Thursday, June 14, 2018

Democrat Vangie Williams is running for Congress

Vangie Williams prevailed Tuesday night in the Democratic primary election for the Virginia 1st Congressional District, which includes Stafford, Fredericksburg, portions of Spotsylvania, the Northern Neck and on to Hampton Roads.

Williams went up against Prince William County’s John Suddarth and Stafford County’s Edwin Santana Jr., in the race. Williams prevailed by 11,001 total votes (39.91 percent), with Santana pulling in 9,020 votes (32.72 percent) and Suddarth walking away with 7,546 votes (27.37 percent), according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.

If Williams makes her way to Congress, she will be the first black woman to represent Virginia in the House of Representatives.

In November, Williams will face incumbent Republican Rob Wittman, R-1st, who was unopposed in a Republican bid for the seat. The election will take place Nov. 6. [SOURCE: INSIDENOVA

Click here to see where vangie Williams stands on the issues: https://vangieforcongress.com/issues/

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

London Breed is the next mayor of San Francisco!

London Breed became the first African-American woman elected to lead San Francisco on Wednesday, when her opponent conceded a tight race.

Breed will serve until 2020, finishing the term of the late Mayor Ed Lee, who died in December at age 65.

At a short news conference, Breed praised Lee and thanked her supporters, as well as the other candidates, including Mark Leno, a former state senator who conceded the race hours earlier. She struck an optimistic tone about the city's future.

"I am London Breed, I am president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and soon to be mayor of the city and county of San Francisco," she said to cheers.

Breed said: "I am so hopeful about the future of our city, and I am looking forward to serving as your mayor. I am truly humbled and I am truly honored."

[SOURCE: CNN]

Monday, June 11, 2018

4 missing women / girls, all from same Chicago neighborhood

Since March, at least four women and girls have gone missing on the West Side of Chicago. Those missing are Sadaria Davis, 15; Shantieya Smith, 26; Victoria Garrett, 15; and Anna Stanislawczyk, 18. Sadaria was found dead in an abandoned building May 11. The other three are still missing.

While residents believe that the cases may be linked the Chicago Police Department has not determined the cases are related. Detectives continue to investigate.

Here is more information about the three remaining missing woman/girls:

Shantieya Smith, 26, was last seen May 25 in the 1600 block of South Central Avenue. Smith is described as a 5-foot-8 black woman weighing 115 pounds with black hair with red tips. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Area Central Special Victims Unit (312) 747-8380.

Victoria Garrett, 15, was last seen June 5 in the 4000 block of West Grenshaw Street. Garrett is described as a 5-foot-4, 160-pound black girl with brown eyes, black hair and a dark complexion. Anyone with information about Garrett’s whereabouts should call Area North SVU at (312) 744-8266.

Anna Stanislawczyk, 18, was last seen March 16 in the 3600 block of West Filmore Street.Stanislawczyk was described as a 5-foot-7 white woman, weighing 100 pounds with red hair and brown eyes, police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Area North SVU detectives (312) 744-8266.

Anyone with information about Sadaria Davis' death is asked to call detectives at (312) 744-8266.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

U.S. charges Arizona man with threatening Harvard's black commencement

An Arizona man who made racially-charged online threats to shoot students attending Harvard's first black commencement ceremony last year and to bomb the university has been arrested, federal authorities said on Saturday.

A federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nicholas Zuckerman, 24, on two counts of "transmitting in interstate and foreign commerce a threat to injure the person of another." Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Zuckerman was arrested on Friday and will be brought to U.S. District Court in Boston. A federal court in Arizona will appoint a lawyer for him on Monday, federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said. They did not say where Zuckerman was being held or if he had any connection to Harvard.

After Harvard announced it would hold a special commencement ceremony on May 23, 2017, to celebrate the accomplishments of black students graduating from the university, Zuckerman made two threatening posts on the university's Instagram account, the indictment said.

In his first posting, the indictment alleged, Zuckerman commented on May 11 under an image of three young black women: "If the blacks only ceremony happens, then I encourage violence and death at it. I'm thinking two automatics with extendo clips." He also used a racial epithet.

He followed two days later with a comment under an American flag he had posted on the university's account saying, "#bombharvard and end their pro-black agenda," the indictment said.

Organizers of last year's black commencement said it was open to all graduating students, as was Harvard's official commencement, which was held two days later. The university held its second black commencement last month on May 22.

[SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS]

Friday, June 08, 2018

4 things Trump's offer to NFL players to pardon people wont change

By George L. Cook III African American Reports EMAIL: George Cook

With the backdrop of the positive response to his pardon of Alice Johnson and the National Anthem controversy in which National Football League players are protesting police brutality and racism, President Trump in his tone-deaf way has made an offer to black athletes in the NFL to submit cases of possible injustice so he can evaluate them for potential pardons.

"I’m going to ask all of those people to recommend to me -- because that’s what they’re protesting -- people that they think were unfairly treated by the justice system,” Trump told reporters Friday before departing the for the G-7 summit in Canada, adding that they shouldn’t remain in the locker room while the national anthem is played before games.

"If I find, and my committee finds, that they’re unfairly treated, then we will pardon them, or at least let them out," the president said.

While Trump's offer to pardon those in federal prison may help dozens it does nothing to help thousands who suffer at the hands of the justice system and abusive policing. Trump is hoping that African Americans somehow fall for this PR stunt and see this as a move that benefits them a whole when it doesn't.

Here are four things his offer to pardon people won't address:

Police committing acts of brutality and shooting unarmed black men. Until there are tougher consequences at the Federal level for bad police officers who violate the HUMAN rights of American citizens these abuses will continue.

Criminal justice reform addressing disparate sentences for African Americans as compared to white Americans for committing the same crimes.

Bail reform, thousands sit in jail not because they have been found guilty of a crime but because they can't make bail.

Environmental issues that affect black communities that lead to learning and behavioral problems that can make a child more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, these are things that immediately sprung to mind upon hearing of Trump's offer to NFL players.

This is just another example of Trump pointing to the bright shiny object hoping that we all ignore the grim reality that needs to be addressed. Pay attention people and don't let this con-man get with pulling yet another PR stunt that doesn't benefit African Americans as a whole.

So, in light of Trump's misguided offer to pardon boxing legend Muhammad Ali whose conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971 I would like to close by warning us all not to fall for the okey-doke.

George L. Cook III African American Reports