Pro-Slavery Assignment Angers Parents

Courtesy of CBS News
Two New Jersey middle school teachers are in hot water after assigning students a controversial project on slavery that’s angered parents.

Over 100 sixth graders at Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell spent several days last week taking part in an assignment where they used terms like “build a plantation” while completing their “Lap of Luxury” social studies project.

The project instructed students to create an advertisement defending the use of slave labor to run a newly built plantation in South Carolina. Students are told to come up with a ‘”catchy” name for the plantation and give three reasons why slave labor is the “best idea” and to add illustrations.

One student, who is not being identified because of his age, read to CBS what he wrote for the assignment: “Slave labor is the way to go because slaves aren’t paid, so all money is profit.”

Parents are astonished by the assignment’s nature.

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“READ A BOOK” Video Gets BackLash From Parents and Angry CNN Anchor Tony Harris

Not too long ago we posted the Read A Book video from DC Native Bomani “D’Mite” Armah that appeared on BET throughout the summer. Apparently earlier this month CNN’s token conservative black anchor Tony Harris administered a story attacking the video and even went as far as to hold a round-table with angry parents and invited Armah, Tyree Dillihay-the video’s director , and Paul Porter co-founder of Industryears (the media police) to discuss the video in a FOXNews/Bill Reilly type of way, you know muting the guests mics, not giving them enough time to answer questions, pounding them with unfair statements and drowning them in your own personal opinion. I thought CNN was supposed to be the median between conservatives and liberals, right and wrong, black and white? Guess not, this Tony Harris dude went hard. I’m mad he compared it to School House and Sesame Street; Armah is right, they should be comparing this Soulja Boy, Plies and such. Poor BET, they stay losing.

Check out Part 1

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Barack Obama Cover Story in Vibe Magazine

“For the first time in VIBE’s 14-year history, a political figure graces our cover,” says editor-in-chief Danyel Smith in her Editor’s Letter in the upcoming issue of VIBE. “It’s time.”

In the exclusive interview — by American Book Award-winning author Jeff Chang — Barack Obama and those closest to him open up about personal sacrifice, his teen years in Hawaii, the Don Imus backlash against hip-hop, and being “black enough.”

The two cover images were photographed exclusively for VIBE by renowned lensman Terry Richardson.

VIBE Magazine’s 14th Anniversary September Issue goes on-sale in the US on August 14.

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Will this Really Get More People to Read?

 Just in case you have been living under a rock…

Contrary to popular belief, BET did not come up with this song, they just did the video… Check out this performance by Bomani “D’Mite” Armah the originator of this song… 

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The Summer Book list Your Teacher Never Gave You….

We here at JustRealeyez have put together a Summer book list that we feel is essential to the progression of the Hip-Hop community. These books are more than just food for thought, we like to think of them as Chicken Soup for the B-Boy Soul, Gumbo for the DJ Soul, Clam Chowder for the Video Vixen Soul….you get the point! So sit back, relax, read up and wise up!

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