Congresswoman Maxine Waters Statement on Suspicious Package

Packages containing potential explosives were sent to the Obama's,the Clinton's, and several others including California Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Waters' Washington D.C. office received a suspicious package and she has released the following statement:

“I have been informed by U.S. Capitol Police that my Washington, DC office was the target of a suspicious package that has been referred to the FBI. I am appreciative of the law enforcement entities who intercepted the package and are investigating this matter. I unequivocally condemn any and all acts of violence and terror.”

Stacey Abrams defends presence at state flag burning

The Democratic candidate in Georgia's gubernatorial race, Stacey Abrams, explained participating in a 1992 protest where Abram's burned the state flag as part of her opposition to Confederate symbolism.

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Anti-Lynching Legislation Introduced by Booker, Harris, and Scott

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, historic legislation that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in American history.

The legislation was originally introduced in June 2018 by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), and Tim Scott (R-SC).

“After more than a hundred years of failed efforts, we are now one step closer to finally making lynching a federal crime and putting an end to a long period of Congressional inaction and indifference,” said Senator Booker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “This bipartisan legislation is a painful – but necessary – acknowledgement of our nation’s horrific past, stained with the terror of racialized violence committed with near impunity. It sends a very clear signal that we as a nation will not tolerate bias-motivated violence in any form.”

“Lynching is a dark and despicable part of our country’s history. These were acts of violence, needless and horrendous acts of violence that were motivated by racism. And we must acknowledge that, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “These were crimes that were committed against innocent people. These are crimes that should have been prosecuted. There are victims and their families that should have received justice and did not. With this bill, we have a chance to speak the truth about our past make clear that these hateful acts should never happen again.”

“This is an important, long overdue bill that sends a strong message that we will not allow those who spew hate to divide us as a nation,” said Senator Scott. “I want to thank Chairman Grassley and the Judiciary Committee for passing this legislation and helping underscore the severity of this crime.”

From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. Lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation 4,084 times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.

The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Equal Justice Initiative, and has companion legislation in the House of Representatives led by Congressman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL).

North Carolina poll worker removed amid allegations of intimidating black voters

Election officials in Bunn, North Carolina removed a poll worker from an early voting site Thursday following allegations that she intimidated several African American voters.

The poll worker has been assigned to office duty away from the voting site pending a meeting Tuesday, the NC State Board of Elections confirmed to The News & Observer on Saturday. On Tuesday, voters who filed complaints will speak with members of the Franklin County Board of Elections.

Members of an African American political action committee, Franklin County PAC, accused the poll worker of repeatedly asking about a half dozen African American voters voters to spell their names on Wednesday, the first day of early voting across the state.

The voter complaint comes amid a highly sensitive atmosphere with accusations of voter suppression, fraud and intimidation targeting people of color in a number of states including, Georgia, North Dakota and North Carolina.

The State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement said on Saturday that the agency has been in contact with Lisa Goswick, the Franklin County elections director.

The state agency released a statement to The News & Observer:

“The poll worker in question was taken off of poll duty and is working in the county office until the County Board can meet to discuss the incident. It is our understanding that the County Board will hear from the poll worker involved to get the other side of the story. The board also will hear from several eyewitnesses to the events. Both the State and County Board take these allegations seriously and will continue to gather facts.”

SOURCE: The News & Observer

Netflix Cancels ‘Luke Cage’

Netflix has canceled “Luke Cage.”

News of the cancellation comes four months after the superhero action drama from Marvel Television debuted its second season on the streaming service — and just days after Netflix pulled the plug on another Marvel show, “Iron Fist.”

“Unfortunately, ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ will not return for a third season. Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem’s Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series,” Netflix and Marvel Television said in a joint statement.

A source tells Variety that talks for a third season had taken place, but that Netflix ultimately decided that one would not be feasible.

[SOURCE: VARIETY]

NEW $2.6 MILLION CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE BLACK VOTER TURNOUT IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The Black Economic Alliance PAC and Black Economic Alliance Fund announced today a $2.6 million campaign to mobilize Black voters in 15 key races ahead of next month’s midterm elections. The campaign seeks to increase Black voter turnout in support of candidates who are championing sustainable policies that will improve and enhance economic outcomes for the Black community in the U.S.

“For far too long, many of our nation’s elected officials have been crafting policies that contribute to the economic disenfranchisement of millions of Black people across the country,” said Gerald Adolph, board member of the Black Economic Alliance PAC. “By investing nearly $3 million in targeted gubernatorial, congressional and senate races, we can help ensure that candidates rallying for policies that lead to better employment opportunities and wages for Black Americans are victorious in November.”

“This midterm election is crucial for the economic well-being of many Black people and their families. That’s why we’ve extensively surveyed the national landscape to identify candidates who can help improve economic opportunities for the Black community,” continued Adolph. “As the election draws closer and fields shift, we will continue to invest in candidates and races that can make the ultimate difference in the lives of Black people.”

The Black Economic Alliance PAC and Black Economic Alliance Fund’s investments will support candidates in the following races: Florida Governor (Andrew Gillum); Florida U.S. Senate (Bill Nelson); FL-18 (Lauren Baer); FL-26 (Debbie Murcarsel-Powell); IL-14 (Lauren Underwood); Maryland Governor (Ben Jealous); Michigan Governor (Gretchen Whitmer); Mississippi U.S. Senate (Mike Epsy); NV-4 (Steven Horsford); NY-19 (Antonio Delgado), NC-13 (Kathy Manning); Ohio Governor (Richard Cordray); TX-7 (Lizzie Fletcher); TX-32 (Colin Allred); and VA-2 (Elaine Luria).

The investments will also help engage and mobilize Black voters through a variety of tactics, including polling, radio, and digital advertising, door-to-door canvassing, SMS texting, and direct mail.

In addition to their own direct electoral programming, the Black Economic Alliance PAC and Black Economic Alliance Fund is partnering with and supporting the ongoing voter mobilization efforts of the BlackPAC, BlackPAC-FL, The Collective, House Majority PAC, For Our Future, Power PAC Plus, and Maryland Together We Rise.

Kamala Harris Proposes Bold Relief for Families Amid Rising Costs of Living

Today, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris announced the LIFT (Livable Incomes for Families Today) the Middle Class Act, legislation to provide middle class and working families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 a year—or up to $500 a month—to address the rising cost of living. According to one survey, 57% of Americans do not have enough cash to cover a $500 unexpected expense—meaning that a rent increase, medical bill, or child care expense could lead to a financial emergency.

“Americans are working harder than ever but stagnant wages mean they can’t keep up with cost of living increases,” said Senator Harris. “We should put money back into the pockets of American families to address rising costs of childcare, housing, tuition, and other expenses. Our tax code should reflect our values and instead of more tax breaks for the top 1% and corporations, we should be lifting up millions of American families.”

The LIFT the Middle Class Act would:

• Provide up to $6,000 a year per family, in the form of a refundable tax credit.
• Tax credit applies to households earning under $100,000 annually.
• Tax credit provides up to $3,000 for single filers earning under $50,000 per year.
• The tax cut can be accessed each month or at the end of the year.
• Families can receive up to $500 per month.
• Individuals can receive up to $250 per month.
• The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates the LIFT Act would impact one in every two workers and two out of every three children in America. In addition, ITEP estimates approximately 1 million Pell Grant eligible students would qualify for the credit of up to $3,000.

"Americans want a tax system that's fair, and they're tired of seeing benefits go to the wealthy and corporations while everyone else struggles to get ahead. We need real action to provide financial relief to the working and middle-class, which is exactly what this bill does.” –Natalie Foster, Co-chair of the Economic Security Project

“Despite the low unemployment rate, millions of Americans still face the spectre of economic insecurity. One surprise expense — one family or medical emergency — is often all it can take to knock a happy household into a financial tailspin. The LIFT the Middle Class Act goes a long way to rectifying this problem, ensuring the majority of working households, up and down the income ladder, have a steady stream of resources for transitioning through turbulent times. The Act builds on the growing mountain of evidence demonstrating cash — money — is often the single best tool policymakers have meeting the diverse and varied needs of households. This Act should be seen as a true tax cut for the average American, putting money into worker's pockets to spend on the things they need and care about, rather than what a distant bureaucracy thinks is best. As an economist, the Act also excites me as a tool for ensuring demand stays high in the face of another recession, thereby helping to buoy the economy as a whole.” – Sam Hammond, Director of Poverty and Welfare, Niskanen Center

“Instead of doubling down on lavish tax cuts for people who should be paying more--not less--in taxes, we should be advancing ideas like these to raise incomes for working people.” – Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Co-Executive Director, The Center on Poverty and Inequality, Georgetown Law

“The federal tax code is perhaps the most powerful tool of economic policymaking. It can impose economic burden and stimulate economic power. This remarkable bill recognizes the increasing economic challenges faced by ordinary Americans and uses the tax code to more fairly spread our nation’s prosperity to the families that need it most.  It marks a break from a tax code that spends one-third of $500+ billion dollars allocated for asset promotion through tax savings and subsidy on those earning over $1 million a year, while bottom 60 percent of earners receive less than five percent of this allocation. And certainly a break from the Republican passed Tax Cuts and (so-called) Jobs Act, which will spend close to $2 trillion dollars over the decade largely on corporate interests based on some fickle notion that it will “trickle down” to the rest of us.” – Darrick Hamilton, Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, New School of NY

“A decade later, American families have not recovered from the Great Recession and are in a state of emergency with respect to their economic health. The sharp decline in the unemployment rate masks the presence of stagnant wages and the fact that the typical middle income family cannot cover an additional $500 in expenses without taking on more debt. Senator Harris’ plan will bring much needed relief and support to the nation’s beleaguered middle income families.” – William Darity Jr., Ph.D., Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, Duke University

“This is a brilliant approach as we know that all essentials for living a standard quality of life are increasing while salaries are stagnated. Most middle-class families cannot afford to live where they work or the rising cost of education for their children so this welcome relief will help to ensure they can have a shot at realizing the American dream. Thank you, Senator Harris, for caring about working families.” – Alice Huffman, President, CA NAACP

Supporters of the LIFT the Middle Class Act include DEMOS, the Economic Security Project, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), SEIU International, Greenlining Institute, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas, Corcoran Mayor Raymond Lerma, Selma Mayor Jim Avalos, Madera Mayor Andy Medellin, Wasco Mayor Pro Tem Alex Garcia, Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez, Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chairman Supervisor Luis Alejo, Selma Councilmember Yvette Montijo, Selma Councilmember Louis Franco, State Center Community College District Trustee Miguel Arias, State Center Community College District Trustee Eric Payne, California Budget & Policy Center, Center for Community Change, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, SEIU 2015, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), National Coalition of 100 Black Women Oakland Bay Area Chapter, Washington State Budget & Policy Center.

3 Florida Ex-Cops Sentenced In Scheme To Frame Innocent Black People

Three former Florida police officers were sent to prison this week after pleading guilty to their roles in a departmentwide conspiracy to frame people of color for crimes they did not commit.

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Guillermo Ravelo, a 37-year-old former officer with the Biscayne Park Police Department, to 27 months behind bars, the Miami Herald reported. On Wednesday, former officers Charlie Dayoub, 38, and Raul Fernandez, 62, were sentenced to one year apiece after pleading guilty to making false arrests.

Dayoub and Fernandez had cooperated with federal authorities in making a case against former police chief Raimundo Atesiano. The former officers told prosecutors that Atesiano’s goal was to clear cases involving property crimes in the small village north of Miami, even if it meant pinning crimes on innocent people.

“Atesiano was acting under color of law as chief of police when on three separate occasions he ordered officers under his command to falsely arrest and charge individuals with unsolved burglaries,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in September.

Read more: 3 Florida Ex-Cops Sentenced In Scheme To Frame Innocent Black People

Tennessee Black Voter project sues Tennessee county over invalid voter registrations

A group representing black voters is suing the election commission in Tennessee's largest county, which includes Memphis, after thousands of registrations were deemed invalid by the commission.

The Tennessee Black Voter Project filed a lawsuit Monday in Shelby County Chancery Court asking a judge to allow the group to inspect voter registration forms that the county's Election Commission has rejected.

Groups including the Black Voter Project submitted more than 36,000 registrations to the Election Commission in Shelby County. But the commission said about 55 percent of them were invalid because they were incomplete, were duplicates from previously registered voters or had come from convicted felons.

The group wants to inspect records detailing why the applications were rejected.

Read more: Group sues Tennessee county over invalid voter registrations.

Chicago postal worker Kierra Coles is missing

Kierra Coles, a 27-year-old pregnant U.S. postal worker has been reported missing after last being seen Oct. 2 on Chicago's South Side.

Coles, was last seen on surveillance video in her neighborhood at near 81st and Vernon on the city's South Side. She called sick into work, but was seen on video dressed for work and walking past her vehicle.

Coles is about three months pregnant and has a boyfriend.

Coles is about 5-foot-4, weighs about 125 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. Police said she has a tattoo of a heart on her right hand and another that says, "Lucky Libra" on her back.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911, Chicago Police Special Victim Unit at 312-747-8274 (Case# JB-462998) or the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455 (Case# 2693502-WPV).

[SOURCE: ABC CHICAGO]

Donna Brazile's new book: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics

The four most powerful African American women in politics Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore share the story of their friendship and how it has changed politics in America.

The lives of black women in American politics are remarkably absent from the shelves of bookstores and libraries. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is a sweeping view of American history from the vantage points of four women who have lived and worked behind the scenes in politics for over thirty years―Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore―a group of women who call themselves The Colored Girls. Like many people who have spent their careers in public service, they view their lives in four-year waves where presidential campaigns and elections have been common threads. For most of the Colored Girls, their story starts with Jesse Jackson’s first campaign for president. From there, they went on to work on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Over the years, they’ve filled many roles: in the corporate world, on campaigns, in unions, in churches, in their own businesses and in the White House. Through all of this, they’ve worked with those who have shaped our country’s history―US Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, well-known political figures such as Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean, and legendary activists and historical figures such as Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, and Betty Shabazz.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics is filled with personal stories that bring to life heroic figures we all know and introduce us to some of those who’ve worked behind the scenes but are still hidden. Whatever their perch, the Colored Girls are always focused on the larger goal of “hurrying history” so that every American ― regardless of race, gender or religious background ― can have a seat at the table. This is their story.

BUY THE BOOK

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Newark's Shakur Stevenson moves to 9-0 with first round knockout

Blue-chip featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson, a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, scored three knockdowns in a spectacular first-round knockout performance against battle-tested veteran Viorel Simion in the co-feature of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card headlined by the Terence Crawford-Jose Benavidez Jr. welterweight title fight.

Watch the highlights below:

Officer who murdered Tamir Rice withdraws application to small police department in Ohio

The police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland four years ago has withdrawn his application to a police department in eastern Ohio, CNN affiliate WTOV-TV reported, citing the department's police chief.

Timothy Loehmann was hired by the police department in Bellaire, a small town on the Ohio River, about 65 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Bellaire Police Chief Richard "Dick" Flanagan told WTOV on Wednesday that Loehmann called him saying he was "rescinding his application here at the Bellaire Police Department."

"I had accepted his withdrawal from the Bellaire Police Department," Flanagan said. "He proceeded to tell me that he wanted to pursue the legal end of what's going on there in Cleveland and he just doesn't have the time to travel back and forth."

Flanagan said Loehmann was never sworn in and was still in the training process.

"Everyone assumes he was automatically hired -- no, there is a process," he said. "He did not receive one dime. He was not on the schedule."

The announcement of Loehmann's hiring caused an intense reaction from the community, WTOV reported. Flanagan said that at one point, the department received more than 200 calls between 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. "Our own citizens here in town were not able to get police, EMS or fire service because they couldn't get through anywhere," he said.

While Flanagan originally said that everyone deserved a second chance and that he stood behind the hiring of Loehmann, he told WTOV on Wednesday that he believes the withdrawal is personal and he supports the decision.

"I think he did the right thing by stepping down, not putting the citizens here in town in jeopardy," he said. "In this job you have to make split-second decisions, you have to see things you don't want to see, you have to do things you don't want to do, you have to say things you don't want to say. We're not supermen -- we just wear a uniform and enforce the laws."

[SOURCE: CNN]

NAACP MONITORING POSSIBLE VOTER SUPPRESSION TACTICS IN GEORGIA GOVERNOR RACE

Over 53,000 Voter Registration Applications on Hold in Secretary of State Kemp’s Office

BALTIMORE—The nation’s foremost civil rights organization is closely monitoring possible voter suppression in the state of Georgia stemming from Secretary of State Brian Kemp’s ongoing failure to process over 53,000 voter registration applications.

“It’s a stain on our system of democracy when less than a month before an election which could produce the first African-American female governor in our nation’s history, we are seeing this type of voter suppression scheme attempted by a state official whose candidacy for the governorship produces an irremediable conflict of interest,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.

“We are closely monitoring this situation with our Georgia State Conference President Phyllis Blake and demanding a complete investigation and full transparency prior to the election,” added Johnson.

The NAACP is asking for all voters to verify their status by visiting https://www.naacp.org/vote/

According to a report from the Associated Press Sec. Kemp, who is also a candidate for governor has “cancelled over 1.4 million voter registrations since 2012. Nearly 670,000 registrations were cancelled in 2017 alone.”

In August the NAACP Georgia State Conference successfully fought against the closing of 7 of 9 polls in the nearly all Black area of Randolph County.

The NAACP Georgia State Conference earlier that month called for Sec. Kemp to step down from office due to possible unethical and conflict of interest issues. The group pointed to a report from the FOX 5 I-Team—Kemp, a Trump-endorsed candidate utilized taxpayer paid for app to promote his gubernatorial campaign.

Media can reach the NAACP National Office at mrussell@naacpnet.org

Contact the NAACP Georgia State Conference /404-577-8977 / NAACPGA.org

Black women candidates poised for major victories in November

Some of the most notable gains for women in this year’s election will come from black women. All three non-incumbent black women candidates favored to win on Election Day—Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)—will be not only the first black women, but the first women of color, to represent their states in Congress. Omar will break another barrier in joining Rashida Tlaib as the first Muslim congresswomen, and Pressley’s win against a 10-term incumbent reflects how political success is not constrained to those who wait their turn.

Pressley’s victory, and the anticipated wins of Hayes and Omar, demonstrate another thing: the electoral viability of black women in political contexts where they are too often counted out. For Pressley, the doubts among political and party insiders have been great, meaning the investment in her primary candidacy was minimal to zero among those typically perceived as key influencers in U.S. elections. Jahana Hayes won the Democratic primary in Connecticut despite running without her party’s endorsement. Hayes and Omar also won nominations in majority-white districts, an important counter to those who have doubted the ability of black women to be successful outside of majority-minority districts or states.

But Black women’s political success did not just begin this year. Six of the seven Black women currently serving as mayors of the top 100 most populous cities in the United States have been sworn in since Election Day 2016. And while women’s and black men’s state legislative representation has plateaued in recent decades, black women have seen a steady—albeit slow—increase in representation in state legislatures nationwide. In Congress, while gains for women have been slow and incremental, the racial and ethnic diversity among women, particularly Democratic women, has grown in the past decade. In fact, nine of the 14 new women elected to the 115th Congress (2017-2019) were women of color.

Political scientist Wendy Smooth puts these successes for black women into context, writing, “African-American women appear to be overrepresented in elective office while simultaneously holding the characteristics that would make them least likely to be politically engaged,” such as lower levels of income and educational access. This “paradox of participation,” as she terms it, is also notable when the under-investment in black women as candidates is taken into account. What’s more, research from the Center for American Women and Politics survey of state legislators found that black women officeholders were more likely than their white counterparts to report being discouraged from running for office in the first place.

Read more: SOURCE: THE HILL

Colin Kaepernick receives Harvard black history award

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Thursday received Harvard University's most prestigious black history award.

Kaepernick, who was the first NFL player to demonstrate against racial inequality by kneeling during the national anthem, received the W.E.B. DuBois award alongside seven other African-American public figures at a Harvard ceremony.

He urged others to further protest racial inequality and police brutality to help improve the lives of African Americans across the country.

"I feel like it's not only my responsibility, but all of our responsibilities as people that are in positions of privilege, in positions of power, to continue to fight for them and uplift them, empower them. Because if we don't, we become complicit in the problem," he said. "It is our duty to fight for them and we are going to continue to fight for them."

Activist Cornel West introduced Kaepernick and compared his protest to those of famous boxer Muhammad Ali.

“We don’t have anybody who comes close to the Muhammad Ali of athletics, to give up millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars…It’s not the number, it’s the integrity, rather than the popularity," he said.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Ryan Coogler Signs on to Write and Direct 'Black Panther' Sequel

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the filmmaker behind Marvel’s landmark Black Panther has quietly closed a deal to write and direct the sequel.

Eric Holder: ‘When They Go Low, We Kick ‘Em’

While speaking at an event for Georgia state House candidate Regina Lewis-Ward, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder spoke about his love and respect for former First Lady Michelle Obama. But after that he suggested that Democrats are playing too nice and being soft going into the upcoming mid-terms and flipped Michelle Obama's famous "When they go low, we go high" slogan around and said that "When they go low, we kick em".

Watch that video below:

Democrat Lucia McBath is running for Congress

Lucia  McBath,  the mother of Jordan Davis is running for Congress from the state of Georgia. She faces an uphill battle as a gun control activist in a state that loves their guns. McBath is facing off against Rep. Karen Handel who is supported by the NRA.  Learn more about Lucia McBath here:  https://lucyforcongress.com/

Lucia “Lucy” McBath is a mother, wife, businesswoman and activist for social justice. After a 30-year career with Delta Air Lines, her second career has focused on reform that will make our communities safer and better for every American of every background.

Lucy’s passion for public service was awakened by her family’s tragedy in 2012. She is the mother of Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla. that year by a man objecting to the music he was playing in his car. The shooter used Florida’s stand-your-ground law as his defense. He was not found guilty of murder in his first trial. In an October 2014 retrial, the shooter was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Losing her son in such a senseless way has fueled her lifelong commitment to community activism and the importance of political engagement. Early on, McBath’s sense of public service came from an extensive family background involving civil rights. Her father was the Illinois Branch president of the NAACP for over twenty years and served on its national board as well. As a child, she traveled with her family attending marches and rallies supporting the civil rights movement and the coalitions of organizations fighting alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Her mother was a registered nurse, often helping students completing coursework with tutoring and other support to further their healthcare careers.

Before running for Congress, Lucy held dual roles as the national spokesperson for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, as well as Faith and Outreach Leader for both. Her work included testifying in state capitols and speaking with lawmakers, activists, universities and community organizers across the county. In Washington, D.C. she has testified before the US Senate Judiciary Committee, lobbied members of Congress, and spoke at the White House Summit on Educational Excellence for African Americans. She served as a surrogate for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign in 2016 as one of the “Mothers of The Movement”. Here at home, McBath lobbies Georgia’s Congressional, State House and State Senate delegations to enact common sense gun violence prevention laws that save lives.

Lucy’s work in her home community in Cobb County includes creating the “Champion in The Making Legacy Foundation” which provides charitable and educational assistance to graduating high school students attending traditional as well as technical and training colleges and universities – with two recipients attending Kennesaw State University. The foundation has expanded its program with its mentorship program which provides support and guidance in building life skills for the young men and women striving for academic success, with an incubator headquartered in Powder Springs. She serves as Lead Usher at Trinity Chapel (Seven Springs Church) and is an active member with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Marietta / Roswell alumni chapter.

McBath’s work has been recognized widely. She is honored to have been the recipient of the Chairman’s Award of the Georgia Democratic Party in 2017, “Mother of the Year 2016” by VH1 Television, voted as one of Refinery29’s 26 National Treasures, and an EMILY’s List Honoree. Her media appearances include Georgia Public Television, CNN, MSNBC, HLN, TV One and her son’s story has been featured in Jet, Rolling Stone, and Ebony and Essence magazines and in the documentaries “The Armor of Light” and “3 ½ Minutes: 10 Bullets.”

Lucy was employed by Delta Airlines In-Flight Service for 30 years. She received her B.A. degree in political science from Virginia State University in 1982. Lucy is married, and these days, doesn’t have a lot of free time, but when she does she enjoys motorcycling, serving her church, and walking her beloved dogs.

Police Officer that killed Tamir Rice hired by another police department

Timothy Loehmann, the former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice has been hired by a police department in a small Ohio village.