MARCH AGAINST TRUMP DICTATORSHIP IN NEWARK, NJ ON SUNDAY, JUNE 14TH

A counter protest will be held in response to the Trump administration’s celebration in Washington DC this weekend. 

An “End The Trump Dictatorship March And Rally,” will be held Sunday, June 14, 2026, 2:00pm at the Rodino Federal Building, 970 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey. 

The demonstration is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress. It has been endorsed by the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee. 

The event will begin with a rally at the federal building. After the rally the protesters will march to Martin Luther King Statue at 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. 

“We are having this demonstration to protest the sham celebration that President Trump is having in the nation’s capital on Sunday,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“We will not celebrate this president who is a would be dictator nor will we celebrate a false racist history of this country. We must protest against it,” Hamm said. 

He said that the demonstration is also being held to protest Trump’s racist, fascist, and draconian policies at home, and his administration’s imperialistic wars abroad.

“Trump is celebrating himself this weekend. He says it’s about the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country but it’s really all about him, his administration, and his policies,” he said. 

“This is what dictators do. They try to make people believe they are the personification of the nation,” he said. 

“Like King Louis XIV, Trump believes he is the state. In his mind being loyal to the country means being loyal to him,” he said. 

Hamm said the historical narrative of the nation being used by the Trump administration for these celebrations is a whitewashed history that conforms to a white supremacist perspective. 

“In their version of history the genocide against the Native Americans and theft of their land, the enslavement of Africans and oppression of Black people, and other similar episodes are downplayed or nonexistent,” he said. 

“We cannot celebrate a history that does not tell the whole truth or does not recognize the contributions of those who have been oppressed and exploited,” he said. 

For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001.

Nearly a Century After Founding Michigan's Only HBCU, Detroit Declares Violet T. Lewis Day

The City of Detroit officially declared May 27 as Violet T. Lewis Day during a historic ceremony held Wednesday at Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC Detroit), where a representative from Mayor Mary Sheffield's office presented the official declaration to Dr. Violet Ponders, granddaughter and namesake of Dr. Violet T. Lewis, honoring the extraordinary legacy of the educator, entrepreneur, and civic leader whose institution later became Michigan's only historically Black college.

The recognition arrives amid growing national conversations surrounding Black educational legacy, institutional preservation, and pathways to economic and creative opportunity.

Approximately 250–300 guests attended the celebration, including civic leaders, educators, creatives, students, entrepreneurs, community members, and partners such as the Gilbert Family Foundation, Apple, Carhartt, StockX, Nike, and adidas, reflecting PLC Detroit's growing influence across education, culture, business, and design innovation.

Guests wearing shades of violet entered an immersive experience honoring the spirit and legacy of Dr. Violet T. Lewis. Storytelling activations, commemorative experiences, and a violet-hued specialty beverage curated exclusively for the occasion by Fixins Soul Kitchen transformed the event into both a cultural and celebratory experience. As guests departed, they received packets of violet flower seeds and customized planters, symbolizing the continued growth of Dr. Lewis' vision and the enduring impact of the institution she founded.

The celebration also welcomed members of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated, reflecting the enduring influence of an organization Lewis co-founded more than 80 years ago.

Dr. Violet T. Lewis founded Lewis Business College in 1928 during a time when opportunities for Black Americans — particularly Black women — remained severely limited. In 1939, she relocated the institution to Detroit, where it became a cornerstone of Black education and professional advancement, educating more than 20,000 students.

Her influence extended beyond education. In 1943, Lewis co-founded Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated alongside her sister, Elizabeth A. Garner, creating new pathways for leadership development, sisterhood, and professional advancement for women.

When Dr. D'Wayne Edwards revitalized the college in 2022, he reestablished it as the nation's only design-focused HBCU while preserving Lewis' name and institutional identity.

"We are honored to celebrate Violet T. Lewis' legacy and continue the mission she began," said Dr. Edwards. "This declaration reflects the transformative power of education, opportunity, and institutional impact."

"My grandmother understood that education was not simply about learning — it was about access, dignity, independence, and the ability to transform lives across generations," said Dr. Violet Ponders. "To witness the City of Detroit formally recognize her contributions in the community where her work impacted thousands of lives is deeply meaningful."

The observance of Violet T. Lewis Day will now serve as an annual recognition of Black educational achievement, institutional vision, and the enduring role historically Black institutions continue to play in shaping culture, industry, leadership, and economic mobility in America.

The National Black Church Initiative Support and Endorse Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities, comprising 27.7 million members, support and endorse Karen Bass. She is one of the mothers of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black church is honored that she is willing to serve another term. NBCI Los Angeles churches voted to endorse to keep Karen Bass in the office of mayor.

Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, says “We are proud to endorse and support Karen Bass for another term as mayor of Los Angeles. I am asking through Christ all eligible voters in NBCI's 3,677 Los Angeles churches to pray, support and vote for Karen Bass. God Bless Mayor Bass!

NBCI stands by Karen! These are her accomplishments.

• Historic Decreases in Street Homelessness: LA achieved back-to-back annual decreases in homelessness, with street homelessness dropping by double digits.

• Inside Safe Initiative: Bass’s signature program transitioned tens of thousands of Angelenos from tents and RVs into temporary and permanent housing.

• Executive Directive 1 (ED 1): This directive accelerated the approval of tens of thousands of affordable housing units by cutting the approval process down to 60 days.

• Rent Protection: Signed the first update to LA's Rent Stabilization Ordinance in 40 years, capping annual rent increases at 1% to 4%.

Public Safety & Policing

• Crime Reduction: Homicides have dropped to their lowest levels in decades, reversing a post-pandemic spike, with gang-related homicides dropping by over 50%.

• Police Recruitment & Civilian Response: Reversed the steady decline in LAPD staffing with accelerated hiring, while simultaneously creating the Office of Community Safety to fund unarmed alternative crisis responders for non-emergency calls.

• Retail Crime Crackdown: Established an Organized Retail Crime Task Force that made hundreds of arrests and recovered tens of millions in stolen merchandise.

Infrastructure & City Operations

• LA's First-Ever Infrastructure Plan: Created a comprehensive roadmap to proactively repair sidewalks, streets, and streetlights.

• Economic Development: Authorized the groundbreaking for a major expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center and cut city fees to attract the film and television industry.

• Emergency Response: Safely navigated the city through extreme weather events (such as Tropical Storm Hilary) and reopened the 10 Freeway in days rather than weeks following a massive arson fire.

ABOUT NBCI

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment. The mission of NBCI is to provide critical wellness information to all of its members, congregants, churches, and the public. NBCI utilizes faith and sound health science, partnering with major organizations and officials to reduce racial disparities in various areas, as cited above. NBCI's programs are guided by credible statistical analysis, science-based strategies and techniques, and methods that deliver effective solutions to complex economic and social challenges.

ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS FORUM SCHEDULED IN MONTCLAR NJ

“The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” will be the subject of a panel discussion that will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, 7:00pm at St Paul’s Baptist Church, 119 Elm Street in Montclair, New Jersey.

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) a grassroots group that works for racial, social, economic justice and peace.

“The purpose of this forum is to examine the negative political, economic, and social impact of the racist and fascist Trump regime, right-wing Congress, and ultra conservative Supreme Court on Black people and to discuss strategies and tactics to fight back against this onslaught,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

The panelists will include Rev Campbell Singleton, Union Baptist Church of Montclair, James Harris, former president New Jersey Association of Black Educators, State Senator Britnee Timberlake, and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. The panel moderator will be Ingrid Hill, Vice Chairwoman, People’s Organization For Progress.

Invited special guest speakers include Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman Monica McIver and Congresswoman Analilia Mejia.

“We decided to have this forum after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Hamm said.

“That was one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the ruling in the Dred Scott case of 1857 which said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.

Hamm said the court’s decision enables racist state legislatures to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those districts which have large black populations.

“These states, most of which are part of the old Confederacy, have already redrawn their maps or are in the process of doing so. Ultimately, their efforts could result in the loss of as many as 19 congressional seats now held by African Americans,” he said.

“It could possibly leave the South, where the majority of African Americans still live, with little or no Black congressional representation,” he said.

However, the attack on voting rights is not the only reason the program is being held. He said Black people feel that they are being attacked politically, economically, and socially.

“The racist and fascist vitriol of President Trump, reactionary policies coming from the White House, the right wing decisions of the Supreme Court, failure of Congress to uphold the Constitution and stand up for equality and democracy makes it feel like we are being attacked from all sides,” Hamm said.

He stated additional reasons. Racism and racist violence against black people continues to rise. African Americans continue to have the highest number of victims of race-based and bias related crimes.

Black Americans experience the highest rate of police brutality and fatal shootings by police. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than whites.

Enrollment of black students at colleges and universities has declined due to the Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action in higher education.  

Black unemployment has doubled this past year, with more than 600,000 black people losing their jobs, including 350,000 Black women, due in part to a sagging economy, federal budget cuts, and the ending of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

“It feels like we are being dragged back to the nightmare of Jim Crow segregation. We feel under siege. We feel like there is a war on the black community,”he said.

The program will basically have two parts. The first part will consist of a panel discussion. The second part will consist audience participation.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

NAACP Calls on Black Athletes & Fans to Withhold Support of Public Schools in States Attacking Black Voting Rights

The NAACP today launched the "Out of Bounds" campaign, a national call for Black athletes, families, fans, alumni, and consumers to withhold athletic and financial support from public universities in states that have moved to limit, weaken, or erase Black voting representation in the wake of the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which gutted what was left of the Voting Rights Act. The NAACP identified eight priority states — Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Georgia — and targeted flagship public athletic programs generating more than $100 million in annual revenue that continue to recruit Black athletes while their state governments dismantle the political power of Black communities.

"What these states have done is not a policy disagreement. It is a sprint to erase Black political power," said Derrick Johnson, President & CEO, NAACP. "These actions happened in days, in some cases in hours, of a Supreme Court ruling that gives extremist lawmakers a playbook to erode Black representation. The NAACP will not watch the same institutions that depend on Black athletic prowess to fill their stadiums and their bank accounts remain silent while their states strip Black communities of their voice. Out of Bounds is our answer: we are naming the contradiction, and we are calling on Black athletes, families, fans, and consumers to act on it. The same power that built these programs can be redirected. And it will be."

The economic stakes of the campaign are significant. The flagship universities in the eight targeted states collectively generate billions of dollars in annual athletic revenue.

The "Out of Bounds" campaign focuses on one primary ask, calling on top football and basketball recruits currently being actively recruited by targeted programs to withhold their commitments until the states in question restore fair congressional maps and meaningful Black representation. The campaign also calls on current college athletes — including those who may already be enrolled at targeted programs — to consider their options, including the transfer portal, and to use their platforms and NIL reach to elevate fair maps and voting rights.

"This generation of Black athletes understands something that those who came before them were never afforded the chance to say so plainly: your talent is yours, and so is your community's political power," said Tylik McMillan, National Director, Youth and College Division, NAACP. "These are not separate issues. The state that is working to erase your grandmother's congressional district is the same state whose governor will stand on the field and celebrate your touchdown or game-winning shot. We are asking young people — recruits, current athletes, fans — to see that connection clearly and to act on it. The Out of Bounds campaign is about redirecting what has always been ours, power and perseverance."

The campaign issues calls to action across three audiences. 

• Black athletes and recruits are asked to withhold commitments from targeted programs, to ask coaches and athletic directors where their universities stand on voting rights, and to visit and seriously consider HBCUs.
• Current college athletes are asked to use their platforms to elevate the issue, to ask institutional leadership for public statements opposing racial vote dilution, and to consider all available options under the transfer portal.
• Fans, alumni, donors, and consumers are asked to stop purchasing tickets, merchandise, and licensed apparel from targeted programs and to redirect that spending to HBCUs — their athletics programs, scholarship funds, NIL collectives, bands, and alumni foundations.

The Out of Bounds campaign will remain in effect until targeted states adopt state-level voting rights protections, repeal maps that dilute Black voting power, restore congressional and judicial districts that reflect the Black population's actual strength, and commit to transparent and community-centered redistricting processes. Our sentiment is clear: No Representation. No Recruitment. No Revenue.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Republicans’ Rigged Tennessee Congressional Maps

Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“Today, Tennessee joined Florida in passing new congressional districts after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. At President Trump’s urging, Republican Gov. Bill Lee called a special legislative session to adopt a new map dividing Shelby County, including majority-Black Memphis, into three separate districts. These same lawmakers even removed a provision in state law requiring voters to be notified when polling places change after redistricting.

“What the Tennessee Legislature did is tantamount to theft—the theft of fair representation and the deliberate stripping away of political power from Black communities. It is an attempt to silence voices and deny Black voters representation reflective of their lived experiences and the issues impacting their communities every day. The consequences will not be theoretical; they could have life-and-death ramifications for Black families and communities across Tennessee.

“As gas prices and the cost of living continue to rise as a direct result of their policies, poll after poll shows Donald Trump and Republicans headed toward defeat in the midterms. They know their only pathway to victory in November is to rig congressional maps in their favor. Republicans will stop at nothing in pursuit of single-party rule in Washington, but what they did not expect was a Democratic response this forceful.

“We applaud Democrats in the Tennessee State Legislature for fighting back for fair representation for the people of their state. We are working with partners in state legislatures across the South, alongside the legal and civil rights communities, to challenge these maps in court and mobilize our communities to the ballot box.”

SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING PROTESTED AT FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN NEWARK NJ

Social justice activists and labor leaders outraged by a recent Supreme Court ruling in a major voting rights case protested at a federal district courthouse on Wednesday.

The demonstration took place May 13th at the Martin Luther King Federal Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. It was sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress.

“We held this protest in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling has effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

“It will enable states to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those which have majority black populations. This in turn will cause many black congressional representatives to lose their seats,” Hamm said.

He said the court’s ruling is a major set back to the African American struggle for voting rights and political representation in the United States. It will leave many states, particularly those in the South with no Black congressional representation.

“This may be one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the ruling in the Dred Scott case of 1857 which said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.

As soon as the protesters arrived they set up a picket line outside the entrance of the courthouse. They chanted and drummed while carrying signs and banners.

Courthouse security came outside and watched them from the steps but did not interfere. Drones hovered above the demonstrators for several hours until the conclusion of the protest.

Through the loudspeaker that they brought with them their chants could be heard several blocks away. During the protest they had a number of speakers representing community, labor, and religious groups.

Unlike most demonstrations where the crowd stops to listen to the speakers, during this event they made their presentations during the picketing. The picket line never stopped moving. It continued until the demonstration was over.

Hamm opened the rally saying the protesters were there to oppose this “abominable” decision by the court and that they demanded the restoration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

“We demand that Congress pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act at the federal level. We demand that the state legislature pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey. It has been passed by the Assembly now we want it passed by the Senate,” he said.

“We also demand the reform and restructuring of the Supreme Court. Lifetime appointments must end, term limits should be imposed, and stronger ethics laws should be put in place,” he said.

Speakers at the rally included Deborah Smith-Gregory, President, NAACP Newark, Larry Hirsch, President, Local 913 American Federation of Government Employees, Daryn Martin, Secretary-Treasurer, District 1199J, and Rev Michael Corso, Sophia Inclusive Community.

Other speakers there were Jimmy Small, Chairman, Muslim League of Voters of New Jersey, Zayid Muhammad, New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing, and Assatta Mann-Colon, Community Organizing Manager, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Additional speakers addressed the crowd including Heather Richner, Associate Counsel for the Democracy and Justice Program, Rev Anya Sammler, Senior Co-Minister Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, Evelyn Williams, Vice Chairwoman, South Ward Democratic Committee, and Larry Adams, Vice Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress.

An earlier written statement announcing the protest also called for the expansion of the court from nine to thirteen justices to allow for the appointment of four liberal members to break the ideological stranglehold of the current right wing super majority on the court.

During the demonstration the protesters called for the impeachment of those justices that were part of the court majority that issued the ruling in the Callais case. They also called for the impeachment of President Trump.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

Lupus Foundation of America Rallies Communities to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month

Throughout the month of May, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging people living with lupus, friends, family members and partners to be loud and use their voices more than ever before to Make Lupus Visible for Lupus Awareness Month. The nationwide and global effort will raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus, amplify the real-life stories of the day-to-day impact of living with lupus, and raise funds to support lupus research, education programs and support services.

Lupus is a complex and debilitating chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system is unable to tell the difference between healthy tissue and foreign invaders. This can result in inflammation, debilitating pain and damage to any organ system in the body. The symptoms of lupus often impact day-to-day life and can cause serious, and even fatal, complications, including lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease) which can impact up to 60% of people with lupus and lead to kidney failure.

While lupus can affect anyone, nine out of 10 people with lupus are women and the disease disproportionately impacts certain racial and ethnic backgrounds including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander. An estimated 1.5 million Americans are living with lupus.

To help raise awareness of this misunderstood disease, the Lupus Foundation of America is featuring an interactive online Know Lupus Quiz as a key component of this year's Make Lupus Visible campaign. The quiz tests participants' knowledge about lupus, provides the correct answer following each question and directs the participant to helpful resources for more information. Participants are also asked to share the quiz on social media, and with friends and family, so that more people understand the devastating impact of lupus and to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus that help reduce time to diagnosis.

"Lupus Awareness Month is a reminder to everyone impacted by lupus of the incredible power our collective voices can have on so many around us," said Louise Vetter, President & CEO of the Lupus Foundation of America. "Just by taking the Know Lupus Quiz and sharing it with others, you can make someone with lupus feel more understood or raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of lupus so they can have an informed conversation with their doctor - conversations that are key in reducing time to diagnosis."

The Know Lupus Quiz is just the start of ways to get involved during May. While many symptoms of lupus may be invisible, throughout the month, the Lupus Foundation of America is encouraging everybody to take part in making lupus visible by:

• Raising the awareness of lupus by sharing facts and resources using the Lupus Foundation of America's awareness toolkit.
• Joining the lupus community on May 10 for Put on Purple for World Lupus Day by loudly and proudly wearing purple, sharing why raising lupus awareness is important to you, and using facts and shareables from the World Lupus Federation Toolkit to spark conversation and highlight the importance of understanding this disease.
• Tune in to the hundreds of streamers participating in Game On! To End Lupus, where content creators livestream to fundraise, raise awareness and unite to end lupus all May long.
• Hosting a fundraiser or starting a Facebook fundraiser, and inviting your community to support the fight to end lupus.
• Donate to support lupus research, resources and education programs, and support services.

"The Lupus Foundation of America invites everyone to Make Lupus Visible this May - each voice adds power to our fight to reduce time to diagnosis, accelerate research for better treatments and make a world without lupus a reality," added Ms. Vetter.

For more information on Lupus Awareness Month and how to get involved, visit www.lupus.org/lupusawarenessmonth.

POP CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE HAMM ENDORSES MAYOR RAS BARAKA FOR RE-ELECTION

A longtime civil rights activist has announced his support for the re-election of the current mayor of Newark in the city’s upcoming Municipal election on Tuesday, May 12th. 

“I am endorsing Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark because I believe that at this time he is the best choice among the candidates running in the city’s upcoming general election,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“He is the most qualified and he is the most experienced of those in the race. Regarding the workings of government at the local, state and federal levels he is the most knowledgeable.” Hamm said. 

“During this period of instability in the country it is important for the city to have strong, steady and dependable leadership. We find those qualities in the mayor,” he said. 

“This is not to say that he has not had challenges, or that he won’t have challenges to face in the future,” he said. 

“However, it is to say that over the years he has accumulated a record of accomplishments and that he is prepared to handle future problems,” Hamm, a former candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 and 2024, stated.

Hamm has been a supporter of the mayor for many years. As an activist he first became involved with the mayor’s father poet, playwright, author, educator, and activist Amiri Baraka in 1971. 

He has endorsed all four of Ras Baraka’s campaigns for mayor. In the aftermath of Amiri Baraka’s passing in 2014 Hamm endorsed Ras Baraka’s first campaign for mayor that year. 

Since then he endorsed the next three subsequent mayoral campaigns and last year’s gubernatorial campaign. 

Hamm went on to say that he has endorsed Mayor Baraka because he is politically progressive and has been outspoken on a number of issues that are a part of the progressive agenda. 

Some of these include jobs and economic justice, raising the federal minimum wage, universal basic income, police brutality, reparations to African Americans for slavery, and defending immigrant rights. 

He established Newark’s first police review board and supports legislation to give police review boards subpoena powers. Having such powers would make these review boards more effective in their investigations, deliberations, and decision making. 

“I am supporting the mayor is because he speaks out on issues that affect working people, poor people, and people of color even when those issue are controversial,” he said. 

“Again and again I have seen him speak at rallies, marches, demonstrations, and protests of those struggling against injustice,” Hamm said. 

“On Election Day, Tuesday, May 12th, I urge Newark residents to vote Ras Baraka for mayor of Newark,” he said. 

POP CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE HAMM CALLS FOR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING AND CHANGING SUPREME COURT IN RESPONSE TO VOTING RIGHTS CASE

(Statement by Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress on the U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning the Louisiana v. Callais voting rights case.)

This U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Louisiana v. Callais voting rights case is the latest salvo in President Trump’s racist war on Black people in this country. It must not go unanswered, and neither should there be a tepid response. There must be strong nationwide condemnation of this outrage. 

Prior to this most recent Supreme Court decision, at the urging of President Trump, Texas and other Republican controlled states started mid-decade redistricting of their congressional maps to increase the number of Republican members of the House of Representatives. 

Normally redistricting takes place at the end of a decade after the completion of the census. Trump and his Republicans sensing that they may lose their majority during the midterm elections have chosen to gerrymander congressional lines now in an attempt to insure the election of a Republican majority to the House. 

In response, a handful of Democratic controlled states like California have taken steps to redraw their congressional maps in order to increase the number of Democratic House members they are sending to Washington. 

This latest Supreme Court decision will intensify the struggle already in progress between the two major parties to acquire a majority of house seats during the midterm elections. The court ruling could result in the loss of as many as 16 Democratic congressional seats now held by African Americans.

There are 435 voting members of the House of Representative. It takes 218 to make a simple majority. Republicans currently control the house having 218 representatives. There are 213 Democrats in the House. 

African Americans hold 61 seats, with 59 voting members and two non-voting delegates. There are 57 Democrats and 4 Republicans. 

It is imperative to defeat the MAGA Republicans in the upcoming midterm congressional elections. Democrats must take back the majority in the house to stem the tide of regressive policies coming out of Congress. 

Democrats should not sit idly by and let Republicans steal the election by redrawing the congressional map to give themselves an election proof majority. Too much is at stake. Democrats must fight back. 

If Republicans can redraw their maps then Democratic controlled states should do the same. Democrats should redraw congressional maps in their states now in order to increase their numbers so that they can have a fighting chance of winning the midterm elections. 

The composition and structure of the Supreme Court must be changed. If we do not do this then the court will be an impediment to progress for the rest of our lives. Several bills have been introduced to reform the court which should be considered. 

Lifetime appointments to the court must end, term limits should be imposed, and the number of justices on the court should be expanded to 13 which equals the number of federal circuit courts of appeals. 

In addition to supporting mid-decade redistricting and restructuring the Supreme Court we must engage in massive voter registration, education and mobilization. This latest ruling came from right wing Supreme Court Justices who were appointed. They were appointed by Republican presidents who were elected. 

Midterm elections are being held this year for members of the House and Senate. We must vote in record numbers to elect Democratic majorities in both houses.

A Democratic majority in the Senate could take action to block Trump appointees to the court should any seats become vacant while he is still in office. With majorities in both houses impeachment proceedings could be initiated against Trump which could slow down and stifle judicial appointments. 

Along with voting we need nationwide protests to mobilize opposition against the appointment of additional right wing justices to the Supreme Court. Protests are a way of drawing attention to and educating people about the damage that this court has done with regards to people’s rights and the democratic process. 

In addition to demonstrations we should also consider engaging in various forms of civil disobedience. Since the court is taking away rights that were won through protest and civil disobedience then we should not be reluctant to employ those tactics to protect and restore those rights. 

We must also consider using boycotts, selective buying, divestment, strikes, and other economic sanctions to compel state governments, federal government, and the courts to stop interfering with, diluting, and attempting to eliminate our ability and right to vote. 

Last year the idea of a general strike gained national attention. General strikes have had degrees of success locally in Minneapolis, Chicago, and other cities. We should continue to discuss and push for a national general strike until we reach the levels of support needed to make it happen.  

We must support federal and state legislation to protect and restore voting rights. At the federal level we should continue to call for passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025. At the state level we demand passage of the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey.

We must also oppose Trump’s Save Act which would place more restrictions on voting, and his efforts to end mail-in ballots. Same day voter registration legislation should be supported, as should legislation to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, and other bills aimed at getting big money out of elections and the judicial selection process. 

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Sham DOJ Charges Against Southern Poverty Law Center

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“The Trump Administration’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center amounts to nothing more than a baseless political smear.

“For decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center has fought against white supremacy, hate, and extremism in our country, working tirelessly to protect vulnerable communities and defend the rule of law. Their work combating extremism and the Trump Administration’s ongoing threats to our multiracial democracy has unfortunately — but predictably — put them on the right wing’s hit list.

“Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who is wielding the authority of the DOJ as an arm of President Trump’s retribution campaign to smear the SPLC, has disgraced our nation’s leading law enforcement agency. This sham indictment against the SPLC cannot be viewed in isolation. It is part of the Trump Administration’s continued weaponization of our justice system against civil society organizations, journalists, politicians, and other political opponents. This corruption of our nation’s law enforcement agencies is dangerous and unacceptable.

“The Congressional Black Caucus stands fully in support of the SPLC, which we are confident will overcome this baseless attack. We will not allow this Administration to succeed in its efforts to intimidate and silence those who speak out against hate. In due time, we will hold those responsible to account."

Chester Higgins: Shared Memories Exhibit

Chester Higgins: Shared Memories is a major retrospective at Bruce Silverstein Gallery in New York, 529 W 20th St, New York, running April 16 – June 20, 2026. It is the gallery’s third exhibition of Higgins’s work and features over forty black-and-white and color photographs spanning nearly seven decades.

Across generations and continents, Higgins has undertaken a sustained visual reckoning with history, identity, and inheritance, creating a record that restores presence where it has been obscured and asserts dignity where it has been denied. His photographs stand as both witness and affirmation, reclaiming the cultural and spiritual depth of Black life within the broader narrative of modern history. Shared Memories gathers this lifelong commitment into a singular statement of continuity, collective memory, pride, and authority.

“I make my images to bear witness to our presence, to the real and widespread accomplishments of people of African descent,” Higgins has said. From the beginning of his career, photography has been for him an act of responsibility. “I love the work that I do using my camera to make love to my people and my community.” His subjects are not distant observers of history; they are participants in it. That closeness defines his practice.

Chester Higgins Jr. (born November 1946) is an American photographer who was a staff photographer with The New York Times for more than four decades, and whose work has notably featured the life and culture of people of African descent. His photographs have over the years appeared in magazines including Look, Life, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Ebony, Essence and Black Enterprise, and Higgins has also published several collections of his photography, among them Black Woman (1970), Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa (1994), Elder Grace: The Nobility of Aging (2000), Echo of the Spirit: A Photographer’s Journey (2004) Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile (2012).

Higgins’s work has been the subject of many international exhibitions, and is held in notable collections, such as The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, and The Brooklyn Museum of Art. Higgins lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Learn more about Chester Higgins: Shared Memories exhibit here: https://brucesilverstein.com/exhibitions/236-chester-higgins-shared-memories/overview/

PRESS CONFERENCE: LABOR UNIONS & COMMUNITY GROUPS WILL CALL FOR MAY DAY PROTESTS

A coalition of labor and community organizations will hold a press conference on Wednesday morning to call for protests to draw attention to the plight of working people in New Jersey and the rest of the country.

The press conference to discuss May Day protests in Newark and other parts of the state will take place Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 11:00am at Bethany Baptist Church, 275 West Market Street, Newark, NJ.

“The purpose of the press conference is to announce support for and urge participation in protests that will take place on May 1, 2026 which is also observed as May Day. These protests will demonstrate opposition to President Trump’s domestic and foreign policies that adversely affect working people,” Lawrence Hamm, chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

The press conference is being hosted by the People’s Organization For Progress, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union RWDSU UFCW AFL-CIO, the New Jersey AFL-CIO, Painters Union IUPAT DC 21, New Jersey Education Association, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey, 32BJ SEIU, Laborers’ International Union of North America Eastern Region, 1199J AFSCME, Essex West Hudson Labor Council, I.U.O.E  Local 68, ILA Local 1233, NAACP Newark, Food & Water Watch, Empower NJ, Climate Revolution Action Network, Ironbound Community Corporation and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee.

Speakers at the press conference will include representatives of the hosting organizations including Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union RWDSU UFCW AFL-CIO, Steve Beatty, President, New Jersey Education Association, John Marino, IUPAT DC 21, Jennifer S. Higgins, President, American Federation of Teachers and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. Representatives of other labor and community groups are also expected to speak. 

On Friday, May 1st the coalition will have a May Day rally and march. The rally will start 11:00 am at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue in Newark. A march to the federal building at 970 Broad Street after the rally is also planned.

“We are having this rally to draw attention to the economic needs of working people, poor people, and the middle class,” Hamm stated.

“May Day is an international observance. It is a day when workers around the world call for unity and raise their demands for a better life. We felt it was important to add our protest to those demanding economic justice for working people at home and abroad,” Hamm said.

“I will stand with my brothers and sisters to show that our Solidarity is stronger then ever on May Day ( International Workers Day ) This day is about Labor’s history, workers rights, safe work places and dignity,” Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union, stated. 

“Given the difficulties of the world and yes right here in America, Labor must lead.  Working families and the middle class are under attack and the poor not even a part of the conversation. Labor Solidarity and building coalitions with groups that are being marginalized  is the way turn this situation around,” Hall said. 

“The attack on immigrants is wrong and Labor stands with those who are hard working and good  people.  The work of immigrants helps  keep our country moving. This May Day we will send a message of Solidarity and Resistance. 

An injury to one is an Injury to all,” he said

“Our nearly 200,000 members go to work every day determined to help their students learn, grow and thrive. When they also have to worry about whether they can afford food, housing and health care for their own families, it distracts from their critical mission,” NJEA President Steve Beatty stated. 

“We are proud to stand in strong solidarity with other unions and organizations that fight for workers’ rights. I’m a high school social studies teacher and a union president, so I know from both history and personal experience that when labor is strong and united we make America better for everyone,”Beatty said. 

“May Day is a great time to remind everyone what working people have done for this country and we can accomplish together when we truly live up to our motto of Solidarity Forever!” he said. 

“Workers are the backbone of this society.  Without them, America is crippled.  Workers deserve decent wages, medical benefits, vacation time and working conditions” Deborah Smith Gregory, President, NAACP Newark stated. 

Hamm noted that the press conference will not only call for participation in the protest that the coalition is having in Newark but will urge people to participate in all the May Day activities being held around the state.

“While the general call for May Day is for no work, no school, and no shopping it must be noted that there will be a wide variety of protests and other activities taking place at different times and places and focusing on different issues,” he said.

Some of the coalition’s May Day demands include increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15.00 per hour, passage of legislation to facilitate unionization, ending racial discrimination in hiring and promotions, equal pay for equal work.

Other demands include fair contracts, the establishment of a living wage in the U.S., paid sick leave, universal child care, Medicare For All, free college, elimination of student debt, and a national federal jobs program to eliminate unemployment.

In addition the coalition is demanding an end to the war in Iran, cutting military spending, restoration of the cuts in social programs, rehiring federal workers that have lost their jobs, rescinding tax cuts for billionaires, and increased federal funding for public education.

For more information about today’s rally please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

Statement from Attorney General Jay Jones on Misleading Mailers Targeting Black Voters

Attorney General Jay Jones released the following statement regarding deceptive mailers being sent to Black voters about Virginia’s redistricting referendum.

“As Virginia’s first Black Attorney General, I take very seriously the history that is being invoked in these mailers. Reports indicate that a group opposing the redistricting referendum has sent materials to Black voters that misuse imagery from the Civil Rights Movement and even invoke Jim Crow while falsely suggesting the measure threatens Black representation.

My parents and grandparents lived through the reality of Jim Crow in Virginia. They experienced firsthand what it meant when the law and the political system were used to silence Black voices. That history is not a political prop, and it should never be exploited in a misleading attempt to confuse voters.

Virginians deserve honest information about the choices before them. Invoking the pain and sacrifice of the civil rights movement while spreading misleading claims about this referendum disrespects the very people who fought to secure the right to vote and have their voices heard.”

The Return of EBONY Power 100: Honoring the Icons, Innovators and Leaders of Today and Tomorrow

EBONY proudly announces the return of EBONY Power 100, the iconic annual celebration recognizing the individuals who are redefining what leadership, influence and excellence look like across the global Black community. Building on a legacy that spans more than eight decades, EBONY Power 100 continues to spotlight the trailblazers whose work is transforming culture, business, sports, media, politics, the arts and beyond.

Now entering a new chapter, EBONY Power 100 2026 invites the public to help identify the leaders, creators, executives, advocates and disruptors whose contributions are moving communities forward and shaping tomorrow's possibilities. Nominations are open now and will close on May 8, 2026.

"EBONY Power 100 is more than a celebration of achievement — it is a reflection of the vision, leadership and cultural impact shaping our future in real time," said Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, Chief Executive Officer of EBONY. "As we open nominations for 2026, we are proud to honor the innovators, changemakers and trailblazers whose influence is moving our communities, our culture and our legacy forward."

For generations, EBONY has chronicled the people and moments that define Black America and the broader diaspora. EBONY Power 100 continues that tradition by recognizing a dynamic cross-section of honorees whose leadership resonates across industries and generations. From established icons to emerging visionaries, this year's program will celebrate those whose work embodies innovation, purpose and cultural power.

The call for nominations is open to the public, encouraging communities, colleagues and supporters to submit the names of individuals whose influence deserves recognition on one of culture's most prestigious stages.