Cleopatra to be portray by another white actress

Editor's Note: After return from Kemet (Egypt) this past weekend on an educational tour, it seems ironic to hear that Cleopatra will be played by a white actress. To quote our Nubian tour guide Farouk, "There were seven queens named Cleopatra, and none of them looked like Elizabeth Taylor." - Reginald JamesBy Shirea L. CarrollSpecial to TheBlackHour.comJust when we thought...

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Mehserle trial, day 2, friend sobs on the stand

By Thandisizwe ChimurengaMorning testimony in day two of the Mehserle trial ended on an emotional note. A 17-year-old friend of Oscar Grant, accompanying Grant when he was shot by the former transit officer, was called to the stand.Jamil Dewar had filmed some of the events the morning of Jan. 1, 2009, on the Fruitvale BART station platform with his cell phone camera.Although the video does not actually show Grant being shot by Mehserle, Dewar broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, as the court heard the sound of Mehserle’s gun go off in the video....

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Mehserle jury selected, trial date set

By Thandisizwe ChimurengaSpecial to TheBlackHour.comWhat began as a two-day selection process ended today with eight women and four men being sworn in as jurors in the murder trial of Johannes Mehserle. The former transit officer is charged with the New Year’s Day 2009 killing of Oscar Grant III, 22, at an Oakland subway station.The jury, composed of five Latina and three white woman and two Latino and two white men, will hear opening statements in the case on Thursday, June 10.During the selection process, which began at 8:30 a.m. and ran until...

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California v. Mehserle: Trial of Oscar Grant's murderer

By Thandisizwe ChimurengaSpecial to TheBlackHour.comThe jury in the People of the State of California v. Johannes Mehserle will be whittled down to 18 people this week. The process of voir dire is scheduled to conclude Wednesday June 9 by choosing 12 jurors and 6 alternates. Those individuals will hear opening arguments in the historic case the following day, June 10.The...

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Oscar Grant Protest held in Oakland on Eve of Mehserle Trial

On the eve of the historic trial of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle in the murder of Oscar Grant, activists held a vigil at Alameda County Superior Court. The case was moved to Los Angeles County, after Mehserle's defense successfully argued his client could not receive a fair trial in Alameda County. The shooting, which occurred over 15 months ago, sparked outrage in the Bay Area with mass protests. Protests have taken place throughout the state, on various college campuses, and will likely be ramping up in Los Angeles as Bay Area activists...

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Laney College Football Players win Academic Honor

Two Laney College football players were named to the California Community Colleges Football Coaches Association Academic All State Team this spring. Sophomores Defensive Back Jordan Norris and Defensive Lineman Roosevelt Kirk ...Here are their highlight reels:Jordan NorrisRoosevelt KirkFor more vidoes, visit Laney College athleti...

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