Nala Diop Thomas Is Missing

BRONX NY - Nala Diop Thomas is missing.

It was reported to police that the missing was last seen on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at approximately 1100 hours, leaving her residence.

The missing is described as a 15-year-old female, Black, approximately 5’05” tall, weighing 120 lbs., with dark skin complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

She was last seen wearing a black shirt, black shorts and a black hat.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call the NYPD‘s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1–800–577–TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1–888–57–PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers‘ website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Kentucky Democratic Party elects first African American chairman

The Kentucky Democratic Party will have an African American chairman for the first time in its history.

A party news release says Colmon Elridge was elected chairman of the party on Saturday after Gov. Andy Beshear nominated him for the position.

Elridge is a Cynthiana native and served as a special advisor to former Gov. Steve Beshear from 2007 to 2015. He also recently was the government relations director for the Kentucky Education Association and has served in Democratic Party-related roles.

Elridge will replace Ben Self, who became chairman in 2017 and announced in September that he would resign at the end of the year.

Elridge graduated from Transylvania University, holds an MBA from Sullivan University and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of the Cumberlands.

“As a Black man who was the first person in his immediate family to have been born with the right to vote, it is an honor to be able to make history today,” Elridge said in the news release.

In a statement, Beshear lauded Elridge as a “devoted father and husband who is committed to trying to build a better world for his kids and all of Kentucky’s kids.”

[SOURCE: KENTUCY.COM]

Black News Channel to launch during Black History Month

BLACK NEWS CHANNEL TO LAUNCH DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Tallahassee, Florida—December 31, 2019--Black News Channel (BNC) announced today that it has updated the launch of the nation’s only African American news network to Black History Month on February 10, 2020. Network executives previously announced plans to launch to an audience significantly larger than its original projections. The Black History Month launch provides the time necessary to build out the distribution platforms, apps, and other infrastructure necessary to accommodate this historic event.

“Black History Month is an appropriate time to launch the Black News Channel”, Bob Brillante, co-founder and CEO for BNC shared. “We are committed to make sure that when our viewers tune in they are witness to a quality viewing experience.”

J.C. Watts, chairman and co-founder for BNC added, “Our technicians, crew and launch partners are working overtime to make sure that the additional pieces are in place to provide our African American audience with the programming that tells more of our story in a way that is not provided by current news outlets. We will make history together as we launch February 10, 2020 to more than 70 million homes and devices.”

BNC plans to release more information in January about how and where customers can view the network’s programming.

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About BNC

Black News Channel is an independent network that is minority owned and operated, and it will be the nation’s only provider of 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities. BNC is the endeavor of the network’s visionaries and co-founders, Chairman J.C. Watts, Jr. and CEO Bob Brillante. BNC will provide access to information and educational programming to meet the specific needs of this growing and dynamic community that is a major consumer of subscription television services. BNC will provide an authentic, new voice that represents African Americans in mainstream media and fosters political, economic, and social discourse; the network will be one voice representing the many voices of African Americans. BNC’s programming will illuminate truth about the unique challenges facing urban communities and help close the “image gap” that exists today between the negative black stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream media news and our enterprising African American communities.

Black News Channel to launch January 6, 2020

Tallahassee, Florida—November 6, 2019--Black News Channel (BNC) announced today that it has updated the launch of the nation’s only African American news network to January 6, 2020 in order to more than triple its viewing audience. Network executives credit advancements in new technologies and the advent of new distribution platforms as the catalysts for rethinking their launch strategy.

“The launch of BNC will be a historic event, and our highly qualified journalists are chomping at the bit to be on-air now,” says Bob Brillante, co-founder and CEO for BNC. “But if we have a chance to more than triple our viewing audience in January 2020, then this was an easy call to make.”

“Our network is about providing intelligent programming that is informative, educational, inspiring and empowering to our African American audience, so they are participants in a national conversation,” says J.C. Watts, Jr., co-founder and chairman for BNC. “If we have the opportunity to include the largest African American audience possible from day one, then that should be our top priority.”

BNC plans to release more information about how and where customers can view the network’s programming in the coming weeks

ABOUT BNC

Black News Channel is an independent network that is minority owned and operated, and it will be the nation’s only provider of 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities. BNC is the endeavor of the network’s visionaries and co-founders, Chairman J.C. Watts, Jr. and CEO Bob Brillante. BNC will provide access to information and educational programming to meet the specific needs of this growing and dynamic community that is a major consumer of subscription television services. BNC will provide an authentic, new voice that represents African Americans in mainstream media and fosters political, economic, and social discourse; the network will be one voice representing the many voices of African Americans. BNC’s programming will illuminate truth about the unique challenges facing urban communities and help close the “image gap” that exists today between the negative black stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream media news and our enterprising African American communities.

Should Joy Reid be punished for insensitive blog post by MSNBC

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

MSNBC is standing by Joy Reid in the wake of new revelations about even more incendiary old blog posts. Reid's old blog post, some of which date back to 2005 include homophobic slurs and 9/11 conspiracy theories about the federal government.

This probably wouldn't be much of a story now if Reid had not lied about her account being hacked, just owned up to the post, and told us all that she is not that person anymore. I believe myself and many would have given her the benefit of the doubt and forgiven her.

Now I don't think that she should lose her job, but there are those that believe that Reid should be punished for those older post and going so far as to say that she should lose her job at MSNBC.

What do you think?

Bounce TV to bring back 'Cosby Show' reruns

Reruns of "The Cosby Show" are returning to television, even as the comedian's sexual assault trial looms next year.

Bounce TV announced in social media posts that it will resume airing reruns of the 1980s sitcom on Dec. 19. Atlanta-based Bounce, programmed for black audiences, says it takes the allegations against Cosby "seriously," but says its research shows African-Americans "see a distinction between Bill Cosby, the man, and the iconic TV character Cliff Huxtable."

The announcement has drawn criticism from some, including Judd Apatow. The director and producer tweeted Tuesday, "Presenting a violent rapist to viewers like he is a lovable dad is inappropriate."

In July 2015, Bounce pulled reruns of the comedian's CBS sitcom "Cosby." Other networks - including TV Land and Centric - dropped "The Cosby Show" after the sexual assault allegations began in 2014.

[SOURCE]

Stopping the violence in black communities starts at home

By George L. Cook III EMAIL

Every Memorial Day Weekend we all read or watch the stories on Facebook or other media about the number of people shot over the weekend in Chicago. Every year I hope that it's an old story from the previous year, which of course it is not. So far this Memorial day weekend at the time of this posting 49 people have been shot and 4 killed in Chicago.

There will be the usual cries that Rahm Emanuel is not doing enough and that the current police superintendent, Eddie Johnson is not doing enough. Those statements will be followed by the usual calls for better schools and tougher gun laws. Some will blame institutional racism or white supremacy, but no white supremacist shot anyone in Chicago this weekend.

That's all well in good and is most likely those things are true, but that doesn't negate the fact that we the black community must take some of the blame here too.

This is not about agreeing with Bill O'Rielly, Sean Hannity, and those of their ilk, f*ck them! This is about saving our young people dying on the streets including innocent young children riding their bikes or jumping rope. This is about us taking care of us.

Now I know that there are several organizations and churches out there working to stop the violence in black neighborhoods who get little to no press. I know some somehow think that President Obama can somehow do more to keep teenagers and young men children that live in OUR communities from killing each other.

But the fact is church leaders, organizational leaders, and President Obama are not in our homes teaching OUR/YOUR values and right from wrong. That's the parents job. If for some reason the parent can't or won't teach their children to value life then it falls on extended family and the community.

Our children must be taught from an early age that all life including theirs and those that look like them is valuable and not to be taken on a whim. The simple fact of the matter is that when people know better they do better. If a child does not learn that it's not the child's fault but ours.

Yes, we need more programs offering our young men and women more choices of things to do when not in school to keep them off the streets, but the onus is on us to not only demand but to implement those programs. Waiting on the government to fix this problem is like waiting on your cousin who owes you money to pay you back, it isn't happening. We have to not only march and holding prayer vigils but get to work actually doing something in our communities. As individuals, we can volunteer to coach or start a basketball team/league, start scouting troops in your community, mentoring programs, or after-school enrichment programs. I'm sure many of you can think of many more things that we as individuals can do.

We have to do better in keeping OUR children alive. Yes, we must call out government for their part in this, but we must also do our part.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Bill Cosby expects black media to remain neutral

Bill Cosby broke his silence Friday, albeit briefly, to lecture the media on remaining “neutral” and to say that his wife is standing by him.

Reached at his Massachusetts home, the star declined to address the rape and sex abuse allegations from an ever-growing list of women that now includes supermodel Beverly Johnson.

Instead, Cosby, 77, said that the African-American media — for which this reporter often writes — should be impartial. “Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind,” Cosby said.

Read more: Bill Cosby expects black media to remain neutral

Sister2Sister Magazine files for bankruptcy

Sister2Sister, a women's magazine that focuses on black Hollywood, has filed for bankruptcy protection and put the print edition on hiatus so it can focus on its website, publisher Jamie Foster Brown told Journal-isms.

Brown, a onetime secretary to Black Entertainment Television co-founder Robert Johnson, is described on the magazine website describes her as "The Barbara Walters of Print," said Monday that she was preparing an official statement on the publication's status. She is publisher and sole owner of the magazine.

"The community does not want us to go away," Brown said by telephone. She said she especially felt a responsibility to prisoners who "didn't have a voice" and whom she published in the magazine. "We wanted to teach people through celebrities," she said. "God comes through other people." Working with Johnson, she said, "I saw how much power the celebrities have."

Read more: Sister2Sister Magazine Files for Bankruptcy

Buffalo NY bank didn't lend to blacks

A bank refused to offer mortgages to African-Americans living in Buffalo, New York's attorney general said in a lawsuit that he said was part of a wider investigation into an illegal practice known as redlining.

Evans Bank violated fair housing and discrimination laws by intentionally denying services and products to Buffalo's east side, home to more than 75 percent of the city's African-American population, the federal lawsuit alleges.

The bank's president, David Nasca, called the accusations "meritless." He said Evans, which has 13 branches in western New York, will vigorously defend itself.

"We remain confident that our residential lending practices meet all applicable laws and regulations," Nasca said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's lawsuit alleges that Evans used a map to define its lending area that excluded the city's east side. The company is also accused of refusing to market its loan products or locate its branches in the area.

Schneiderman said the lawsuit is part of a wider investigation by his office into redlining, in which a lender denies access to mortgages or charges more in certain neighborhoods based on race.

Read more: New York: Bank Didn't Lend to Blacks in Buffalo

AAReports is now officially African American Reports!

Hey all just wanted to let you know that after a long two year wait I was finally able to get the domain AfricanAmericanReports.com. So that means that AAReports is now officially African American Reports. But I will still shorten it at times to AAreports can I can be extremely lazy..LOL. And don't worry nothing is changing but the name.

George Cook AAreports Oops I mean African american Reports.