Back in the Day When I Was Young

As I have said many times before I'm a 90's baby and I'm proud that I was born and raised in that decade. When music and television still reinforced positive messages singers could really sing, and actors could really act. As a little girl I have crushes on guys like Usher, Ginuwine, Tyrese, and Lee Thompson Young although from 1998-2002 I knew him as The Famous Jett Jackson. I am sad to say that he died today from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Lee Thompson Young was born on February 1, 1984 in Columbia, South Carolina at the age of ten he decided that he wanted to become an actor. In June of 1996 he moved to New York City a year later he auditioned for the role of The Famous Jett Jackson and the pilot was shot in 1998.  The show was a huge success he also starred in the film Johnny Tusnami. After The Famous Jett Jackson ended he made guest appearances CBS's The Guardian, he appeared in the film Friday Night Lights, Akeelah and the Bee, Redemption: The Tookie Williams Story, he also had a recurring role on the show Small Ville, UPN's drama South Beach. He was currently starring on the show Rizzoli & Isles.

Lee Thompson Young was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and graduated with honors in Cinematic Arts from University of  Southern California. He was 29 years old may he rest in peace. I know we all die one day but it comes as a surprise because he was apart of my childhood. He was a handsome and talented actor with so much promise he will be missed.

50 Years of Whitney

Yesterday marked a milestone it would have been the 50th birthday of the late great Whitney Elizabeth Houston on August 9, 1963 she was born Newark, New Jersey we love you and miss you. She touched us with her mezzo soprano gift there will never be another Whitney.  I truly believe she is at peace now.

Saluting Mr. Julius Chambers

 

 

Civil Rights Attorney & Former Chancellor @ NCCU Julius Chambers has passed away. He made a significant impact on Civil Rights law served the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, opened the first racially integrated law firm in the South (1964), one ...his landmark civil rights cases was Swann v. the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education in 1971, which led to cross-town student bus transit that helped to integrate local schools. He was 76 years old. He will be missed.

Julius Chambers was born and raised in Montgomery County, North Carolina he grew up during the Jim Crow era. As a young boy he witnessed racial discrimination at his father's auto repair business was often a target for racial discrimination, a white man refused to pay his father for the services that were being provided, his father could not afford to sue the man because he did not have a lawyer. This event inspired Chambers to become a lawyer and fight for racial and civil rights.

Chambers gradated from high school in 1954, attended North Carolina Central University he was student body President, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in History. He attended graduate school from the University of Michigan with a degree in History in 1959. He enrolled at law school at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the first African American editor-in-chief for the school's law review and graduated first in his class of 100. Chambers also became the university's first African American to gain membership in honor society Order of the Golden Fleece, he was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. In 1964 he earned his  L.L.M from Columbia Law School. From 1963-1964 he served on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York he was selected by Thurgood Marshall.

In June of 1964, he opened his own law firm which would eventually become the first integrated law firm in the South. Chambers and his fellow founding partners  James E. Ferguson II & Adam Stein, as well as lawyers from the LDF (Legal Defense Fund) were able to successfully argue cases against the US Supreme Court that would influence American civil rights law with landmark cases such as:  Swann v. Charlotte -Mecklenburg Board of Education ( 1971),  Griggs v. Duke Power Co. ( 1971),  and Albemarle  Paper Co. v. Mo0dy (1975).


Thank you for all of your hard work Mr. Chambers.