Hillary Clinton's plan to to help HBCUs (Historically black colleges & universities)

Donald Trump has been talking to white crowds about how he would help the African American community while actually insulting black people. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has taken the time to devise plans to help African Americans. One of those plans is Hillary Clinton’s New College Compact. The compact  benefits historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Historically Black Colleges and Universities play a critical role in our higher education system. They provide African Americans and other minorities with a quality education, and increase the chances of social mobility and economic security for hundreds of thousands of students each year who have historically faced discriminatory and unequal treatment.

The role of HBCUs has never been more vital, graduating the majority of African American teachers in our country, nearly 1 in 5 African Americans who earn science and engineering BAs, and HBCUs are serving more than 300,000 students. Predominantly Black Institutions also play a critical role and will be eligible for all of the supports for HBCUsin Hillary Clinton’s college plan.

Hillary Clinton knows the critical role that HBCUs play in extending opportunity to underserved students. The New College Compact will support, encourage, and reward the HBCUs that help our students succeed so students can complete college, without costs being a barrier or debt holding them back.

For all public HBCUs, under the New College Compact students should never have to take out a loan to earn four-year degrees and will not have to pay a dime to earn two-year degrees because the plan:

• Invests new federal funds in states that commit to investing more in public HBCUs, meaning that HBCUs benefit from additional federal as well as state support under her plan.
• Invests more funds when public schools enroll low- and middle-income students, meaning that HBCUs, which play a key role in educating underserved students, will be eligible forproportionally more support.
• Ensures that Pell recipients at these public HBCUs can direct their full Pell fundingtoward living expenses.

For all private HBCUs, Clinton’s plan:

• Creates a dedicated $25 billion fund to provide support to private nonprofit schools that serve low- and middle-income students and help them build the skills they need, of which private HBCUs are a prime example.

This plank in Clinton’s plan was inspired by the America’s College Promise Act, introduced in Congress in July by Rep. Bobby Scott, which is designed to create new pathways to four-year degrees at HBCUs as well as other MSIs. The new funds help the schools lower attendance costs and implement supports to improve student outcomes. Clinton knows that private HBCUs serve an important public mission, and that’s why she makes a significant commitment to these schools in her plan.

And for all HBCUs, both public and private, Clinton’s plan

• Significantly cuts the interest rates that students pay on any loans they take out so that the government never profits on the loans.
• Enables students with debt to refinance their loans at low current rates. Parents with PLUS loans will also be able to refinance at current rates.
• Extends the American Opportunity Tax Credit with its $1,000 refundable credit to low-income families sending their sons and daughters to these schools.
• Ensures that parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program will not have to take out such high levels of debt in order to send their children and grandchildren to these schools.
• Enables students never to have to repay more than 10 percent of their monthly income.
• Builds on programs such as TRIO and GEAR UP to invest in student support, including child care for students who are parents, to help all students stay in school and boost completion.

Ben Carson to Trump: Stop calling Hillary Clinton a 'bigot'

Even Ben Carson thinks Donald Trump has gone too far in calling Hillary Clinton a bigot. I don't know what's more amazing, that Carson spoke out or that he stayed awake long enough to do so. Read his remarks below.

“I don’t generally get into the name-calling thing,” the former presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon told The Daily Beast on Friday. “I kind of left that behind in the third grade. I certainly don’t encourage it because the issues that we’re facing are incredibly important for us and for the future generations.”

“That’s what people do who don’t have anything to talk about,” Carson said, referring to both candidates trading accusations of racism and bigotry.

[SOURCE]

Sports radio show creates stereotypical black man/caller

UPDATE: 3 suspended at 97.5 The Fanatic over fake caller controversy

A white producer at the Philadelphia sports talk station 97.5 The Fanatic has sparked controversy after he created a black persona based on stereotypes to call into the station. "Dwayne from Swedesboro" was a regular caller for the Mike Missanelli Show. The character, who claimed to be an African American man, often talked about his love for white women as well as his fear of having illegitimate children. He even had a Twitter account with a black man in the profile picture.

Hillary Clinton speaks out on Trump's outreach to African Americans

During a campaign speech at a community college in Reno, Nevada Hillary Clinton called out Donald Trump on his false outreach to African Americans and other minorities. She took on his ignorance about black issues, his bigotry, and his use of stereotypes in his attempts to court black voter. She called him out on his tie to birther movement and being slow to repudiate white nationalist who support him. Read that excerpt from a transcript of her speech below.

...In just the past week, under the guise of "outreach" to African Americans, Trump has stood up in front of largely white audiences and described black communities in insulting and ignorant terms:

"Poverty. Rejection. Horrible education. No housing. No homes. No ownership.

Crime at levels nobody has seen…

Those are his words.

Donald Trump misses so much.

He doesn’t see the success of black leaders in every field…

The vibrancy of black-owned businesses…Or the strength of the black church… He doesn’t see the excellence of historically black colleges and universities or the pride of black parents watching their children thrive…And he certainly doesn’t have any solutions to take on the reality of systemic racism and create more equity and opportunity in communities of color.

It takes a lot of nerve to ask people he’s ignored and mistreated for decades, "What do you have to lose?" The answer is everything!

Trump’s lack of knowledge or experience or solutions would be bad enough.

But what he’s doing here is more sinister.

Trump is reinforcing harmful stereotypes and offering a dog whistle to his most hateful supporters.

It’s a disturbing preview of what kind of President he’d be.

This is what I want to make clear today:

A man with a long history of racial discrimination, who traffics in dark conspiracy theories drawn from the pages of supermarket tabloids and the far reaches of the internet, should never run our government or command our military.

If he doesn’t respect respect all Americans, he can’t serve all Americans!

Now, I know some people still want to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.

They hope that he will eventually reinvent himself – that there’s a kinder, gentler, more responsible Donald Trump waiting in the wings somewhere.

After all, it’s hard to believe anyone – let alone a nominee for President of the United States – could really believe all the things he says.

But the hard truth is, there’s no other Donald Trump. This is it.

Maya Angelou once said: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Well, throughout his career and this campaign, Donald Trump has shown us exactly who he is. We should believe him.

When Trump was getting his start in business, he was sued by the Justice Department for refusing to rent apartments to black and Latino tenants.

Three years later, the Justice Department took Trump back to court because he hadn’t changed.

The pattern continued through the decades.

State regulators fined one of Trump’s casinos for repeatedly removing black dealers from the floor. No wonder the turn-over rate for his minority employees was way above average.

And let’s not forget Trump first gained political prominence leading the charge for the so-called "Birthers."

He promoted the racist lie that President Obama isn’t really an American citizen – part of a sustained effort to delegitimize America’s first black President.

In 2015, Trump launched his own campaign for President with another racist lie. He described Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals.

And he accused the Mexican government of actively sending them across the border. None of that is true.

Oh, and by the way, Mexico’s not paying for his wall either.

If it ever gets built, you can be sure that American taxpayers will be stuck with the bill.

Since then, there’s been a steady stream of bigotry.

We all remember when Trump said a distinguished federal judge born in Indiana couldn’t be trusted to do his job because, quote, "He’s a Mexican."

Think about that.

The man who today is the standard bearer of the Republican Party said a federal judge was incapable of doing his job solely because of his heritage.

Even the Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, described that as "the textbook definition of a racist comment."

To this day, he’s never apologized to Judge Curiel.

But for Trump, that’s just par for the course.

This is someone who retweets white supremacists online, like the user who goes by the name "white-genocide-TM." Trump took this fringe bigot with a few dozen followers and spread his message to 11 million people.

His campaign famously posted an anti-Semitic image – a Star of David imposed over a sea of dollar bills – that first appeared on a white supremacist website.

The Trump campaign also selected a prominent white nationalist leader as a delegate in California. They only dropped him under pressure.

When asked in a nationally televised interview whether he would disavow the support of David Duke, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, Trump wouldn’t do it. Only later, again under mounting pressure, did he backtrack.

And when Trump was asked about anti-Semitic slurs and death threats coming from his supporters, he refused to condemn them.

Through it all, he has continued pushing discredited conspiracy theories with racist undertones...

Simone Biles welcome home celebration

Gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles returned to Texas on Wednesday, and received a huge welcome after she touched down at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and other community leaders, along with the Texans Cheerleaders, family, friends and fans all gathered to show Biles a warm welcome. Watch video of the event below.

NAACP Statement on Houston protest by white supremacist outside NAACP office

The National NAACP issued the following statement in response to a protest held outside the Houston branch office by armed men and women on this past Sunday:

“Yesterday, a small group of white supremacists, armed with automatic weapons and waving confederate battle flags, held a brief protest outside our office in Texas.

“While some may be shocked by what they witnessed yesterday in Houston, it is important to remember that the NAACP is subject to this type of harassment on a regular basis. The presidents of our more than 2,200 local chapters and branches often field angry and harassing phone calls, as well as vandalism, bomb threats and other calls for violence simply for standing up for the civil rights of all people. This hateful rhetoric has only increased during the current presidential election.

“Racism is a longstanding and divisive issue in this country, and many people at first feel victimized when confronted with the facts of how it continues to affect the lives of millions. But a misguided sense of victimhood does not justify brandishing weapons on a Sunday afternoon in a residential neighborhood, or make the statements of this group true or correct.

“We are encouraged that, in the face of flagrant hate and ignorance, the protestors in Houston were met by a larger crowd opposing their ignorance and dedicated to peace and prayer. Justice comes when communities refuse to let evil people perpetuate their misguided anger on innocent people.

“For more than a century, the NAACP has worked to unite people of every race, religion and background in the fight against segregation, discrimination, and violence. We continue to work nonviolently in every city and county to ensure that every person can advance through access to quality schools, economic opportunity, professional and accountable law enforcement, and the freedom to vote and be a part of our American democracy. We happily invite anyone who feels the same to join us.”

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge dismisses Donald Trump's pitch to minorities

U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge fired back Tuesday against comments Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made in Akron about living conditions in minority communities.

Fudge, a Democrat representing a Northeast Ohio district that stretches from Cleveland to Akron, forcefully maintained during a Tuesday conference call organized by Hillary Clinton's campaign that black Ohioans would not buy into Trump's offer.

"And no matter what Donald Trump thinks, he's still only going to get 1 percent of the black vote out of Ohio," said Fudge, a Clinton supporter.

Fudge outlined what she believes minorities have to lose if they vote for Trump — in very plain terms. Civility. Patriotism. The right to vote. Trump also described inner cities as war zones, according to the Washington Post, another remark Fudge derided.

"He asked what we have to lose. We have to lose the respect of the rest of the world, with the exception of possibly Russia," said Fudge, of Warrensville Heights. "We have an awful lot to lose, so I hope that I get an opportunity to answer that question if he comes back to my district."

Fudge noted that she lives "by choice" in a predominantly black city.

"It is not a war zone," she said. "My district is not a war zone. Do we have issues? Like every other district, like every other city, yes."

[SOURCE]

Newark NJ police mistook 10 year old black boy for a grown robbery suspect

Officials are investigating claims that Newark police officers pulled their guns on a 10-year-old boy, Legend Preston after they allegedly mistook the child for an armed robbery suspect that was 6' tall adult suspect with dreadlocks. It's apparent to anyone with eyes that Preston does not have dreadlocks. Legend Preston told WABC-TV (NY) about his terrifying ordeal Watch that story below.

Donald Trump's most African Americans live in poverty lie

By George L. Cook III [EMAIL]

Donald Trump has recently been making "outreach" to African American voters. Now he is doing it by spouting negative stereotypes and lies about blacks living in the inner city masquerading as facts in front of predominantly white audiences. One of those lies is that most African Americans live in poverty. What was surprising to me was even black Republicans who have avoided even talking about Trump supported this statement as it fits into their attacks against the Democratic Party. They should know better. Now as the old Daniel Patrick Moynihan saying goes "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

Trump's statement is simply not true. You can imagine the surprise among myself, family, and friends when we discovered via Trump that most of us lived in poverty. While none of us are rich most of us are lower to upper middle class, own homes, and have some savings.

Now there are those of us that live in poverty, and I know a few, but they are hardly the majority. According to the following sources 26%-27%of African Americans do live in poverty:

National Poverty Center

State of Working America

Poverty Initiative

While 26%-27% is a nothing to be happy about and a percentage that needs to be improved it is in no way the majority of African Americans. I know Trump is good at spinning numbers but in no country, or planet, galaxy, universe, alternate universe, or multiverse in would that be true that 26%-27% is more than 73%-74%.

That would make Trump's statement a bold faced lie. Then why tell it? Because his supporters won't check those numbers and will eat it up because it fits in with their stereotypes of African Americans. Trump can then claim that he tried outreach to black voters while knowing that he was actually catering to the racial beliefs of his base.

Yeah, that's a great way to get the black vote.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Southside with You: Movie about Barack & Michelle's first date

Some may have heard of a new movie titled Southside with You is being released this Friday August 26,2016 about the first date of Barack Obama and then Michelle Robinson, but I'm sure many more have not. The film has John Legend as an executive producer and stars Parker Sawyers (Zero Dark Thirty, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) as Barack and Tika Sumpter (The Haves & the have Nots, Sparkle) as Michelle. Sumpter is also a producer of the film.

Inspired by Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date, SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU recounts the eventful summer day in 1989 when a young law firm associate named Barack Obama tried to woo lawyer Michelle Robinson during a daylong date that took them from the Art Institute of Chicago to a screening of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to the site of their first kiss outside of an ice cream parlor. Watch the trailer below.

4 things African Americans have to lose by voting for Donald Trump

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com EMAIL

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stirred up some controversy and angered many African-Americans by saying in front of a white audience that most of them live in poverty, send kids to failing schools, and have no jobs. Now African Americans know that not to be true, but something else Trump said caught my ear. He asked what the hell did African Americans have to lose by voting for him. Well, Mr. Trump here are four important things we will lose under a Trump presidency. There are more things blacks would lose, but these are things that would have an immediate negative impact on the Black community.

Healthcare: Yes, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) may have it flaws and may not have been the single payer system some progressives wanted, but it has helped millions of uninsured African Americans get health coverage. Trump has made it clear that on his first day in office he would attempt to repeal the ACA. If successful millions would lose their healthcare coverage with nothing there to replace it.

Voting rights: The Republican-led Congress has yet to take any action to fix the provision in the 1965 Voting Rights Act to stop states from using voter ID/registration laws in attempts at voter suppression. That would only get worse under a President Trump who has already indicated that the striking down of voting laws in states such as Wisconsin and North Carolina are a threat to his candidacy.

Education funding: Trump would cut federal education funding and may want to eliminate or severely cut the budget of the Department of Education. As a school board member, I can tell you that in poorer districts a good portion of their funding comes in the form of federal aid. Without that assistance, districts would be forced to cut programs that help poorer students or those with learning disabilities. He would also push for more charter schools which take money from traditional public schools forcing those public schools to cut even more programs.

Jobs: Trump's trade policies would make it harder for American companies to do business and make money overseas. Without that foreign business, companies would not need as many workers stateside as their global markets would be smaller. Those few manufacturing and factory jobs in the U.S. would be eliminated or made part time. That helps no one especially black and brown people.

So as you see Mr. Trump, we have a hell of a lot to lose by voting for you. Every time you open your mouth about African Americans you make it clearer that in this election Hillary Clinton is the obvious choice for black voters.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com EMAIL

NJ Boxer Shakur Stevenson wins silver medal.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Olympic boxer Shakur Stevenson didn't win the gold medal but he still made us in his home state of New Jersey proud. Shakur lost the gold medal match to Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez in a split decision of their three round fight (2-1). He will be bringing a silver medal back to his hometown of Newark NJ.

Shakur was distraught after the fight and believed that he let everyone down. The young man didn't let anyone down and we here in NJ are all proud of him. He is the first American man to bring back a boxing medal since 2004 and has a promising future ahead.

Today he didn't come out on top but he will be a champion at the next level one day. The silver medal is just the beginning of a long journey. American fighters like Michael Carbajal (5X Champion), Virgil Hill (4X champion), and Riddick Bowe (1x undisputed heavyweight champion) all won a silver medal and went on to have great careers.

Something tells me Shakur will join that list.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Unlike Donald Trump, Pres. Obama is actually helping Louisiana flood victims

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

Today (08/19/2016) Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence visited the flood ravaged areas in what amounts to a glorified photo op. While Trump wants us to think he cares about the flood victims this trip is really an attempt to embarrass President Obama who has yet to visit Louisiana. The conservative media is also trying to put this narrative out there that Obama just doesn't care about the people of Louisiana. There are just a few issues with that narrative that make it untrue.

One problem with that narrative is Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards  asked Pres. Obama not to come right now so that first responders can focus on the flood victims. The governor made the following statement:

It is a major ordeal, they free up the interstate for him. We have to take hundreds of local first responders, police officers, sheriffs, deputies and state troopers to provide security for that type of visit. I would just as soon have those people engaged in the response rather than trying to secure the president. So I’d ask him to wait, if he would, another couple weeks.
The other problem with that is our president has already taken action to help the flood victims. On August 14, 2016 he signed a Louisiana Disaster Declaration that allows the state and it's people to apply for federal aid.

President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on August 11, 2016, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to the state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of the flooding in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gerard M. Stolar as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more parishes and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated parishes can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online athttp://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.  

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV.

So boys and girls it looks like the truth has fioled those dastardly republicans/conservatives again.

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Top cop seeks to fire 7 officers for lying about Laquan McDonald shooting

Chicago's police superintendent has recommended that seven officers be fired for lying in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in October 2014.

McDonald's death was captured in a video that contradicted the accounts of officers.

Superintendent Eddie Johnson emailed police Thursday morning, telling them that he had recommended seven officers be fired for making false statements. He also stripped the officers of their police powers.

Johnson's move came in response to Inspector General Joseph Ferguson's recent report on the shooting in which he recommended that 10 officers be fired. But Johnson wrote that he thought the evidence against one of the officers was insufficient to recommend termination.

Read more Top cop seeks to fire 7 officers for lying about Laquan McDonald shooting

While some hated on Gabby Douglas, Ryan Lochte became a national embarrassment

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

Last week many online denizens took it upon themselves to criticize Gabby Douglass for forgetting to place her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem after the USA Gymnastics team won the all around competition. People had heart attacks and conniptions (WTF is a conniption; he) about how unpatriotic Douglas was and how aloof she had become.

Some criticized Gabby for not seemingly fully embracing her teammate and the phenomenon that is Simone Biles, and then others, of course, went after her hair because they have absolutely no life.

So those same people that went after Gabby should be ready with the torches and pitchforks to go after Ryan Lochte who along with a few Olympic teammates embarrassed the United States by making up a false story of being robbed. They made up the story to cover the fact that while in a drunken state they had vandalized a gas station.

Let's be clear here, Lochte and crew exhibited thuggish behavior while in their drunken state and destroyed property. That's not boys being boys that's thugs being thugs.

Some are saying "the boys" mad a mistake and that a simple apology can make everything okay and others are already trying to cover up for Lochte and his crew.

We have to understand that these kids were trying to have fun,” IOC Rio Games spokesperson Mario Andrada said. “They came here; they represent their country to the best of their ability. They train for years. They competed under gigantic pressure. I understand they’re under investigation. I can’t go much further into the details."

“But let’s give these kids a break. Sometimes you take actions that you later regret. Lochte is one of the best swimmers of all times. They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on.”

That's some BS right there. Ryan Lochte is 32 years old, he's not a kid by any stretch of the imagination. The man is a national embarrassment and while stripping him of his medals away may be extreme taking the prize money that goes with them is not. There should be a price for acting like a hooligan while you are representing your country. These miscreants took the spotlight off all that is great about Team USA and became the ugly Americans the world hates.

So, if what Gabby did got your dander up you should be downright livid right now, you should be seeing red, and your panties should be in a bunch.

If you were angry at Gabby and not at Ryan I have to wonder why. I mean what could be the difference between Gabby and Ryan? Both are Olympic athletes who have won multiple medals. Both represent the USA.

I mean what could possibly be the difference? (That's a rhetorical question people)

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Black Men Launch #SpendBlack Campaign With an Innovative Twist

MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in response to the heart-wrenching and racially-charged shootings in July, black men in the BMe Community have launched a coordinated #spendblack campaign that has three innovative twists – it's visually inspiring, easy to join and asks people of all races to #spendblack. The visual inspiration comes from a beautiful photo-wall of those who have joined the campaign at www.Pictition.com/SpendBlack

You'll already find notable faces there, including Benjamin Jealous, former head of NAACP, "Greenleaf" co-star Lamman Rucker, and crowdfunding pioneer Charles Best of DonorsChoose.org.

#Spendblack's central message is, "We can all show support for black lives by simply supporting black livelihood."

Organizers estimate that if Americans spent just 2% more of their income in the 2.6-million black-owned businesses, it would create 1-million more jobs.

#Spendblack began with Detroiters Jason Wilson, Shawn Blanchard and Teferi Brent who are all leaders in BMe Community, a national network of inspired black men who have dedicated their lives to creating hope and opportunity. Through BMe, Jealous, Rucker, Best and two dozen BMe Leaders in Akron, Baltimore, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh joined them immediately.

"In order for there to be true change in our communities we've got to increase the economic power of the black-owned businesses that truly care about our community," says Jason Wilson, well-known for his inspiring videos teaching black boys lessons in manhood.

Unlike most hashtag campaigns, #spendblack provides resources and ongoing motivation to help you actually spend black.

Everyone who signs up at www.Pictition.com/SpendBlack is told where to download a mobile app that works like Yelp for black-owned food, clothing, and furniture stores, as well as entertainment and professional services that you may not have known where to find.

Participants are encouraged to keep the visual fun going by taking pictures of themselves spending black and posting them on Instagram and Twitter with "#spendblack."

BMe Community, the network supporting the campaign, is known for its 2015 New York Times bestseller "REACH: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading and Succeeding", and for funding over 160 BMe Leaders who directly serve over 500,000 people annually by creating businesses, educating children and protect human rights in 6 cities.

BMe is backed by private donations and leading philanthropies including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, The Heinz Endowments, and The William R. Keenan Jr. Charitable Trust. Visit www.BMeCommunity.org or contact Media@BMeCommunity.org for more information.

6 Ways Donald Trump Shows He Doesn't Want The Black Vote.

by George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com EMAIL

A recent NY Times article states that the G.O.P is urging Donald Trump to broaden his outreach to black voters The G.O.P which itself has no significant record of outreach to black voters should really be asking Trump not to increase but to begin outreach to black voters.

It should be no surprise that despite Donald Trump's rhetoric that "the blacks love him" polls show he will only get 2% of black voters in November's presidential election. The man has done done everything possible not to get the black vote.

In my belief the only reason Trump is polling so low with black voters is because he doesn't care about black voters or want their votes. Here are six reasons why I believe that to be so.

1. Donald Trump has refused to speak to African American organizations such as the NAACP and the National Urban League unlike John McCain, Mitt Romney and George W. Bush. These civil rights organizations are the end all be all when it comes to getting the black vote but not speaking to them says volumes.

2. Donald Trump has refused tp speak with black media, radio, newspapers, television, etc. Listeners of know the Joe Madison radio show know that there is an open invitation for Trump to show up and discuss his political viewpoints, all he has to do is have someone pick up the phone and call in. People who watch Roland Martin on NewsOne know that there is a similar invitation for Trump to go on that show. Both shows reach millions of black voters, but both shows have host who call people on their BS so that may be why Trump avoids them.

3. Donald Trump has not made visits to black neighborhoods. I don't mean flying into a city on his private jet to make a speech and then high-tailing it home. I mean going to black churches, barbershops, and restaurants where black voters are. I guess he's scared he may have to kiss some black babies.

4. When Donald Trump does decide to reach out to black voters he for some reason thought he could do it through black pastors who preach the prosperity gospel. Yup, the genius thought that a bunch of pimps in the pulpit could sway black voters.

5. He picked a former reality show star, Omarosa Manigault to be head of his outreach to African American voters. That one is self-explanatory.

6. Donald Trump just learned 3 or 4 months ago to stop calling African American's "the blacks" cause it's kinda sorta racist. Hell he just learned the term African American.

Is there still any real doubt that Donald Trump doesn't give a damn about African Americans?

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s children end Nobel medal dispute

Martin Luther King Jr.'s heirs have agreed to end their legal fight over who owns the slain civil rights leader's 1964 Nobel Peace Prize medal, according to a court document filed on Monday, but did not disclose if the item will be sold.

A trial to settle the years-long dispute over the medal had been set to start in Atlanta on Monday. It would have pitted King's two sons against his surviving daughter, who were at odds over whether to sell the medal.

The three siblings serve as directors of a corporation formed to manage the estate of King, who had no will when he was assassinated in 1968 by a white supremacist in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King III and Dexter King voted in January 2014 to sell the medal and a Bible their father carried during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Bernice King objected to a sale, calling the heirlooms "sacred" to the family.

Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney had ordered the items to be kept in a court-controlled safe deposit box pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

The judge on Monday signed an order in which the parties asked for the suit to be dismissed and agreed the keys to the box should be given to Martin Luther King III, who serves as chairman of the estate board.

Read more: Martin Luther King Jr.'s heirs end Nobel medal dispute

Book of the Week, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America

Michael Eric Dyson explores the powerful, surprising way the politics of race have shaped Barack Obama’s identity and groundbreaking presidency. How has President Obama dealt publicly with race—as the national traumas of Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Walter Scott have played out during his tenure? What can we learn from Obama's major race speeches about his approach to racial conflict and the black criticism it provokes?

Dyson explores whether Obama’s use of his own biracialism as a radiant symbol has been driven by the president’s desire to avoid a painful moral reckoning on race. And he sheds light on identity issues within the black power structure, telling the fascinating story of how Obama has spurned traditional black power brokers, significantly reducing their leverage.

President Obama’s own voice—from an Oval Office interview granted to Dyson for this book—along with those of Eric Holder, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young, and Maxine Waters, among others, add unique depth to this profound tour of the nation’s first black presidency.

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KINDLE -------PAPERBACK

To my black brothers & sisters in Milwaukee: Don't destroy your own neighborhoods

By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]

UPDATE 09:50 EST: We now know that the person shot was an 23-year-old African American male named Sylville K. Smith.

Over night there was a shooting of a young man by Milwaukee police. We don't know much about the incident at this time other than the police claimed the deceased was armed. At the time I am writing this post we don't know the race, although I'm sure we all can make an educated guess about the race of the deceased. Some also want to wait to see what the race of the police officer that did the shooting is but those people don't understand that the race of the officer makes little if any difference.

In the aftermath of the shooting protesters took to the streets of Milwaukee to voice their anger. Unfortunately many went further than expressing their anger, they burned down a gas station and several buildings in their own communities.

Again, we don't know much about the shooting but I do know burning down your own neighborhoods is stupid, and that just doesn't pertain to the current situation in Milwaukee.

I would like to ask those young men and women what do they think they are achieving?

I would like to ask them who do they think they are hurting?

We have always been told that violence achieves nothing. Well, that is wrong, it does lead to the destruction of neighborhoods that may never come back. The only people hurt by burning down buildings are those that live in the area now and in the future.

Does anyone really think the powers that be give a damn if black protesters destroy their communities? If you truly believe that there is institutional racism and that there are those that want to hold minorities back then stop helping those forces by destroying your own neighborhoods.

It can take decades for communities to bounce back after riots. It's been over 45 years since riots of the late sixties, and many of those communities have still not recovered. Today in 2016 it's still a big deal when a major retailer wants to open a store, or a developer wants to build housing in Newark NJ, Detroit, or Cleveland.

Riots only keep businesses from coming into our neighborhoods. When those companies don't come it limits access to jobs, fresh foods, medicine, and other goods and services a community needs to thrive. We are taking a bad situation with policing in our communities and making it worse by rioting.

I understand the frustration and anger. Many of us feel it, but we also know that violence is not the answer and that there is no simple or easy answer. I don't have all the answers, but it will take time for the policing situation in minority communities to be corrected. But if we all keep on it and vote in our local elections to get in people that will change things or to put out those that didn't.

I know many of you are tired of hearing about the power of your vote but you should be more sick of the needless destruction of our communities.

We are hurting no one but ourselves.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com