During a protest where people marched asking that President Trump release his tax returns, Rep. Maxine Waters vowed to fight everyday until Trump was impeached. Watch her comments below.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Dodgers unveil statue of Jackie Robinson at Dodger Stadium
The Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled a Jackie Robinson Statue at the Left Field Reserve Plaza the first in Dodger Stadium history on the 70th anniversary of Robinson breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947 prior to a Major League baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, April 15, 2017 in Los Angeles. Take a look at a few photos of that statue below.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Man Beaten by Georgia Cops Speaks Out
Video shows Demetrius Hollins, 21, was kicked in the head by a Georgia officer during a traffic stop. He told NBC Nightly News on Friday that he also had an earlier encounter with one of the officers.
The annual conversation on the decreasing number of African Americans in Major League Baseball
Hi all, this George Cook of African American Reports. Baseball season has started and it's time for that annual conversation about the lack of black kids playing baseball and the decrease of black players in the Majors. Check out my thoughts below.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Milk River PAC Focus on Black Female Political Empowerment
On March 30 in Washington DC, Milk River PAC hosted a dialog on the Impact of Women in Politics that featured Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and political commentator Ana Navarro.
The goal of Milk River PAC is to inspire more African American women to run for Congress. Along with The Collective, Democracy in Color, and Higher Heights, Milk River PAC is another effort focused on galvanizing support behind people of color running for office.
Milk River PAC and Higher Heights are specifically focused on Black women. Black women were number one of any group on America in voting percentage for the 2008 election cycle. But exactly how to create political power at at time when Republicans control Congress and the White House was one of many challenges.
The piece of the puzzle that has yet to be perfected is the money. But with the growing influence and power base of Black women in politics may soon fix that problem.
The specific goal of Higher Heights is to “identify, educate, and engage Black women across the socio-economic spectrum to elect Black women, influence elections and move public policy.”
As these political organizations grow stronger the money is soon to follow.
'Hidden Figure' Katherine Johnson to Deliver Hampton University Commencement Address
Hampton University is pleased to announce that Katherine G. Johnson, one of the leading inspirations behind the Hollywood feature film Hidden Figures, will serve as the University’s 147th Commencement speaker on May 14, 2017. Commencement will be held at Armstrong Stadium at 10 a.m.
Considered to be one of NASA's human 'computers,' Johnson performed the complex calculations that enabled humans to successfully achieve space flight. In 1961, Johnson was tasked with plotting the path for Alan Shepard's journey to space, the first in American history. Johnson was later responsible for verifying calculations of the "machines" and giving the "go-ahead" to propel John Glenn into successful orbit in 1962.
Johnson has been honored with an array of awards for her groundbreaking work. Among them are the 1967 NASA Lunar Orbiter Spacecraft and Operations team award, and the National Technical Association’s designation as its 1997 Mathematician of the Year. On Nov. 24, 2015, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama.
“With her razor-sharp mathematical mind, Katherine G. Johnson helped broaden the scope of space travel, charting new frontiers for humanity’s exploration of space, and creating new possibilities for all humankind," said Obama. "From sending the first American to space to the first moon landing, she played a critical role in many of NASA’s most important milestones. Katherine Johnson refused to be limited by society’s expectations of her gender and race while expanding the boundaries of humanity’s reach.”
Johnson earned a B.S. degree in mathematics and French from West Virginia State College. In 1999, that university named Johnson "Outstanding Alumnus of the Year."
Johnson had three daughters with her late husband James Goble. All of the daughters are graduates of Hampton University: Joylette Goble Hylick, '62, Constance Goble Garcia (deceased), ’73, and Katherine Goble Moore, ’70. Johnson is married to Lt. Col. USA(ret) James A. Johnson, ‘52. Johnson has six grandchildren (three of whom graduated from HU) and 11 great-grandchildren.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
North Miami Police Officer Charged in Shooting of Unarmed Black Man
A North Miami police officer who shot an unarmed caretaker of a man with autism last summer has been charged in the shooting, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office said Wednesday. Officer Jonathan Aledda is charged with attempted manslaughter and culpable negligence in the July 2016 shooting of behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Colson Whitehead wins Pulitzer Prize for 'Underground Railroad'
Whitehead’s heroine is a headstrong teenage runaway slave named Cora, who escapes a brutal cotton plantation and tries to find her way to freedom.
The Pulitzer committee lauded Railroad "for a smart melding of realism and allegory that combines the violence of slavery and the drama of escape in a myth that speaks to contemporary America."
In an interview with USA TODAY after learning he'd won the Pulitzer, Whitehead said: "My baseline happiness level has been pretty high the last 10 months."
He said when he wrote the first 100 pages of The Underground Railroad, he felt he was "firing on all cylinders." But he had no idea the novel would "have this kind of reception. I try to do the same old thing and hope it works out. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. This time it really did."
[SOURCE: USATODAY.]
Texas voter ID law struck down AGAIN as intentionally discriminatory
A federal judge ruled Monday for the second time that Texas' 2011 voter identification law was filed with discriminatory intent -- another blow to the state in a six-year legal battle over the legislation.
Last July, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law discriminated against Latinos and other minorities but made no ruling on whether it was intended to be discriminatory. It sent the case back down to a district court to reconsider that question. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos ruled that it was.
The 10-page ruling could land Texas back on the list of states that need approval from the U.S. Justice Department before changing its election laws. A 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling took Texas off that list.
In her opinion, Ramos said plaintiffs had proved that "a discriminatory intent was at least one of the substantial or motivating factors" behind the passage of the law and that it had been up to the state to prove it would have passed without its discriminatory purpose.
"The State has not met its burden," Ramos wrote. "Therefore, this Court holds, again, that SB 14 was passed with a discriminatory purpose."
Read more:Federal judge rules -- again -- that Texas voter ID law was passed to intentionally discriminate
Monday, April 10, 2017
Dylann Roof Gets Nine Life Sentences in State Case
Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was given nine consecutive life sentences in state prison after he pleaded guilty to state murder charges Monday, leaving him to await execution in a federal prison and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.
Judge J.C. Nicholson imposed the sentences following a hearing in which church members and Roof's grandfather testified about the personal toll of the case.
Standing at the defense table with his attorneys, clad in a gray and white striped jail jumpsuit and handcuffed to a chain at his waist, the self-avowed white supremacist entered his guilty pleas.
Under a plea agreement, Judge J.C. Nicholson sentenced Roof to life in prison on the state murder charges. The deal with state prosecutors, who also had been pursuing the death penalty, comes in exchange for a life prison sentence on the state charges.
Read more: Dylann Roof: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in State Case
Jalisa Lafay Mils is missing.
WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. Sheriff Jared Miller and the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in finding a missing juvenile.
Jalisa Lafay Mils, 15, was last seen at her Wakulla County home on April 9, 2017, at 2:00 a.m.
Jalisa is described as an African-American girl, around 5’3” tall, weighing 115 pounds, and is believed to be wearing a white shirt with black and pink shorts.
Jalisa may possibly be in the southern part of Leon County, Florida.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jalisa is requested to contact Detective Sergeant Eddie Wester, Criminal Investigations Division, at 850-745-7100.
Sunday, April 09, 2017
99 year old Tuskegee Airman to lead Memorial Day parade
One of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen will lead the township's 55th Annual Memorial Day Parade this year.
Charles Nolley, a 99-year-old Edison N.J. resident, has been named the Grand Marshall in the upcoming parade, Mayor Thomas Lankey announced Friday.
Nolley was drafted into the second World War in 1943 and served as one of the first black aviators in the history of the U.S. armed forces.
He trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama to become part of the Army Air Corps' four squadrons of all all-black servicemen. Nolley flew combat mission over Europe for three years with the 99th Pursuit Squadron.
"Not only is Mr. Nolley a witness to history, he is living history. His story is one of perseverance, dedication, service and success," Lankey said in release. "We are privileged to have Charles and his wife Martha as neighbors, and we are honored to have him as our parade Grand Marshal."
Saturday, April 08, 2017
Chicago Student Earns Acceptance From 22 Black Universities
Ariyana Davis is an 18-year-old senior at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School. She was able to apply to dozens of schools thanks to the Common Black College Application that allows students to apply to up to 50 HBCUs for a mere $35. She was accepted by 22 HBCUs, as well as Eastern Illinois University, a predominantly white institution.
“It was important for me to go to an institution that feels like home,” Davis added.
When her acceptances started to trickle in, Davis said she felt “excited and overjoyed.” The second-generation college student, who was offered a total of $300,000 in financial aid from all the schools, added that she felt “really grateful.”
Davis will attend Alcorn State University in Mississippi and is thinking about a master’s degree possibly at the University of Illinois.
Friday, April 07, 2017
Quadruplet brothers accepted into Harvard and Yale
Quadruplet brothers in Ohio have all been accepted at some of the nation's top universities, including each of them to both Yale and Harvard.
The Wade brothers of the northern Cincinnati suburb of Liberty Township say they have been notified in recent days of acceptances from a number of notable schools. Lakota East High School principal Suzanna Davis tells the Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News that the four seniors epitomize academic focus but are well-rounded, "great young men" with individual personalities.
Aaron, Nick, Nigel and Zachary haven't made their decisions, though Aaron likes Stanford University and his three brothers are leaning toward Yale. Financial aid offers likely will play an important role.
The youths said they are grateful to their parents and to the Lakota schools and their teachers.
"It's really something we couldn't have done on our own without all the support we have had through our lives," Nick said. "It has been awesome."
Their mother, Kim Wade, is a junior high school principal in the Lakota district, and their father, Darrin Wade, works at General Electric Co.
"We feel like getting into these schools show who the people around us are," Nigel said.
Zachary added that they have always gotten encouragement that "the sky's the limit" with their hard work.
"We were never told that we couldn't get somewhere," Zachary said.
The Washington Post reports that Harvard doesn't comment on admission statuses and that Yale said by policy, it doesn't discuss admitted students.
[SOURCE]
Lawmakers and Advocates Rally to Support Mary Bethune Statue in Washington D.C.
Bethune would replace a confederate general as one of Florida's representatives in a set of statues at the U.S. Capitol, under one proposal filed in the Senate.
The legislature voted last year to replace General Edmund Kirby Smith's statue amid a backlash against confederate symbols, following the 2015 shooting deaths of nine African-American worshippers.
State Senator Perry Thurston says the reasons to choose Bethune are many, adding it would be a good symbolic gesture.
Last June, Bethune, who founded what is now known as Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach appeared to be the favorite to replace Smith, getting the votes of all of the members of the "Great Floridians Committee".
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Sen. Cory Booker Statement on Department of Justice Review of Consent Decrees
“As mayor of Newark, I began as a skeptic of federal law enforcement consent decrees as we worked proactively to address long-standing issues with the Newark Police Department, working with the ACLU and residents to increase transparency and seek reforms. But I learned through my experience that these agreements can provoke meaningful changes in policing practices that improve public safety and fight crime while building trust between communities and police departments, ensuring fair enforcement of laws, and protecting civil rights. State and local police departments play a critical role in protecting our citizens and the vast majority of police officers do an incredible job in tough circumstances. Consent decrees, where necessary and properly constructed and implemented, can help keep officers and citizens safe, and improve life in the communities they serve.
“I’m deeply concerned that Attorney General Sessions’ announcement for a Department of Justice review of federal civil rights agreements with law enforcement would undermine the principle of equal justice for all Americans. I fear that this announcement paves the way for a retreat from accountability and oversight of allegations of systemic civil rights abuses. This would be a tremendous setback to both the efforts of our communities’ to fight crime and America’s ongoing commitment to fulfilling the promises of our Constitution. We need a Justice Department that takes seriously its charge to faithfully and vigorously enforce the nation’s civil rights laws and ensure that no one is above the law.”
Tuesday, April 04, 2017
NJ student accepted to all 8 Ivy League schools.
Ifeoma White-Thorpe, Morris Hills High School (NJ) has been accepted to all eight Ivy League schools and also Stanford. Watch her story below.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: No Tax Reform Without Trump’s Tax Returns
Last night in Washington, Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York 8th Congressional District, Brooklyn, Queens) took to the House floor demanding that President Trump release his tax returns.
Jeffries, a member of the House Judiciary and House Budget Committees, presented a privileged resolution which would delay any tax-reform legislation until the House Ways and Means Committee has had the opportunity to review Trump’s tax returns and determine how and if the president could benefit from tax-code changes.
The “privileged” resolution means that the House would have to act within two legislative days.
Jeffries argued that the House of Representatives shall:
-Immediately request tax return information of Donald J. Trump for tax years 2007 through 2016 for review in closed executive session by the Committee on Ways and Means, as provided under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, and vote to report the information therein to the full House of Representatives.
-Postpone consideration of comprehensive tax reform legislation until after the elected representatives of the American people in this House have been able to review Trump’s tax returns and ascertain how any changes to the Tax Code might financially benefit the President of the United States.
Jeffries stated that the American people deserve transparency concerning the President’s financial conflicts of interest and possible involvement with Russia.
Monday, April 03, 2017
Dawn Staley leads South Carolina women to NCAA women's basketball championship!
Dawn Staley didn't win an NCAA title as a player, although she went with Virginia to the Women's Final Four three times. She has finally won her college championship, as the coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks! She becomes the second black woman to coach a team to a women's championship. Carolyn Peck coached Purdue to a championship in 1999.
For the first time in four years, women’s college basketball has a new top team and it wears garnet and black. The South Carolina women’s basketball team is the new national champion, winning a national title for the first time in program history.
The Gamecocks beat Mississippi State 67-55 in Dallas on Sunday afternoon, completing the run through the postseason all the way to the crown in Dawn Staley’s ninth season.
USC made the whole run without senior center Alaina Coates, who missed the NCAA Tournament with an ankle injury. But what the Gamecocks had was more than enough — and all of it is expected back next season.
Junior forward A’ja Wilson led the Gamecocks with 23 points, while Allisha Gray — the star against Stanford on Friday in the Final Four — again came up huge for South Carolina with 18 points.
Read more: CHAMPS! South Carolina women’s basketball wins first national title
Sunday, April 02, 2017
Library of Congress, Smithsonian buy newly discovered photo of Harriet Tubman
An old photo album containing a rare portrait of the legendary underground railroad conductor Harriet Tubman has been jointly acquired by the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the institutions said Friday.
The new image depicts Tubman as a much younger woman than she appears in other known pictures. It is among 44 rare images in the album, including the only known photograph of John Willis Menard, the first African American man elected to the U.S. Congress.
“We are so thrilled,” Gayle Osterberg, a Library of Congress spokeswoman, said Friday in an email.
“The institutions have agreed to joint ownership and will digitize the photographs as soon as possible,” she wrote. “The intention is to make them as widely available as possible through online images everyone can use.”
Read more: Library of Congress, Smithsonian buy newly discovered photo of Harriet Tubman
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