A Legacy In Her Own Right, Ms. Maria Cole Passed Away at Age 89

Natalie Cole’s mother Maria dead from cancer at 89

Maria Cole, mother of Natalie Cole and widow of the great Nat King Cole died on Tuesday at the age of 89. According to EurWeb, Cole was living in Boca Raton, Florida and died after a brief stint with breast cancer.

Maria Cole, the widow of singing legend Nat “King” Cole, the mother of Natalie Cole and in her own right a former Big Band singer, died Tuesday in Boca Raton, Fla., after a brief battle with cancer, reports People.com. She was 89.

“Our mom was in a class all by herself. She epitomized class, elegance, and truly defined what it is to be a real lady,” said Natalie Cole and her siblings, Timolin and Casey Cole, in a statement.

“We are so blessed and privileged to have inherited the legacy that she leaves behind along with our father. She died how she lived – with great strength, courage and dignity, surrounded by her loving family,” the Coles further stated.

Click here to read more.


Publisher's Note:

My sincere condolence goes out to Ms. Natalie Coke, whom I adore, and her family.

Opinion

Black Americans losing homes over property taxes: It doesn't have to happen

Imagine one day reaching a milestone and realizing an accomplishment that so many of your brothers and sisters have failed to achieve in the past: home ownership.

For many Americans, it’s the American dream. Imagine not only buying a home and putting down a down payment with a 30-year mortgage, but actually one day owning your home free and clear.

In other words, your home is paid off; no mortgage, no bank, no finance company, no-nobody, but you. Hallelujah! Free at last, the American dream! In your heart and soul, you feel you’ve insured as well as secured yourself from the thought of ever one day becoming homeless in America. What an accomplishment!

Now imagine losing it, and not because you didn’t pay the mortgage.

Although you’ve achieved the so-called American dream, let me share with you some truths that often turn your dream into a nightmare, especially for African-Americans.

You see, in America, even though you somehow manage to pay off your mortgage, the truth is, you’ll never own your home and be free from added taxes. You might pay the mortgage off, but you never stop paying property tax on it. That’s right. And guess what? If you don’t pay your property taxes, the government has the right to take your home from you, and it’s all legal.

Every year African-Americans lose millions of dollars in real estate simply by not paying their property taxes.

From farmland to commercial property to multi-family units right down to personal residences. This has got to stop.

The current recession has only added to this growing nightmare. Personally, I’ve never liked the idea of paying property taxes each and every year on your personal residence, especially after you’ve satisfied the mortgage debt and are living on a fixed income from retirement and social security. It’s really a bad deal for the homeowner. It’s not fair. Case and point: when you buy growth stocks like Apple and hold them, as they appreciate over the years you don’t pay a dime in taxes until you sell. Same rule applies to cash value life insurance policies — no taxes, as rich people continue to stash millions of dollars in them. The same rule should apply for residential property.

Could it be that assets such as stocks, bonds and insurance get special tax treatment because African-Americans aren’t known for using and taking advantage of these wealth building investment vehicles?

Did you know that when figuring your net worth, your personal residence isn’t used in the computation? It’s your home, not an investment. It doesn’t matter if it’s paid off or not, it’s not an investment and you will never stop paying for it.

Read more of this article written by Robert Henderson Jr. - click here.