Natalie Randolph was introduced Friday before cheering players and staff as the coach at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School in Washington. She is believed to be the only woman coaching a high school varsity football team in the U.S.

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In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Stern said he expects the vote to pass “very easily.” Jordan will become the first ex-player to own an NBA team and the second black majority owner. He’ll replace the first, Bob Johnson, who has lost tens of millions of dollars annually.

“He considers himself a North Carolina native and he’s quite anxious to make this team into an important part of the community,” Stern said. “I think he has the capacity and the will to do that. I think he’s the right majority owner at the right time.”

Stern said the league updated its background and financial checks on Jordan and found nothing to stop the deal. Stern said the six-time NBA champion is the sole investor in the ownership group for now, but expects him to try to find local partners.

Jordan is putting up all the cash in the deal, which is for $275 million, less than the $300 million Johnson paid for the expansion franchise that began play in the 2004-05 season.

“I think it’s fair to say he can afford it,” Stern said.

The deal includes taking on more than $150 million in debt, covering future losses and putting millions more in capital to make improvements. The Bobcats are expected to lose about $30 million this season.

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The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, alleges that officials at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi, are violating the student’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression.

The ACLU asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to reinstate the prom.

“All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly,” said the student, 18-year-old Constance McMillen, in an ACLU news release. “This isn’t just about me and my rights anymore — now I’m fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom.”

At the center of the lawsuit is a memorandum from the school to students, dated February 5, which states that prom dates must be of the opposite sex.

Also, when McMillen expressed a desire to wear a tuxedo to the prom, the superintendent told her only male students were allowed to wear tuxes, according to court documents.

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He was 69.

Known as much for his brain as his brawn, the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive tackle also graduated summa cum laude and Phi Kappa Phi from Utah State University in 1962 and earned a master’s degree in economics in the off-season during his 15-year career.

“Merlin Olsen was a coach’s player. Punctual, steady, gifted, a quiet leader, a player you could always count on,” says his biography on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Web site. “He was a standout as a rookie and thereafter stood out in every game he played for the Rams in a 15-year career. Every game. Fifteen years.”

Olsen played in 14 Pro Bowls, made two All-Decade teams and was a six-time All-Pro. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

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A constant theme of reports about math and science is that the United States will have a large enough supply of scientists only if it does a better job of attracting black and Latino scientists — and not just relying on Asian American, white and foreign talent. Many of these reports note that large shares of black and Latino high school students don’t receive the kind of preparation they should in math and science.

A new study points to another factor: the role of black college instructors in encouraging black science students to persist as science majors. The study finds a statistically significant relationship between black students who plan to be a science major having at least one black science instructor as freshmen and then sticking to their plans. The finding could be significant because many students (in particular members of under-represented minority groups) who start off as science majors fail to continue on that path — so a change in retention of science majors could have a major impact. ]]> http://foreverdc.com/2010/03/11/race-matters/feed/ 0 http://foreverdc.com/2010/03/11/gentleman-jack-urban-art-exhibition-friday-326/ http://foreverdc.com/2010/03/11/gentleman-jack-urban-art-exhibition-friday-326/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:24:01 +0000 owner http://foreverdc.com/?p=23845 About AB&L:

Art, Beats and Lyrics is an Exhibition of multi-media art and design that explores the recent work of a diverse group of visual artists who have emerged from the sub-cultures in Hip-Hip throughout America. The core of the project involves painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, performance and product design by well-known artists as well as up-and-coming local talent. AB+L grew from an audience of 400 people to more than 4,000 for one event at the High Museum in Atlanta. AB+L captivates the urban audience by maintaining its roots in the street and promoting the underground experience in attractive and unique venues. This platform also provides local urban artists a channel in which to expose their art to a wider audience.

VENUE:Andrew W Mellon Auditorium 301 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20240-0001