The DISH

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Vol. 13 No. 39…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…September 27, 2010

Intuit's Vibe

Betrayal

By Frank P Whyte

Betrayal comes in many forms,

But relies on underlying intimacy

To insure a lethal wound.

It is an emotional ambush,

Carefully designed,

Flawlessly executed,

Producing an evil sound in the orchestra of life.

"Let's talk about it," she said,

"So I might explain why you are wrong.

You are paranoid, suspicious

And you lack the proper trust.

If only you had more faith in me,

You would understand your flaws."

Then, filled with doubt,

And tangents notwithstanding,

I struggle with myself.

Am I flawed?

Do I lack the proper trust?

Am I paranoid and suspicious?

Perhaps it is me.

The Betrayer

Will wrap themselves in a coat of righteousness,

Impervious to honest eyes

That are searching for a soul.

Instead...

They will describe their soul for you,

And demand that you will see the spiritual mirage.

And so I am stranded in the valley of disregard.

Alone.

And I am left to decide

Who brought me to this barren wasteland.

Why does conscience desert me

And tell me that I am wrong,

When evil lies before me and not within?

And then I know...

That betrayal is not a lonely thing,

It has an evil twin.

Betrayal is a conspiracy

With those who would wield the saber;

Darkened assignations,

Construed in private

By blighted souls.

Consider if you will,

Old Palestine,

Where the blood of innocents was spilled

By a thousand stones,

And jeers,

And a hatred born of lies.

Consider life in Salem,

And screams heard above the flames,

Hatred in the eyes of the accusers

Tragic death without a crime.

And so we arrive at a point in our lives,

When I know that I've been betrayed.

I hear hushed conversations from afar.

Justifications and rationalizations

From those who have sprung the trap.

Perhaps I am wrong,

And this is all some tragic mistake.

But I reside in the valley of disregard,

And I feel the stones as I am tied to the stake.

Bit of History

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938)

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874 to Carlos Federico Schomburg, a German-born merchant, and Mary Joseph, who took in washing to support her family. Details of Arturo's childhood are undocumented, but it is clear, he had an older sister but knew little about his father. Also, he identified very closely with his mother, who was born free in St. Croix, Virgin Islands (1837). She was educated at the elementary level and later became a midwife. Arturo spent his early years with his free born maternal grandparents in St. Croix. Arturo's mother and grandparents infused him with a strong sense of African pride and heritage that motivated his thirst for knowledge.

Arturo began his elementary education in St. Croix but little is known about that period. However, it is known that one of his teachers told him that blacks had no history, heroes or accomplishments. This fired his inspiration to know and document the accomplishments of African people on the continent and in the Diaspora. Schomburg attended St. Thomas College where he studied Negro Literature and joined a debate team.

After returning to San Juan, Schomburg attended the Instituto Popular, where he learned commercial printing. Through debate clubs, Schomburg desired to match claims made by whites regarding the accomplishments of their Spanish ancestors. Reading about people of color in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Schomburg was intrigued by the exploits of Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L'Ouverture.

Schomburg moved to New York City at age 17 (1891). Working as a typographer for a Manhattan Cuban cigar maker, he settled on the lower east side of Manhattan and attended night school. He became active in the Puerto Rican struggle for independence from Spain and helped found Las Dos Antillas (The Two Islands). He was secretary of the club which advocated Cuban and Puerto Rican independence. The group disbanded in 1898 and Schomburg began life as a black man or 'Afroborinqueño' -- a Puerto Rican of African descent.

Schomburg met John Edward Bruce (Bruce Grit), a journalist, lay historian and bibliophile, who taught him the rigorous systematic collection of material. Schomburg became a member of the Men's Sunday Club, which Bruce founded in 1911. Club members discussed books, racial issues and raised funds to purchase items on black history for its library. Bruce and Schomburg co-founded the Negro Society for Historical Research (NSHR), which brought together West Indian, African and Afro-American scholars. The organization greatly influenced black book collecting and preservation, which increased the study of African American issues. Schomburg also joined the American Negro Academy (ANA) (1914), founded in 1897 by Alexander Crummell, through which he met such noted black scholars as W. E. B. Du Bois, Alain Locke, Kelly Miller, and Carter G. Woodson.

Schomburg became a messenger and clerk in the law firm of Pryor, Mellis and Harris of New York City from 1901 to 1906. He worked for the Bankers Trust Company, moving up to supervisor of the Caribbean and Latin American Mail Section. He held that position until he retired in 1929.

The Harlem Renaissance was in full flowering during Schomburg's early years in New York, producing such luminaries as Claude McKay, Walter White, James Weldon Johnson and Marcus Garvey, who was building the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Schomburg's collection of books with black themes expanded throughout the United States, as well as Europe and Latin America, and garnered him a collection of 5,000 books, pamphlets, manuscripts, prints, etchings, and other items (1925). He sold his collection to the Carnegie Corporation to be placed in the new 135th Street Branch of the New York City Library's Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints for $10,000. Schomburg used the money to travel to Europe in June 1925, searching for missing pieces of black history to strengthen his collection at the library.

Charles Spurgeon Johnson, who chaired the Social Science Department at Fisk University, secured Schomburg a position (1929) as curator of the Negro Collection at the university library. Schomburg established a distinguished collection similar to his own, then left in 1932 to become curator of the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints at the New York Public Library (renamed in his honor).

Schomburg used friends, such as Langston Hughes, to locate materials. He persuaded black writers, composers, artists, and others to locate or contribute works, then persuaded the library to purchase them for the collection. He often paid for the works himself when the library refused. Schomburg also organized two notable exhibitions--one on the achievements of blacks, and a traveling exhibition of African art and handicrafts.

Schomburg also promoted the study and research of black themes in the nation's black colleges, with lectures and essays such as 'Racial Integrity: A Plea for the Establishment of a Chair of Negro History in Our Schools, Colleges, etc.,' published in Negro (1913). He published such works as 'A Bibliographical Checklist of American Negro Poetry' (1916) and 'Economic Contribution by the Negro to America,' (1916). The essay 'The Negro Digs Up His Past' (1925): Survey Graphic and in Alain Locke's The New Negro, inspired historian John Henrik Clarke to credit Schomburg as a major influence. Schomburg published articles in Opportunity, the Messenger, Crisis, Negro World, Negro Digest, the A.M.E. Review, New Century, and Survey Graphic.

Schomburg married Elizabeth "Bessie" Hatcher of Staunton (1895); the couple had three sons. After Bessie died prematurely (1900), he married Elizabeth Morrow Taylor (1902) of Williamsburg, North Carolina. She died early, leaving two young sons. Schomburg took still a third wife (1914), Elizabeth Green, a nurse, and they had three children. Schomburg's health failed after a dental operation (1936) which led to his death (6-10-1938). He is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Charles Spurgeon Johnson memorialized Schomburg at a service on (6-8-1939), calling his collection 'A visible monument to the life's work of Arthur Schomburg. It stands for itself, quietly and solidly for all time, a rich and inexhaustible treasure store for scholars and laymen alike, the materialization of the foresight, industry and scholarship of Schomburg.' Scholar Molefi Kete Asante named Schomburg to his list of 100 Greatest African Americans (2002). (Sources: www.africawithin.com, www.answers.com and http://en.wikipedia.org)

Schomburg and the Great Black Divide

By John Burl Smith

Thabiti Asukile in Afro-Americans in New York Life and History (2006) raised several interesting issues of which the most intriguing were the sense of privilege lavished on offsprings of slave masters, how knowledge disseminated by those not accredited by the academy or white institutions is discounted and why embracing black motherhood is important. Asukile offers the discussion in Arthur Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938): embracing the black motherhood experience in love of black people, which highlights these issues reflected in one life.

After arriving in New York City (1891), Schomburg worked for years to vindicate Africa and people of African descent from white racist pseudo-scientific scholarship of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He endeavored to document that Africans and their descendants made real historical contributions to humanity. He attempted to convince blacks that their humanity and self-worth were not determined by what whites thought of them. Schomburg established a collection of letters, manuscripts, prints, playbills and paintings pertaining to African-American, Latin American, Caribbean and African history which he sold to the New York Public Library that became the cornerstone of its Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints. However, Schomburg's efforts were considered illegitimate by some black intellectuals because he had not obtained a college degree.

For that reason many of Schomburg's contemporaries such as W.E.B DuBois and Alain Locke did not consider him a part of the 'talented tenth' or a true intellectual. DuBois snobbishly demonstrated his revulsion after Schomburg was offered the job of curator for the collection of books and artifacts he sold to the New York Public Library (NYPL) in 1926. Despite the fact that Schomburg had spent years collecting many of these rare items, DuBois tried to block his appointment because he believed Schomburg to be uneducated. Intellectuals like DuBois felt that without a college degree Schomburg could not possibly be qualified to do a job that believed required professional training.

The great black divide is a morass of questions concerning what constitutes scholarship amongst African-Americans, who has authority to define an intellectual or is it just a reflection of the standards set by white-dominated American academies? Do African-American scholars have a history of maligning other African-Americans without PhDs? Schomburg's life sheds light on today's debate concerning what is an intellectual. Such learned individuals as Chancellor Williams, John Henrik Clarke and Arthur Schomburg received little or no credit for their scholarship; this absence of recognition for their scholarship aptly shows that the controversy has more to do with white acceptance than intellectual ability.

Blacks in the United States are not educated with the idea of vindicating their heritage or explaining their history, rather to co-sign what whites say about it. Teaching black students the truth about the history of the world exposes so-called distinguished intellectuals as liars and scoundrels. Therefore, even though one graduates from Harvard with a degree in constitutional law, they must agree not to tell the truth about the 3/5 Compromise and keep teaching such lies as Columbus discovered America to students.

Schomburg's teacher's statement that 'blacks have no history, heroes or great moments' had a profound impact. Reared by his mother and grandparents, young Arturo was instilled with a strong sense of African pride and heritage that sustained him on his quest to locate contributions blacks made in Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean to use during his debates. Mary Joseph was a loving mother of high character who was steeped in the African cultural practices of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands, which were stronger than those practiced in Puerto Rico. Also, the dominance of descendants of African slaves meant Mulattos were not privileged in St Croix.

A mulatto himself, Schomburg was accepted among young white-Hispanics and near white mixed-race students, who pointed to the achievements of their, white ancestors, while disregarding their African ancestry. Moreover, love for his mother's heritage probably influenced Schomburg's choice of black women for wives which perpetuated her culture, rather than his father's. Schomburg did not assimilate as most Afro-Puerto Rican migrants who distanced themselves from African-Americans because of anti-black racial discrimination common during his lifetime. Schomburg's maternal family laid a foundation of love for Africa and its Atlantic Diaspora.

John Edward Bruce, a self-trained historian, politician, journalist and bibliophile, helped Schomburg span the great black divide by augmenting his family's foundation with strong intellectual, racial, and Pan-African views. Bruce believed the effects of American slavery had seriously damaged the African-American family. And in order to uplift the race, the role of women had to be reestablished. Bruce supported black women movements for equality, but he was not an integrationist. He was very skeptical of mulattos, who did not identify with black people. A black racial redemptionist that staunchly supported Marcus Garvey's UNIA, Bruce inherited his racial ideas from prominent nineteenth century blacks such as Martin Delany (1812-1885) and Henry Highland Garnett (1815-1882) who both stressed the obligation of black men to work for the advancement of the black race; Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912) who stressed the importance of African culture and history; and Alexander Crummell (1819-1898) who stressed the intellectual battle for racial liberation from white supremacy.

The great black divide is a dichotomy best illustrated by Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), a Harvard Ph.D. trained historian, and Schomburg. Woodson was assisted immeasurably by Schomburg in the publication of his book, The Negro in Our History (1922). Woodson never acknowledge Schomburg's help, which included granting Woodson access to his personal library. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) (1915), modeled after Schomburg's Negro Society for Historical Research (NSHR). A year later, Woodson began publishing the scholarly Journal of Negro History. Deepening the great black divide, because he was a professionally trained historian, Woodson's organization and journal were seen as legitimizing African history in academia.

Woodson was able to get philanthropic financial support for his organization and journal which Bruce and Schomburg could not get for the NSRH. Schomburg exclaimed 'they are stealing our thunder where we were pioneers.'

The great black divide is that Schomburg described black history to reflect what whites did to enslave and oppress blacks. Woodson's description reflected what whites wanted to hear. However, Schomburg's legacy overshadows Woodson's pandering and stands as a beacon guiding the quest for knowledge across the great black divide. (Source: www.thefreelibrary.com)

Venue for an Artist

Historically Black Coonin': Institutionalizing Lower Learning

By Paul Scott

Dr. Carter G. DuBois was exhausted after pouring all of his energy into an hour long lecture on the colonization of Africa. Out of breath and with sweat pouring down his face, he asked his college freshman class if there were any questions. Nonchalantly smackin' bubble gum, scantily dressed, Lakesia Jackson raised her hand and asked, "Yeah, Doc, can you teach us how to "dougie?" This prompted the rest of the class to break into an impromptu dance routine, transforming Dubois' World History 101 class into a scene from BET's "106 and Park..."

The recent education edition of Ebony magazine featured a picture of well-dressed Morehouse students standing behind a brotha in a bandanna with his pants saggin.' While the article dealt with the issue of dress codes on black college campuses, the symbolism and deeper meaning of the picture was clear; our future black leaders have become followers of a pop culture that has historically portrayed black people as "coons," "Sambos" and "jungle bunnies."

Once upon a time, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) were the homes of future great politicians, scientists and educators; people who would make a lifelong commitment to uplifting the race. Unfortunately, the highest aspiration of some students in 2010 is to become the next Nicki Minaj or Waka Flocka Flame. What happened? When did HBCU start standing for "Historically Black Coonin' and Underachievement?"

There was a period in our history when education was honored by black folks. According to WEB DuBois in his book, "Black Reconstruction," the very feeling of inferiority which slavery forced upon them fathered an intense desire to rise out of their condition by means of education."

However, almost 150 years out of slavery, the obtainment of knowledge is no longer seen as a privilege of the more fortunate, only a reason to party for four (or more) years and then get a job.

While many old heads will argue that this is a new phenomenon, as early as 1957, Dr. E. Franklin Frazier wrote in his book, "Black Bourgeoisie" that after World War I the attitude of black college students started to change, as many began to rebel against the "puritanical attitudes" of the northern missionaries who founded the early colleges. They began to see a college degree as merely, " the chief means of achieving social and economic mobility." Herein lies the genesis of our jacked up priorities.

Some argue that during the Civil Rights movement too much attention was placed on integration, giving young African Americans the false impression that educational integration, in and of itself, was the key to social equality. So, instead of honoring our African traditions, they started to want to "be like white folks."

This is not to say that we have not had our shining moments when being black and intelligent was fashionable, as one can point to the Black Power era of the late 60's and early 70's and also the Black consciousness era of the late 80's early 90's, however, it must be noted in the same manner that pop culture turned black revolutionaries into pimps in the 70's, by the mid 90's it had transformed Afro-centric scholars into gangsta rappers.

This is the trend that continues today, as many students have embraced "street culture" as a form of rebellion, producing a generation of "rebels without a clue." In his essay "The Black Child," Dr. Bobby Wright challenges the false idea held by many African Americans of the Hip Hop generation who believe "whites do not control the streets in the black Community nor the behavior of Blacks on those streets." According to Dr. Wright "whites have more control or at least as much control over those in the streets than over those in universities."

Though often misunderstood, the purpose of WEB DuBois' idea of a talented tenth was never to create a group of elitist, stuck up gangsta snobs, but a group of enlightened African Americans who have as their mission statement uplifting those who did not have the opportunity to obtain a higher level of education.

This is what is so disappointing about the attitude on so many college campuses; they have failed in their mission to uplift the downtrodden.

The best example of the problem is the strange relationship between HBCU's and Hip Hop. Every year thousands upon thousands of dollars are paid to Hip Hop artists who promote Black on Black violence, drug dealin' and are living caricatures of historical black negative stereotypes during Homecoming season. Last year, students on the campuses of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University protested the use of student funds going towards funding the mental genocide (mentacide) of young black people. Unfortunately, a year later, we still see black universities bank rolling negative behavior.

While the focus of this article is historically black colleges and universities, in truth, it is just a symptom of a larger problem. Black folks in general have lost respect for knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Every school year in every city in America, we are bombarded with numerous stories about the achievement gap between black students and their peers, which gives our children the false impression that they are intellectually inferior to their white counterparts.

It must be noted that the problem of the "dumbing down" of African Americans cannot be just limited to the youth. We are living in a society where grown black folks have made shows such as "The House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns" the most successful in cable TV history, while programs that could enlighten black people struggle to find an audience.

In order to reverse this trend, it is time for those who know better to step up and HBCU's can play a vital role. Students and administrators on college campuses must get their priorities straight. It is no secret that many HBCU's are located in the middle of the 'hood so it makes no sense to have that many smart black folks gathered in one place and yet have black folks struggling for survival right outside of their gates. HBCU's must not only develop the minds of black young people on campus but must develop ways to heal the 'hoods that surround them. Also, while many universities train their students to become economists and business leaders, why are black businesses in their cities struggling to make ends meet, especially black bookstores?

Lastly, HBCU's must make better use of student funds for hosting programs. It is a shame that the same student government association that can find $20,000 dollars to bring Young Jeezy on campus for one night to rap about "Thug Motivation" cannot find the resources to bring in Afro-centric scholars, researchers and historians to campus to hold workshops to motivate the students to be strong black men and women.

So, black students, the choice is yours, are you going to take a stand or continue to watch your people being destroyed for lack of knowledge ?

As Dr. Carter G Woodson wrote in the Mis-Education of the Negro, " No people can go forward when the majority of those who know better have chosen to go backward."

About Me: Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. For more on the Intelligence Over Ignorance lecture series on Race, Rap, Religion and Revolution contact (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

News You Use

Poverty: Thinking Beyond Acronyms

"Even if globally the poverty rate is reduced by half by 2015, as the latest United Nations progress report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) suggests, about one billion people will still be mired in extreme poverty by 2015. ... The report argues that current approaches to poverty often ignore its root causes, and consequently do not follow through the causal sequence. Rather, they focus on measuring things that people lack to the detriment of understanding why they lack them." - UNRISD Report on Combating Poverty and Inequality, September 2010

As world leaders gathered for the Summit on Millennium Development Goals on September 20, the reports and speeches were largely predictable: some real progress made, but the effort will fall short unless more rich countries meet previous commitments and all governments step up their efforts. Among the few reports to probe systematically beyond acronyms such as "MDGs" is the latest report from the UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), which was initiated by its previous director Thandika Mkandawire and included key researcher Yusuf Bangura.

The authors do not deny some macroeconomic policy needs embodied in the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), or the goal-setting of the UN's MDGs and of programs in specific sectors. But they argue that these approaches are doomed to fail by addressing poverty as a "residual category" rather than pursuing structural transformations, including job creation, universal rights to social services, and countering inequality as well as poverty.

The full report is available on the UNRISD website at http://www.unrisd.org/ direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/3994c27. The above overview was provided by AfricaFocus Bulletins. For more on this and other economic issues, visit http://www.africafocus.org/econexp.php.

Politics Y2K10

Un Chief Urges Tolerance to Combat Polarization

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned kings, prime ministers and presidents Thursday of growing political polarization and social inequalities and implored U.N. members to show greater tolerance and mutual respect to bring the world together.

In his keynote speech to the opening of the General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting, the U.N. chief told leaders from the 192-member nations that "today, we are being tested."

Ban said people everywhere are living in fear of losing their jobs, too many are caught in conflict, "and we see a new politics at work -- a politics of polarization."

"We hear the language of hate, false divisions between 'them' and 'us,' those who insist on 'their way' or 'no way,'" he said.

In times of such polarization and uncertainty, Ban said, "let us remember, the world still looks to the United Nations for moral and political leadership."

The meeting follows a three-day summit to promote the achievement of U.N. anti-poverty goals by 2015 that wrapped up late Wednesday night. Many leaders who attended that summit remained in New York for the ministerial session, and will shift gears to other world issues from the continuing impact of the global financial crisis to terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

Thursday's session heard from President Barack Obama in the morning. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks in the afternoon as key nations try to bring Iran to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

The secretary-general also touched on many other global issues -- urging North Korea to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program, calling on Israel and the Palestinians not to take any action that would hold back progress on peace talks, urging progress on nuclear disarmament where "we see new momentum," and declaring again the climate change remains the world's "defining challenge."

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin sharply criticized the United States, saying that the 2003 invasion of Iraq demonstrated that the "blind faith in intelligence reports tailored to justify political goals must be rejected." "We must ban once and for all the use of force inconsistent with international law," Amorin told the General Assembly, adding that all international disputes should be peacefully resolved through dialogue.

The Bush administration did not seek authorization from the U.N. Security Council for the invasion, which would have legitimized the action under international law.

On the anti-poverty summit's last day, nations pledged more than $40 billion to battle needless deaths among poor mothers and their children. But the struggling world economy, particularly in the United States, raises deep concerns that the cash won't be forthcoming. Leaders exhorted financial donors to fulfill their aid commitments.

"The crisis is no excuse for letting up our efforts, but underscores the need for actions," Ban said as he wrapped up the three-day Millennium Development Goals summit. (Source: www.bostonherald.com)

Disgruntled feels: Betrayal! According to news accounts, a fourth young male member of Bishop Eddie Long's New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has filed a lawsuit alleging the mega-star minister coerced him into a sexual relationship. The lawsuits all claim that Long "abused his spiritual authority in seducing them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities." After a week of speaking through his attorney, Bishop Long addressed the allegations of sexual impropriety on Sunday in remarks before his congregation. Ironically, while his followers believe the bishop to be innocent of all charges, Long did not specifically say he was innocent of the charges alleged in the lawsuits. He did say he never claimed to be perfect. If guilty, Bishop Long will join a long list of "men of faith" that have committed the ultimate act of betrayal by using the church to prey on young men for sex.

Disgruntled wants to know: Sami Samir Hassoun is a Lebanese citizen who has been living in Chicago for about three years. On Monday, the 22-year-old man was charged with one count each of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted use of an explosive device. He was arrested after placing a backpack on a crowded street corner near Chicago's Wrigley Field. Apparently, Hassoun thought the backpack contained explosives. The reason we know what he thought is because a FBI undercover agent provided him with the fake bomb. This is not the first time that FBI undercover agents planted evidence and posed as terror operatives to entrap wannabe terrorists. The targets of these FBI sting operations are primarily impressionable young men; most with no history of violence. The question we must ask is; who are the real terrorists in these undercover operations?

Disgruntled says: On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a group of economists charged with informing us when recessions begin and end, announced that the Great Recession ended in June 2009, more than a year ago. The NBER looks at the gross domestic product (GDP), employment, output, income and sales in determining shifts in the economy. After examining this wealth of data, the economic group determined the US economy began its current upswing last year and continues to be in the throes of an economic recovery. As one would expect, families and individuals struggling with unemployment, home foreclosures, declining incomes, rising prices for food and energy, due to the declining value of the dollar, paid little attention to this bit of good news. Moreover, given that so many people are still suffering as a result of the Great Recession, the announcement basically fell on deaf ears.

Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls

Email www.usatoday.com Prosecutors' conduct can tip justice scales...By Brad Heath and Kevin McCoy...Federal prosecutors are supposed to seek justice, not merely score convictions. But a USA TODAY investigation found that prosecutors repeatedly have violated that duty in courtrooms across the nation. The abuses have put innocent people in prison, set guilty people free and cost taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and sanctions. Judges have warned for decades that misconduct by prosecutors threatens the Constitution's promise of a fair trial. Congress in 1997 enacted a law aimed at ending such abuses. Yet USA TODAY documented 201 criminal cases in the years that followed in which judges determined that Justice Department prosecutors -- the nation's most elite and powerful law enforcement officials -- themselves violated laws or ethics rules. In case after case during that time, judges blasted prosecutors for "flagrant" or "outrageous" misconduct. They caught some prosecutors hiding evidence, found others lying to judges and juries, and said others had broken plea bargains.

Email www.ap.com Consumer groups push for label for modified salmon...Consumer advocates urged the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to ensure that salmon engineered to grow twice as fast as the conventional variety are labeled in the grocery store as genetically modified. The FDA conducted a hearing on how the salmon, if approved for sale by the agency, should be labeled. According to federal guidelines, the fish would not be labeled as genetically modified if the agency decides it has the same material makeup as conventional salmon. Consumer advocates say it is the public's right to know that genetic modification has occurred. AquaBounty, the company that has developed the fish and is applying to the FDA to market it says that genetically modified salmon have the same flavor, texture, color and odor as the conventional fish.

Email www.ajc.com ...CNN anchor Don Lemon said he was sexually abused as a child...By Rodney Ho...While interviewing three members of Bishop Eddie Long's congregation over the weekend, CNN anchor Don Lemon said he was abused as a child. "I have never admitted this on TV," he said Saturday. "I'm a victim of a pedophile when I was a kid. Someone who was much older than me." While an expert explained how religious figures use particular language to get minors to engage in sexual activity, Lemon added, "Those are the things that they do," he said. "The language, 'This doesn't make you gay, if you do this.' "I had no idea I'd say that on national TV. It just came out," Lemon said in a Tweet Saturday evening. "Sadly, it's the truth for so many young men." Based in Atlanta, 44-year-old Lemon anchors the weekend prime-time program CNN Newsroom. He joined the network in 2006.