Aretha Franklin's family says pastor's eulogy was offensive

The late Aretha Franklin's family said Monday that it found an Atlanta pastor's eulogy delivered at the Queen of Soul's funeral last week to be offensive and distasteful.

The eulogist, the Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., was criticized for a political address at the Friday funeral that described children being in a home without a father as "abortion after birth" and said black lives do not matter unless blacks stop killing each other.

"He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogize her," said Vaughn Franklin, the late singer's nephew, who said he was delivering a statement for the family.

Franklin said that his aunt never asked Williams to eulogize her, since she didn't talk about plans for her own funeral. The family selected Williams because he has spoken at other family memorials in the past, most prominently at the funeral for Franklin's father, minister and civil rights activist C.L. Franklin, 34 years ago.

His eulogy "caught the entire family off guard," Vaughn Franklin said. The family had not discussed what Williams would say in advance, he said.

"It has been very, very distasteful," he said.

He said it was unfortunate because everyone else who participated in the ceremony was very respectful.

[SOURCE NBC NEWS]

Republican official resigns after calling kneeling NFL players baboons

A racist Republican county official in Pennsylvania has resigned over social media posts where she called NFL players who protested by taking a knee during the national anthem “baboons” and “ignorant blacks.”

“Tired of these overpaid ignorant blacks telling me what I should believe in. I will tell you what I believe in and that is our Flag the National Anthem and America period end of story,” wrote Carla Maloney, the ex-Republican Committee of Beaver County’s secretary, on Facebook under the name Carla Belich Fueller, local outlet The Beaver Countian reported.

“You don’t like it here go to Africa see how you like it there. We are all Americans not African American not Hispanic American. WE ARE ALL AMERICAN,” she added.

The racist posts were made before Maloney was named secretary earlier this year, Chip Kohser, chairman of the RCBC told the Beaver County Times.

Most of the comments were made after many of the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in their locker room for the anthem before their game on Sept. 24, 2017, Kohser added.

“Steelers are now just as bad as the rest of the overpaid baboons… How many men and women have lost limbs or died to protect this country and you baboons want respect,” she wrote in one post. “Let’s see how the baboons get paid when white people stop paying their salaries.”

In a letter sent Friday, Maloney resigned as both secretary and as an elected member of the committee, and apologized for her “distasteful, inappropriate and insensitive social media posts.”

“I know my posts and comments were disrespectful to not only the people that I love, but families across the country,” she wrote.

The posts were made public this week as a result of “an ongoing family dispute,” Maloney added.

Kohser, the committee chairman, said Maloney’s comments “do not reflect the opinions of the Republican party as a whole” – though he admitted to knowing about the posts last year.

[SOURCE: NY POST]

Michael Eric Dyson speaks at Aretha Franklin funeral service

You may have heard about author, political pundit, academic and preacher, Michael Eric Dyson's remarks during Aretha Franklin's funeral service and how he may have went after Trump a "little bit", took an indirect shot at Barack Obama, and discussed unapologetic "blackness". Check out those remarks.

Los Angeles street to be named after Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama is getting his own street in Los Angeles.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Tuesday night that a 3.5-mile stretch of Rodeo Road in southwest Los Angeles will be renamed Obama Boulevard.

"We're thrilled that Angelenos and visitors will forever be reminded of the legacy of President Barack Obama when traveling across L.A.," Garcetti tweeted.

The city council unanimously approved the tribute on Tuesday. Council President Herb Wesson is behind the idea.

[SOURCE: ABC7]

Minnesota House candidate uses N-word to describe himself in campaign ad

I'm still not sure if this is a real campaign ad or a rejected Chapelle Show sketch intended to troll us all, but Kyle Greene, a candidate running for a state House seat in Minnesota, used the N-word in a campaign ad released earlier this month to describe himself.

Greene told The Minneapolis Star Tribune that he used the racist slur because he wants citizens in the state to focus on “the real issues at hand.”

“We need to unify as a society, and we need to stop dealing with trivial matters,” Greene told the Tribune.

Watch the video and check out the poll below:

NY Giants star Odell Beckham meets with survivors of NJ bus crash

Prior to Thursday night’s preseason finale between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., fresh off signing a five-year, $95 million contract extension, stopped to greet several survivors of the Paramus NJ school bus crash.

.@OBJ_3 stops to meet survivors of the Paramus school bus crash who are here for tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/MWrSxOD5L5

— New York Giants (@Giants) August 30, 2018

Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum responds to Ron DeSantis 'monkey' comment

During an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo Mayor Andrew Gillum, Florida's first African American nominee for governor, said that his opponent Ron DeSantis' "monkey this up" comment was used as a way to "incite" his base. He also discussed his victory in the Florida Democratic Primary.

Texas police officer found guilty in the death of 15 year old Jordan Edwards

On Tuesday, a Dallas County jury convicted the former Balch Springs police officer of murder for shooting Jordan Edwards an unarmed 15-year-old as he left a party with his brothers and two friends in April 2017.

Roy Oliver, 38, was found not guilty, however, on two counts of aggravated assault for firing his rifle into the car full of teens.

The former officer, who was fired from the force not long after the shooting, was immediately taken into custody, and his bond was revoked.

He faces up to life in prison when testimony resumes Wednesday in the trial's punishment phase.

The mother of Jordan Edwards thanked jurors Tuesday for convicting her son's killer rather than letting him "walk away."

"The police just walk away and don't have to give account for anything," Charmaine Edwards testified in the punishment phase of Roy Oliver's trial. "I'm forever grateful that y'all seen it in your hearts to see that it was wrong."

[SOURCE: DALLAS NEWS]

Andrew Gillum wins Florida Democratic Primary for Governor

Democrat Andrew Gillum rode a surge of liberal support from young people and African Americans to a stunning primary victory Tuesday and the historic opportunity to be the first black governor in Florida’s history.

With 94 percent of the votes counted, Gillum had an unofficial 3 percentage point lead over his closest rival, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham. Gillum overwhelmed Graham in Miami-Dade and Broward, the state’s two largest Democratic counties, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, in the highest turnout for a midterm primary election in Florida history.

“I am overwhelmed,” Gillum told a cheering crowd of supporters at a victory party at Hotel Duval in downtown Tallahassee. “I want you to know that this thing is not about me. This race is about every single one of us. Those of us inside this room. Those outside of this room. Those who voted for me. Those who didn’t vote at all. And those who didn’t vote for me because they are Republicans. But I want to be their governor, too.”

Democrat Andrew Gillum rode a surge of liberal support from young people and African Americans to a stunning primary victory Tuesday and the historic opportunity to be the first black governor in Florida’s history.

With 94 percent of the votes counted, Gillum had an unofficial 3 percentage point lead over his closest rival, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham. Gillum overwhelmed Graham in Miami-Dade and Broward, the state’s two largest Democratic counties, by more than a 2-to-1 margin, in the highest turnout for a midterm primary election in Florida history.

“I am overwhelmed,” Gillum told a cheering crowd of supporters at a victory party at Hotel Duval in downtown Tallahassee. “I want you to know that this thing is not about me. This race is about every single one of us. Those of us inside this room. Those outside of this room. Those who voted for me. Those who didn’t vote at all. And those who didn’t vote for me because they are Republicans. But I want to be their governor, too.”

Gillum’s task now is to unify the Democratic Party after a primary in which the majority of voters selected a different candidate. He also must choose a lieutenant governor running mate by Thursday, Sept. 6.

Gillum will face off against Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the November general election.

[SOURCE: MIAMI HERALD]

Archdiocese of New Orleans's says school's hair extension policy rescinded

A Catholic school official said Monday that a suburban New Orleans school has rescinded its policy forbidding hair extensions.

But it remains unclear whether a sixth-grader who left school in tears last week after running afoul of the rule will return to Christ the King school.

A state judge blocked enforcement of the rule after the families of Faith and another girl, Tyrielle Davis, filed suit.

RaeNell Houston, the superintendent Archdiocese of New Orleans schools issued a statement that said Fennidy's family, and the family of Tyrielle Davis, another student who joined in a lawsuit over the policy, were told last week that Christ the King's hair extension policy had been rescinded.

"When this issue arose, the school immediately reviewed its policy and recognized that there may have been sensitivities that needed to be addressed," Houston's statement said. "They then reached out for input from the Office of Catholic Schools, the Office of Black Catholic Ministries, other principals, and parents."

Attorneys for the girls' families said the school did not immediately rescind the policy. They initially refused to change the policy, the attorneys claim, "instead asking that if Faith and Tyrielle return to school they pretend that their hair was natural."

Houston said she will work with school officials to "create a uniform policy that is sensitive to all races, religions, and cultures."

[Yahoo News]

http://www.africanamericanreports.com/2018/08/archdiocese-of-new-orleanss-says.html

America's black community has been excluded from profiting from Legalization of Marijuana

As more US states decriminalize the drug for medicinal or recreational use, America's black community has been excluded from profiting from the lucrative trade. Listen to more on this below. There is a brief 30 second commercial that is part of the recording if you wish to fast forward passed that. [SOURCE: FINANCIAL TIMES]

The Obama's statement on the passing of John McCain

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have released the following statement on the passing of an American hero, Sen. John McCain:

James Clyburn: Democrats must advertise in the Black Press to win in November

During an interview with NNPA (National Newspaper Publishers Association) Newswire Rep. James Clyburn (Dem, South Carolina) made three suggestions he thinks Democrats should follow to increase black voter turnout so that they can win big in the 2018 mid-terms. One was to advertise in the Black Press

From the NNPA Newswire interview:

...Democrats shouldn’t rely on an anti-President Donald Trump wave to get out the vote. Finally, Clyburn said that candidates must advertise in the Black Press, if they want to win in November.

“We are also talking about districts where Barack Obama won twice and where Hillary Clinton also won, but these voters don’t turn out for the so-called ‘off-year elections,’” Clyburn said. “We can’t let these voters feel like we’re taking them for granted.”

Clyburn, 78, said he was recently taken aback by one candidate, who said that he could win the Black vote by running on an anti-Trump platform.

“Wait one second,” Clyburn said that he told the individual. “We can’t just go around being ‘Republican-light.’ We have to be out there putting forth an alternative message, for our base, and we have to reach out to Black voters and let them know we’re not taking them or any of our base for granted.”

To that end, Clyburn said advertising campaigns must largely include the Black Press.

“It’s very, very important…Chairman Richmond and I have had candidates in and we’ve been telling them that one of the best ways to demonstrate that you’re not taking the Black vote for granted is to advertise in the Black Press,” Clyburn said.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) is the oldest and largest trade group representing the Black Press, comprised of more than 200 Black-owned newspapers operating in the United States.

“I’ve been in [the Black Press]. My daughter and I ran a newspaper down South, so I know that candidates tend to take Black media for granted,” Clyburn said. “They tend to judge Black media the same way they do other media and you just can’t do that, because the business model is totally different.”

Each Sunday after attending Morris Brown A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., Clyburn said he and other churchgoers habitually pick up the local Black-owned newspaper.

“People tend to pay attention to the headlines, the stories and the ads in the Black Press so it’s vitally important that candidates know this,” Clyburn said.

CNN Suspends Paris Dennard Over Past Sexual Misconduct Allegations

CNN has suspended one of its most vocal, pro-Trump commentators after a Washington Post report detailed past alleged sexual misconduct that resulted in his firing from Arizona State University four years ago.

Paris Dennard, who was recently praised by President Donald Trump as “wonderful,” was serving as the events director for ASU’s McCain Institute for International Leadership when he according to a 2014 university report obtained by The Washington Post, “pretended to unzip his pants in her presence, tried to get her to sit on his lap, and made masturbatory gestures.”

Dennard called the allegations “false.”

“I cannot comment on items I have never seen regarding allegations I still believe to be false,” Dennard told WaPo. “This is sadly another politically motivated attempt to besmirch my character, and shame me into silence for my support of President Trump and the GOP.”

After the report was published, CNN suspended Dennard.

“We are aware of reports of accusations against Paris Dennard,” a CNN spokesperson told Mediaite. “We are suspending Paris, effective immediately, while ‎we look into the allegations.”

[SOURCE: MEDIAITE]

NJ Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman questions manhood of men in congress when it comes to Trump

In a series of tweets and in a very NJ way, New Jersey's Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (Dem, New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District) questioned the manhood of the men in Congress when it comes to the willingness of doing their job and checking President Trump on things like Russia and following the law.

For a Congress so full of men, it's incredible that we don't have the balls to check a president that: asks aides to violate protocol and law; praises dictators from Russia to the Philippines; and torpedos relationships with our allies.

— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) August 23, 2018

This is a reckoning, and any member of Congress unwilling to do his or her job should step aside.

— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) August 23, 2018

If making a mockery of the emoluments clause wasn't enough; if comforting confederates and nazis wasn't enough; if rampant racism, collaborating with Russians, and being implicated in federal elections crimes wasn't enough, then WHAT IS ENOUGH for Congress to act?

— Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) August 23, 2018

Atlanta renames street after civil rights icon John Lewis

Noting U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ life of “raw courage,” Atlanta officials renamed a street for the civil rights icon Wednesday.

Freedom Parkway, a four-lane conduit to the Carter Center, will now be called John Lewis Freedom Parkway.

“John Lewis is synonymous with freedom,” Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens said when explaining why that particular street was chosen. Dickens sponsored the resolution — which the council unanimously approved in December — to rename the street after Lewis.

“He has lived a life of raw courage,” Dickens said, calling Lewis the “conscience of Congress.”

Lewis encouraged the crowd to vote and called voting “the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society.”

Renaming the street is just one way the task force assembled by Dickens plans to pay respect to the congressman. Plans to paint a mural of Lewis in the Atlanta airport in January ahead of the Super Bowl are in the works, Dickens said.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms also presented Lewis with the Phoenix Award — the city’s highest honor — Wednesday for his work as both a local and national leader.

“We are one people. We are one family,” Lewis said. “We will not give up on each other.”

[SOURCE: WTOP]

Sen. Harris Introduces Bill Aimed at Reducing Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality

Today, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris and 13 Democratic colleagues introduced the Maternal Care Access and Reducing Emergencies (CARE) Act, a bill to reduce the racial disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity. The United States is one of only thirteen countries in the world where the rate of maternal mortality is now worse than it was 25 years ago. For Black women, the risk of death from pregnancy-related causes is three to four times higher than for white women, and Black women are twice as likely to suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications.

“Health equity for Black women can only happen if we recognize and address persistent biases in our health system,” said Senator Harris. “This bill is a step towards ensuring that all women have access to culturally competent, holistic care, and to address the implicit biases in our system.”

"We applaud Senator Harris on putting forward this critical legislation and appreciate her commitment to ending racial disparities in maternal health care and outcomes,” said Elizabeth Gay, MPH, Co-Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. “Addressing racial discrimination and implicit bias is an important but often overlooked part of improving maternal health in the United States. We are grateful for Senator Harris’ brave leadership.”

“We are proud to endorse Senator Harris’ legislation, the Maternal CARE Act. This bill gives young people entering the medical field access to implicit bias training, as well as establishes a pregnancy medical home demonstration program,” said Lisa Hollier, M.D., M.P.H, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “We know that racial and ethnic disparities in women’s health – including in maternal mortality, an issue I have dedicated my ACOG presidency to addressing -- cannot be reversed without addressing racial bias; both implicit and explicit. That’s why, in partnership with the Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, ACOG is actively involved in educating health care providers on implicit bias to improve women’s health. We look forward to working with Senator Harris to ensure this legislation becomes law, so we can work toward realizing an equitable health care system.”

“Women of color continue to face disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in this country,” said Jennifer Jacoby Altscher, Federal Policy Counsel, Center for Reproductive Rights. “This bill aims to address these racial disparities head-on through the creation of programs that have proven to lead to better health for women of color.” 

The Maternal CARE Act:

• Creates two new grant programs focused on reducing racial health disparities in maternal health: 
• Implicit Bias Training Grants: Addresses implicit bias—bias in judgement or behavior resulting from implicit attitudes and stereotypes—by establishing competitive grants directed to medical schools, nursing schools, and other health professionals training programs to support implicit bias training. Priority is given for training in obstetrics and gynecology.
• Pregnancy Medical Home Demonstration Project: Establishes a demonstration project to assist up to 10 states with implementing and sustaining pregnancy medical home (PMH) programs to incentivize maternal health care providers to deliver integrated health care services to pregnant women and new mothers and reduce adverse maternal health outcomes, maternal deaths, and racial health disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity. 
• Directs the National Academy of Medicine to study and make recommendations for incorporating bias recognition in clinical skills testing for U.S. medical schools. 

Earlier this year, Harris introduced a resolution designating April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week in order to recognize the maternal mortality rate among Black women as a public health crisis.

The Maternal CARE Act has received support from the following organizations: American Academy of Nursing, American College of Nurse-Midwives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Women Birthing Justice, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Center for Reproductive Rights, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, March of Dimes, National Birth Equity Collaborative, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood, SisterSong National Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

In addition to Harris, the bill is sponsored by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Doug Jones (D-AL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tom Carper (D-DE), Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Full text of the bill is available here.

Simone Biles wins every gold medal at U.S. Championships

Simone Biles, in the second meet of her comeback, won her record fifth U.S. all-around title and swept the four apparatus titles, combining scores from Friday and Sunday at TD Garden.

She never thought it would be possible, but she also wants to work on pre-meet nerves, consistency and confidence.

“I’d give it a B-plus,” Biles told Andrea Joyce on NBC.

The four-time Rio Olympic gold medalist became the first woman to win all five golds at the national gymnastics championships since Dominique Dawes in 1994.

She won the all-around by 6.55 points over 2017 World all-around champion Morgan Hurd, the largest margin since the perfect-10 system was thrown out in 2006. That gap is larger than that separating Hurd from the 11th-place gymnast.

“I knew I was capable of [scoring this well], but I kind of thought I was going to be a nervous wreck and maybe fall apart,” said Biles, who wore a teal mint leotard in part to stand with fellow Larry Nassar sexual-abuse survivors (teal ribbons were worn at NCAA meets in the winter and spring). “Going into these events, I know I kept telling my family like I don’t know if I’m going to be able to calm myself down the way I did before and handle the nerves, but so far, so good.”

[SOURCE: NBC SPORTS]

Black Shreveport Louisiana Mayoral Candidate Threatened With Lynching

The FBI and Louisiana State Police are investigating a Shreveport an African American mayoral candidate's claims that he was anonymously threatened with lynching if he did not drop out of the race, a state police spokesman said Thursday.

Caddo Parish Commissioner Steven Jackson said Wednesday that he was threatened anonymously with lynching if he did not drop out of the race for Shreveport mayor. He said he reported the threat online to state police.

Trooper Glenn Younger, a state police spokesman in Bossier City, said his agency received Jackson's report Thursday morning. He said that state police and the FBI would handle the investigation, with the FBI taking the lead.

Jackson, in a news conference Wednesday, said someone placed an envelope containing a sheet of paper with a threatening message at the Jackson family home on Ashton Street.

A copy of the sheet, which Jackson provided, depicts Jackson's face crudely placed on top of a head in a noose. The word "Rope" appears at the bottom.

These type-written words then appear below the image: "LEAVE OUR STATUE & PROPERTY ALONE & GET OUT OF THE RACE N-----."

The image mimics a famous poster promoting former President Barack Obama, although the word "Hope" on the original has been changed to "Rope."

Eric Rommal, special agent in charge for the FBI in New Orleans, said the agency is aware of "incident in Shreveport" and is contact with state and local authorities.

"If in the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal offense, the FBI is prepared to investigate," Rommal said in an email. "The FBI takes seriously all acts or threats of violence and is committed to investigating crimes that are potentially motivated by hate."

The use of the word "statue" is an apparent reference to Jackson's October vote as a parish commissioner to remove the Confederate monument that stands on the Texas Street side of the Caddo Parish Courthouse in downtown Shreveport. The commission voted 7-5 for removal.

Jackson has said he does not personally live at the Ashton Street house where the envelope and threatening message were left.

The paper does not identify who made or left it at the home. Nor did the envelope, Jackson said.

Jackson said he also received a threatening call earlier this week. The call was from an unknown number, he said.

“I’ve also received harassing calls saying ‘Get out of the race, N word, or we will release these reports on you,” he said.

Jackson said the message left at his home was evidence of a "hate crime."

He said he did not report the threatening message to the Shreveport Police Department or the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office. One reason he didn't report it to the police department, he said, is that as a candidate for mayor he has criticized Police Chief Alan Crump.

“We feel comfortable putting this either at the state or federal level. I think they have the resources best to investigate it,” Jackson said.”SPD needs to be working on the crime issue.”

Jackson added that he will not drop from the mayor's race.

"We're not afraid," said Jackson, a Democrat. "This is hate. That's what this is. And Shreveport and Caddo Parish should be about love. It should be about unity.

“To the persons who place these racist messages at our doorstep, we love you,” he said. “We want to let you know we love you.”

Jackson was elected to the Caddo Parish Commission in 2016 and is one of eight candidates for Shreveport mayor.

[Shreveport Times]

Newark's own Shakur Stevenson stays unbeaten

Shakur Stevenson, (8-0, 4 KOs), of Newark NJ, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, won a unanimous eight-round decision over Carlos Ruiz (16-4-2, 6 KOs), of Mexico City, in a featherweight bout.

Stevenson had won his two fights prior to Ruiz by knockout, but spent most of the bout moving laterally along the ropes, throwing just enough punches to win every round.

Ruiz followed Stevenson around but never launched an attack. Every round was the same, totally void of highlights.

After the fight, members of Stevenson's camp claimed he broke his right hand in the second round.

[SOURCE: ESPN]

All three judges scored the fight for Stevenson, 80-72.