Jeremiah Wright Preaches Racial Tolerance: 'Different, not Deficient,' Pastor Says of Blacks and Whites
By Bankole Thompson
Special to the NNPA from the Michigan Chronicle

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright addressed a 12,000 strong crowd at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit at the Detroit NAACP 53rd Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner. Credit: Monica Morgan

DETROIT (NNPA) - The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, told 12,000 people in Detroit Sunday night that there is a need for racial tolerance in America.

The former pastor of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama whose sermon regarding the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has been a firecracker for Obama’s campaign, addressed the Detroit Branch NAACP 53rd annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner.

A liberation theologian, Egyptologist, linguist, author and orator, Wright on Sunday evening told the city with the largest African American population in the nation that there are clear-cut differences between Blacks and Whites.

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Race Still Matters in Presidential Politics
By George E Curry
NNPA Columnist

A White woman, responding to a column I had written about Barack Obama, complained that inasmuch as Obama is bi-racial, he should not be considered an African-American. However, when Obama is depicted in a bad light, he is quickly categorized as a Black man and no one seems to mind.

Such are the complexities of race in America. And in America, race still matters. And it matters even when a bi-racial candidate seeks to run a non-racial campaign. If he doesn’t inject the issue of race, it will be injected for him.

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SNIPES SAYS HE WAS FOOLED BY CROOKED ADVISERS: Actor apologizes in court; hands over $15 million in checks before Thursday's sentencing.

Wesley Snipes Headed to Prison, despite flurry of character reference letters, actor gets three-year sentence on tax charges.

Wesley Snipes was given the maximum three-year prison sentence in his tax case late Thursday, which is exactly what federal prosecutors had sought for the "Blade" star, according to reports.

Despite three-dozen character references from such famous friends as Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges opted to make an example out of the actor and give him the maximum punishment – which represents the three years he willfully failed to file a tax return.

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Texans trade down, select Brown as 26th Pick
by Yolande Lezine
Forward Times Staff Writer

The Houston Texans traded down their number 18th pick to the Baltimore Ravens, in exchange for the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft and selected Virginia Tech offensive tackle Duane Brown.

The 6'4, 308 lb. tackle registered 71 knockdown blocks in his three seasons as an offensive tackle. He also recorded six tackles, 94 solos, and blocked three kicks on special teams.

“We’re excited about Duane,” Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said. “He fits what we want to do. I love his passion of how to play the game.”

“We’ll be calling on him to help us early and often.”

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