Hillary Clinton discusses plan to help black colleges (HBCUs)

During an interview on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed her plan to help HBCU's. In response to a question from Roland Martin she made the following comments.

So what I’m focusing on is more good-paying jobs, I want to make college affordable and that is a plan that I’ve been talking about and working toward since I got into this campaign. I also want to help everybody with student debt and that’s a very high proportion of African-American young people with a B.A., that come out with student debt. We’re going to really help that get paid down and paid off so people can get on with their life.

I’m committed to helping historically Black colleges and universities – in fact, I have a specific fund of $25 billion dollars that will really upgrade and support and provide financial assistance for young people, because I think the HBCU’s are incredibly important in providing a pathway into the future.

Black doctors urge President Obama to ban menthol cigarettes

African-American doctors are calling on President Barack Obama to ban sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which government data show are heavily preferred among black smokers.

The African-American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, a nonprofit anti-smoking advocacy group, launched a public campaign this week asking Obama to direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to remove all so-called mentholated tobacco products from the marketplace.

The FDA found in 2013 that menthol cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than regular cigarettes, especially among African-Americans, but it stopped short of recommending a ban.

Read more: Black Doctors Call on Obama to Ban Menthol Tobacco Products

American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt

With the upcoming release of "Birth of a Nation" a movie about a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner you may be interested to know about the largest slave rebellion that took place in the United States. A revolt that took place in New Orleans by 500 organized slaves.

In January 1811, five hundred slaves, dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns, cane knives, and axes, rose up from the plantations around New Orleans and set out to conquer the city. Ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized, this self-made army challenged not only the economic system of plantation agriculture but also American expansion. Their march represented the largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States.

Historian Daniel Rasmussen reveals the long-forgotten history of America’s largest slave uprising, the New Orleans slave revolt of 1811. In an epic, illuminating narrative, Rasmussen offers new insight into American expansionism, the path to Civil War, and the earliest grassroots push to overcome slavery.

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President Obama: Full 2016 Congressional Black Caucus Speech

President Obama's complete speech at the 2016 Congressional Black Caucus in which the President reflects on his eight years in the Oval Office and urges Americans to defend the legacy he has built by voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Watch his speech below.

Video: Phil Heath wins 6th consecutive Mr. Olympia

Sorry Phil Heath haters but the champ is still here!

Phil Heath fended off a group of great challengers to claim his sixth consecutive Mr. Olympia contest. In my opinion Heath came in in better shape than both 2014 and 2015, and maybe his best shape ever. The champ needed to be dialed in as competitors such as Shawn Rhoden and Dexter Jackson came in fully ready to challenge the champ.

Heath is now tied with Dorian Yates after winning his sixth Sandow.

Here are the top five finishers

5th William Bonac

4th Mamdouh Elssbiay (Big Ramy)

3rd Dexter Jackson

2nd Shawn Rhoden

1st Phil Heath - 2016 6X Mr. Olympia

Sen. Cory Booker speaks on Colin Kaepernick protest.

New Jersey senator Cory Booker spoke with HuffPost to talk about Colin Kaepernick's recent protest during the national anthem. While not agreeing with Kaepernick's form of protest Booker makes it clear that we should be discussing the reasons for the protest. Watch that video below.

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Full Speech: Clinton speaks at Black Women’s Agenda Symposium in Washington D.C.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke at the Black Women’s Agenda Symposium in Washington D.C. on 09/16/2016, an event which Donald Trump declined to speak at (so much for that black voter outreach). Clinton addressed creating jobs and criminal justice reform among other topics. Watch her speech below.

* The Black Women's Agenda, Inc. is comprised of 21 national collaborating women's organizations, sororities, civic, service, and faith-based – representing millions of women worldwide.

Full Speech: Michelle Obama campaigns for Hillary Clinton at George Mason University

The beautiful, intelligent, funny, and energetic First Lady Michelle Obama took to the campaign trail at George Mason University in support of Hillary Clinton. Watch her amazing speech below.

Congressional Black Caucus Slams Trump's 'Birther' Response

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC were less than happy with Donald Trump's admission that Pres. Obama was indeed born a United States citizen. After 5 years of questioning the legitimacy of the nation's first black president, Trump took about 30 seconds addressing the issue. CBC members such as Hakeem Jefferies and Sheila Jackson-Lee took a lot longer in their fiery responses such as the . Watch the CBC members respond below.

UNCF, National Urban League, and Education Post Release Joint Report on Black Education Efforts

UNCF, the National Urban League, and Education Post today released “Building Better Narratives in Black Education,”a joint report published by UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, providing tangible approaches to shift the narrative concerning Black educational reform. The findings of the report aim to better engage communities around K-12 education and drive substantive policy changes for Black students. The three organizations will gather national and local education advocates, policy-makers, and community leaders today for a public launch event and reception at UNCF’s headquarters, featuring special guests Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO, and Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. The launch event also includes a panel of education leaders who will discuss accountability, improving educational outcomes, and improving college completion for African American students.

“Building a better narrative means privileging African American voices and perspectives as central drivers of successful urban school reform, as these conversations have largely excluded communities of color,” said Dr. Lomax. “We’re excited about engaging with our partners in this important work, which we believe will encourage substantive dialogue and drive meaningful changes to the way Black education reform is viewed, promoting an ‘urgency of now’ in ed reform.”

“At a time when only seven percent of Black 12th graders are performing at ‘proficient’ or above on national math assessments, compared with 32 percent of white students, we know we’ve got lots of work to do,” said Morial. “As education is the pathway to economic prosperity, we’re glad to work together with UNCF and Education Post to engage local communities in taking critical steps to address education achievement gaps.”

WHAT: “Building Better Narratives in Black Education” report release, panel discussion, and reception 
WHEN: 4:45 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EST Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016 
WHERE: UNCF, 1805 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001, located at Shaw-Howard Metro station 
WHO: 

•     Jonathan Atkins, Community Engagement Manager, K-12 Advocacy, UNCF
•     Dr. Meredith B. L. Anderson, Senior Research Associate (Patterson and K-12 Advocacy), UNCF
•     Sekou Biddle, Vice President, K-12 Advocacy, UNCF
•     Dr. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO, UNCF
•     Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
•     Eugene Pinkard, Deputy Chief of School Turnaround and Performance, DC Public Schools
•     Susie Saavedra, Senior Director for Policy and Legislative Affairs, National Urban League Washington Bureau
•     Naomi Shelton, Director, K-12 Advocacy, UNCF
•     Hal Smith, Vice President, Education, Youth Development and Health, National Urban League
•     Christopher Stewart, Director of Outreach and External Affairs, Education Post
•     Shantelle Wright, Founder and CEO, Achievement Prep

WATCH: Live Stream begins at 5 p.m. EST on UNCF’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/uncf

Follow the discussion on Twitter: @uncf @Edu_Post @NatUrbanLeague #BBNBlackEd

About UNCF 
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community, and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF annually awards $100 million in scholarships and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.®” Learn more at UNCF.org, or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

About Education Post 
Education Post is a non-partisan communications organization dedicated to building support for student-focused improvements in public education from preschool to high school graduation. The organization advocates world-class schools that support children to love learning, to be challenged and supported in the classroom, to have access to a range of enrichment activities, to be socially and emotionally strong and healthy, and to graduate from high school with everything they need to pursue the future they see for themselves. Learn more at educationpost.org.

About The National Urban League 
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to economic empowerment in African American and other underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League impacts and improves the lives of more than 2 million young people and adults annually through direct service programs, which are implemented locally by 94 Urban League affiliates, serving 300 communities in 36 states and the District of Columbia. Learn more at nul.iamempowered.com.

Sandra Bland's Family Reaches Tentative $1.9M Settlement in Lawsuit

The family of Sandra Bland, an African-American woman who was found dead in a Texas jail cell after her arrest following a traffic stop, has reached a tentative settlement of its wrongful death lawsuit, according to the family's attorney and officials in Waller County, Texas.

Cannon Lambert, the lawyer representing Bland’s family, told ABC-owned station WLS in Chicago today that a $1.9 million settlement was reached in the family's civil suit against the Texas Department of Public Safety; Waller County, Texas; and some county employees including two former jailers.

Waller County released a statement by its attorney Larry Simmons that a potential settlement agreement has been reached but that a few details remain to be worked out and the final deal must be approved by the county commissioners. "The Waller County defendants ... emphasize they vigorously deny any fault or wrongdoing," the county's attorney said.

Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said the most important part of the tentative settlement is the changes that Waller County would make to its jailhouse procedures.

“Obviously, it will never bring Sandy back,” Reed-Veal said in an interview with WLS. But, she added, “I feel so excited that now we have real change that’s about to happen right there in Waller County. I believe it will affect many, many other places across the country. It’s a victory for mothers.”

Lambert said that under the settlement Waller County must provide emergency nurses during all shifts at the jail; use automated electronic sensors to ensure accurate and timely checks on all occupied jail cells; and actively seek passage of state legislation that would provide greater funding for the intake and screening of county jail inmates and for other supports for local jails.

Of the $1.9 million agreed to in the settlement, Waller County will be responsible for the bulk of it, $1.8 million, Lambert told WLS. The Texas Department of Public Safety is limited by state statutes to paying no more than $100,000 under such lawsuits, he said.

[SOURCE]

Trump in Flint: Black pastor shuts Trump down when his speech gets political

Donald Trump sure does seem to be having a lot of trouble with black women in Flint Michigan. First Mayor Karen Weaver let him know that he was less than welcome and then another black woman had to put him in his place when he gave a speech that got to political in a black church. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

During his extended photo op in Flint Michigan Donald Trump took the time to visit and speak at a black church, Bethel United Methodist. During his speech he made the mistake of getting political and the church's pastor, Rev. Faith Green Timmons shut him down quick by reminding him that he there to address the Flint water crises. Watch that moment below.

Flint Michigan mayor not enthusiastic about Donald Trump's visit to the city

Upon hearing the news that Trump will visit her city, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, who has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, issued a statement, saying "Flint is focused on fixing the problems caused by lead contamination of our drinking water, not photo ops."

More from the statement issued by Mayor Weaver's office:

Mayor Weaver went on to point out that neither Donald Trump nor any staff members from the Trump campaign have ever reached out to her since the Flint water crisis was officially recognized as an emergency in December 2015, and he never let her know that he was coming to the city this week.

The statement said workers at the Flint water treatment plant "cannot afford the disruption of a last-minute visit,".

[SOURCE]

School Bus Driver Lauded for Saving 20 Children From Burning Bus

Renita Smith, a Maryland bus driver is being hailed today as a hero after she helped 20 elementary school students off a bus and to safety as a fire quickly enveloped their school bus in just seconds. Watch the story of her heroism below:

Full Speech: Pres. Obama campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia

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.

Rep. John Lewis on "holding back tears" at African American museum

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:

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Colin Kaepernick: Police union rescinds boycott threat of 49ers games

Looks like the power of easy overtime beat out the power of faux outrage...George L. Cook III African AmericanReports.Com

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]

Mia Love leading in polls in her re-election campaign

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]

Appeals Court blocks Kansas, Alabama, Georgia voter ID laws

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]

More than $300,000 Raised at 2016 UNCF “A Mind Is…” Hamptons Summer Benefit

(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).