RNC kicks off new programs to reach out to black voters

The Republican Party is making an attempt to reach out to black voters via a a partnership with Radio one. We will soon see if this is a legitimate effort or just a token effort so RNC leadership can claim they tried. To be honest I'm doubtful about this attempt since not even 4-5 years ago reaching out to a particular group was considered pandering by the RNC. Who will the RNC get to deliver this message since many of their current black operatives have no credibilty or standing in the black community? Can the RNC enter black neighborhoods and get their message out without using the "Democratic plantation" rhetoric? We shall see. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) announces the launch of a voter mobilization campaign. #CommittedToCommunity: Engage, Empower, Uplift is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the RNC and a black media outlet – Radio One. The #CommittedToCommunity campaign includes recruiting, activating, and mobilizing black voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election through a series of engagement activities, issue forums and other events in communities of color. The campaign also digitally enhances the RNC’s black engagement strategy with geo-fenced mobile targeting and includes a significant radio ad campaign on Radio One stations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus.

In addition to participating in several Radio One-hosted events such as the Heritage Concert Series and Women’s Empowerment Conference, RNC staff will also be present at churches throughout Ohio highlighting issues of particular concern to black voters that include job creation, education opportunities, strong families and safe communities. This initial phase of the multi-city initiative kicks off with a faith-based mobilization on July 12, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. It culminates in Cleveland, Ohio on August 6, 2015 – the host city of the first GOP presidential debate and 2016 Republican National Convention.

Subsequent cities and activities will be announced accordingly over the course of 2015-2016. As part of the campaign, the RNC will also announce metrics-based engagement results and incorporate best practices into our overall strategy, so that we position the Republican nominee for President with the best opportunity to win over new voters and ultimately the White House.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, Co-Chairman Sharon Day and Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins released the following statement:

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said, “We are on the move. As Chairman of the RNC we are engaging every voter, not taking any voter for granted, and not overlooking any opportunity to share our message. For too long, some have peddled the idea that only one party cares about communities of color. Not true. We have stepped up our ground game in communities of color. Expect to see more RNC staff in diverse communities, discussing our shared values and actively recruiting people from across the country. Voters will hear from us often and in black media outlets like Radio One to share our message, mobilize new activists and ask for their vote.”

RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day said “By selecting Radio One we are able to uniquely engage black voters and impact the way issues are viewed and discussed.”

Alfred C. Liggins, CEO of Radio One said, “The RNC wants to tell its story to the African-American community.  Radio One reaches 82% of black Americans with our television, radio and digital multi-media platforms. We view ourselves as the link to our audience. Our reach, relationships with black churches, organizations, entertainers, and our unique understanding of our primary audience makes us a high-value partner to organizations like the RNC. We want the black electorate to be as informed as possible going into the 2016 election season. “

For continued updates on sessions in your community click here:www.gop.com/committedtocommunity

Full President Obama Speech to the NAACP (2015)

On July 14, 2015 President Obama spoke at the NAACP annual convention. He talked about criminal justice reform, prisoner rehabilitation, community policing, and poverty. Watch his speech below.

Hey conservatives, black people can deal with more than one issue at a time.

George L. Cook III

Hey conservatives, black people can deal with more than one issue at a time. By George L. Cook III

This post is written about conservatives regardless of race. I have read post by African American conservatives and heard them on radio doing some of the very things mentioned is this post, so don't try to make this a race issue. It's an ideological one.

During the recent debate over whether the Confederate Flag should fly near the South Carolina capital or anywhere on government property conservatives turned to their tried and true method of debate.

They brought up other issues that yes are more important, but that had nothing to with the debate over the Confederate Flag.

Suddenly when confronted with the fact that there was no good reason to fly the flag on government grounds conservatives started to point out black unemployment, black dropout rates and black murder statistics as red herrings.

The one thing you will notice is that these are things that conservatives don’t talk or pretend to care about these issues until there is an incident involving race.

They don’t bring these things up because they care, they bring them up to divert focus from the situation at hand. If they cared, these issues would be part of their platform on a consistent basis.

But what really bugs me is that they seem to think that focusing on one issue somehow means that African Americans can’t focus on other issues in our community.

If they did some actual research, they would learn that there are groups and individuals fighting against many of the ills that face the Black Community. Many of these groups and people get no publicity from liberal or conservative media, but they continue to fight every day to make things better in their communities.

Many issues of employment, education, incarceration, voting rights, and crime are important and being focused on individually. Of course, someone or a group focusing on one of these issues alone doesn’t help with the other issues. Of course, these issues may be more important than a damned flag but maybe that flag was the low-hanging fruit at the moment.

Maybe taking down that flag and claiming a victory can be the momentum changer to drawing attention to other issues and those that are addressing them.

But best believe these issues are being addressed and were being addressed long before conservatives pretended to give a damn. If you want to make the argument that in some situations things could be done better that would be honest but saying that these issues are not is simply being dishonest and telling an outright lie.

George L. Cook III georgelcookiii@gmail.com

Marvel reveals the new Blade #1, Blade has a daughter?

Press Release: "New York, NY—July 13th, 2015— She’s lean, she’s mean and she has no idea she’s the daughter of a monster killing machine! This October, it’s the Marvel Universe’s resident vampire hunter like you’ve never seen before in BLADE #1 – a brand new ongoing series from writer Tim Seeley (Death of Wolverine: The Logan Legacy) and artist Logan Faerber (Secret Wars: Battleworld)!

Meet Fallon Grey. A normal sixteen year old girl from rural Oregon. Nominated for Prom Queen, Captain of the Debate Team, most popular girl in her class. But there is another side to Fallon. A feeling like there’s something else going on inside. When terror strikes her small town, she’ll find out just how right she was. As fearsome supernatural forces invade her town, hunting her down – she’ll come face to face with something even more shocking than the monsters on her tail.

Eric Brooks…Blade…her father?!

“[Fallon’s] sort of ‘anti-Peter Parker’,” says Tim Seeley in an interview with Marvel.com. “She’s popular, she’s well-liked, and it seems like the world is her oyster. But, the expectations that come with being so damn perfect are starting to break her down, and that’s before she learns she’s the heir to a Daywalking-Monster-Stabbing-Empire.”

But there is a new evil brewing deep in the forests of Oregon. A new cult of monster scientists, twisting and mutating demons, vampires, werewolves and more into even powerful new creatures. To stop them it will take more than one Daywalker. And in each other, Eric and Fallon may just discover the purpose they’ve each been struggling to find. Don’t miss the highly anticipated new series when it debuts this October in BLADE #1!

BLADE #1

Written by TIM SEELEY

Art by LOGAN FAERBER

Variant Cover by TIM SEELEY

On Sale October 2015!"

In Search of an African American Bone Marrow Donor

Did you know the African American community has the toughest time finding treatment for blood-related cancers? According to Be The Match.org, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors, donating marrow can cure someone with sickle cell anemia or life-threatening blood cancers—someone like 3-year-old Judah Wilks.

When he was 11 months old, Judah was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. A few months after his diagnosis, little Judah suffered a stroke—a side-effect of his sickle cell disease. Judah’s doctors are now pursuing a marrow transplant as his best chance for a cure, but first he needs a donor. Because he is adopted with no related siblings, his doctors must rely on the national Be The Match Registry to find a matching donor. So far, no match has been found.

When it comes to finding a bone marrow match, race and ethnicity are important factors. The tissue types used for matching patients with donors are inherited, so patients are most likely to find a match within their own racial or ethnic heritage. Although there are 9 million people on the Be The Match Registry, only 7 percent are African American.

To help spread awareness about the need for more African American donors, BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Judah’s dad, Bryce Wilks, to share his family’s search for a donor.

Read more: A Family’s Story: In Search of an African American Bone Marrow Donor

Baltimore Mayor Fires Police Commissioner Amid Spike in Homicides

I normally support Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake but I think throwing the police commissioner under the bus for trying to carry out her vision is her just trying to appease the masses and draw attention away from her office. Whatever policies Commissioner Anthony Batts tried to implement and carry out had to have had the mayor's stamp of approval. George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake replaced the city's police commissioner on Wednesday, saying the city needed to be more focused on suppressing a spike in violence in the months since the death of a man in police custody.

Rawlings-Blake said the police department under Commissioner Anthony Batts had become too preoccupied with internal politics and not enough with stemming a surge in shootings and killings.

"This was not an easy decision, but it is one that is in the best interest of Baltimore," the mayor said in a late afternoon news conference. "The people of Baltimore deserve better. The brave men and women of our department who put their lives on the line to make our cities deserve better."

Read more: Baltimore Mayor Fires Police Commissioner Amid Spike in Homicide Rate

Smithsonian stands by Cosby art exhibition

[SOURCE] The Smithsonian Institution is standing behind a museum exhibition that relies in part on the art collection of Bill Cosby and his wife.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art opened the exhibition of African and African-American artwork in November. On Monday, The Associated Press revealed Cosby admitted in 2005 that he obtained quaaludes with the intent of giving them to women with whom he wanted to have sex.

On Tuesday, the museum issued a statement saying it's "aware of the recent revelations about Bill Cosby's behavior." The museum says it "in no way condones this behavior."

But the museum says the exhibition is fundamentally about the artworks and the artists who created them, not about the owners of the collections.

President Obama to address 2015 NAACP Convention

President Barack Obama will address the 106th NAACP Annual Convention in Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

“We are honored to welcome President Obama back to our NAACP national convention,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “Our members are looking forward to President Obama delivering a powerful message that reinforces our commitment to being champions for civil and human rights in the 21st century.”

This is the second time Mr. Obama will address the NAACP's National Convention as President of the United States. The NAACP values the opportunity to hear from elected officials, government leaders and candidates for public office.

“President Barack Obama, having spoken eloquently of grace to a grieving nation in a moment of crisis in Charleston, will now address the social and economic challenges of our time in the hometown of American freedom – Philadelphia, stated NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks. Thousands of NAACP leaders, delegates, activists, youths, and supporters will welcome him to the 106th Convention of the NAACP in a moment in which his voice and our voices so desperately need to be heard. President Obama has been on the forefront of transformative change from civil rights to human rights over his term and in recent days. We in the nation eagerly anticipate his vision and plans for the difficult work ahead.”

NAACP Announces March From Selma to Washington, DC

On June 15, 2015 NAACP President/CEO, Cornell William Brooks announced America's Journey for Justice on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. In case you missed it, you can watch the announcement below.

Led by NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks, America’s Journey for Justice – a historic 860-mile march from Selma, Alabama to Washington, DC – will mobilize activists and advance a focused national policy agenda that protects the right of every American to a fair criminal justice system, uncorrupted and unfettered access to the ballot box, sustainable jobs with a living wage, and equitable public education. America’s Journey for Justice will unite partners from the social justice, youth activism, civil rights, democracy reform, religious, not-for-profit, labor, corporate, and environmental communities to call for justice for all Americans under the unifying theme “Our Lives, Our Votes, Our Jobs, Our Schools Matter.”

Dustin Brown defeats Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon

Wimbledon 2015 had its first casualty on Thursday as World No. 10 and 2-time champion Rafael Nadal crashed out in the second round, losing 5-7 6-3 4-6 4-6 to World No. 102 Dustin Brown of Germany.

Read more: Rafael Nadal exits Wimbledon 2015, loses to Dustin Brown in second round

Black women are the fastest-rising demographic in American business

A new report is showing that black women mean business – literally.

Since 1997, the number of companies owned by African-American females shot up by 322 percent, far outpacing the growth rate of women owned-businesses in general and making black women the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the US today, according to the 2015 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, commissioned by American Express Open.

“We attribute the growth in women-owned firms to the lack of fair pay, fair promotion, and family-friendly policies found in corporate America,” Margot Dorfman, CEO of the US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, told Fortune magazine.

“Women of color, when you look at the statistics, are impacted more significantly by all of the negative factors that women face,” she added. “It’s not surprising that they have chosen to invest in themselves.”

The result: Women now own 30 percent of all businesses in the US, or about 9.4 million companies, having grown by 74 percent since 1997. Together these firms generate about $1.5 trillion in revenue and employ nearly 8 million people, the report found.

African-American women own about 14 percent of those firms, accounting for 1.3 million businesses, or half of all businesses owned by African-Americans in the country. Latina women follow close behind them, comprising 12 percent of all women-owned firms, or about 1 million businesses.

Read more: The fastest-rising demographic in American business? Black women

NAACP ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE OUTBREAK OF CHURCH BURNINGS

NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks, has released a brief statement on the recent spate of black church burnings in the US. Read his statement below.

From Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President & CEO:

“The spike in church burnings in Southern states over the past few days requires our collective attention. When nine students of scripture lose their lives in a house worship, we cannot to turn a blind eye to any incident. As we wait for authorities to conduct their investigations, the NAACP and our state conferences across the country will remain vigilant and work with local churches and local law enforcement to ensure that all are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of every parishioner. For centuries, African American churches have served as the epicenter of survival for many in the African-American community, as a consequence, these houses of faith have historically been the targets of violence. We will use every tool in our advocacy arsenal to preserve these beloved institutions.”

Feds: Police violated free-speech rights during Ferguson unrest

Police antagonized crowds gathered to protest in Ferguson, violated free-speech rights and made it difficult to hold officers accountable, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report summary obtained by CBS News.

The summary cited "vague and arbitrary" orders to keep protesters moving that violated their rights of assembly and free speech. It is part of a longer "after-action" report to be delivered this week to top police officials in Ferguson, St. Louis city and county and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The summary suggests that unrest that followed the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown was aggravated by the community's hostility toward Ferguson police and worsened when authorities didn't quickly divulge details of his death, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

"Had law enforcement released information on the officer-involved shooting in a timely manner and continued the information flow as it became available, community distrust and media skepticism would most likely have been lessened," according to the document.

Read more: Federal Report Faults Police Actions During Ferguson Unrest

Misty Copeland is first black principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre

American ballerina Misty Copeland, a cultural phenomenon outside the dance world, has been promoted to the highest rank of the American Ballet Theatre, becoming the first African-American female principal dancer in the company's 75-year history.

Copeland, 32, joined the company in April 2001 and was appointed a soloist in August 2007. She has been outspoken about her desire to become the first black woman to be named a principal dancer at the company.

Read more: Misty Copeland is first black principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre

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

VIDEO: President Obama sings Amazing Grace during eulogy for Clementa Pinckney

Here is video of President Obama leading the church in the singing of Amazing Grace at the funeral for South Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney.

Fire at black church in North Carolina ruled arson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Investigator say an arsonist is to blame for a fire which caused a quarter-million dollars in damage to a Charlotte church.

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.

White supremacist donated to GOP presidential candidates

The leader of a rightwing group that Dylann Roof allegedly credits with helping to radicalise him against black people before the Charleston church massacre has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans such as presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Rick Santorum.

Earl Holt has given $65,000 to Republican campaign funds in recent years while inflammatory remarks – including that black people were “the laziest, stupidest and most criminally-inclined race in the history of the world” – were posted online in his name.

After being approached by the Guardian on Sunday, Cruz’s presidential campaign said it would be returning all money the senator had received from Holt.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/21/dylann-roof-manifesto-charlston-shootings-republicans

President Obama use N-word when discussing race

In a podcast interview with Marc Maron, Obama weighs in on the debate over race and guns, using the N-word following the racially-motivated shooting deaths of nine black church members in Charleston, South Carolina.