Jeanette Epps: First African-American On The International Space Station

Okay, am I the only one that finds it extremely convenient that NASA would release this press release right before the general release of the movie Hidden Figures? You don't think that there may be some collaboration between NASA and 20th Century Fox? If so smart move.  But on a more serious note congratualtions to Jeanette Epps. George L. Cook III African American Reports.

NASA is assigning veteran astronaut Andrew Feustel and first-flight astronaut Jeanette Epps to missions aboard the International Space Station in 2018.

Feustel will launch in March 2018 for his first long-duration mission, serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 55, and later as commander of Expedition 56. Epps will become the first African American space station crew member when she launches on her first spaceflight in May 2018. She’ll join Feustel as a flight engineer on Expedition 56, and remain on board for Expedition 57.

“Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer,” said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The space station will benefit from having them on board.”

A native of Lake Orion, Michigan, Feustel was selected as part of the 2000 astronaut class and, in 2009, flew on the space shuttle Atlantis for the final servicing mission of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. He made his first trip to the space station in 2011 as a member of the STS-134 crew on space shuttle Endeavour’s final mission.

Feustel has a bachelor’s degree in solid Earth sciences and a master’s degree in geophysics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In 1995, he completed his doctorate in geological sciences, with a specialization in seismology, from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Epps earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1992 at LeMoyne College in her hometown of Syracuse, New York. She went on to complete a master’s of science in 1994 and a doctorate in 2000 in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

While earning her doctorate, Epps was a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Project fellow, authoring several journal and conference articles on her research. After completing graduate school, she went on to work in a research laboratory for more than two years, co-authoring several patents, before being recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. She spent seven years as a CIA technical intelligence officer before being selected as a member of the 2009 astronaut class.  

Feustel and Epps will join a long and distinguished line of astronauts who have crewed the International Space Station since November 2000. With the help of the more than 200 astronauts who have visited, the space station enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. Its convergence of science, technology and human innovation provide a springboard to NASA's next giant leap in exploration, including the Journey to Mars.

Follow Jeanette Epps on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Jeanette

How President Obama inspired me as a young black man to do more

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

Many including myself will miss President Obama when he is gone from the presidency. As a young black man who believed he was doing well and giving back to his community hear how I was inspired to do even more by President Obama.

Talladega College explains why its marching band will perform at Trump inaguration

Talladega College president Billy Hawkins has decided that the college's marching band will participate in the inauguration parade for Donald Trump making it the only HBCU to do so. While I'm sure many of us can think of several reasons that the school should not participate, Talladega has put out the following press release to explain why their band will be participating:

TalladegaPressRelease Revised01.05.17 by George L. Cook III on Scribd

Talladega College marching band will perform at Trump inauguration

The Talladega Marching Tornadoes will participate in the 58th Presidential Inaugural Parade, Talladega College President Billy Hawkins announced Thursday. The decision follows several days of controversy after the historically black college initially accepted an invitation to perform, with critics saying the move amounts to support for President-elect Donald Trump -- who made some comments during the presidential campaign that were widely viewed as disparaging to people of color and immigrants.[SOURCE: CNN]

Read the letter Deval Patrick wrote opposing Trump attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions

In a letter Tuesday to the Senate Judiciary Committee, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick recalled a 1985 voting rights case in which he defended three Alabama residents against what he called “an act of extraordinary quasi-judicial activisim” by Sessions, then the U.S. attorney for the state’s southern district. Patrick’s team won the case, but, in his letter Tuesday, Patrick called it “a cautionary tale.” [SOURCE]

Read that letter below:

Deval L Patrick Letter Re Sessions AG Nom 1-3-17 by George L. Cook III on Scribd

There is no defense for the 4 black teens that tortured a disabled white man in Chicago

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

What happened in Chicago to a mentally disabled white man at the hands of 4 black teens was reprehensible. At the same time this attack is not a political or ideological football to be kicked around to attack Black Lives Matter or black liberals in general. Listen to more of my thoughts on this below.

California Democrats hire Eric Holder to battle Trump in court

Democratic leaders of the California state legislature have hired Eric Holder, the former attorney general during the Obama administration, to serve as outside legal counsel as they prepare for a series of court battles with President-elect Donald Trump's White House.

In a statement released Wednesday, California Senate President Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon -- both Democrats -- announced they had "hired outside legal counsel to advise on potential legal challenges with the incoming Trump administration."

"With the upcoming change in administrations, we expect that there will be extraordinary challenges for California in the uncertain times ahead," the state leaders said. They vowed to protect "California's economy and our sensible policies on climate change, health care, civil rights, and immigration."

To accomplish that goal, the legislature said it retained the Covington & Burling law firm, led by Holder.

Read more: California Dems tap Eric Holder to fight Trump in court

Talladega College: We’ve not Committed to Trump Inauguration

Talladega College ignited controversy on Friday afternoon when its marching band was included on a list of 40 organizations purportedly slated to perform in President-elect’s Donald Trump’s Inaugural Parade on January 20. The list was released by Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC).

As of early Tuesday afternoon, however, Talladega officials said there has not been an official decision from the president’s office on whether Talladega’s Marching Tornadoes will be performing at the inauguration, contradicting the PIC’s assertions.

“From Trump’s inaugural committee, via their press release, we are listed as one of the schools in attendance, but the official word that I’m receiving from the president is that a decision has not been made as to whether we would attend or not,” a Talladega representative said. An email to the PIC was not returned.

Read more: Talladega College: We’ve not Committed to Trump Inauguration

Check out the National Museum of African American History and Culture: A Souvenir Book

While I'm sure many of us have future plans to go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, our very busy lives and or finances could delay or stop that trip entirely. That doesn't mean that we can't get a look at the museum in the meantime through it's souvenir book.

SYNOPSIS: National Museum of African American History and Culture: A Souvenir Book

This souvenir book showcases some of the most influential and important treasures of the National Museum of African American History and Culture's collections. These include a hymn book owned by Harriet Tubman; ankle shackles used to restrain enslaved people on ships during the Middle Passage; a dress that Rosa Parks was making shortly before she was arrested; a vintage, open-cockpit Tuskegee Airmen trainer plane; Muhammad Ali's headgear; an 1835 Bill of Sale enslaving a young girl named Polly; and Chuck Berry's Cadillac. These objects tell us the full story of African American history, of triumphs and tragedies and highs and lows. This book, like the museum it represents, uses artifacts of African American history and culture as a lens into what it means to be an American.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK

Congressional Black Caucus plans to battle Trump on issues.

After eight years of the nation’s first African-American president, black lawmakers were in for an adjustment no matter who won the White House.

But members of the Congressional Black Caucus say they’re bracing for the worst in Donald Trump, fearing a presidency that could set minorities back decades.

Leaders of the group told POLITICO they have already begun discussing strategies to deal with Trump and any policies they believe would disenfranchise African-Americans — from public school funding to low-income housing to voting restrictions. Though the president-elect’s supporters call the alarm unwarranted, black lawmakers say Trump’s campaign and his Cabinet picks more than justify their concern.

“The stakes are incredibly high and our community is counting on us as the last line of defense between Donald Trump and the worst of what America could offer,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said.

“This is not the normal incoming president,” added Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). “We had no plan for George Bush. I think Charlie Rangel and John Conyers would tell you they didn’t even have a plan for Richard Nixon. But this is not the norm.”

Incoming CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is expected to outline his priorities for the new administration when he officially takes the reins of the caucus on Tuesday. Some members suggested challenging Trump on his home turf — Twitter — while others advocated nonviolent protests reminiscent of the civil rights movement.

Read more: Black pols plan Trump resistance

Court-imposed election map paved way for new Virginia congressmen

When two new members of the Virginia congressional delegation are sworn in Tuesday, they can partially thank a panel of federal judges for their seats in Congress.

The judges fiddled with the boundaries of the districts enough to allow a Democrat to win in Richmond and a new Republican to oust an incumbent in the Virginia Beach area.

That means hello, Rep.-elects Donald McEachin (D) and Scott Taylor (R). Goodbye, seven-term congressman J. Randy Forbes (R).

Their unexpected paths to victory — or early retirement — reveal the extent to which the nuances of an elections map can help determine winners and losers.

The Virginia map changes started with a lawsuit filed by Democratic lawyer Marc E. Elias in 2013.

He argued a district represented by Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D) illegally packed enough African Americans into its boundaries to diminish their influence elsewhere. Elias said the Virginia congressional case in some ways was a model for lawsuits in North Carolina and at the state level in Virginia, for which he is awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

“We learned a lot in Virginia about how the Republican legislature approaches redistricting, and the Republican legislature hopefully learned that it can’t abuse its powers,” Elias said Friday.

The federal judges eventually handed down a new map that moved a significant number of African American voters, a group that tends to vote for Democrats, into Forbes’s district.

Read more: Court-imposed election map paved way for new Virginia congressmen

HBCU marching band agrees to participate in Trump's inauguration, sparks controversy

The marching band of Alabama's oldest private, historically black liberal arts college has accepted an invitation to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural parade, organizers said.

Talladega College's band will march at Trump's inauguration as other historically black schools such as Howard University, which performed at President Barack Obama's first inaugural parade, said they won't be marching in the Jan. 20 event.

"We were a bit horrified to hear of the invitation," said Shirley Ferrill of Fairfield, Alabama, a member of Talladega's Class of 1974.

"I don't want my alma mater to give the appearance of supporting him," Ferrill said of Trump on Monday. "Ignore, decline or whatever, but please don't send our band out in our name to do that."

The move has lit up Talladega College's social media sites with a sharp debate about the band's decision to participate in the parade. Some people voiced strong opposition, while others support the band's participation.

"After how black people were treated at Trump's rallies, you're going to go and shuck and jive down Pennsylvania Avenue? For what?" Seinya SamForay said in an interview. "What they did is a slap in the face to other black universities."

SamForay, of Chicago, was among dozens of people commenting on the school's social media sites.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Friday that the Talladega College Marching Tornadoes was among 40 groups, including high school bands and military organizations, scheduled to perform in the parade. Some members of the Marist College band in upstate New York, also scheduled to perform at the inauguration, say they won't participate, a school spokesman said Monday.

[SOURCE]

President Obama to write another book after leaving office

During a recent sit-down on CNN with his former campaign manager David Axelrod, POTUS confirmed he'll release a book following the official end of his second presidential term.

"I'm gonna start thinking about the first book I want to write," he told Axelrod while speaking on his plans once he's no longer president. Although the current Commander-In-Chief will for sure be looking to get a head-start on his upcoming literary venture, he has something else in mind to focus on for the immediate future.

President Obama's upcoming book will be the latest of several he's penned in recent years, including 2004's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, which was released in 2006.

[SOURCE: ESSENCE.COM]

Three political stories for Democrats to watch in 2017

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

In 2017 the biggest political story will, of course, be the first year of Donald Trump's presidency. While that is important, there are other political stories that could impact Democrats going forward. Stories about the Obamas, California Senator-Elect Kamala Harris, and Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison. Read my thought on the three stories I feel will be important below.

Story #1: What will the Barack and Michelle Obama do?

One big question we should all have is what will the Obamas do once President Obama steps down. Will they take some time to just relax or will they get back involved in politics immediaetly? If they do get involved will they use their immense popularity to help Democrats on the national level or more on the local level in an attempt to win back state legislatures. Will they spend more time trying to build up a relatively weak Democratic bench or primarily fund raise. Maybe they will do all of those things or maybe none. It will be very interesting to see how involved these two remain.

Story #2: Will Kamala Harris live up to the hype?

There is no doubting that California Senator-Elect Kamala Harris is a great politician...on the state level. The question has to be will she live up to the hype and praise that several Democratic leaders such as President Obama have heaped upon her? She obviously has all the tools but does she know how to use them on a bigger stage. Another question would be is she ready as a first year US Senatorto accept the role of party savior that some have cast her in. We shall see, although I feel she will do just fine in her first year.

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Story #3: Will Keith Ellison become DNC chair?

This story could have big implications for Democrats for years to come. Will the ultra progressive Keith Ellison win in his bid to become Democratic National Committee Chairmen? If he does win will he and be able to build up the party to include those progressives who feel that their voices are not being heard by the more traditional Democrats and keep traditional Dems on board? Will he be able to map out a plan help win back seats at all levels from school board, municipal, county, state, and national.

we can't ignore the elephant in the room which is his past ties to the Nation of Islam. While Democrats may accept Ellison's statements on that time in his life over 20 years ago, and the fact that he stepped away from the NOI Republicans are not going to let it go that easy. They will make sure Ellison wears that albatross around his neck.

I believe that Ellison will do a good job if elected but the question is will he be elected?

Those are three stories that will in many ways shape the year that Democrats will have in 2017 and hopefully shape things for the best.

Happy New Year!

By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris

Fifteen-year-old Diamond stopped going to school the day she was expelled for lashing out at peers who constantly harassed and teased her for something everyone on the staff had missed: she was being trafficked for sex. After months on the run, she was arrested and sent to a detention center for violating a court order to attend school.

Just 16 percent of female students, Black girls make up more than one-third of all girls with a school-related arrest. The first trade book to tell these untold stories, Pushout exposes a world of confined potential and supports the growing movement to address the policies, practices, and cultural illiteracy that push countless students out of school and into unhealthy, unstable, and often unsafe futures.

For four years Monique W. Morris, author of Black Stats, chronicled the experiences of black girls across the country whose intricate lives are misunderstood, highly judged—by teachers, administrators, and the justice system—and degraded by the very institutions charged with helping them flourish. Morris shows how, despite obstacles, stigmas, stereotypes, and despair, black girls still find ways to breathe remarkable dignity into their lives in classrooms, juvenile facilities, and beyond.

Monique W. Morris is the co-founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute and writes a monthly column on black women and girls for Ebony.com. She is the author of Black Stats (The New Press) and lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and two daughters.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK

NAACP TO PROTEST PAT SESSIONS ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINATION ACROSS ALABAMA

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks to Join Protests at Sessions’ Mobile, AL Office Jan 3

Protests at Five Offices in Alabama Scheduled

MOBILE, AL—NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks will join with local Alabama chapters of the NAACP for a statewide protest against the nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III for U.S. Attorney General.

Alabamians Against Sessions for Attorney General will include five protests at the five Alabama offices of Sessions, located in Mobile, Huntsville, Dothan, Birmingham and Montgomery.

“As a matter of conscience and conviction, we can neither be mute nor mumble our opposition to Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions becoming Attorney General of the United States.  Senator Sessions has callously ignored the reality of voter suppression but zealously prosecuted innocent civil rights leaders on trumped-up charges of voter fraud. As an opponent of the vote, he can’t be trusted to be the chief law enforcement officer for voting rights,” said NAACP President/CEO Cornell William Brooks.

President Brooks will be joined at a January 3 press conference and protest at Sessions’ office in Mobile by Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton and Mobile Branch President Lizetta McConnell.

“Despite 30 years of our nation moving forward on inclusion and against hate, Jeff Sessions has failed to change his ways,” said Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton. “He’s been a threat to desegregation and the Voting Rights Act and remains a threat to all of our civil rights, including the right to live without the fear of police brutality.”

The press conference featuring NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, Alabama State Conference President Benard Simelton and Mobile (AL) Branch President Lizetta McConnell will take place in Mobile, AL on January 3, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the Office of Senator Jefferson Sessions, 41 West Interstate 65 Service North, Mobile, Al 36608

“Some of us in Alabama recall, Senator Sessions saying he liked the Klan,” said Mobile Branch President Lizetta McConnell. “He said it was a joke, but saying something like that while discussing a case where the Klan murdered a young black man says a lot about a person. We need someone who realizes that attorney general has got to actually care about the people’s rights he’s protecting and not just doing it because it’s his job.”

Local members of the NAACP will hold multiple Press Conferences around the state on January 3, 2017 at four of Sessions’ other district offices:

• 200 Clinton Avenue West #802, Huntsville, Al 35801

• Vance Federal Building, 1800 5th Avenue North, Birmingham, Al 35203

• 100 West Troy Street #302, Dothan, Al 36303

• 7550 Halcyon Summit Drive #150, Montgomery, Al 36117

Quincy Jones Not Attending Trump’s New Year’s Eve Party

Contrary to what Trump spokesman Sean Spicer music great Quincy Jones will not be attending President-Elect Donald Trump's New Years Eve party.

A spokesman for Quincy Jones says that he will be spending New Year’s Eve with his family in Los Angeles and will not be attending a party hosted by President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Earlier on Friday, in a transition team call with reporters, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said that Jones and actor Sylvester Stallone were among those on the guest list for the party, with about 800 guests attending.

Jones’s spokesman, Arnold Robinson, said that he wouldn’t be attending, and didn’t know where Trump’s team got the information.

Jones, the legendary music producer, has been a longtime supporter of Democrats, and donated to Hillary Clinton in the recent presidential campaign. He has promoted the idea of creating a White House position devoted to the arts, perhaps a “secretary of the arts.”

[SOURCE: VARIETY]

N.J. congresswoman, Bonnie Watson Coleman vows to defy proposed GOP broadcast ban

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has no plans to let a $500 fine get in the way of a protest.

Coleman called on House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other GOP lawmakers to "bring your fines" because she'll "keep on fighting" after news of a plan to pass a rule that would fine lawmakers for using electronic devices to transmit from the House chambers surfaced this week.

Coleman (D-12th Dist.) tweeted the rebuff of the proposed rule change, which was spurred by a July protest in the House chamber on gun safety that Coleman helped organize.

I will not let @HouseGOP & @SpeakerRyan keep Americans in the dark. Bring your fines; I'll keep on fighting. https://t.co/3eUj3V905D

— Bonnie WatsonColeman (@RepBonnie) December 28, 2016

The tweet was a reaction to news that House Republicans next week plan to take steps to prevent Democrats from again taking over the chamber and broadcasting their protests.

The fine would be $500 for the first offense and $2,500 for each subsequent violation. House Republicans could vote on it next week.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Statement by the President Obama on Kwanzaa

President Obama has released the following statement on the celebration of Kwanzaa:

In this holiday season, Michelle and I send our best wishes to those celebrating Kwanzaa. For families across the country, today marks the beginning of a joyous time to reflect on the rich African-American culture and to remember the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith - principles that reflect our most cherished values as Americans.

As we reflect upon this year, we look forward to the blessings and aspirations that await us in the year to come and we wish those families that will gather together and light the Kinara blessings for a happy and healthy new year.

How Women of Color Are Taking the Hair Business Into Their Own Hands

Marrying tech and beauty isn’t a new concept, but most of the existing hair service apps don’t include a diverse enough range of options, nor provide the right information to help a woman with a relaxer or an afro decide if a stylist is right for her. Swivel allows salon and home styling seekers to search its directory by specific hair texture and the type of look desired. A user can read reviews and see ratings of not only the stylist’s skills, but also the overall vibe of the salon, so she knows what to expect before she books. The app is a must-download for women who are new in town, need a stylist, and want to avoid a disappointing trial and error process. It’s also appealing to those who don’t want to rely on just one stylist to meet all of their needs.

While Swivel is on a quest to make the search for a stylist less painful, Lux Beauty Club, is tackling another common hair complaint—the cost. Co-founder Victoria Flores, a former Wall Street executive affectionately describes the company as a cross between “Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club.” Created with her long-time friend, Leslie Wilson-Namad, the goal of the service is to make high-quality human hair extensions accessible and affordable for a multi-cultural range of women. “My business partner and I have been wearing hair extensions since birth,” jokes Flores, who grew up in El Paso, Texas and now resides in New York City. After years of spending an obscene amount of money to get our hair done, we said enough is enough. There has to be a better way.”

Read more: How Women of Color Are Taking the Hair Business Into Their Own Hands