Krystle Matthews wins Democratic U.S. Senate Primary, will challenge Sen. Tim Scott in November

South Carolina State Rep. Krystle Matthews on Tuesday won the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Matthews, the second-place finisher in a June 14 primary, defeated author and preservationist Catherine Fleming Bruce in the runoff.

“People of South Carolina want somebody authentic and real,” Matthews told AP. “They are tired of people posing to be caring, posing to be intelligent, posing to be kind, and then finding out later on down the road that these people don’t even show up for them.”

Matthews also will run in November for a third state House term if she loses the U.S. Senate race.

Terrell Sims is missing

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia Police are asking for the public's help finding a man not seen in almost two weeks.

Police said 26-year-old Terrell Sims was last seen on Dec. 20 at a home on Ervin Street and was reported missing on Dec. 22. Now at the end of the month, Sims is still missing.

Relatives who reported him missing said it's unlike him not to make contact - especially during the holidays. As such, police are asking anyone who may have information on Sims' location to contact Midlands Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

African American history soon to be requirement to graduate from SC state colleges

A bill is making its way through the South Carolina Legislature to bring further focus to particular African American historic documents.

The House cleared the measure Tuesday to require students at public colleges and universities to complete the coursework before graduating and it now heads to Gov. McMaster’s desk, where it’s expected to be signed.

SC Governor orders state house flags to half-staff in honor of Chadwick Boseman

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has ordered the flags atop the State House to be lowered to half-staff Sunday in memory of South Carolina native Chadwick Boseman.

Gov. McMaster says the flags will be at half-staff from sunrise to sunset, and will then be presented to Boseman's family at the appropriate time.

Gov. McMaster said the flags will be lowered, "to honor the life, contributions and memory of a truly extraordinary son of South Carolina."

[SOURCE: WYFF4]

Jim Clyburn: Buttigieg's sexuality an issue for older black voters

Watch South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn discuss the trouble Mayor Pete Buttigieg is having attracting black voters in his home state primary during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.

22 Democratic presidential candidates attending Jim Clyburn's World Famous Fish Fry

It’s time again for the event columnist Roger Simon described as “one of those all-too-rare, feel-good evenings in politics,” and this year it’s bigger than ever. “Jim Clyburn’s World Famous Fish Fry” will be held on Friday, June 21st during the 2019 South Carolina Democratic Weekend in Columbia, S.C., and it will be a “can’t miss” stop for any candidate seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

Twenty-two Democrats running for president in 2020 will attend House Majority Whip James Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) fish fry in South Carolina next Friday as they jockey for support in the early primary state.

The event is likely to be the largest gathering of the 2020 candidates so far this election cycle, as nearly the entire primary field will attend. The fish fry, founded 30 years ago, has steadily grown into a campaign staple every four years and comes shortly before the first primary debates later this month.

“Each candidate will be given a generous moment to address the audience. The candidates are then encouraged to enjoy the fried fish, join in the electric slide and take selfies with the attendees,” a press release for the event said.

The only major contender of the 24-candidate field to not have confirmed their attendance is Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.

Jim Clyburn began the fish fry nearly three decades ago as a thank you to his campaign workers and for folks who couldn’t afford to attend the South Carolina State Democratic Party dinner. This free event is known for tons of fried fish, the Electric Slide, and old-fashioned politicking.

Democrat Jaime Harrison to run against Lindsey Graham in 2020

Democrat Jaime Harrison, the former chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, is set to announce Wednesday his Senate bid against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

“The formal announcement will take place tomorrow morning. I’ll be back in South Carolina tonight, and it’s going to be tomorrow morning where I will formally announce that I am running for the United States Senate for South Carolina against Lindsey Graham,” Harrison said on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Tuesday night.

Harrison announced in February he would form an exploratory committee as he weighed potentially launching a Senate bid in 2020.

Harrison currently serves as associate chairman and counselor for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He first garnered national headlines when he unsuccessfully ran for DNC chair in 2017.

Learn more about Jaime Harrison and his platform here: jaimeharrison.com

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Pete Buttigieg pledges to 'do better' at attracting black voters

2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg pledged on Tuesday to do more to reach out to African-American voters, laying out specifics of how he'll address the lack of diversity.

"We need to invite more and more people into the process. We do it through our team and the team that we're building," Buttigieg told CNN's Poppy Harlow and John Avlon on "New Day."

The mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said he needs to do better when it comes to reaching out to African-American voters and increasing the diversity of the crowd at his campaign events.

"I think we need to do better," Buttigieg told CNN. "As I've been on the trail, we found, to some extent, it depends on geography. We had a very diverse crowd at my first stop in Nevada, but less so in South Carolina. One of the most important things you can achieve in South Carolina is engage with African-American voters in particular, which represents such an important part of our party's coalition."

Buttigieg said his outreach to African-American voters will include ensuring his campaign addresses "issues that disproportionately affect families of color," like housing, income, entrepreneurship and criminal justice reform.

He also plans to reach out to African-American voters by "working to build a diverse team within our organization."

"Some of it is quantity time. Where do you go on these campaign visits? They're very traditional and important places where you can engage in voters of color, from church networks to some of the associations that have built up around the search for justice," Buttigieg said.

"But also, there's a bit of a generational divide here. Younger people of color are less likely to organize in some of the traditional structures that would be true for my parents' generation. And that's where digital organization and reaching into different media venues is going to be important to make those connections."

Asked if he was disappointed that his crowds have not been more diverse, Buttigieg said on Tuesday it means "we've got our work cut out for us."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Experts say black Confederate soldiers didn't fight for South Carolina

Two South Carolina lawmakers want to erect a monument on the State House grounds to African-Americans who served the state as Confederate soldiers. But records show the state never accepted nor recognized armed African-American soldiers during the Civil War.

“In all my years of research, I can say I have seen no documentation of black South Carolina soldiers fighting for the Confederacy,” said Walter Edgar, who for 32 years was director of the University of South Carolina’s Institute for Southern Studies and is author of “South Carolina: A History.”

“In fact, when secession came, the state turned down free (blacks) who wanted to volunteer because they didn’t want armed persons of color,” he said.

Pension records gleaned from the S.C. Department of History and Archives show no black Confederate soldiers received payment for combat service. And of the more than 300 blacks who did receive pensions after they were allowed in 1923, all served as body servants or cooks, the records show.

Confederate law prohibited blacks from bearing arms in the war, records show, until that edict was repealed in 1865 at the very end of the conflict.

That repeal resulted in a handful of African-American units in states such as Virginia and Texas. But there were none in South Carolina, which prohibited African-Americans from carrying guns in the state’s service throughout the war for fear of insurrection, according to the archives.

Read more: A monument to SC’s black Confederate soldiers? None fought for the South, experts say

Danny Glover Speech at Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally Greenville South Carolina

Watch Bernie Sanders supporter, Danny Glover's speech at a Sanders rally in Greenville South Carolina on 02/21/2016.

Bree Newsome charged, could face 3 years in prison.

Bree Newsome has become a hero to many by climbing a flagpole outside the South Carolina statehouse and removing the confederate battle flag that hangs there. While she has been cheered by many, and referred too as a hero her actions could send her to prison. She and her accomplice, Jimmy Tyson have been freed on bond and charged with "defacing monuments on state capitol grounds" which is punishable by up to three years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Please sign this petition on ColorOfChange.org asking that all charges be dropped against Bree Newsome and Jimmy Tyson.

Drop any charges against Bree Newsome

No one is banning your racist flag!

Hi, this is George Cook of AfricanAmericanReports.com. I just want to take a few minutes (3 to be exact) to challenge the conservative lies that the Traitor Flag, oops I meant Confederate Flag is being banned and that retailers are pandering to African Americans by refusing to sell merchandise featuring the flag. Listen to my thoughts below.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott post responses to Walter Scott shooting

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott tweeted several messages about the horrific shooting of Walter Scott in North Charleston. See his messages below.

After watching the video, the senseless shooting and taking of #WalterScott's life was absolutely unnecessary and avoidable. (1/2)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

My heart aches for the family and our North Charleston community. I will be watching this case closely. (2/2)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

The horrific video that came to light yesterday is deeply troubling. #WalterScott (1/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

It is clear the killing of #WalterScott was unnecessary&avoidable; my prayers are with the Scott family as they go through this ordeal (2/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

The swift action taken by SLED&relevant authorities upon receiving the video shows the severity of this terrible event. #WalterScott (3/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

With several protests planned today, I join community leaders in North Charleston in calling for peace. #WalterScott (4/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

I understand the hurt, the frustration and the anger many are feeling today. But violence solves nothing. #WalterScott (5/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

We must come together as a community, state, and nation in working to bring our communities together and rebuild trust. #WalterScott (6/6)

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 8, 2015

James Clyburn dismisses Tim Scott's historic Senate victory in South Carolina

On Tuesday night Tim Scott became the first African American elected to the US Senate from South Carolina. An unimpressed Rep.James Clyburn , a black congressman made the following statement to the Washington Post dismissing the victory.

If you call progress electing a person with the pigmentation that he has, who votes against the interest and aspirations of 95 percent of the black people in South Carolina, then I guess that’s progress.

[SOURCE] Examples of Clyburn's statement would include Scott getting an F on the NAACP annual scorecard. Voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he voted to hold Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress, opposed the Congressional Black Caucus’s budget proposal and voted to delay funding a settlement between the United States and black farmers who alleged that the federal government refused them loans because of their race

Tim Scott: First African American elected to US Senate from S.C.

[SOURCE] U.S. Sen. Tim Scott on Tuesday became the first African-American elected to the Senate from South Carolina and the first black elected to a statewide office since Reconstruction.

Scott, a Republican, defeated his black Democratic challenger, Joyce Dickerson of Columbia, and Tega Cay's Jill Bossi, a candidate in the newly formed American Party, according to The Associated Press.

SC State Trooper Shoots Unarmed Black Man - Officer Charged & Fired from Job

Here's video of an unarmed black man being shot by police that some would like us to believe are isolated incidents.The video showing a shooting involving a South Carolina state trooper (Sean Groubert) and an unarmed man (Levar Jones) has been released to the public by police. The only thing that saved the victims life is that the trooper is obviously a bad shot. Groubert was fired from the force last week after an investigation into the incident by the State Law Enforcement Division. He reportedly could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted on the charge of aggravated assault.

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