ESSENCE Magazine Is Black-Owned Once Again

Essence Ventures LLC, an independent African-American owned company, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Essence Communications from Time, Inc.

Essence President Michelle Ebanks praised the decision, saying, “This acquisition of ESSENCE represents the beginning of an exciting transformation of our iconic brand as it evolves to serve the needs and interests of multigenerational Black women around the world in an even more elevated and comprehensive way across print, digital, e-commerce and experiential platforms. In addition, it represents a critical recognition, centering and elevation of the Black women running the business from solely a leadership position to a co-ownership position.”

‘Ownership by the people’

Ebanks will continue to head up the company and will be on the board of directors.

“The strategic vision and leadership that Michelle has provided to ESSENCE over the years have been exemplary, and we are thrilled to work with her and her talented team to provide the necessary resources and support to continue to grow the engagement and influence of the ESSENCE brand and transform this business,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder and chairperson of Essence Ventures.

“As importantly, we are excited to be able to return this culturally relevant and historically significant platform to ownership by the people and the consumers whom it serves and offer new opportunities for the women leading the business to also be partners in the business.”

“We remain committed to leveraging our resources to provide opportunities for other culturally-rooted entrepreneurs and businesses that further our culture and create economic opportunities for our communities. Our focus here will be on ensuring that Essence reaches its full potential via heightened capabilities, technology, products and touch points that super-serve the interests of Black women locally and globally. We look forward to helping generate new opportunities that create more value across the ESSENCE portfolio with unmatched content, commerce and international access for the millions of women it serves, as well as exceptional value for our advertising partners and content creators.”

Doug Jones hires African-American chief of staff

Sen.-elect Doug Jones (D-Ala.) has hired former transportation official and congressional aide Dana Gresham as his new chief of staff.

Jones will be the only Senate Democrat to have an African-American chief of staff once Gresham comes on board. Two Senate Republicans, Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Jerry Moran of Kansas, have black chiefs of staff.

Gresham previously served as assistant secretary for government affairs at the Department of Transportation, and before that was chief of staff to then-Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.). A graduate of Georgetown University, Gresham is an Alabama native: A tweet Tuesday by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) referred to him as "Birmingham's own stand out."

Jones has made hiring a diverse staff a priority since he staged an upset win over Republican Roy Moore in last month's special Senate election in Alabama.

[SOURCE: POLITICO]

Experts say black Confederate soldiers didn't fight for South Carolina

Two South Carolina lawmakers want to erect a monument on the State House grounds to African-Americans who served the state as Confederate soldiers. But records show the state never accepted nor recognized armed African-American soldiers during the Civil War.

“In all my years of research, I can say I have seen no documentation of black South Carolina soldiers fighting for the Confederacy,” said Walter Edgar, who for 32 years was director of the University of South Carolina’s Institute for Southern Studies and is author of “South Carolina: A History.”

“In fact, when secession came, the state turned down free (blacks) who wanted to volunteer because they didn’t want armed persons of color,” he said.

Pension records gleaned from the S.C. Department of History and Archives show no black Confederate soldiers received payment for combat service. And of the more than 300 blacks who did receive pensions after they were allowed in 1923, all served as body servants or cooks, the records show.

Confederate law prohibited blacks from bearing arms in the war, records show, until that edict was repealed in 1865 at the very end of the conflict.

That repeal resulted in a handful of African-American units in states such as Virginia and Texas. But there were none in South Carolina, which prohibited African-Americans from carrying guns in the state’s service throughout the war for fear of insurrection, according to the archives.

Read more: A monument to SC’s black Confederate soldiers? None fought for the South, experts say

Army soldier home for the holidays, died trying to save people from in NYC fire

An Army soldier who was visiting New York City for the holidays was among the 12 victims in the deadly Bronx blaze, his father told CBS New York. Kwabena Mensah said his son, Emmanuel, spent his final moments trying to rescue other people in the building.

"That's what I think, because it was in his nature," the elder Mensah said. "He wanted to help people out."

The 28-year-old was in for the holidays – his first trip home since joining the Army a year ago.

Emmanuel Mensah's roommate was the last to see him. She made it out with her four children and husband but lost Mensah in the mix.

"Tried to call and phone everywhere, my husband went to hospital," she told CBS New York.

Kwaben Mensah took comfort knowing his son lived and died a hero.

"God is in control, I have no control. God is in control," he said.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]

FBI Affidavit Details David Clarke’s Intimidation Of Fellow Passenger

Feds dropped their case against him in May, but Milwaukee investigators determined he had abused his authority, the filing reveals.

Former Sheriff David Clarke abused his authority when he ordered the mistreatment and intimidation of a fellow passenger on a flight to Milwaukee in January, according to a newly revealed FBI search warrant affidavit, because Clarke assumed the man was showing disrespect toward the right-wing Donald Trump booster.

The affidavit, which had requested a search of Clarke’s private email account, was revealed as part of a filing in U.S. District Court in Wisconsin on Thursday. It’s unclear if it indicates continued interest by the FBI or just details information from months earlier.

In May, federal prosecutors informed Clarke’s attorney that they weren’t going to pursue charges against him over his encounter with passenger Dan Black. But according to the affidavit, filed in March, investigators for the Audit Services Division of the Milwaukee County controller’s office determined as part of its own investigation that Clarke had “used his official position as sheriff of Milwaukee County in excess of his lawful authority to direct his deputies to stop and question Black without legal justification.”

Despite the damaging information in the affidavit, the Department of Justice sent a letter to Clarke’s attorney in May saying that a decision had been made “not to criminally prosecute any civil rights offenses” against Clarke because of concerns that such a case would be difficult to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The letter warns, however, that the “decision could change if additional information came to light.”

Read more: FBI Affidavit Details Ex-Sheriff David Clarke’s Intimidation Of Fellow Passenger

Eric Holder: Trump DOJ comments both wrong and dangerous

Former Attorney General Eric Holder is not happy with President Trump for saying that he has the "absolute right" to do what he wants with the Department of Justice. Holder tweeted that Trump's comments were "wrong" and "dangerous." Read his full tweet below:

Wrong/dangerous. Trump doesn’t have absolute rights with DOJ. But women and men there have ABSOLUTE duty to follow Constitution and rule of law - not a man. Career DOJ people have ABSOLUTE right to defy illegal orders. And they will. I know them.

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) December 29, 2017

Retired English teacher wants ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ sung at NBA games in February

At 75 years old, Eugene Williams Sr. has embarked on a self-directed mission: to persuade NBA teams to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (otherwise known as the “Black National Anthem”) before its games in February (otherwise known as Black History Month).

Every day when he wakes up in his home in Clinton, Maryland, Mr. Williams opens a composition book (the kind you might use to take an essay test) and riffles through its names and telephone numbers — contact information for NBA teams and their staffers.

Then he starts making cold calls.

“This should be sung as well as the national anthem,” the retired English teacher said in an interview. “Particularly for the NBA players.”

Mr. Williams says he’s focusing on the NBA because its players are contractually obligated to stand during the national anthem. Since they can’t kneel in protest, perhaps they could stand in solidarity for another anthem that celebrates the patriotism and resilience of black communities, he said.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written in 1900 by black poet James Weldon Johnson, who at that time was the principal of a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, wrote the music for the poem in 1905. The NAACP designated it as the “Negro National Anthem” in 1919.

“There have been instances in the past when teams have added a performance of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’” an NBA spokesperson told The Washington Times.

In fact, Stevie Wonder blended “Lift Every Voice” into the end of his performance of the national anthem during the 2005 NBA Finals.

Read more: Man wants ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ sung at NBA games in February

American Airlines Apologizes for Accusing Black Basketball Players of Theft

American Airlines has apologized to two players on the Memphis Grizzlies' minor league affiliate who were kicked off a plane in Dallas after a flight attendant wrongfully accused them of stealing blankets, which an assistant coach suggested happened because they are black.

Airline spokesman Joshua Freed said Tuesday that Memphis Hustle guard Marquis Teague and forward Trahson Burrell boarded the Sunday flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The flight was operated by Envoy Air.

Two first-class passengers gave the players their blankets as they headed to their seats in coach. But a flight attendant, who is also black, accused them of theft and the players were asked to leave the plane following an argument.

An airline manager apologized to the players and they later flew first class to Sioux Falls, Freed said.

"We take pride in bringing people together, and we know that on this flight we let some of our customers down," Freed said. "Our team at American, along with Envoy Air, is reviewing what happened, and will be reaching out to them."

Read more: American Airlines Apologizes for Accusing Memphis Hustle Players of Theft

The Remarkable Career of Shirley Ann Jackson

Shirley Ann Jackson worked to help bring about more diversity at MIT, where she was the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate. She then applied her mix of vision and pragmatism in the lab, in Washington, and at the helm of a major research university.

Shirley Ann Jackson arrived at MIT in the fall of 1964 as one of just a handful of black students and the valedictorian of her public high school in Washington, D.C. In the midst of working on her first physics problem set, she emerged from her room and noticed all the other first-year women on her floor out in a common area, doing theirs together. “If you know anything about MIT, you know that working the problem sets is a big deal,” she says. “So I gathered up my paperwork and said, ‘May I join you?’

“One of them looked up and said, ‘Go away.’

“I said, ‘I’ve done half the problems already and I know how to do the other ones.’

“And another girl said, ‘Didn’t you hear her? She said go away.’”

And that was just the start. “It was pretty isolating,” Jackson says of her undergraduate years. Students avoided sitting next to her in lecture halls. If she joined others in the dining room, they would generally finish faster or skip their dessert. When that freshman study group rejected her, she went back to her room and cried. But after a while she told herself, “Well, I do have to hand in these physics problems.” So, she says, “I got myself together and finished the work.”

As a girl, Jackson studied the circadian rhythms of bees she captured from flowers and shrubs around her home.

Jackson would need that kind of resilience to see her through nine years at MIT, as both an undergraduate and a graduate student in physics. Becoming the first African-American woman to receive a PhD from the Institute—in any field—served as prologue to a career that has spanned research, public policy, and academic leadership. She’s worked as a theoretical physicist at Bell Laboratories and chaired the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She co-chaired President Obama’s President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and served on the boards of IBM and FedEx. And since 1999, she’s been president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

“It’s nearly impossible to understand the full sweep of Shirley’s career, from academia to government to business,” says Sylvester Gates, a physicist at Brown University who considered Jackson his mentor at MIT. “She has been extraordinarily successful in all of those realms. She also has a magnificent ability to understand organizations and how to be effective within them ... She has always been the cool head in the group.”

Read more: The Remarkable Career of Shirley Ann Jackson

Eric Garner’s daughter on life support in ICU after suffering heart attack

The oldest daughter of Eric Garner — who has become an advocate against police brutality since her dad’s death — suffered a heart attack Saturday night and was in critical condition on Christmas Eve, family members told the NY Daily News.

Erica Garner, whose father died in 2014 when NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold on Staten Island, was on life support in ICU in a Brooklyn hospital, the family said.

The 27-year-old mother of two is unable to breathe on her own, family said.

Esaw Snipes-Garner, Erica’s mother, told The News her daughter’s condition was grave but the family hadn’t given up hope.

“(She) is still with us. She’s fighting,” the mom said.

Read more: Eric Garner’s daughter on life support in ICU after suffering heart attack

Congressional Black Caucus to Speaker Ryan: Reauthorize, Fully Fund Children’s Health Insurance Program

Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan informing him that the caucus will only vote for a government spending bill that reauthorizes and fully funds the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) for five years and two years respectively without taking away funding from other programs that help children and families, such as those for vaccinations, youth suicide prevention, and substance abuse.

“One day after giving away $1.5 trillion in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy, it is unconscionable and un-American that Congress is likely to leave Washington for the holidays without a permanent solution for nine million children who depend on the Children’s Health Insurance Program and 27 million families who visit community health centers for primary health care needs,” CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02) said.

CBC Chairman Richmond continued, “The holidays are a time to reflect on how fortunate we are and help those in need. In that vein, the Congressional Black Caucus will only support a government spending bill that reauthorizes and fully funds the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Community Health Centers without taking away from other programs that help children and families.”

Text of the letter is below:

Dear Speaker Ryan:

On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), I write today to strongly urge you to provide a more permanent solution for close to 9 million children enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and more than 27 million people that visit Community Health Centers (CHC’s) for critically needed health care. It is completely irresponsible for Congressional Leaders to have created this crisis. Moreover, it is now unconscionable for Congress to head home for the holidays without taking action to right this wrong.

The holidays are a time to reflect on how fortunate we are and help those in need. In that vein, the CBC will not support a Continuing Resolution unless CHIP is reauthorized and fully funded for five years and Community Health Centers are reauthorized and fully funded for two years. Moreover, the offsets for these programs must not harm other vulnerable communities by reducing funding for other programs, such as the Prevention Fund. For this to be the state of play one day after giving away $1.5 trillion to huge corporations and the wealthy is absurd and offensive.

Close to 2 million children across this country are in danger of losing CHIP coverage in January, with another 1 million set to lose coverage in February. A short term approach to providing these children and their families with certainty is absolutely irresponsible. Without swift reauthorization and fully funded coverage, young lives hang in the balance. Congress’ failure to act will set off a chain of dire consequences for children, as well as their families, communities, and states. A family without insurance is a family more likely to fall victim to financial crisis related to medical costs, such as bankruptcy.

Similarly, Community Health Centers play an essential role in low-income communities as they protect and expand access to critical and affordable care. The Community Health Centers Fund (CHCF) provides mandatory funding for federal health centers, which provide primary, dental, and other supportive care in medically underserved areas. Robust and reliable support for Community Health Centers results in more health centers, an increased number of patient visit, and more available services. These services save lives, especially in communities struggling to provide affordable care to poor, largely minority communities.

The CHCF is even more essential to the more than 27 million people it helps support in light of recent efforts to the dismantle our nation’s health insurance market. As you well know, the elimination of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate will add 13 million uninsured Americans, increase premiums by 10 percent, and make it harder for sick people to get insurance.

The Congressional Black Caucus has been the conscience of this Congress since its inception in 1971. We have provided moral leadership and courageous advocacy for our constituents and for all Americans that have felt disenfranchised or left behind. At the time of year when we are supposed to be most charitable, it is urgent that Congress act to reauthorize CHIP and Community Health Centers and provide robust funding for both. Children and families do not need to spend the holidays worrying about their health. It is time for Congress to do what it is responsible and moral. Accordingly, the CBC will not support any legislation to prevent a shutdown unless these critical programs are addressed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Fabrice Coles is our Executive Director and can be reached at Fabrice.Coles@mail.house.gov or 202-226-9776.

Sincerely,

 Cedric Richmond

Chair

Mary Norwood concedes: Keisha Lance Bottoms Officially Mayor Elect of Atlanta

Just two weeks after being narrowly defeated in the Atlanta mayoral runoff, Mary Norwood has officially conceded the race, making Keisha Lance Bottoms election night win official.

"For the future of this city, I believe it is the right thing to do to move on and hold a new administration accountable to serve this great city well," Norwood said in a video shared online.

The decision comes after a tumultuous several days following the election which was earlier in the month. Norwood first requested a recount and later challenged whether an entire recently-annexed neighborhood should be counted.

The admission, which follows the recount results showing an even bigger win for mayor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, further paves the way for the city's next mayor.

"I wish my opponent a term of governance that embodies all that my campaign did embracing every Atlantan and working hard for all Atlantans with grace and dignity," Norwood said in closing.

Thursday afternoon Bottoms released this statement:

“This was a long, hard fought campaign and I remain grateful for the support we received across this city. We truly are stronger together and we will move forward as one Atlanta. I appreciate the passion Ms. Norwood has shown towards our city and look forward to working with leaders across Atlanta to continue to improve our communities.”

[SOURCE]

John Kelly: I asked black Republicans to apply for Trump administration jobs

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly confirmed Tuesday that he met with a group of black Republicans and asked them to submit their resumes if they were interested in working for the Trump administration.

The meeting took place Monday, just days after the departure of White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former reality TV star.

"I met with them just for a few minutes and said we are looking for talented young men and women of any age that would be willing to come and serve the country for some period of time," Kelly said he told the group.

He added that he wasn't specifically calling for African-American or women applicants

Kelly also asked his guests to spread the word around, in case they knew people who were looking for "something that is very fulfilling."

[SOURCE: WKYC]

"We're looking for good people," he said.

Tahesha Way named New Jersey Secretary of State

Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on Monday introduced former Passaic County Freeholder (county commissioner) Tahesha Way as his choice for secretary of state, handing her a mandate to expand voter access and push back against President Donald Trump's administration.

The secretary of state is the chief election official, but also oversees the state's $44 billion tourism industry and is responsible for administering artistic, cultural and historical programs. Murphy said the position requires a "tested" leader who understands both business and law and "respects the vast cultures which make our state a melting pot." In Way, he said, he and Lt. Gov.-elect Sheila Oliver have found someone who fulfills those requirements and will "serve New Jersey with distinction."

Way was appointed to the Passaic County Freeholder Board in 2006 and served as its director in 2009. She spent five years as an administrative law judge and taught law at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is currently the special counsel for the county's Board of Social Services.

"I look forward to working with the governor-elect to make democracy real for all residents of New Jersey through maintaining and strengthening voting rights and common-ground efforts to modernize the voting process, and I hope to ensure the integrity of the voting process," she said during a news conference in Trenton, where she was joined by three of her four daughters and her husband, Charles, a former running back for the New York Giants.

[SOURCE: NORTHJERSEY.COM]

Sen. Cory Booker receives death threat

Police in Newark, New Jersey, are stepping up their protection of Sen. Cory Booker after he and his family received a death threat, Newark mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement Saturday.

"The Newark Police Division has been notified by the United States Capitol Police (USCP) regarding a threat on the life of New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and his family members," Baraka said. "As a result, members of the Police Division’s Executive Protection Unit have been assigned to provide security at the Senator’s residence in Newark."

He continued, "The USCP provides protection to Members of Congress and we are closely coordinating with the agency to ensure Senator Booker is able to carry out his duties of serving New Jersey's residents in Congress in a safe manner."

No further information about the death threat on the Democratic New Jersey lawmaker and his family was provided.

[SOURCE: ABC NEWS]

Maame Biney becomes first African-American female to make U.S. Olympic Speedskating team

Maame Biney became the first black woman to qualify for a U.S. Olympic speedskating team with a pair of victories in the 500 meters.

The 17-year-old native of Ghana cruised to victory in the first 500 final at the short track trials on Saturday, beating Olympians Lana Gehring, Jessica Kooreman and Katherine Reutter-Adamek.

"I can't believe it, aww geez," she said after squealing with joy. "It's a really good feeling, but it has to set in first because it takes me a while. I'm like, 'Holy cow.'"

Before the second final, her father sitting in the stands held up a sign reading: "Kick some hiney Biney."

She sure did.

Biney set a blistering pace in taking an early lead that widened as the wild and wooly race went on. She crossed the finish line on the hockey-sized rink and began clapping and then pumping her arms so hard she lost her balance and fell.

She went down laughing all the way.

"When I realized that I made the Olympic team, I started cheering like crazy and then I made my epic fall," she said.

Biney will be the second black speedskater on a U.S. Olympic team. Shani Davis was 19 when he qualified for the short track team in 2002. He later switched to long track and won four medals, including two golds.

[SOURCE: USATODAY]

The North Carolina A&T Aggies are the 2017 HBCU Football Champs!

The North Carolina A&T Aggies (12-0) are once again HBCU football champions after defeating the Grambling University Tigers (11-2) by a score of 21-14 at the third annual Celebration Bowl.

The Aggies were lead by QB Lamar Raynard, who completed 23 of 43 passes for 225 yards and a touchdown and had 17 yards on eight carries.

"It's a great feeling to make history," the junior quarterback said.

Running back Marquell Cartwright aided the team's effort by rushing for 110 yards on 20 carries.

Franklin McCain III made the defensive play of the day for the Aggies. The freshman cornerback ended a Grambling drive following the second-half kickoff with an interception at the goal line.

"It's awesome," said McCain. "Not many programs can say that they went 12-0 and won a national championship. It's unbelievable."

"It's an awesome feeling to be 12-0 right now," N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway said. "I'm just extremely proud of our players, and I'm happy for our school."

The Celebration Bowl has the winner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) face the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC ) champion to decide who is the best in HBCU football.

This is North Carolina A&T's fourth championship. They also won pre-Celebration Bowl championships in 1990 and 1999 before winning the inaugural Celebration Bowl in 2015.

Scott M. Mills to become new BET president

Black Entertainment Television will soon have a new president.

BET Networks announced Thursday that Scott M. Mills will take over as president, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds Debra L. Lee, who will remain as chair and CEO. Most recently, Mills was executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Viacom, BET's parent company.

He says in a statement that he looks forward to overseeing "exciting, thought-provoking" programs for African Americans and young people worldwide. Lee had served as president since 2005, when she succeeded BET founder Robert L. Johnson.

BET is known for a wide range of programming, from the comedy series "50 Central" to the Soul Train Awards.

[SOURCE]

PBS suspends host Tavis Smiley amid sexual misconduct allegations

Longtime Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) host Tavis Smiley has been suspended following an investigation conducted by an outside law firm that found "credible allegations" regarding sexual misconduct.

"Effective today, PBS has indefinitely suspended distribution of 'Tavis Smiley', produced by TS Media, an independent production company," a PBS spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley. The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision."

Variety reports that the law firm MSK was hired by PBS and "took reports from 10 witnesses, a mix of men and women of different races and employment levels in Smiley’s organization, most of them former staffers," who claim he fostered a hostile work climate while verbally abusing his employees, according to the report.

Smiley, 53, has hosted his PBS program since 2004; he also served as its producer.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

African American Voters Made Doug Jones a U.S. Senator in Alabama

Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's the black vote flying in to Alabama to once again save Democrats and thwart the dastardly plans of Donald Trump and his minions. In plain English the black vote helped defeat Roy Moore and make Doug Jones a U.S. Senator.

Ahead of Alabama’s special Senate election, there was a clear narrative about the state’s black voters: They weren’t mobilizing.

Six of 10 black voters stopped by a New York Times reporter in a shopping center last week didn’t know an election was even going on, a result the reporter took to mean overall interest was low. The Washington Post determined that black voters weren’t “energized.” HuffPost concluded that black voters weren’t “inspired.”

If Democratic candidate Doug Jones lost to GOP candidate Roy Moore, weakened as he was by a sea of allegations of sexual assault and harassment, then some of the blame seemed likely to be placed on black turnout.

But Jones won, according to the AP, and that script has been flipped on its head. Election day defied the narrative, and challenged traditional thinking about racial turnout in off-year elections and special elections. Precincts in the state’s “black belt,” the swathe of dark, fertile soil where the African American population is concentrated, reported long lines throughout the day, and as the night waned and red counties dominated by rural white voters continued to report disappointing results for Moore, votes surged in from urban areas and the black belt. By all accounts, black turnout exceeded expectations, perhaps even passing previous off-year results. Energy was not a problem.

Exit polls showed that black voters overall made a big splash. The Washington Post’s exit polls indicated that black voters would make up 28 percent of the voters, greater than their 26 percent share of the population, which would be a dramatic turnaround from previous statewide special elections in the South, including a special election for the Sixth District in Georgia which saw black support for Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff dissipate on Election Day.

As Cook Political Report editor Dave Wasserman noted on Twitter, turnout was particularly high in the counties with the highest black populations. In Greene County, a small, 80-percent-black area that Martin Luther King, Jr., frequented in his Poor People’s Campaign, turnout reached 78 percent of 2016 turnout, an incredible mark given that special elections and midterms usually fall far short of general-election marks. Perry County, also an important mostly black site of voting-rights battles of old, turned out at 75 percent of 2016 levels. Dallas County, whose seat is the city of Selma, hit the 74 percent mark. And while the exact numbers aren’t in for all of the majority-black or heavily black counties, it appears black voters favored Jones at rates close to or above 90 percent.

Meanwhile, Moore’s support sagged in mostly white counties. The race was probably over for the former state chief justice when Cullman County, which is virtually all white and heavily supported Trump in 2016, only turned out at 56 percent of its 2016 levels. It really does seem that although many white voters weren’t convinced to vote for Jones, the allegations against Moore persuaded many of them to stay home.

These results demolish the pre-established media narrative about black voters in the state, and defy conventional wisdom. Black voters were informed and mobilized to go vote, and did so even in the face of significant barriers.

I previously noted that Alabama is one of the hardest states in the country to vote—especially so for black voters, and that voter suppression efforts could have had strong effects on black votes. Tuesday night’s returns are all the more remarkable because of the surge of turnout that appears to have taken place in spite of those very real barriers.

The grassroots organizing in black communities by groups like local NAACP chapters was more muscular than it had even been in the 2016 general election. In the lead-up to Tuesday’s contest, voting-rights groups registered people with felonies, targeted awareness campaigns at people who might not have had proper ID, and focused specifically on knocking down the structures in place that keep black voters away from the polls. Their efforts immediately become a case study in how to do so in a region that has, since the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision curtailing the 1965 Voting Rights Act, become a bastion of new voter-suppression laws, including new voter-ID laws.

The prospects of those laws and efforts to circumvent them will be further tested in the 2018 elections. But, for now, Jones is the man in Alabama, and even as white voters by and large stuck with Moore, Democrats were saved by a community already fighting against the grain to be heard in the din of democracy.

Read more: African American Voters Made Doug Jones a U.S. Senator in Alabama