Hasbro is creating the first global Monopoly game and they are giving gamer fans the chance to have their favorite cities featured on the playing board.
New Orleans is not currently a contender, but with enough nominations from now until March 9th, the city might have a chance. Vote for New Orleans daily as a “wild card” city to keep our recovery and status as a world renowned travel destination on the map and in the public eye.
The timing of this event isn’t the best — it would have worked much better if it could have been scheduled on a weekend — but for those who can make it, tomorrow’s “Symposium on Relations Between the U.S. and the Islamic World” held at Tulane University (Kendall Cram Lecture Hall, Room 213, at the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life) could be worthwhile. This is the second annual symposium held at Tulane and is free and open to the public.
Throughout the day there will be sessions on such subjects as popular misperceptions in the U.S., identity issues facing Muslim Americans, women’s issues and problems with documenting history. Among the featured guests at the event are Kamal Nawash, president of The Free Muslims Coalition, al-Husein N. Madhany, executive director of Islamica Magazine, Sarwat Husain, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-San Antonio and Nadhira Al-Khalili, legal counsel for the Council on American Islamic Relations.
The keynote address will be delivered by Hussein Ibish, who is frequent guest on numerous talking head news shows including CNN’s “Control Room,” Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor,” and others. Ibish is a self-identified progressive Muslim and is a senior fellow for the American Task Force on Palestine and executive director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation
Following Ibish’s speech, there will be Urdu poetry readings, music and conversation.
by Sam Winston
The event to take place in New Orleans this weekend has gotten the most attention recently because of the tiff between host Tavis Smiley and Barack Obama over whether or not Obama should attend. The backlash on Smiley’s rejection of Obama’s offer to send his wife Michelle in his place while he campaigns in Ohio and Texas reflects another one of the inner-tensions in the black community and among its leaders over Obama’s bid for the presidency.
Smiley’s problems started early this month after he invited Obama to speak at the State of the Black Union, an event Smiley founded nine years ago. Held annually during Black History Month and broadcast by C-Span, the event gathers a Who’s Who of black intellectuals, pundits, activists, entertainers and politicians to discuss and brainstorm about where black America is and where it is headed. This year’s topic is “Reclaiming Our Democracy, Deciding Our Future.”
Below the fold are a list of people that will be speaking at the event, including several Louisiana and New Orleans figures. (more…)
