“[Lady Gaga] thanked Obama for hosting his anti-bullying conference with Michelle Obama, and then made a general plea to everyone in the room, including the president, to do what they can to prevent bullying,” a source told ABC.

Obama reportedly talked about “his administration’s anti-bullying campaign, and then more generally about the importance of values and who we are as Americans.”

Though ABC reports that the performance artist spoke with Obama for two whole minutes, the White House press pool report from the event states that it’s unclear whether the pop sensation and politician met up with each other.

“POTUS spoke for about 8 minutes, with Lady Gaga sitting front and center,” reads the report. “And although he never acknowledged her obvious presence, it seems likely the two crossed paths during greetings inside the house before the dinner.”

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Mayor Cory Booker, known for his magnanimous nature and Twitter-friendly style of leadership, sounds as delighted as anyone of the more than 40,000 kids who started their first day of school today. “I’m extraordinarily excited,” Mayor Booker said. “This the most fluid first day I can remember.”

And while the Zuckerberg money is clearly a primary focus and resource for Newark’s school system, Booker, who dismissed the recently filed ACLU lawsuit against Newark for refusing to release emails exchanged between the mayor and Zuckerberg as “a red herring, a distraction,” is quick to attribute much of the first day’s fluidity to Anderson, who has clearly hit the ground running and has led most of the principal training sessions and curriculum development herself. “Every principal I’ve talked to, I’ve never heard them speak so highly of a superintendent, and it’s because they feel they have a direct connection to her,” Booker said. “A lot of the bureaucracy that used to weigh them down and pull them out of classrooms has been eliminated by her. She’s a bureaucracy buster.”

View the entire article here.

Ten years later, the landscape has drastically changed. Arrillaga-Andreessen has since published 25 case studies about philanthropy. This fall she will publish a book entitled Giving 2.0, which she hopes will serve as a resource for students engaged by the topic. Interest in her class has surged at Stanford and she now offers an undergraduate course, too. Says Arrillaga-Andreessen: “Almost every year, I’m oversold.”

She’s not alone. Today, dozens of MBA and undergraduate programs teach philanthropy as an academic subject, exposing students to both the art and science of giving. Some schools—including Stanford, Columbia Business School, and the Boston University School of Management—teach entire courses focused solely on the topic, while others weave philanthropy into the curriculum of social-enterprise courses. The topic appeals to business students because many may wish to serve eventually on the boards of nonprofits or become philanthropists themselves, professors at those schools say.

View the entire article here.

Since King’s death, there have been financial worries at the King Center in Atlanta, and legal fights over the use of his image and words and over control of the civil rights organization he co-founded.

Many people wanted to help shape King’s bricks-and-mortar legacy as well, the first memorial for a black leader on the National Mall. There were skirmishes over who would sculpt King’s likeness, where the granite would come from and who would profit from the mammoth $120 million fundraising effort as the family demanded a licensing fee to support its Atlanta priorities.

Overall costs for the memorial rose over time, and the government demanded tougher security amid threats of domestic terrorism, dragging the project 15 years from the time Congress authorized it in 1996 and 27 years from when King’s fraternity first proposed it.

View the entire article here.

This combination of consumption and creation has opened new opportunities for brands who want to get into the content game. Many brands are getting into the content game, According to AdAge 51% of marketing executives said they were already investing bigger marketing budgets.

L’Oreal is a great example of a brand acting like a publisher. They noticed a trend that women were watching YouTube videos on how to apply cosmetics. A competitor Lancome was already sponsoring a YouTube personality and make up artist Michelle Phan. L’Oreal’s response was a partnership with demand media to create well-produced how-to videos that engage consumers at each stage of the buying process. Marc Speichert, chief marketing officer of L’Oreal USA says: “It’s important for us to get this right, because the whole path to purchase is changing. In the past it was a relatively simple cycle: we’d generate demand on TV and in print and then drive sales. Now, consumers research online first, and there is a new first moment of truth. So we have to think about how we insert ourselves into that consumer education.”

However, there is an inherent risk in creating too much planned content. The big one is missing the opportunity to be timely. Timeliness shapes the perception of how relevant a brand is in the cultural conversation. Timely = Real time, or as my colleague Dan Burrier (@dburrier) describes it as “Perceived real time”. The idea behind this concept is that you don’t need an instant response. Instead take a moment to reflect, create a story and engage with an authentic voice.

View the entire article here.

There, I was able to really learn and understand the meaning and importance of my forefathers and the sacrifices they made in order for me to have education and the other freedoms we now have in this century. Now, my drive is to continue to make strides for African Americans as I embark on my journey. I aspire to inspire others, just like my ancestors did.

Since the 1800’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been established all over the United States and now there are over 100 schools and counting. Now that we have a black President, many people are asking, “Are HBCUs still relevant?” Well of course they are!

If it weren’t for Morehouse College, there would be no Martin Luther King Jr. If it weren’t for Tennessee State University, there would be no Oprah Winfrey. If it weren’t for Clark Atlanta University, there would be no me and other great men and women who have and will walk those brick roads on James P. Brawley Drive.

I’m a strong supporter of black colleges and universities and overall education and professional development. Here are my op 7 reasons why you should consider attending a black college.

It’s a family affair: Many youth embrace the HBCU atmosphere because they are in an environment where they are celebrated who they are while simultaneously gaining a valuable education. These schools give their students a nurturing environment that other institutions of higher learning don’t necessarily offer.  Most of the faculty and administration derive from HBCU’s as well, so this creates a bond that spans across generations. HBCU’s embody the spirit of embracing your culture and being proud of it.

You’re walking the path of greatness: Going to an HBCU gives you a sense of heritage. Most of the schools were founded and built in times where African Americans were still slaves. Also, some of our historical gems such as W.E.B. Dubois and James Weldon Johnson attended and taught at these prestigious schools. Students are always reminded of the sacrifice their forefathers made in order for them to obtain education and freedom. This proves to be a motivating force for all HBCU students and graduates.

Close-knit and focused: Most class sizes are small, and the faculty to student ratio allows students to develop very strong, personal relationships with professors. Being that HBCU’s are few and far in between in comparison to predominantly white institutions, students are empowered and are always pushed to excel.

Kings and Queens: Because America is a melting pot, youth are exposed to all types of cultures and races. Going to an HBCU is a culture shock in itself because students get the chance to be in an environment where everyone looks just like them and in turn has the same drive to succeed and be successful in their endeavors. Students are able to see the true beauty in themselves and their peers all day, everyday. The experience of being able to see young, black scholars everyday is powerful and everyone’s true colors shine bright.

Education is wealth: HBCU’s are known for producing stellar graduates into the working world. In fact, HBCU’s are home to over 50 percent of all the black professionals in the world. HBCU’s are scouting grounds for prominent companies who are searching for new and emerging talent. Nine out of 10 colleges that have African-American graduates who go on to pursue higher degrees, are from HBCUs. Also, over 80 percent of black medical professionals with PHD’s obtain their degrees from HBCU’s. The supportive atmosphere of an HBCU also seems to improve a student’s ability to reach the highest levels of academic achievement

Culture for culture: Although HBCU’s are institutions that predominantly African Americans go to, there are many sub-cultures within this race. HBCU’s attract people from all over America and other countries across the world. With this fusion, students are able to grasp knowledge of different ideals they are not custom to. Diversity thrives in these schools, people of color come from so many different backgrounds and bringtheir beauty and brains to collaborate with others.

Talented Tenth: Once you matriculate at an HBCU, you officially become apart of a prestigious group of individuals known as the, “Talented Tenth.”  This ideal was coined by Dr. W.E.B. Dubois and references a group of the best from the African American community. The Talented Tenth are trailblazers who are encouraged to help change the social/economic status of African Americans everywhere. This group will emerge into society as members who educate, uplift and give back to their communities.

HBCU’s are here to be the stepping stones to success for black youth and young adults. Continue to let the HBCU’s reign in traditions, culture, education and innovation by supporting them any way that you can

African American History for Dummies is a rare entity for it weaves in pop culture into the fabrication of the text and is displayed in a tone that is both informational and conversational. The book elaborates on black history stemming from how Africans came to America, the Harlem Renaissance, the civil rights era, Hip hop, pivotal events in black history, evolution of black culture, black pioneers and inventors and what it means to be black in America today.

The book explores the history of a people that are full of high’s and lows, the people who  touch the arts and science and medicine and other essentials to life.

Penrice was able to develop such a dynamic book by tapping into her strong Mississippi and Chicago roots, which helped to develop her diverse skills in understanding and appreciating cultures. Her research consisted of stories told to her by her grandparents and her real life experience of traveling and being at major events that has shaped history.

For example, she was at the Academy Awards luncheon when Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Halle Berry were all nominated for their highest award. These experiences helped to shape her love for black culture and her everlasting fight to educate and expose others to this beauty of black people.

“I Want people to realize that African American history is an essential part of American history. You cannot get the full picture of history without knowing our history,” says Penrice.  “People that were enslaved were in the courts challenging and trying to get their freedom. This is the foundation of the country. Why isn’t this acknowledged?  Freedom and democracy in America was incorporated from black people.”

To know where you are going, you have to know where you have been. Take a trip back down memory lane by grabbing this book and soaking up the historical facts of the African American experience and its profound lineage. For more information about African American History For Dummies, check out:  Amazon.com.

For more information about the author, Ronda Racha Penrice, check out her Facebook page at: facebook.com/rondarachapenrice or follow her on Twitter @rondaracha.

The new statistics, part of a push to realign state standards with college performance, show that only 23 percent of students in New York City graduated ready for college or careers in 2009, not counting special-education students. That is well under half the current graduation rate of 64 percent, a number often promoted by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as evidence that his education policies are working.

But New York City is still doing better than the state’s other large urban districts. In Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers, less than 17 percent of students met the proposed standards, including just 5 percent in Rochester.

The Board of Regents, which sets the state’s education policies, met on Monday to begin discussing what to do with this data, and will most likely issue a decision in March. One option is to make schools and districts place an asterisk next to the current graduation rate, or have them report both the current graduation rate and the college ready rate, said Merryl H. Tisch, the chancellor of the Board of Regents.

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Just as it was back then, reading does not always seem like the cool thing to do for many children. When a child is always inside of a book, whether it be educational or recreational, they are not looked at as popular or cool by the other children. Although it should start in the younger years, every age group should read more independently as well as socially, because reading is the key to strengthening literacy skills. One’s quality of life heavily depends on it.

According to National Center for Education Statistics, literacy is the ability to use print and written information to function in society, in order to achieve one’s goals and to develop one’s knowledge and potential. As we all know, poor literacy rates have a domino effect on the American culture in present and future times. Forecasts predict that if static literacy levels continue, then by 2030 the entire Literacy Level distribution of the U.S. population will have decreased, creating an American workforce that is unequipped and unskilled to work in the demanding global market.

Presence and profit are two important premises that make America a major player in the global business scope. However, an adequate education is mostly unheard of in our public school systems. School closings, poor teacher retention and lack of resources are eating away at the core of society little by little. Urging people to continue their education is a start in the right direction. Unfortunately, a bachelor’s degree does not hold as much weight in the workforce as it did many years ago.

Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has predicted that by 2018, 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some post secondary education. There will be a need for 22 million workers with post secondary degrees. Sadly enough, the report also shows that we will fall short by 3 million if there is not a dramatic change and that means 300,000 less college graduates in the next 7 years.

NPR contributor Maude Newton hit the nail on the head when she stated, “I’m not invested in how people read, it only matters that they read.” With social media weighing heavily on how books are written and published, it would only be fit that that we take these strategies into our classrooms.

Instead of sitting back and watching it fly, the technological wave should be taken advantage of in all aspects of education. By using modern technologies such as the Nook and Kindle, books not only become attractive, but more interactive. Laptops in the classroom was only the beginning of ensuring students were equipped with more than enough learning resources and skills to strive in society.

The phrase “Reading is fundamental” has been played over and over again, like a broken record. However, that does not take from its meaning and virtue. The promotion of books, whether it be hard cover or touch screen, is the key to developing the desire for success and self-assurance within our youth. Reading is a universal language that everyone should speak. It knows no boundaries and we should make sure that like every child, no book is left behind.

Photography by Que Duong

Styled by Marc Clark

Make up by La Quanna Chong

Details Magazine recently posted an article called, “Death of Safe Sex,” which chronicles the lives of some 30 something professional men who reflect on their days (past and present) of promiscuous sex without condoms. Here is an insert from the column:

“Back in the eighties, it was all over television, and you just never knew who was going to get it,” he says. But Mike started noticing something: None of his friends were getting sick. Nobody he knew was dying. He got a little careless about slipping on the protection—and pretty soon he found that he was just fine with that. “By the end of the nineties, I was fairly convinced that the whole AIDS thing for straight people was overblown, and that it was pretty horrifically low odds that it would ever happen to me. Now, shit—I’m very convinced of that.”

In fact, according to a 2010 survey conducted by Kaiser, only 15 percent of people polled said they were personally very concerned with becoming infected with HIV—down from 24 percent in 1997. So it seems as though people don’t ask the common questions such as “Have you ever had herpes?” or “When was the last time you got a check up?” to a new sexual partner. These diseases simply do not evoke the same fearful reaction that it once did in the early 80′s and 90’s. Can it be because people are living longer lives even if infected with HIV?

No matter if people are dying from it or not, people are still getting it!  In fact, Black and Latino communities have been disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS in America. Blacks accounted for 52% of new HIV diagnoses and 48% of AIDS diagnoses in 2008.

The main reason to call the statistics disproportional for African-Americans is because they account for 12% of the U.S. population, but they account for 51% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in 2007. Fifteen percent of all the teenagers (ages 13-19) in the U.S. are African-American, but in 2007 they accounted for 68% of new AIDS cases reported (these statistics come from www.examiner.com).

Let this year be the year for you to take charge of your sex life and always wear a condom. Make sure to hold your friends and partners to a high standard and encourage them to not be carless as well.  STD’s and HIV can happen to anyone.

For more information, please visit the Center for Disease Control website (www.cdc.org) to find out exactly how these diseases can rip your life apart.

(Image from Details Magazine)