Columnist Ron Stodghill doesn’t know what he wants to write about.

Local entrepreneurs Damian and Jermaine Johnson were featured in the Charlotte Observer in June and July. They own 3 barbershops and a barber school. Pretty good for two brotha’s from Buffalo, NY.

Side Note: for full disclosure, Damian Johnson is my Frat Brother and we pledged in the same undergrad chapter.

On June 19, 2010, Stodghill wrote a glowing article about the Johnson Brothers. It talked about how they are making a big splash in Charlotte with their Urban Business Network. It was an informative article that should have been inspiring to future and current minority business owners.

On July 7, 2010, Stodghill wrote an article complaining about the Johnson Brothers logo for their business. He said the “logo has got to go.”

His exact words –
“Perhaps you've encountered No Grease's logo, the bug-eyed, black-faced caricature inspired by those dehumanizing minstrel shows of yesteryear.”


So what happened in almost three weeks time that made the Johnson’s go from hero’s to bums? Stodghill should have talked about his dislike for the logo in the first article. To do another article just to get a gripe off your chest is a waste of white space. The second article practically negated everything that was positive about the first one. I can’t tell if he was being sneaky or honest. I’m not bothered that Stodghill has a problem with their logo. It is a bit hard to take when you first put eyes on it. I have a problem with him “going in” on them after the fact. It made his point look petty and unnecessary. He could have included his dislike in the beginning and still produced a “fair and balanced” article. In a day and age where newspapers are strapped for cash and struggling for readers, journalists are going to have to do better.

Forget about Black Folks being slighted…who was the dummy that asked Obama about A-Rod?

We are in a financial crisis of biblical proportion and a reporter wants to know what President Obama thinks about A-Rod? Black folks, is that the best question we can ask? Are you kidding me!!! We complain about not getting the opportunity to ask the big questions. And the first time we do……………………………....A-Fraud? This whole black press corps thing is getting out of control. Why can’t someone get President Obama and the National Association of Black Journalists in a room together so they can hug it out? The next time a black reporter asks President Obama a question, I hope it’s not “what do you think about the Wu-Tang Reunion?”

Guilty until proven innocent: The Chicago Story.

Governor Rod Blagojevich had his press conference today in Chicago. If it was meant to be a serious event, they completely missed the mark. Gov. Blagojevich’s lawyers made me laugh with their flare for the dramatics. If I’m ever caught on tape, those are the folks that I want working my case. No public defenders for me!!! I am amazed at Gov. Blagojevich’s insistence that he did nothing wrong. As if that was someone else that we heard on tape. His lawyers are trying to say that the wire taps were illegal. Yeah right!!! The wire taps on Martin Luther King Jr, and the Black Panthers were illegal. This was someone running a wire tap on a possible crooked politician. He was on tape discussing the possibility of selling a U.S. Senate seat. If he gets out of this one, he will be the “white” O.J. Simpson.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. went from being a number on the “wanna be” U.S. Senate carousel to Donnie Brasco. One day he was accused of floating a bribe to the Gov. The next day he was a snitch for the state. But what kind of informant was he? Did he do it because he cares about corruption or was he trying to get back at Blagojevich? This is the biggest Jackson mess since Michael burnt his perm on tour. Congressman Jackson is defending himself on two fronts. He is trying to prove that he is not a corrupt politician. He is also trying to prove that he is a good snitch and not a bad one? Or that he wasn’t a full time snitch but just a part time one? It’s really confusing and I wish someone could clear it up for me. They say there are three sides to a story and I truly believe that. Whose side is it: The Governor, The Congressmen or The person from the Obama camp that talked to the Governor?