-of-a-kind symbol of liberty for a one-of-a-kind revolution. Today, it still serves an icon for the bravery and courage of Haitians in their quest for justice. But unfortunately, the end of slavery didn’t deliver a guarantee of prosperity.

Following French colonial rule, international boycotts of freed Haiti, coupled with U.S. occupation of the nation in later years and a tremendously high volume of resources exported, Haiti continued suffering for years. The 2010 quake only exacerbated the challenges. And though there has been extensive progress since the disaster first struck, much work remains. National Action Network and I will maintain close contact on the ground and continue to assist the resolute people of this Caribbean nation. I encourage everyone to support organizations that they trust and donate their time or money to keep hope alive for those that have been doing so even with all of the odds stacked against them. It is not enough to say you don’t know who to trust…find someone!

Whether it’s Dr. Daniels’ Institute of the Black World, Wyclef’s Yele Haiti Foundation or any other charitable group, be sure to get involved, learn the exceptional connection and debt we as Black people have to Haiti and remember to assist anywhere disaster or injustice strikes. We do live in a place called the world; let’s start embracing it.

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Adams and her boyfriend, whose name has not been released, purchased their tickets at a Chevron Food Mart and had actually forgotten that they had done so.  As Adams and her boyfriend were driving to work on Thursday morning, she noticed a billboard along the highway that prompted her to check the lotto tickets, which had been thrown in the vehicle’s center console.  Adams’ boyfriend checked the lotto ticket numbers on his cell phone then suddenly began screaming her name.  After rechecking the numbers, the couple went to a nearby retailer and checked their tickets yet again.  Even though her ticket perfectly matched the winning numbers, Adams still needed more proof.

After lotto officials sanctioned the legitimacy of her winning ticket, 33-year-old Adams was still a disbeliever.  She told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

It still hasn’t set in, she said. It seems like it’s somebody else besides me.

Ga. Woman Gets $52M From Winning Lottery Ticket: MyFoxATLANTA.com

Now that she finally believes that she won, Adams, a corporate accountant who has been on her job for the last 12 years, doesn’t plan on quitting her job anytime soon.  She actually wants to continue working:

I love what I do.  I have a purpose.

For her winnings, Adams opted to take the cash option, which leaves her with $52 million.  After Uncle Sam takes its just desserts, Adams will still have $33.8 million in mad money.

What does she plan on doing with her newfound wealth?

Adams wants to hire a financial planner in order to stretch her dollars and make savvy money moves.  Marrying her boyfriend of seven years and planning their wedding is also on her agenda.  Otherwise, Adams mainly wants to focus on her family, particularly her retired parents who are experiencing medical issues.

The only extravagant purchase Adams plans to make is to buy another house:

I’ll probably get another house, only because now, my name is out, she says.

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