Showing posts with label African American. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African American. Show all posts

Saturday, March 16, 2024

West Virginia Senate Republicans killed the CROWN Act intended to protect against discrimination based on hair style

Republican lawmakers in West Virginia have killed a bill that would have banned discrimination against Black hairstyles, known as the CROWN Act, in a blow for Black hair advocates in the state.

Despite initial optimism that this would be the year when lawmakers pass a bill to prohibit race-based hair discrimination, supporters were disappointed earlier this week when lawmakers killed the CROWN Act by taking it off the Senate floor and sending it back to the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Eric Tarr (Republican), the finance chair, did not take the bill back up, citing concerns that lawsuits over discrimination against West Virginians based on their hair styles would cost the state too much money.

Black West Virginians have been pushing for the CROWN Act for years. There have been instances both in the state and nationally where Black people have been discriminated against when wearing their hair naturally or in traditional styles.

“There’s absolutely no reason why anyone should have to walk into an office or classroom and have to defend their hair,” Katonya Hart, who has pushed for the legislation for several years, said.

[SOURCE:mountainstatespotlight]

Sunday, January 07, 2024

Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn running for Congress

Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer who has extensively spoken out about the violence he and other law enforcement experienced on Jan. 6, 2021, announced that he is launching a campaign for Congress in Maryland.

Watch this story below.

Sunday, November 05, 2023

Stanford University to open Department of African and African American Studies

The Stanford Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Department of African and African American Studies in the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) this week. The department – years in the making – officially opens in January.

The university has had a Program in African and African American Studies (AAAS) for more than 50 years, but long-standing efforts supporting AAAS departmentalization were galvanized by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. “Events since 2020 have made it increasingly apparent that the time has come for Stanford to put our work in AAAS on a permanent footing …” said R. Lanier Anderson, the J.E. Wallace Sterling Professor of the Humanities and professor of philosophy.

In 2021, a task force convened by former Provost Persis Drell and H&S Dean Debra Satz recommended the creation of a department.

Ato Quayson, the Jean G. and Morris M. Doyle Professor in Interdisciplinary Studies and professor of English, will serve as the AAAS department’s inaugural chair. The department will have tracks in African Studies, African American Studies, and Global Black Diaspora Studies. Also, it will provide opportunities for community-engaged learning, for students to study a language pertinent to Black Studies, and for creative expression in collaboration with the Institute for Diversity in the Arts, Quayson said in a presentation to the Committee of Student, Alumni, and External Affairs.

Shortly before the vote approving departmentalization, Quayson pulled out his well-worn original copy of Toni Morrison’s Beloved and gave a moving rendition of the character Baby Suggs’ sermon: “You got to love it. This is flesh I’m talking about here. Flesh that needs to be loved. Feet that need to rest and to dance; backs that need support; shoulders that need arms, strong arms I’m telling you.” Trustees enthusiastically applauded both Quayson’s reading and the vote approving creation of the AAAS department.

[SOURCE: STANFORD REPORT]

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Claude Cummings Jr. will be Communications Workers first African-American president

Veteran union leader Claude Cummings Jr., 71, won a runoff late on July 10 for the presidency of the Communications Workers, becoming the influential and progressive union’s first-ever African American in its top job and its first-ever Southerner.

Cummings is the union vice president who leads CWA’s District 6, headquartered in Austin, Texas, and was the longtime president of Houston-based Local 6222. He defeated Ed Mooney, the union vice president and leader of mid-Atlantic District 2-13.

Cummings succeeds current President Chris Shelton, who is retiring at the end of this convention, on July 13, in St. Louis.

The victory for Cummings keeps the leadership of the union in the hands of a telecom worker, and the candidate with the longest union experience—50 years—a point he emphasized in his campaign.

Sunday, June 04, 2023

Lupus Awareness Campaign Empowers Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina Women to Stop Ignoring Symptoms That Could Be Lupus-Related

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) launched the rebranded Be Fierce. Take Control.™ campaign during Lupus Awareness Month with rebranded imagery to connect with young Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina Women at greater risk of developing lupus in their lifetime. The campaign empowers women to take control of their health, highlights common lupus symptoms and encourages those that may be experiencing symptoms to talk to their healthcare providers.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system can’t tell the difference between healthy tissues and foreign invaders. This can cause pain, inflammation and tissue damage to any organ in the body, and it impacts each person differently making it difficult to diagnose.

Be Fierce. Take Control.™ is a digital awareness campaign that aims to reach young, undiagnosed, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women who may be experiencing common lupus symptoms such as:

  • Joint pain or swelling
  • Extreme exhaustion
  • A rash across the face
  • Recurring sores in the mouth

The primary goal of the Be Fierce. Take Control. campaign, which is funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is to ultimately reduce the average time for diagnosis of six years from when a person first notices symptoms. Lupus is two-to-three times more prevalent in Black/African American and Hispanic/Latina women. Because of these disparities and the impact of lupus on the body, the LFA encourages women experiencing these symptoms to stop ignoring them and talk to their healthcare provider. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to preventing long-term consequences of the disease and improving quality of life.

“Six months prior to my diagnosis, I had recurring skin infections and a rash across my cheeks that I mistook for sunburn. I was also experiencing hair loss and body swelling. I was finally diagnosed with lupus nephritis after an ER visit, three doctors visits and a kidney biopsy,” said Selena Colon, lupus warrior and Be Fierce. Take Control. campaign ambassador. “Not knowing what my future holds worries me sometimes, but I prioritize my health and take control of the condition and the effects it has on me. ‘Be Fierce. Take Control.’ is my personal slogan as well.”

The campaign website and digital advertising has been rebranded with powerful imagery of real women with lupus and women who have a personal connection to lupus. Like Selena, these women also share details of their personal lupus journey, providing a sense of connection for women learning more about common lupus symptoms and wondering if they have lupus.

The LFA encourages women experiencing symptoms to visit befiercetakecontrol.org and learn more about lupus, what questions to ask yourself, and how to have a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Saturday, June 03, 2023

Xavier Jones, the teen who walked 6.5 miles to 8th grade graduation awarded full scholarship to college

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill-Xavier Jones, a teenager walked six miles in order to make it to his 8th graduation. His journey from two ends of the city has led him to secure a full ride for his future at Harris Stowe State University.

Thursday, May 11, 2023

NEW READ: The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen Paperback by Darryl J. Brackeen Jr.

The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen Paperback by Darryl J. Brackeen Jr.

The first Black American congressmen highlighted in this book have gone unnamed, unnoticed, and unrecognized due to the short-lived nature of the Reconstruction Era. For a moment after the civil war, Black political power was displayed by the significant voting efforts of African American men through the nominations and elections of Black men to elected office and leadership roles.

Historian, educator, theologian, and political practitioner Darryl Brackeen Jr pens his debut book, "The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen." This series of biographies of formerly enslaved men and free Black Americans who overcame one of the worst periods in American history to become highly respected educators, religious leaders, and business owners during the Reconstruction era. These individuals rose up to get involved in building political efforts for the Black community, despite the violent opposition of the Klu Klux Klan and former Confederate leaders. While this moment in American history is short-lived for Black Americans and many of the individuals in this book are the leaders to run for the United States Congress. Most were "almost forgotten" because many of them ended up in poverty or living in obscurity. Many of their stories have gone untold and under-recognized for generations, and now Brackeen will offer an opportunity to reintroduce some of the brave Black political leaders in American history.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK ON AMAZON

Sunday, April 30, 2023

One of first African-American Marines celebrates 100th birthday

Lee Newby Jr. of Detroit, one of the first African-American Marines, was honored by state lawmakers during a celebration of his 100th birthday on Saturday.

The ceremony at the Detroit Marriott in the Renaissance Center was hosted by State Rep. Donavan McKinney, D-Detroit, and Joe Tate of Detroit, who became the first African-American elected Michigan's speaker of the House in November 2022.

Tate, a former National Football League player and Michigan State University offensive lineman, also served in the Marines.

“I can’t thank Mr. Newby enough for his service to our country. He is a true hero and trailblazer,” Tate said in a statement. “As a veteran of the Marine Corps myself, I am aware of the responsibilities he has carried and the sacrifices he has endured."

Newby, who resides in McKinney's district in Detroit, served during World War II. The first African-Americans joined the Marine Corps in 1942.

“This ceremony not only celebrates the life of a brave serviceman, but also truly honors Black Marines, their dedication through World War II and all their service to this country,” McKinney said in a statement.

[SOURCE: DETROIT NEWS]

Monday, April 17, 2023

NAACP Supports Lawmakers Now Reinstated to Tennessee House of Representatives

On Thursday, April 6, Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives for their participation in a demonstration in support of gun reform. Following widespread public outcry calling for the reappointment of the two young Black politicians, Rep. Jones was temporarily reinstated to his position on April 10th and Rep. Pearson was temporarily reinstated on April 12th. NAACP President & CEO, Derrick Johnson released this statement in response:

"This is America - where you receive more legislative 'action' for calling out the need for gun control than for actually addressing the loss of life as a result of gun violence. It is disappointing, but not surprising, to know that some lawmakers in Tennessee would rather spend precious time removing these brave young Black men from their duly elected positions than take a stance against inadequate gun policies. Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson have demonstrated incredible leadership and commitment to protecting their constituents and our democracy through their unwavering support of gun reform in the absence of action from their state-level peers and legislative colleagues at the federal level."

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

National Reparations Organization Requests Designation for the Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States

The National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants (NAASD) has formally requested that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) designate the classification “African American” exclusively for the "Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States". Since 2021, NAASD has met directly with Biden Administration officials on this issue since President Biden has made equitable data collection a priority with the signing of the Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. The OMB’s revised Statistical Policy Directive (SPD) 15 recommendation must conform to this Executive Order.

For the first time since 1997, the Office of Management and Budget is now accepting public comments on their initial proposal from the Federal Interagency Technical Working Group on Race and Ethnic Standards which was released in January 2023. The final proposal set to be unveiled by the end of this year, will revise the OMB’s Statistical Policy Directive which sets the “standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity”. The OMB’s current definition of Black or African-American is “a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa”. This current definition does not denote any specific ethnic group and does not reflect that a distinct ethnic group emerged from U.S. Slavery.

Because of the present flawed definition of Black/African-American, in addition to the growing diversity of the Black community, current data collection on our community is not accurately providing insight to the well being of African Americans.

California's AB3121 has set precedence with specificity for Descendants of Persons Enslaved in the United States. California Governor Gavin Newsom also signed into law SB189; Section 14 which disaggregates Black Americans and provides a category for data collection specifically for “African Americans who are descendants of persons enslaved in the United States.”

It is time for the OMB to follow suit. It is the recommendation of NAASD that the OMB’s revised SPD 15 definition of “African American” means: “a person having origins in the United States with ancestors historically classified as African, Negro, Black or Colored who were either born free or enslaved in the United States and emancipated nationally by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution”.

We urge the public to give public comment to the OMB and share this point of view through April 27, 2023 in support of our position here. If you need guidance, we have also prepared a toolkit to be shared with family, friends, and organizations within the African American Community. Now is the time for the largest Black population in the United States to unite for the disaggregation of data that will support accurate data collection and billions of dollars coming directly into our community.

The National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants was founded in 2019 to advance reparative policy and legislation for Black American Descendants of U. S. Chattel Slavery .

Friday, January 06, 2023

Congressional Black Caucus swears in its largest caucus ever

The Congressional Black Caucus of the 118th Congress was officially sworn in at a ceremony on Tuesday. The new class is the largest in CBC history.

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) is replacing outgoing Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) as chairman.

Horsford said the new CBC will have the opportunity to advance the vision of the first CBC from 50 years ago — one that had only 13 members, including Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) as the only woman.

“The laws and policies of our nation did not always favor Black Americans, from the earliest slaves brought across the ocean to the Black soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. To those who braved the earliest fights through Jim Crow & Reconstruction, from the Tuskegee Airmen and Henrietta Lacks to the brave front-line workers in the COVID pandemic,” Horsford said. “In the work we do, we honor our history, like the many Black members that served before there was even a Congressional Black Caucus.”

In total, 58 members — nine of them new members — were sworn in, including Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), the first Gen Z member and the only Afro-Cuban in Congress, as well as Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), the first Black woman elected to the House from Pennsylvania.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Monday, January 02, 2023

The Martin Luther King “We Won’t Go Back” March To Be Held In Newark

The People’s Organization For Progress is sponsoring The Martin Luther King “We Won’t Go Back” March that will be held on Martin Luther King's actual birthday, Sunday, January 15, 2023.

The organization will be marching to protest racism, sexism, facism, and war.

The march will begin at 2:00pm at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ.

For more information call POP at (973) 801-0001. Contact POP if your organization would like to co-sponsor this event. Please wear masks and practice social distancing.

The People's Organization for Progress works to empower communities and fight for their needs. P.O.P. confronts issues about equality, justice, poverty, racism, umemployment, affordable housing and education, violence(of any sort), etc., as well as local, national, and international issues.

Saturday, December 24, 2022

African American Graduate Finishes College Education 50 Years After Starting

A University of Arkansas Little Rock history student is celebrating the completion of his lifelong dream of finishing his college education, a dream that is 50 years in the making.

By all measures, Ellis “Gene” Thompson of Little Rock has led a very successful life. He has a loving family and had a very successful career in media sales spanning more than four decades.

“After leaving KATV as the local sales manager here, I finished that career and was faced with what I want to do,” Thompson said. “Something that had always been nagging me was to get my degree. Life had taken that opportunity away from me earlier when I was in Washington, D.C.”

A native of Joliet, Illinois, Thompson joined the U.S. Navy and worked in an experimental surgery unit and then enrolled at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1973.

“There I really started to mature and find my sea legs, as you will,” he said. “The doctors were very supportive of me going to college. That is why I went to Georgetown, but I was married and had a child and work. I couldn’t sustain a decent lifestyle and go to Georgetown, which was very demanding.”

In 1975, Thompson left Georgetown with an associate degree and a strong desire to one day finish his college education. His career took him from Washington, D.C., to Chicago, to Dayton, Ohio, to Orlando and New York City. His final stop brought him to Little Rock in 2010 to work at KATV.

“I had a great run in TV, but I’m done,” Thompson said. “I had a deep love of history, and I got that while I was at Georgetown. One of my instructors was the department head, and I fell in love with history after taking her class. I decided to come to UA Little Rock as a history major.”

Thompson joined UA Little Rock in 2017 and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in history in 2019. He graduated this semester with a master’s degree in public history, which brings his journey to complete his college education to an end 50 years after he started.

“It’s something that I feel I should have done a long time ago,” he said. “It’s basically been unfinished business as far as my life is concerned. So, getting this degree is a culmination of a lifelong search for my own comfort with myself. It’s a culmination of something that I felt I should have done a long time ago and should have been determined earlier in my life. However, it feels just as good now. This is who I should have been all my life, a person with a master’s degree.”

One of his favorite experiences in graduate school was participating in a class taught by Dr. John Kirk, George W. Donaghey Distinguished Professor of History, which examined the criminal cases of Robert Bell and Grady Swain, two African American teenagers who were convicted of the first-degree murder of Julius McCollum and sentenced to death. Bell and Swain confessed to the crime, but later said their confessions were forced. The class wrote a paper about the case that received the Lucille Westbrook Award from the Arkansas Historical Association for the best article manuscript on an aspect of local history.

“That class really grabbed me, and I learned so much about going through archives and dusty, old records,” he said.

Thompson wrote his thesis, “The Fight for Freedmen’s Minds in Arkansas,” about the development of educational programs for African Americans in the state in the 1860s and 1870s.

“Arkansas was one of the last states to develop a public primary and secondary school system for African American students,” Thompson wrote. “While education was for the most part privatized, an important philosophy for educating African Americans was developed early by the Free African Society and the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church that influenced Arkansas public and private Freedman education.”

In the 1860s and 70s, there were millions of newly freed formerly enslaved people who needed an education with competing methods of how that should work. Samuel Armstrong, founder of the Hampton Institute, created an educational model called the Hampton-Tuskegee Model, which emphasized character building through manual labor and learning occupational skills. The AME church strongly contested the Hampton-Tuskegee Model.

“The AME church put forth the philosophy that they wanted Freedman taught in the classical manner, emphasizing subjects like English, literature, and algebra,” Thompson said. “They wanted to train a middle-class population with doctors, teachers, and lawyers. The Hampton model emphasized teaching people manual labor skills – how to be a blacksmith, how to sew. They taught young girls how to work in houses as maids. It was being put out there that this was necessary because industrialists needed a large workforce.”

Thompson dedicated his thesis to his mother, who was the daughter of an AME preacher and an inspiration for him to complete college.

“I also did this for my mom who always believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Thompson said. “She used to sit in the kitchen with me to do my homework when I was a child. She instilled in me that desire to get it done, and that was one of the real drivers in writing my thesis.”

With graduation approaching, Thompson is thankful to history professors James Ross, Barclay Key, Jess Porter, Edward Anson, Carl Moneyhon, and Marta Cieslak for inspiring him to succeed.

“My experience here has been absolutely magnificent,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about the history department and the professors. These people are first rate, and I know because I came from one of those fancy east schools. I had a very successful career, but this is something different that I needed to do and I’m so glad I did it. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would end up living in Arkansas and getting a master’s degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I believe it’s a top-rate education.”


Friday, November 11, 2022

Connecticut Democrat Jahana Hayes wins reelection to US House seat in state's 5th Congressional District

The Associated Press projects that Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes will win re-election in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District, defeating the GOP nominee George Logan in the state's tightest congressional race.

Hayes, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Connecticut, won her last two campaigns by double-digits in the district that extends along Connecticut's western border with New York.

Hayes said she was "tired but excited" on Wednesday night, adding she hadn't slept the night before and had endured a gruelling campaign. She knew the race would be close, but didn't think it would be this close, she said.

“I had to work twice as hard and really fight to hold this seat," she said during her press conference. "And at the end of the day, I think that was the message that resonated with the people of my community, that I’m one of them, that I'm going to continue to fight for them. And listen, a win is a win so I'm excited, I’ll take it.”

Austin Davis to be Pennsylvania’s first African American Lt. Governor

Austin Davis will be Pennsylvania’s first African American Lieutenant Governor after Josh Shapiro declared victory Tuesday night.

Davis, who was endorsed by gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro in the primary, received 63% support among the three-candidate primary race.

The son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser, Davis is in his third term in the state House of Representatives.

As outlined by his campaign website, Davis serves as chair of the Allegheny County House Democratic Delegation and vice-chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee, as well as serving on the House Appropriations Committee, House Consumer Affairs Committee, House Insurance Committee, and House Transportation Committee. Plus, he is also a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Climate Caucus, and PA SAFE Caucus.

Davis and his wife reside in McKeesport where Davis began his career. In high school Davis founded and served as chairman of McKeesport Mayor Jim Brewster’s Youth Advisory Council. After graduation from the University of Pittsburgh, Davis joined the Allegheny County Executive’s office and ran for the State House in 2018.

Davis will be sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on January 17, 2023, and a special election will be called to fill his seat in the State House.

Wednesday, November 09, 2022

Democrat Emilia Sykes wins Ohio 13th district congressional race

Democratic Ohio Rep. Emilia Sykes of Akron on Tuesday defeated Republican North Canton attorney Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in a newly reconfigured congressional district that includes all of Summit County, a sliver of Portage County, and northern Stark County.

Unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State’s office showed Sykes with 146,621 votes, compared to 132,181 for Gesiotto Gilbert. The Associated Press called the race for Sykes at 1:54 a.m. on Wednesday, hours after statements began rolling in to tout a Sykes victory.

Anthony Brown becomes Maryland's first Black attorney general

Anthony Brown, an outgoing three-term congressman and former two-term lieutenant governor, made history in 2022 by becoming Maryland's first African American attorney general when he defeated former Anne Arundel County Councilman Michael Peroutka.

With early voting, mail-in ballots and more than 90% of precincts reporting, Brown had almost 60% of the vote — a lead of more than 285,000 votes.

A Republican has not been elected attorney general in Maryland since 1919. Edward D.E. Rollins was the last Republican to serve in the office, after being appointed to it in 1952.

Sunday, November 06, 2022

New Book: The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century

One of our preeminent historians of race and democracy argues that the period since 2008 has marked nothing less than America’s Third Reconstruction.

In The Third Reconstruction, distinguished historian Peniel E. Joseph offers a powerful and personal new interpretation of recent history. The racial reckoning that unfolded in 2020, he argues, marked the climax of a Third Reconstruction: a new struggle for citizenship and dignity for Black Americans, just as momentous as the movements that arose after the Civil War and during the civil rights era. Joseph draws revealing connections and insights across centuries as he traces this Third Reconstruction from the election of Barack Obama to the rise of Black Lives Matter to the failed assault on the Capitol.

America’s first and second Reconstructions fell tragically short of their grand aims. Our Third Reconstruction offers a new chance to achieve Black dignity and citizenship at last—an opportunity to choose hope over fear.

BUY THE BOOK

Hardcover ******* Kindle Edition

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Barack Obama endorses Cherri Beasley in North Carolina Senate race

In a video shared on Twitter former President Obama endorsed Democrat Cheri Beasley in North Carolina’s Senate race.

Watch the video below:

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Gladys E. Blount : Member of All-Black, All-Female WWII Unit Honored by NJ Hometown

A 100-year-old veteran of the country's only all-Black, all-female WWII unit was honored in her New Jersey hometown with a street-naming ceremony to recognize all her contributions.

Friends and family of Gladys E. Blount gathered in East Orange on Wednesday — 80 years after she left her home to help serve her country.