President Obama spoke to supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia. Obama mounted a vigorous defense of Hillary Clinton, her campaign's transparency and her fitness for the presidency, and blasted Republicans as fanning "anger and hate." Watch his entire speech below.
Georgia Congressman John Lewis has risked his life many times in the fight for civil rights. He has been a central figure in that movement for more than half a century and has fought in Congress for 15 years to create the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Lewis joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss who he was inspired by and recount his experiences. Watch that interview below:
The union for the police officers who patrol San Francisco 49ers games at Levi’s Stadium rescinded its boycott threat Thursday, nearly a week after the association proclaimed its members could decline assignments at the facility amid quarterback Colin Kaepernick's recent protests.
The Santa Clara Police Officers' Association wrote in a statement that it “will encourage our officers to work 49ers games and other stadium events.” The union cited the change in its stance to a statement put out a day earlier by Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who thanked the city’s police officers for their dedication and asked them to work the games.
In a letter sent to the 49ers last Friday, the Santa Clara Police Officers' Association said its officers could opt not to patrol Levi’s Stadium and the 49ers' headquarters over Kaepernick's pregame protest of not standing for the national anthem, the socks he wore that depicted cartoon pigs wearing police hats and his comments about police brutality.
The letter received tremendous attention, but by the middle of this week, no officer had apparently declined to work the games over Kaepernick.
[SOURCE]
A Utah Debate Commission poll shows Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mia Love with a surprising 19-point advantage in her re-match with Democratic challenger Doug Owens. Owens lost to Love by 5 percentage points two years ago, and since then, national Democrats and political handicappers have listed the race as one of the top targets for a Democratic pickup in November.
The most recent poll of the race, conducted for UtahPolicy.com last month, showed Love with a 13-point advantage. Love had previously released internal polling that showed similar results.
If the race has swung that heavily to Love's advantage, it is likely that national Democrats could abandon Owens' campaign in favor of more competitive targets.
[SOURCE]
It's been a tough few weeks for Republican attempts at voter suppression. When forced to defend their blatant attempts to keep minority voters from the polls in court Republicans are failing miserably. Recently we have seen voter ID laws struck down in Wisconsin and North Carolina, and now you can add Kansas, Alabama, and Georgia to that list. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com
A U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday blocked an effort by Alabama, Georgia and Kansas for voters to furnish proof of citizenship when registering at the polls, which opponents say disenfranchises voters, especially minorities.
The decision effectively strikes down a rule that requires voters in the three states to provide proof they are United States citizens. Elsewhere, voters only need swear that they are citizens in order to cast a ballot.
"With just weeks to go before a critical presidential election, we are grateful to the court of appeals for stopping this thinly veiled discrimination in its tracks," Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters, which had sued to block the new requirements, said in a statement.
The Appeals Court of the District of Columbia said the League of Women Voters had shown there would be irreparable harm if the rule was permitted, and had also shown it was likely to win the case on its merits.
It ordered any voter applications filed since Jan. 29, 2016, to be treated as if they did not contain the proof of citizenship instructions.
Alabama and Georgia, which passed provisions several years ago, have not implemented their laws while at least 20,000 voters in Kansas, where the law took effect in 2013, have been blocked from registering to vote, the League's lawyers say.
[SOURCE]
(Black PR Wire) More than $300,000 was raised at the recent United Negro College Fund (UNCF) “A Mind Is…” Hamptons Summer Benefit, hosted by UNCF New York. Derek Jones, managing director, GMC Grosvenor Private Markets; Cathy Hughes, founder and chairperson, Radio One; and Reginald Hudlin, president, Hudlin Entertainment, were honored with the “Keepers of the Flame” award for being champions of diversity and education.
More than 300 guests attended the Aug. 6-7 benefit weekend events, held at the private residences of Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, and Bill and Diane Plummer. Karen Hunter, SiriusXM radio talk show host, was mistress of ceremonies. Mayor Lovely Warren of Rochester also attended. Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF president and CEO, delivered remarks on UNCF’s impact in the state of New York and the importance of community support.
“Where else can you come together to help send kids to college in such elegant surroundings,” said Lomax. “With the generosity of all of you—our community—UNCF has invested almost $2 million in college scholarships for New York students and millions of dollars in cash support and assistance for our 37 member HBCUs and the almost 1,300 New York students who attend them.”
In its 72-year history, UNCF has raised more than $4.5 billion to support minority students’ quest for better futures. Events such as these are made possible by the admirable support of community and corporate partners such as this year’s “A Mind Is…” Hamptons Summer Benefit platinum sponsors, Siris Capital Group, LLC, and Frank Baker, Peter Berger and Jeff Hendren. Additional sponsors included The Lincoln Motor Company, GCM Grosvenor, Grain Management, LLC, Robert Smith, Investors Bank, Derek Jones, Advent Capital Management, LLC, Combs Enterprises, Palladium Equity Partners and Wellness Interactive.
SiriusXM, World Bride Magazine, The Independent and WEAA 88.9 FM served as the media partners for this prestigious event.
“The status and the money that I have been blessed with in this life…is so I can reach back and help some other black children who are just like me,” said Hughes. “That’s the story of UNCF—you reach back.”
The electrifying weekend included a VIP brunch with an exclusive Resort 2017 fashion preview by designer Carlton Jones, silent auction, entertainment by Yotoco and student testimonials from UNCF scholars Ahmaad Dent (Morehouse College, 2018) and Syndi Falconer (Clark Atlanta University, 2016).
All the Difference is a documentary about two young black men in college. The film premieres on PBS Sept. 12, 2016. Learn more about the documentary and watch the trailer below.
Film Synopsis: The largely invisible and often crushing struggles of young African-American men come vividly — and heroically — to life in All the Difference, which traces the paths of two teens from the South Side of Chicago who dared to dream a seemingly impossible dream: to graduate from college. As this intimate film shows, Robert Henderson and Krishaun Branch’s determination started them on the road to success, but it was the support from people in their lives—parents, grandparents, teachers and mentors— that brought them to their destination.
A co-production of American Documentary | POV; Part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Filmmaker(s): Tod Lending, Joy Thomas Moore, and Wes Moore
Film website: http://www.pbs.org/pov/allthedifference/
Airbnb announced potentially far-reaching anti-discrimination policies Thursday in response to complaints about hosts' racism against black and other Airbnb guests that came to the fore in the spring, crystalizing around the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack.
One change automatically blocks out a host’s reservation calendar for dates they have told a would-be guest are not available. This is to deal with a problem African-Americans and others have described: after requesting a booking, they're told the listing is no longer available, only to find the booking is still available when someone with a profile photo that shows them to be white, or obscures their race, inquires about it.
The new features will be implemented in the first half of 2017, Airbnb said.
Read more: Airbnb makes changes to halt racist, discriminatory practices
House Democrats late Wednesday released a full email exchange in which Colin Powell advised Hillary Clinton just after she was sworn in as secretary of state on the use of personal email and devices. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said that. “This email exchange shows that Secretary Powell advised Secretary Clinton with a detailed blueprint on how to skirt security rules and bypass requirements to preserve federal records, although Secretary Clinton has made clear that she did not rely on this advice,”. Watch more below:
Election officials in nearly two dozen North Carolina counties have approved reductions in early-voting hours ahead of November’s elections, cuts that Democrats warn could disenfranchise many low-income voters.
County boards of elections have approved reducing early-voting hours in 23 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Another eight counties plan to end early voting on the Sunday before Election Day, when a huge number of African-American voters tend to go to the polls.
North Carolina is a critical swing state in the presidential race, one where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is counting on a heavy African-American voter turnout. President Obama won North Carolina in 2008 and narrowly lost the state in 2012.
Read more: North Carolina early-voting cuts could dampen black vote
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
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe may not be African American but this blog stands with anyone fighting for their rights. The tribe has been fighting to stop a pipeline from being built on it's sacred burial grounds. To those who say this is much ado about nothing, think about how you would feel if you were told to dig up and rebury your loved ones. This blog also condemns the use of dogs on protesters, a move that reignites memories of the dark past of the United States. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com
An American Indian tribe succeeded Tuesday in getting a federal judge to temporarily stop construction on some, but not all, of a $3.8 billion four-state oil pipeline, but its broader request still hangs in the balance.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said Tuesday that work will temporarily stop between North Dakota's State Highway 1806 and 20 miles east of Lake Oahe, but will continue west of the highway because he believes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lacks jurisdiction on private land.
He also said he will rule by the end of Friday on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's challenge of federal regulators' decision to grant permits to the Dallas, Texas-based operators of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will cross North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.
Read more: Judge Grants Partial Stop on North Dakota Pipeline Work
During an interview with CNN"s Dan Tapper, Ben Carson agreed that it might be a good idea for Donald Trump to apologize for his role in the birther movement. No, you did not misread that it actually happened and you can watch the video below:
Here is the schedule for the weekend long grand opening celebration for the National Museum of African American History and Culture beginning September 23, 2016.
On September 6th at 9:00 a.m. EDT, additional Timed Entry Passes for Grand Opening Weekend Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th, will be made available. The Museum will also offer Timed Passes for extended hours Monday, September 26th through Sunday, October 2nd. Timed Passes for the months of November and December will also be released Tuesday. Learn more about the timed passes and purchase them here: https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes
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Grand Opening Schedule
Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration
Friday, September 23, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 25, 2016, 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Beginning Friday, September 23, 2016, on the Washington Monument grounds, the National Museum of African American History and Culture presents Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration. Conceived and presented in festival fashion, Freedom Sounds programming will include musical performances, spoken word, oral history activities and evening concerts. A drum circle, storytelling, and interactive workshops provide opportunities for families and large groups of the public to explore and celebrate the museum’s rich content and stories. This three-day music festival presents artists who represent the numerous cultural threads encompassing our shared African diasporic histories and traditions. Two tented stages will offer local, national and international performers, contributing to NMAAHC’s Grand Opening Weekend. The Freedom Sounds festival continues on Saturday and closes the Grand Opening Weekend on Sunday evening, September 25, 2016. Designed to accommodate the crowds anticipated; the festival is free and open to the public.
Dedication Ceremony
Saturday, September 24, 2016
9:00 a.m. Gathering and Musical Prelude
10:00 a.m. Dedication Ceremony Begins
On Saturday, September 24, 2016, the public witnesses the outdoor Dedication Ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In the afternoon, the museum officially opens to the public. Tickets are not required for the public to view the outdoor Dedication Ceremony. Extensive large-screen viewing areas are well-positioned for crowds during the Dedication Ceremony.
Museum Opens to the Public
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 25, 2016, 7:00 a.m. – Midnight
The Museum officially opens to the public at 2pm, following the Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, September 24, 2016. The museum will keep its doors open for extended hours Sunday, September 25, from 10 a.m. to Midnight.
While on a diplomatic visit to China President Obama said that he thought San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was exercising his constitutional right to protest when he sat during the national anthem. Watch more of Pres. Obama stating his views on Kaepernick below.
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“In his remarks today, Donald Trump called for a new civil rights agenda that includes the right to a safe community, the right to a great education and the right to a secure job. These civil rights are in addition to the fundamental, constitutional civil rights of our society and the absolute commitment to equal protection, ending discrimination and safeguarding the dignity of all citizens - and that includes their inviolable freedoms and liberties. Mr. Trump will also defend our religious freedoms, and the freedom of Americans from all communities to worship in peace.” – Pastor Darrell Scott
More detail will continue to be shared on these items in the coming days. Below is more detail on these points and links to previously-released policy papers and speeches on a number of the items.
THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A SAFE COMMUNITY –The first duty of our government is ensuring every citizen in America has the right to live and prosper in a safe community. We cannot solve poverty if we don’t also solve crime – security is the foundation of prosperity. Crime is a stealth tax on the poor, reducing their jobs, incomes, property values and undermining their schools. A top priority of a Trump Administration will be working with local communities, city and state police, federal law enforcement, and the Mexican government to combat crime. As a team we will dismantle gangs, remove violent offenders from the streets, and destroy the international drug cartels that thrive off the innocent victims in our cities robbing them of the future every citizen deserves. This will provide a foundation for other reforms to thrive – to education, trade and across the economy, along with social reforms and religious empowerment to strengthen families as the foundation of opportunity. This is all part of rescuing millions from poverty and fear that no American should have to experience.THE RIGHT TO A GREAT EDUCATION OF YOUR CHOICE –At the center piece of our agenda is the empowerment of parents and children in school choice. States should have flexibility to use federal dollars to help parents and students find educational opportunities that meet their needs – including charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, religious schools, and home schooling. A portion of existing education aid should be contingent on states developing school choice programs. The failed government education monopoly discriminates against students in the inner cities by denying them the choice they deserve.We will end discrimination in all of its forms.We will use federal resources to encourage states to provide choice, while also encouraging curriculums geared toward success in the workplace – not arbitrary standards – and programs that provide students with in-demand skills and matches them up with both college courses and career courses.THE RIGHT TO HAVE YOUR JOB PROTECTED –The current policy of economic globalism violates the civil rights of American citizens by failing to protect and prioritize their jobs and wages from foreign competition. The movement of jobs offshore, combined with the uncontrolled flow of workers onshore, has concentrated wealth at the top and put American workers at a disadvantage. Economic surrender to the mercantilist and predatory trade practices of foreign countries has steadily eroded the economic conditions of Americans, particularly in our inner cities.At the same time, illegal immigration violates the rights of American citizens in general – and African-American citizens in particular – by stripping them of the equal protection of the laws, which include the laws passed to protect them from illegal competition. Illegal immigration, while enriching the owners of capital, has disproportionately harmed low-income African-American and Hispanic citizens. As Harvard Professor Dr. George Borjas documented: “The employment rate of African-American men—defined as the fraction of weeks worked during a calendar year by the typical black male—fell from 73.2 percent in 1960 to 64.3 percent in 2000… The data reveal a strong correlation between immigration and black wages [and] black employment rates… As immigrants disproportionately increased the supply of workers in a particular skill group, we find a reduction in the wage of black workers in that group [and] a reduction in the employment rate.”
Further crucial steps will need to be taken to do a top-down reform to add millions and millions of new great jobs – energy reform will add half a million new jobs a year, along with dramatic tax and regulatory reform to bring thousands of new companies to our shores and into our poorest communities. This, combined with repatriation of overseas profits, and a bold national infrastructure program, will create trillions in new wealth to invest into our communities and our workers.
By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]
With Donald Trump's recent push to attract black voters many of his surrogates have claimed that Trump has done nothing to turn off black voters. We will not mention the housing discrimination lawsuits brought against him or his call for the execution of five innocent black/brown men in the Central Park Five case, but instead focus on his much more recent role in the Birther Movement.
Donald Trump and his surrogates would like everyone to forget his role in that racist movement because they can't defend it. Even after Pres. Obama's official birth certificate was presented Trump continued to lead the racist charge on this issue. The movement simply tried to delegitamize President Obama for no other reason than that he was African American and that his name sounded like a Muslim one. That was both racist and bigoted, things America is not supposed to be about. It played to the worst fears of American society who are afraid of whites no longer being the majority here in this great melting pot we call the United States.
Donald Trump was chief among the various wingnuts leading this movement as seen in the 2012 video below:
Now Donald Trump can not say this different happen or that he was misunderstood, or that some clone did that interview. He knows what he did. If he wants black votes he can start by apologizing for his role in the birther movement. This angered black voters to no end.
Until he does there is no reason to continue trying to garner black support. You can't support a racist movement and then expect black people to listen to you let alone vote for you.
By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]
In an effort to flip the script and court African American voters, Republican nominee Donald Trump is trying to broaden his appeal by attending Saturday service at a black church in Detroit. While some welcome his presence, many prominent African American pastors in the community are less enthused and more skeptical of his intentions. Watch those pastors express their views below.
George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com [EMAIL]
On Friday Republican presidential nominee met with several black Republicans in Philadelphia. What bothered me is that many headlines on this story made it seem as if Trump was meeting with black leaders. They made it look as if he were meeting with mainstream African-American leaders when in fact he was not.
Here are examples of a few of the headlines in the mainstream media.
Los Angeles Times: Donald Trump, courting black support, meets with leaders in Philadelphia
CBS News: Trump meets with black community leaders in Philadelphia
Boston Herald: The Latest: Trump meets with black leaders in Philadelphia
The reality is he was meeting with people with little or no sway in the black community. One doesn't arbitrarily get the title of leader because of a title they may hold, one earns it through the work that they have done.
If you walked in front of a predominantly black audience and tried to present these black Republicans as black leaders, you would think that you were in a room full of owls when you heard the word who being repeatedly said. I'm talking about people such as Daphne Goggins, a local Republican official or Calvin Tucker, the head of the Germantown Republican Club.
These are people who have not done any work in the Black community let alone be leaders. This whole thing was a dog, and pony show with black individuals who were voting for Trump anyway.
It was just another Trump reality show.
George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com
