Alabama Bans Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs

Watch Roland S. Martin discuss how Alabama lawmakers passed SB-129, which prohibits public entities like schools and universities from promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Alabama Governor, Kay Ivey has signed the bill into law

The law says schools cannot fund initiatives that teach concepts that "any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin."

The law will take effect on Oct. 1.

Rep. Terri Sewell Statement on Federal Court Blocking Alabama Congressional Map

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement after a federal court blocked Alabama’s new congressional map in favor of the creation of a second majority-minority district:

“Monumental news from the court! Increasing political representation of Black Alabamians is exactly what John Lewis and the Foot Soldiers who marched across the bridge in my hometown of Selma fought for. It is the reason why I am the lead sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and have led efforts to get it signed into law.

“I am carefully reviewing the opinion and I look forward to working with the Alabama Legislature to fulfill the court’s mandate.”

Federal judges block Alabama’s congressional redistricting maps that dilute the Black vote

The Alabama Legislature’s redistricting plan for 2022 will not take effect for congressional races after a panel of three federal court judges found the map dilutes the voting power of Black residents and blocked the proposal.

Two separate federal lawsuits were filed against the redistricting map on claims that it violated the Voting Rights Act by packing Black Alabamians into a small number of districts — including one congressional district, Alabama’s seventh, represented by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham — and limiting their influence on state elections.

Blacks comprise 27 percent of Alabama’s population yet only constitute one of the state’s seven congressional districts — or 14 percent of the districts. Alabama’s 7th Congressional District was first drawn in 1992.

The panel of three judges from federal courts in Alabama found that the plaintiffs are “substantially likely to establish” that the map violates the VRA, adding that “Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress.”

The Alabama Legislature has a variety of alternative redistricting maps they can consider, the judges noted, and said a new map “will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”

The panel said it would provide the Legislature with an expert to redraw the lines if Montgomery can’t come up with another map in two weeks.

“We are confident that the Legislature can accomplish its task,” the judges said, pointing out that lawmakers came up with the blocked map “in a matter of days” last year.

“Black people drove a disproportionate share of Alabama’s population growth. Throughout last year, Black Alabamians publicly called on the Legislature to recognize this reality and sought equal representation in Congress,” said NAACP Legal Defense Fund Senior Counsel Deuel Ross in a statement. “The state ignored these demands, but we are deeply gratified that the unanimous court found that Black voters deserve full representation now. We look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure that Black voters are fairly represented in any remedial map.”

[SOURCE: MSN]

Democrat Kenyatte Hassell wins election to fill vacancy in Alabama House of Representatives

Democrat Kenyatte Hassell is the newest member of Alabama's House of Representatives.

Hassell won the vacant District 78 seat in an election Tuesday, garnering 1,028 votes — or 80.1% — in unofficial returns posted on the Alabama Secretary of State's website. Hassell's opponent, Republican Loretta Grant, received 254 votes — or 19.8%, the website said.

Turnout for the election was 4.8%.

Hassell fills the seat that became vacant earlier this year when then-Rep. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, won election to the Alabama Senate. He served as a campaign manager and strategist for Hatcher and has consulted with other campaigns. He's also a member of the Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee.

In a speech streamed on his Facebook page, Kenyatte Hassell thanked his family and said he hoped “to help people” in his time in the House, The Montgomery Advertiser reported. During the campaign, Hassell spoke of focusing on economic development and improving local schools.

Hassell is a native of Montgomery and has lived in the district, which encompasses north and west Montgomery, his entire life. He will fill the remainder of Hatcher's term before facing voters again in the 2022 election.

[SOURCE: MACON.COM]

Birthplace of former Alabama Gov George Wallace, elects first African American mayor

The town of Clio, Alabama has a long history since its founding in 1890. Its known as the birthplace of former Alabama governor George Wallace.

More history is in the books, after Kenneth Johnson becomes the first African-American mayor for the town.

"I come from a big family, a real big family. I grew up here in Clio,” Johnson said.

Johnson joined the Army after which he came back to Clio to work at the local post office. He eventually served on the city council. That is until deciding to do more.

"I’m not here for just political gain or anything like that. I’m here for the people. Anytime you have a question, feel free to come talk to me,” Johnson said.

"I remember when we had stores from one end to the other (of the main street running through downtown.) We don’t have that now,” Johnson said.

Johnson has big plans for the town.

"Some of the main focuses is cleaning it up; cleaning the curbs, the sidewalks and trying to get some kind of little business in here. Maybe a restaurant,” Johnson said.Clio was home to the Chitlin' Jamboree for years.

Johnson says he wants to bring back a festival or other town get-together.

He also bring an open-door policy to city hall.

"I’m not here for just political gain or anything like that. I’m here for the people. Anytime you have a question, feel free to come talk to me,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s swearing in ceremony is set for November 2nd at 5:30 PM.

[SOURCE: WTVY]

Black churchgoers in Selma turn their backs on Bloomberg

Congregants at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama, silently protested 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg as he delivered remarks there Sunday, standing and turning their backs on the former New York City mayor.

Bloomberg addressed the congregation at Brown Chapel AME Church during a church service in which he discussed voter suppression and the fight for civil rights. But roughly 10 minutes into his remarks, several in attendance rose from their seats and silently turned away from him.

The churchgoers remained standing through the end of Bloomberg's remarks.

Also attending the service at Brown Chapel was former Vice President Joe Biden, who won Saturday's South Carolina primary, and Stacey Abrams, who unsuccessfully ran for governor of Georgia in 2018.

After the service, Biden and Bloomberg were set to be joined by fellow candidates Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg for the annual march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate "Bloody Sunday," when police beat peaceful marchers in 1965.

[SOURCE: CBS]

Cory Booker : Will Senate pages be safe around Roy Moore?

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., went in on Alabama Senate hopeful Roy Moore on Saturday, wondering if Senate pages would be safe around the the Republican who is facing allegations that he pursued and sexually assaulted teenagers.

Read the statement he made on Twitter below:

Well I am in the United States Senate & I don’t want to be next to you wondering if Senate Pages will be safe from your advances.

Your bigotry, ignorance, and hate has no place in the Senate. I’m going to my ancestral home state of Alabama today to lend a hand in defeating you. https://t.co/BiFmLP549I

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) December 9, 2017

‘Doug Jones’s problem’: African American voters not energized by Alabama’s Senate race

The Ensley Park Recreation Center was beginning to come to life. The song “Happy” and other upbeat tunes boomed through the loudspeakers. And a crowd was gathering for a chance to glimpse something rarely seen in conservative Alabama: a surging Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

But Donald Williams was skeptical.

The 75-year-old retired UPS worker had come to cheer on Democrat Doug Jones in a campaign that has captured national attention. Has it also generated energy in Alabama’s African American communities?

“As of this day, I would say no,” said Williams, who is black. “And this is Doug Jones’s problem. He’s got to get out and get the voters energized.”

With two-and-a-half weeks left until Election Day, a once unthinkable victory in the heart of the Deep South is within Jones’s reach, thanks largely to a string of sexual misconduct allegations against Republican candidate Roy Moore.

Jones’s campaign believes he can win only if he pieces together an unusually delicate coalition built on intense support from core Democrats and some crossover votes from Republicans disgusted with Moore. Crucial to that formula is a massive mobilization of African Americans, who make up about a quarter of Alabama’s electorate and tend to vote heavily Democratic.

Yet, in interviews in recent days, African American elected officials, community leaders and voters expressed concern that the Jones campaign’s turnout plan was at risk of falling short.

“Right now, many African Americans do not know there is an election on December 12,” said state Sen. Hank Sanders (D), who is black and supports Jones.

The challenge for Jones is clear. According to Democrats working on the race, Jones, who is white, must secure more than 90 percent of the black vote while boosting black turnout to account for between 25 and 30 percent of the electorate — similar to the levels that turned out for Barack Obama, the country’s first black president.

As a result, Jones and his allies are waging an aggressive outreach campaign. It includes targeted radio and online advertisements, billboards and phone calls. Campaign aides are debating whether to ask former first lady Michelle Obama to record a phone message for black voters.

Read more: ‘Doug Jones’s problem’: African American voters not energized by Alabama’s Senate race

Alabama Senate passes Confederate monuments bill

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill that bars changes from being made to Confederate or long-standing monuments in the state. The ones who voted for this bill are probably the same type of people that say African Americans need to get over slavery, yet still want to honor the legacy of a group of traitors and losers who fought to keep other human beings enslaved.

WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

Black voters sue over Alabama's method of electing judges

A civil rights group is challenging Alabama's practice of electing appellate judges by statewide vote, saying it has resulted in all-white courts in a state where one of every four people is African-American.

The NAACP's Alabama chapter and four black voters sued the state on Wednesday in Montgomery federal court, arguing that electing judges through at-large elections in Alabama violates the Voting Rights Act.

Alabama's appellate judges run statewide for election, just like the governor, attorney general and other top officials. The system has resulted in Republican-dominated courts — not a single Democrat is running for the appellate court seats open in November.

Alabama is one of about seven states that elect appellate judges in partisan elections, and racially polarized voting patterns in the deeply red state means elections are largely decided in the Republican primaries, resulting in a court that is not reflective of the state's population, said attorney James Blacksher, who is working the case.

Read more: Black voters sue over Alabama's method of electing judges

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.