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Wal-Mart raises funds, questions in black Hub

By Talia Whyte

The Bay State Banner

Retail giant Wal-Mart is the world’s largest private employer, with estimated net revenues of $378.8 billion for 2008. It is also one of the world’s most generous companies. Last year, its philanthropic arm, the Wal-Mart Foundation, donated $296 million to charities around the world — including many organizations geared towards African Americans…

But for all the good Wal-Mart’s money appears to be doing in Boston, and all the good will it seems to engender, there are those in the black community who feel that the corporation is being deceitful, arguing that the company’s claims of charity ring hollow as it treats its own employees poorly.

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NU’s O’Bryant Institute celebrates 40th birthday

By Talia Whyte

The Bay State Banner

Black alumni and the larger Northeastern University community came together last week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute and its contributions to student life.

Over the last four decades, the Institute has evolved into the official home for African Americans on Northeastern’s campus. Born in the ’60s amid the racial angst roiling throughout the country, the O’Bryant Institute continues to provide social and academic support. It has also been the staging ground for rallies in support of the Jena Six and affirmative action policies on campus.

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‘Wire’ creator talks urban decline in Hub

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By Talia Whyte

The Bay State Banner

Few television shows impact the way viewers think about their place in society; the critically acclaimed HBO drama “The Wire,” which ended its five-season run last month, was one.

Although the series never found the high ratings enjoyed by some of the cable network’s other flagship programming, the multifaceted drama developed a devoted audience that included many critics, who frequently called it “the best show on television no one is watching.”

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‘Iron Ladies’ doc showcases Liberia’s strong female voices

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By Talia Whyte

The Bay State Banner

When Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf assumed the presidency of Liberia in 2006, she had to hit the ground running. As if becoming Africa’s first elected female head of state was not daunting enough, it fell to her to fix many of the problems left over from nearly two decades of civil war, ethnic conflict and social strife.

The PBS documentary “Iron Ladies of Liberia,” which debuts on WGBH 44 today and will be re-aired Sunday night at 9 p.m., follows both the turbulent first year of Johnson-Sirleaf’s administration and the many talented female politicians and ministers helping her turn the country around.

Read the full article here.

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