African girls undergo "breast ironing" to prevent pregnancy

While most pre-teen girls are giddy over their first training bra, the reality for many girls in rural Cameroon girls is grim. On the rise in the Central West African nation is a practice called "breast ironing," which involves placing hot stones on a young girls breasts to prevent them from the growing.

Responding to the country's staggering teen pregnancy rates, mothers in the country have resorted to the age-old practice in hopes that their daughters won't be seen as sexually attractive and become the next statistic. Girls as young as nine years old have been subjected to the practice.

Women in the country say the procedure can lead to physical issues such as burns and deformities.

Read more: http://www.essence.com/news/hot_topics_4/girls_undergo_breast_ironing.php#ixzz0uu7SGU1a

Are Girl Fights and drinking related?

"I've seen plenty, fights breakout all the time over small things, over big things" said one teen girl. "Like oh you looked at me different to oh you're talking to my boyfriend."

Girl fights, they're all over YouTube, but why are they happening?

As girls have access to drugs and alcohol more, they're behaving more like boys.

On Monday San Diego county officials focused on binge drinking as one tie to the female violence.

Defined by the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health as girls fighting at school or work, or taking part in a group-against group fight or attacking someone with the intent to seriously hurt them.

According to the survey, about one in four girls between the ages of 12 and 17 had been engaged in at least one of those types of violent behavior in the past year.

The survey also revealed the girls who fought were more likely than those who did not to have reported binge drinking and illicit drug use in the last thirty days.

"No, we're not saying it's all about the alcohol. We're focusing on alcohol as one of the intervenable effects," said Trauma doctor Michael Sise.

Sise says while binge drinking is just one link to the violence, it is one that shows up in many high-risk behaviors.

"If you don't make it clear that drinking is unacceptable, that violence is unacceptable, then you're putting them in danger. It works to tell our kids what to expect it works to show up and be a force in their lives it's our future and its their health and safety." Sise said.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Did you know that this day is also known as the National Day of Service?

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" And it is in that spirit that the National Day of Service takes place today, on a holiday celebrating a man who lived and died in service to others.

At the urging of President Barack Obama, all Americans are encouraged to roll up their sleeves today and volunteer to help others — as a way to honor Dr. King, and simply assist your fellow man.

"Recognizing that our Nation has yet to reach Dr. King's promised land is not an admission of defeat, but a call to action. In these challenging times, too many Americans face limited opportunities, but our capacity to support each other remains limitless," President Obama declared Friday in a proclamation related to MLK, Jr. Day and the National Day of Service.

For 365 ways to serve, click here.

20 Questions to ask your school counselor

Your school counselor is one of your best resources as you plan for college. Your counselor has information about admissions tests, college preparation, and your education and career options. Here are some basic questions to help get your conversation started:

1. What are the required and recommended courses—for graduation and for college prep?
2. How should I plan my schedule so I'll complete them?
3. Which elective courses do you recommend?
4. Which AP® courses are available?
5. When is the PSAT/NMSQT® going to be given here?
6. Is this school a testing center for the SAT®, or will I need to go somewhere nearby?
7. Do you have any after-school or evening sessions available for college planning, or the SAT?
8. Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow? Do you have a copy of the free SAT Preparation Booklet™, which has a practice test in it?
9. What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college?
10. What kinds of grades do different colleges require?
11. Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby?
12. Where do other kids from this school attend college?
13. What are the requirements or standards for the honor society?
14. Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to the colleges on my wish list?
15. Do you have any information to help me start exploring my interests and related careers?
16. If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal?
17. Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them?
18. Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be?
19. Do you have any forms I need to apply for financial aid?
20. How does our school compare to others, in terms of test scores and reputation?

Study: African-American girls are 50 percent more likely to be bulimic than white girls

Eating disorders have long been characterized as a problem primarily affecting wealthy, white women and teenagers. But new research shows that black girls are more likely than whites to be bulimic.

Young women from low-income households were also more likely to be affected by bulimia, researchers found.

The study is based on information from a government database of 2,300 girls from schools in California, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

Girls were surveyed annually about their eating habits and body image between ages 9 and 20, and equal numbers of blacks and whites were included in the survey.

About 2.6 percent of black girls were found to be bulimic, compared to 1.7 percent of whites, the study said.

In addition, bulimia affected 3.3 percent of girls whose parents had a high school education, compared to 1.5 percent of girls in households where at least one parent had a college degree.

Lead researcher Michelle Goeree said the misconception that eating disorders are a "white woman's" problem comes from previous studies that focused on hospital admission data, which wouldn't include girls who don't seek professional help for their illness. In most states, treatment for eating disorders isn't covered by insurance.

"Who goes to the hospital? Those who have insurance. Who tends to have insurance? Wealthier, better-educated people," said Goeree, an economist at the University of Southern California.

Goeree said minority parents also may be less likely to recognize bulimic behavior, such as purging in their children.

10 Tips for African-American College Students

Most black college students attend "majority campuses"—schools with whites as a majority of the student body (and faculty and staff). The dropout or transfer rates for black students at some of these campuses can be as high as 60 percent. Charles Robinson, professor of history and director of the African American Studies program at the University of Arkansas, contributes some tips for success for African-American students attending historically white institutions:

1. Identify resources. Find out about your college's resources for academic performance, such as enhanced learning centers and writing centers. See, too, what possibilities are offered for social networking in the African-American programming units, the multicultural center, and Greek life.

2. Immerse yourself in the campus culture. Attend football and basketball games, talent shows, debate clubs, and language groups.

3. Attend class regularly. African-Americans often have to deal with cultural stereotypes. Especially prevalent is the notion that blacks are not serious students. Help to debunk myths about lack of purpose among students of color by attending all the classes. Going to visit a professor during office hours will also demonstrate your focus on academic matters.

4. Find a black faculty mentor. Finding a black faculty mentor can help you deal with problems you might encounter on campus, such as what to do when class discussion (or even a professor) demonstrates insensitivity. A black faculty mentor can also help you understand the purpose and the workings of the university in a broader way and advise you on diversity options such as the African-American studies program, Greek life, and various multicultural student-centered groups.

5. Find a sympathetic black upperclassperson . A more advanced student can talk to you—on a student level—and help you determine what courses are more culturally sensitive, which professors seem more appreciative of diversity, and which sections of required courses (for example, American history) might be more focused on the African-American experience.

6. Find a "cohort." Your peers can become your brother's and sister's keeper. You can develop a sense of camaraderie with peers by taking courses together, doing homework together, forming a discussion group, and even getting together for out-of-class activities. This will not only help you develop better study habits but will provide a sense of security that will stand you in good stead, especially in your required courses.

7. ...but also go outside of the "community." Become more culturally literate and comfortable among various groups of people. For example, if you grew up in a neighborhood that was homogenous, build relationships outside your group—especially at "majority" campuses. And broaden your social networks, too. You'll feel more at ease, and you'll be able to take ownership of your campus—you'll feel it's yours and you belong.

8. Establish and maintain a spiritual network. Worship in ways familiar to you—just as you did back home.

9. Become involved with the African-American studies or Africana program. In these programs, you will not only learn the history of African-American and African diaspora culture, you also will come to understand why the university you attend is the way that it is—why, for example, there's such a disparity in the racial distribution of the students. Understanding this will help you put your college life into some perspective.

10. Locate the black businesses in the town. A visit to the black hairdresser or to clubs with black music will help you feel comfortable in your surroundings at college.

Bonus Tip. Build a community. Do research about black organizations at other campuses, then create the ones that your campus lacks. For example, if your college doesn't have a black student organization, create one by petitioning for student funds. A chapter of SAAB (Student African American Brotherhood) could be created fairly easily at most campuses. Also good would be intramural teams and a black students' newsletter—if your college doesn't have these already. Coalesce into a community; be proactive.

www.usatoday.com

FAMU offering scholarships to African-American females interested in computer science

The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Computer Information Sciences (CIS) Program, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant valued at $552,000 dedicated to recruiting minority women to computer science and information technology disciplines.

“The numbers are staggering,” said Jason T. Black, Ph. D., assistant professor in CIS. “The latest data shows that out of all U.S. entering freshmen declaring a major in computer science, African-American women made up only 3.3 percent. The fact is that women are not choosing technology, and this is a dangerous predicament. When you couple that with the fact that it is estimated that 75 percent of all jobs by the year 2020 will require a technology background, it becomes a crisis call.”

The program, entitled African-American Women in Computer Science, (AAWCS), is a four-year program that provides scholarships and other assistance to women who express a financial need and an interest in computer science or information technology. AAWCS, created by Black, also the principal investigator for the program, and Edward L. Jones, Ph. D., chair of the CIS program, will directly address the dismal number of minority women, particularly African-American women that pursue degrees in computer science or information technology.

Women who apply to AAWCS will be accepted based on financial need, and will be awarded a scholarship of between $3,000 and $5,000 per semester. In addition to the funding, the women will participate in CIS departmental clubs and organizations, such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Club, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and the CIS Mentoring Organization (CISMO). AAWCS scholars will also be involved in other STEM programs, such as the Florida/Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP) scholarship program, and the Students and Technology in Academia, Research and Service (STARS) Alliance, both NSF-funded programs.

An added benefit to the students is the conference participation, where selected AAWCS scholars will be chosen to attend two national conferences, paid for by the grant, each year, such as the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing and the National Conference of Women in Information Technology (NCWIT).

The AAWCS program begins operation on July 1 and will run until June 30, 2012. Applications for the program can be requested by contacting Black at jblack@cis.famu.edu or (850) 412-7354.

Stay Informed: Facebook can put your privacy on the line

Facebook fanatics who have covered their profiles on the popular social networking site with silly games and quirky trivia quizzes may be unknowingly giving a host of strangers an intimate peek at their lives.

Those mini-programs, called widgets or applications, allow users to personalize their pages and connect with friends and acquaintances. But they could pose privacy risks. Some security researchers warn that developers of the software have assembled too much information — home town, schools attended, employment history — and can use the data in ways that could harm or annoy users.

Even private profiles, in which personal details are available only to specific friends, reveal personal information, said Chris Soghoian, a cyber-security researcher at Indiana University. And they're allowing access to their friends' information — even if their friends are not using the application. That's because MySpace and Facebook, the largest online social networks, let outside developers see a member's information when they add a program.

For more information visit MSN

Stay Informed: What's up with these gas prices?

It's summertime and you want to go to the mall or to the pool and moms is telling you no because gas is too high!!! When I got my first car in 2001, gas was only $1.30!!!! Now, the prices have soared to over $4.00! That is astronomical! But why have gas prices gone up so much so fast? Well, conspiracy theorists have a few reasons but we'll go straight to the economics of the matter. Many factors play into the price of gas including the price of crude oil, cost of refining and taxes. Go to www.npr.com and read the breakdown. Hey...stay informed--your teachers will be impressed!

Kick them energy drinks to the curb!

According to a story on MSNBC, Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.

Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12-to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.

The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits.

Girl's exercise may prevent breast cancer when they get older

It may not be important now, but having breast cancer isn't something you look forward to. So, if you can prevent it now, what not give it a try? That means, get your butt off of the couch and get outside!!! New research shows exercise during the teen years -- starting as young as age 12 -- can help protect girls from breast cancer when they're grown.

Researchers tracked nearly 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42 who enrolled in a major health study. They answered detailed questionnaires about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Within six years of enrolling, 550 were diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. A quarter of all breast cancer is diagnosed at these younger ages, when it's typically more aggressive.

Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23 percent less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary, researchers report Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Hey, it doesn't hurt! You'll be healthy and be be able to wear all those halters and shorts from Forever 21 at the same time!

New Study: Nearly 60 percent of black children can't swim!

Nearly 60 percent of African-American children cannot swim, almost twice the figure for white children, according to a first-of-its-kind survey which USA Swimming hopes will strengthen its efforts to lower minority drowning rates and draw more blacks into the sport.

Stark statistics underlie the initiative by the national governing body for swimming. Black children drown at a rate almost three times the overall rate. And less than 2 percent of USA Swimming's nearly 252,000 members who swim competitively year-round are black.The minority swimming gap has deep roots in America's racial history. For decades during the 20th century, many pools were segregated, and relatively few were built to serve black communities.

John Cruzat, USA Swimming's diversity specialist, said these inequalities were compounded by a widespread misperception — fueled by flawed academic studies — that blacks' swimming ability was compromised by an innate deficit of buoyancy.

"There are people who still give credence to these stereotypes, even in the black and Hispanic community," said Cruzat, who wants to break the cycle that passes negative attitudes about swimming from one black generation to another.

(We may not know how to swim, but we do look slammin' at the summer pool parties!!!!)

Black Teens Feel the Chill of 'Bilingual Preferred'

'Don't speak Spanish…can't get the job?'

When San Bernardino High School teens Jazanique Jackson, Ashanae Brown and Kimyen Hawkins decided they wanted to work this summer, they left nothing to chance.

They knew the rules: plan ahead; role play; be positive; adapt; relate and encourage.
So when they hit the streets to start their summer job search they were prepared for virtually every eventuality except one.

¿No habla ingles? Can't speak Spanish.
"We were shocked. We applied at places like McDonalds, Burger King and Jack in the Box. We went to shoe stores, pizza parlors and convenience stores. The workers were overwhelmingly Spanish speaking. Pretty much they always ask us, 'Do you speak Spanish?' They said we prefer bilingual," says Jazanique. And, as an American who only speaks English, her answer leaves her without the job.

"It's hard when you can't even get an interview because you don't speak Spanish," said Jazanique.
For Jazanique, Ashanae and Kimyen the job hunting experience is both frustrating and sobering. The unemployment rate among African-American teens is shockingly six times the national rate. This according to the U.S. Department of Labor translates into approximately 296,000 African-American teenagers actively seeking employment who are finding it difficult to secure a job.

To read the complete story, visit www.blackvoicenews.com/content/view/42068/4/

What's really going on? Third graders plan to attack their teacher!

This is why all of you need to grab a child and be a mentor! Think of it as community service!

A group of third-graders in Georgia plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday.

The plot involving as many as nine boys and girls at Center Elementary School in south Georgia was a serious threat, Waycross Police Chief Tony Tanner said.

School officials alerted police Friday after a pupil tipped off a teacher that a girl had brought a weapon to school. Tanner said the students apparently planned to knock the teacher unconscious with a crystal paperweight, bind her with the handcuffs and tape and then stab her with the knife.

Nine children have been given discipline up to and including long-term suspension, said Theresa Martin, spokeswoman for the Ware County school system. She would not be more specific but said none of the children had been back to school since the case came to light.

The purported target is a veteran educator who teaches third-grade students with learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, delayed development and hyperactivity, friends and parents said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23905909/?GT1=43001

Study: Black students aren't graduating! Don't be a statistic!

Three out of 10 US public school students do not graduate from high school, and major city school districts only graduate one out of two students, according to a study released Tuesday.

In a report on graduation rates around the country, the EPE Research Center and the America Promise Alliance also showed that the high school graduation rate -- finishing 12 grades of school -- in big cities falls to as low as just 34.6 percent in Baltimore, Maryland, and barely over 40 percent for the troubled Ohio cities of Columbus and Cleveland.

And it said that black and native American student's have effectively a one-in-two chance of getting a high school diploma.

"Only about one-half (52 percent) of students in the principal school systems of the 50 largest cities complete high school with a diploma."

Based on 2003-2004 data, the report said that across the country the graduation average for public school students is 69.9 percent, with the best success rate in suburbs -- 74.9 percent -- and rural districts -- 73.2 percent.

Asian-Americans score the highest graduation rate, at 80 percent, with whites at 76.2 percent and Hispanics at 57.8 percent.

Women graduate at a much higher rate than men, 73.6 percent to 66.0 percent.

In the country's city schools, the study found that in urban areas generally, just 60.4 percent graduate, and in the principal school districts of the top 50 cities, barely half graduate.

Detroit, Michigan's main school district scored a graduation rate of 24.9 percent.

New York, the country's largest city, has a graduation rate for its main school district of 45.2 percent, and Los Angeles, the second largest, of 45.3 percent.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080401/lf_afp/useducationsociety

11 year old girl tasered at school

What is the world coming to when an 11 year old girl is so out of control that she needs to be tasered?

An Orange County deputy used a Taser on an 11-year-old elementary student Thursday morning at Moss Park Elementary after she allegedly tried to push another student into oncoming traffic and punched a school resource officer in the face.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the 11-year-old Thaliamar Jimenez was seen attempting to push a smaller student into oncoming traffic Thursday before class. The incident was reported and Jimenez was confronted by two teachers.

During an attempt by the teachers to speak with Jimenez about the incident, she became agitated and aggressive and began to scare other students in the classroom. Jimenez refused to leave the classroom, according to the sheriff’s office, and made several attempts to spit at the teachers trying to get her to leave the room.

A school resource officer, Deputy Donna Hudepohl, was called to the room to assist in removing Jimenez, but she refused and then punched Hudepohl in her face, causing her nose to bleed. Hudepohl tried to subdue Jimenez, but she continued to fight back and Hudepohl then used her Taser to secure the girl.

Hudepohl was transported to Florida East. She sustained severe bruising to the nasal cavity as a result of the injury. Jimenez was also transported to the same hospital to have the Taser prongs removed, but she had no other injuries.

Jimenez was arrested and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, disrupting a school function as well as resisting with violence.

What's really going on? Gun violence so bad that police escort students to school!

The morning trip to school for dozens of teenagers here had all the normal signs: bleary eyes, oversized jackets zipped up against the chill, the seemingly endless wait for the bus. But there was tension underlying the routine: The trip was under the watchful eyes of parents, an alderman, a principal and police.

The escort to and from Crane Tech High School this week, dubbed "Operation Safe Passage" is just one of the ways Chicago is dealing with a wave of violence that has stunned the city.Since September, 20 Chicago Public Schools students have been killed, 18 by gunfire. Last school year, 24 of the more than 30 students killed were shot to death, compared with between 10 and 15 fatal shootings in the years before.

"The loss of life that we've seen among our young people is ... devastating," said school district spokesman Michael Vaughn. "This gun nonsense has reached a crisis level."

Nationally, homicide was the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in 2004, and of those killed, 81 percent were killed with a firearm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Operation Safe Passage began this week. It provides escorts for students from the ABLA Homes public housing development to Crane Tech High School. Many of the 120 students from the housing project have not been to school since March 7 because they fear retaliation after a reputed gang member from ABLA shot and killed another student who lived on a rival gang's turf.

Daley recently announced a new resource for police - access to the 4,500 security cameras mounted inside and outside about 200 elementary and high schools.

Daley also has rolled back the curfew times for minors by half an hour, to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.

Many observers insist the issue isn't a school problem but a symptom of overall violence in the city. In fact, students in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods say school -- with metal detectors, private security guards and uniformed police officers -- is the one place they feel safe.

Antigun activists and officials say the violence highlights a dangerous reality: Arguments among young people that used to be resolved with fistfights now end in gunfire.
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/headlines/chicagoteendeaths328

New site celebrates founding of Historically Black Colleges

Thinking about attending an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)? Even if you aren't everyone must check out this new website,http://contentdm.auctr.edu/.

A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University" includes more than 1,000 scanned photographs, manuscripts, letters and publications from 10 institutions designated as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The project, which was funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, represents the first collaborative effort by HBCU libraries to make a historical collection digitally available. The online collection, which is hosted by the Robert W. Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center, is the product of a partnership between the HBCU Library Alliance, HBCU institutions, the Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET) and Cornell University.

The contents of the collection date back to the early 1800s and include campus charters, student yearbooks, early campus architectural drawings, and a rich assortment of photographs featuring first presidents, graduating classes, famous alumni and churches, which often served as the first classrooms at several of these institutions.

Your neighborhood can influence the way you exercise

Your neighborhood may have a major influence on how much you exercise, according to a study that looked at data on 8,782 people in 373 Chicago neighborhoods.

The researchers found that people who live in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty, lower levels of education, and more families headed by women are less likely than others to exercise. But this doesn't mean that poorer people are least likely to exercise, said the researchers, who found that individual income wasn't as important as neighborhood in determining exercise levels.

"We can't encourage people to exercise more without looking at the neighborhood environment in which they live," study co-author Christopher Browning, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University, said in a prepared statement. "Some people may have the personal resources and desire to exercise but don't live in a neighborhood in which they feel comfortable to go outside for activities."

Neighborhood-related factors that influenced exercise levels included: amount of trust among neighbors, perceived violence in the community, and beliefs that neighbors help each other. The study also found that neighborhood was more important for women than men in determining exercise levels.

The fact that the neighborhood/exercise connection is stronger in women than in men is another important finding.

"This could help understand why African-American women have much higher obesity rates than other groups," Browning said.

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080325/neighborhood-influences-exercise-levels.htm

Confederate Flag Is a Symbol of Pride for Some, Terror for Others

CUMBERLAND, Md. -- This city nestled in the gray hills of Western Maryland was once a key railroad hub for the Union Army, beset by Confederate raiders. Today, the rebel flag is again stirring trouble.

A high school principal's recent decision to ban wearing or displaying the Confederate flag, adopted by some white residents as a symbol of their history, has inflamed an already tense debate over racial sensitivity and freedom of speech.

Deana Bryant allowed her 16-year-old son to wear a shirt emblazoned with the flag to school one day last week in open defiance of the ban. Speaking from behind the grocery counter where she works, Bryant said the flag is not about racism.

"It's his heritage," she said, her blue eyes flashing.

The same day, Lakeal Ellis, a nurse, kept her three daughters home from Fort Hill High School. Shaken by the escalating tension, they packed their clothes. The African American family came here a little more than a year ago from the District hoping to find better schools and a quieter life.

The girls were getting good grades at the high school. But after enduring racial slurs and harassment, sometimes at the hands of youths with Confederate flags, the Ellis family decided to give up and return to the District.

At Fort Hill, the racial taunts had been going on throughout the school year, but the problems boiled over after a boy made racist remarks to one of Ellis's daughters in the cafeteria line this month, she said. Her daughter and the boy were suspended after an argument. In response, some students started displaying the flag on their clothes and trucks in solidarity with the boy.

The principal banned the display of the flag, but tensions continued to rise. Police stepped up their presence.

"The flag turned into a weapon," said Allegany County Superintendent Bill AuMiller, who met last week with parents and students who supported wearing the flag.

"They have a First Amendment right to wear it," AuMiller said, but using it to harass and intimidate students "crossed the line." He has asked students who display the flag "to voluntarily refrain until things cool down."

At a time when Democratic presidential candidate and Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democratic candidate for president, has challenged the nation to transcend racial divides, the dispute at Fort Hill High School, named for a small fortification occupied by the Union Army, harks back to the past.

Flag fans often speak of their banner as a reminder of local history, a symbol of rebellion against authority and political correctness, and pride in their rural lifestyle. But one man's symbol of pride is another man's symbol of terror, said Charles Woods, a African American leader in Cumberland.

"You talk about that flag, the ugly side of people will rear its head up," he said. "That flag must be removed from school property."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/03/22/ST2008032200282.html