Cory Booker & Kamala Harris Statement on Senate Passage of Anti-Lynching Bill

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the below statement following the passage through the Senate by unanimous consent of their bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, historic legislation that would – for the first time in history – criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and lynching conspiracies.

The legislation was originally introduced in June by Booker and Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Tim Scott (R-SC). It passed the Judiciary Committee in October.

“Today is an emotional and historic day,” Booker said. “For over a century, members of Congress have attempted to pass some version of a bill that would recognize lynching for what it is: a bias-motivated act of terror. And for more than a century, and more than 200 attempts, this body has failed. Today, we have righted that wrong and taken corrective action that recognizes this stain on our country’s history.

“This bill will not undo the damage, the terror, and the violence that has been already done, nor will it bring back the lives that have been brutally taken,” Booker continued. “It will not reverse the irrevocable harm that lynching as a tool of oppression and suppression has caused. But it will acknowledge the wrongs in our history. It will honor the memories of those so brutally killed. And it will leave a legacy that future generations can look back on – that on this day, in this time, we did the right thing.”

“Lynchings were needless and horrendous acts of violence that were motivated by racism. And we must acknowledge that fact, lest we repeat it,” said Senator Harris. “From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation when it had an opportunity 200 times. Today, by passing this bill, we have offered some long overdue justice and recognition to the victims of lynching crimes."

From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. Lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation more than 4,000 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.

North Carolina A&T wins Celebration Bowl and are 3X HBCU National Champs!

An HBCU dynasty is born!

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion North Carolina A&T (10-2) defeated SWAC champion Alcorn State (9-4) 24-22 in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to become the 2018 HBCU National Champs. This is the Aggie's third national championship in four years.

The Aggies were led by senior Quarterback Lamar Raynard passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Malik Wilson did his part on special teams by returning a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown to help seal the game for Carolina A&T.

Rayard will finish his football career with a record of 35-2 as a starter.

This year's senior class will leave with three national championship rings and three SWAC championships rings.

This was first-year Head coach Sam Washington's first national title after taking over for Rod Broadway who retired in January after seven successful years which included two national titles

Congrats to the Noth Carolina A&T Aggies, three-time National Champs!

"Eve's Bayou" to be inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry

The 1997 indie hit "Eve's Bayou," written and directed by Kasi Lemmons and co-produced by co-star Samuel L. Jackson has been named to a select group of America's most influential motion pictures to be inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress because of their cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage.

The 1997 “Eve’s Bayou” was written and directed by Black female director Kasi Lemmons and co-produced by Samuel L. Jackson, who stars in this family drama. “It’s such an honor to return from production on my fifth film, ‘Harriet,’ to find that my first, ‘Eve’s Bayou,’ is being included in the National Film Registry,” Lemmons said. “As a Black woman filmmaker it is particularly meaningful to me, and to future generations of filmmakers, that the Library of Congress values diversity of culture, perspective and expression in American cinema and recognizes ‘Eve’s Bayou’ as worthy of preservation. I’m thrilled that ‘Eve’s Bayou’ is being included in the class of 2018!”

The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after conferring with the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and a cadre of Library specialists. Also considered were more than 6,300 titles nominated by the public.

NAACP urging Facebook users to logout in protest on December 18

LOGOUT FACEBOOK

A Complicit and Complacent Facebook

Facebook’s engagement with partisan firms, its targeting of political opponents, the spread misinformation and the utilization of Facebook for propaganda promoting disingenuous portrayals of the African American community is reprehensible.

We are calling on Congress to conduct further investigations, and calling on users to log out of Facebook, Instagram, and What’sapp on Tuesday, December 18. #LogOutFacebook.

Here’s why:

NAACP remains concerned about the data breaches and numerous privacy mishaps that the tech giant has encountered in recent years, and is especially critical about those which occurred during the last presidential election campaign.

Facebook’s commitment to the Honest Ads Act – an act that would mandate that political ads be clearly labeled as such – was a good first step towards reconciliation of their gross negligence – however much more needs to done to ensure that African Americans will not unfairly bear the brunt of Facebook’s business model.

In March 2018, press reports revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a British big data firm, gained access to the personal information of 87 million Facebook users without the users’ consent. The misuse of data of 87 million users was negligent at best and exploitative at worst.

Earlier this year, the National Fair Housing Alliance filed a lawsuit alleging that “Facebook continues to enable landlords and real estate brokers to bar families with children, women, and others from receiving rental and sales ads for housing. Facebook has created a pre-populated list of demographics, behaviors, and interests that make it possible for housing advertisers to exclude certain home seekers from ever seeing their ads.”

Recent revelations that Facebook hired an opposition research and its work with other deeply partisan strategy firms call into question the notion that Facebook operates with a non-partisan view.

Cory Booker response to rumors about his sexuality: I’m heterosexual

It’s a question he has been asked since entering public life, and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker sought to put the rumors to rest as he considers whether to run for president in 2020.

“I’m heterosexual,” Booker told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The interview took place as Booker decides whether to jump into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He told NJ Advance Media last month that he would “consider running for president" in 2020 and would "take some time during this holiday season to sit with family and close friends and advisers to give it a really good consideration.”

Despite his best efforts to talk about policies and issues in his campaigns for Newark mayor and U.S. Senate, the unmarried Booker’s sexuality has been a topic of interest. U.S. Sen.. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., faced similar scrutiny when he sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

When Booker first ran for the Senate and was asked about his sexual orientation, Booker answered, “What does it matter?”

Should he win the White House, Booker would be the first unmarried president since Grover Cleveland in 1884. He said it wasn’t necessarily by choice.

“It’s tough to date as a senator,” Booker, D-N.J., told New York magazine in September. “The title I seek the most is probably husband and father."

Booker told the Inquirer that there were more important things to talk about on the campaign trail.

”Every candidate should run on their authentic self, tell their truth, and more importantly, or mostly importantly, talk about their vision for the country," he said.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

National Park Foundation Statement on the purchase Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home

Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation (NPF) issued the following statement regarding the recent transfer of the Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home to the National Park Service:

As the official philanthropic partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation works with individuals, non-profit partners and companies to benefit our nation’s national parks.

Thanks to private philanthropy, the National Park Foundation facilitated the purchase of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home from the King Center, the owner of the home since 1973, and its immediate transfer to the National Park Service. The transaction closed on November 27, 2018. As part of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, the home has been and will continue to be open to the public.

The National Park Foundation is honored to partner with the King Center and the National Park Service to help protect the home in which Dr. King was born and grew up. As a part of the National Park System, this national treasure of such historic significance and meaning will have the ongoing support needed to preserve it for future generations and to ensure that all people are able to access and share the stories and lessons it holds.

The National Park Foundation plays a critical role in helping the National Park Service expand people’s understanding of and direct access to American history. As a part of this tradition, the National Park Foundation is committed to increasing public understanding of and access to African American history and the legacy of the civil rights movement through national parks. As such, the National Park Foundation has helped preserve places like Camp Nelson National Monument, Freedom Riders National Monument, Pullman National Monument, and Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. We are delighted to be able to add Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home to this legacy.

Further details will be shared at a press event to take place after the King holiday.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren seeks to solidify backing of African Americans

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is seeking to solidify her connection with African-American voters as she prepares to launch a potential presidential campaign amid criticism of her approach to race and identity.

The Massachusetts Democrat visited Morgan State University in Baltimore Friday, marking her third trip this year to a historically black college or university. It follows her widely panned October release of a DNA test meant to bolster her claim to Native American heritage. Her speech Friday offered an opportunity to regain her footing.

``I'm not a person of color,'' Warren said. ``And I haven't lived your life or experienced anything like the subtle prejudice, or more overt harm, that you may have experienced just because of the color of your skin. Rules matter, and our government _ not just individuals within the government, but the government itself _ has systematically discriminated against black people in this country.''

Warren could face additional pressure from Democrats to address race. Bakari Sellers, an attorney, Democratic political analyst and former South Carolina Democratic state representative, urged Warren to more publicly say that ``you were wrong in the way that you interpret and address race.''

``Having that moment of ignorance _ we all do, but we need to address the fact that we were wrong,'' he said. ``I love the fact that she's making attempts to make inroads with the African-American community, but her path is very narrow.''

Mo Elleithee, a veteran Democratic strategist and founding executive director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service, described Warren's outreach to African-American and other minority groups as even more vital to her potential campaign in light of the DNA test's poor reception.

``I think it has sort of knocked her off balance a little bit when it comes to issues of identity and minority outreach, broadly,'' Elleithee said, adding that ``the stakes are a little bit higher when you are one of the more recognized candidates at this early part of the process.''

Warren's work to spotlight racial as well as economic inequities is significantly more advanced than her fellow New England liberal icon, Sen. Bernie Sanders. The Vermont Independent is weighing his own 2020 Democratic campaign after struggling to break through with minority voters during his 2016 run.

The theme that Warren struck Friday _ that minorities don't get a level playing field in America _ is one she's long tackled. She drew acclaim from Black Lives Matter activists for a 2015 speech that acknowledged ``we have not made enough progress'' toward creating fairness and opportunity for African-Americans. She slammed the nation's criminal justice system as ``racist'' in August during a Q&A with Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond, with whom she partnered again this week on affordable housing legislation backed by civil rights groups.

Democratic strategist Symone Sanders said Warren ``does a good job of authentically and honestly speaking not just to communities of color'' but also ``incorporating race into policy prescriptions.''

Sanders, a former campaign aide to the Vermont senator who is not currently working with any 2020 hopeful, said Warren's ``trip at the finish line'' on her DNA analysis isn't ``indicative of Elizabeth's Warren's understanding of communities of color, or of the type of presidential campaign she would run.''

In remarks last month to the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, Warren reiterated her critique of a justice system that research has shown gives black offenders stiffer punishment.

Warren has ``proven that she has the skills to relate to an audience that is of color,'' Sharpton told The Associated Press. ``Her image before was a New Englander, academia-type policy wonk. And she's been able to, in her delivery, show some real passion toward things of concern like health care, criminal justice and the kinds of things that you don't expect a New England professorial type to show passion and connection.''

Asked if Warren's ancestry was a fight that he would have advised her to pursue, Sharpton said: ``I might have fought it differently, but I would have fought it.''

Richmond described ``the passion and the commitment'' that Warren displayed in remarks to their members that led to ``a natural relationship'' working on issues. Four CBC members introduced the House counterpart to Warren's housing legislation on Tuesday.

Richmond also took no issue with Warren's presentation of the story of her past: ``People are always going to look for the negative in no matter what you do. And I just think that she's very authentic, very open, and sometimes that's going to open you up for some criticism on how you did it, why you did it.''

DeJuana Thompson, a former DNC and Obama administration staffer and the founder of WokeVote, recalled that Warren was among the first people that she heard from following the work that her group did in Alabama to help turn out black voters in support of Democratic Sen. Doug Jones.

``She contacted us literally the day after we won and said, `I'm so proud, this is the kind of work that we need to be doing across the country,'' said Thompson, who is not currently supporting any of the prospective candidates. ``It felt genuine, it felt authentic, and it felt like she had been following and watching our work, and I had no idea.''

Aimee Allison, the founder of She The People, an advocacy group focused on political leadership for women of color, called Warren's efforts on race ``authentic'' but candidly described the DNA test release as ``a big stumble,'' adding that the senator's challenge going forward is similar to the one facing other white presidential hopefuls.

``As a white candidate for president, the demographics and the politics and I think zeitgeist really calls for a difference kind of leader than before,'' Allison said, adding that candidates who can't deftly address race ``I don't believe will make it through at all.''

[SOURCE: NAVAJO TIMES]

For the First Time in History, Two African Americans will Hold Top Leadership Positions in Congress

Congressional Black Caucus Member Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) has been elected chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) was elected Majority Whip, making it the first time in history that two African Americans will hold top leadership positions in Congress at the same time. In response to these elections, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement:

“When the Congressional Black Caucus was founded in 1971, I know our 13 founding members dreamed of the day when we would have more than one member in our ranks competing for top leadership positions in Congress. Today was that day, and I know they are proud.

“When Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries articulated to our colleagues why they were the best candidate for Democratic Caucus chair, it was one of the best displays of black brilliance that I have seen in a long time. The unfortunate part of their race against each other was that one of them had to lose.

“I congratulate Congressman Jeffries on being elected Democratic Caucus chair; he has more than demonstrated during his time in Congress that he is ready to lead in this position.

“I also congratulate Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn on being elected Majority Whip. There are few Democrats who have done more than Assistant Democratic Leader Clyburn to mentor young members of Congress and make sure that Democrats win elections.

“When former congressman George Henry White, the last African-American congressman to leave Congress before the Jim Crow Era, left office in 1901, he said in his famous farewell address, ‘This is perhaps the Negroes' temporary farewell to the American Congress, but let me say, Phoenix-like he will rise up some day and come again.’

“Next Congress, the CBC will have 55 members, including two who will be in top leadership positions and five who will chair full House committees – former congressman George Henry White was right, and the Phoenix has risen.”

Barack Obama Receives Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award

Former President Barack Obama was honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award at a gala in midtown Manhattan Wednesday evening.

The award celebrates leaders of the international business, entertainment, and activist communities who have demonstrated a commitment to social change and reflect Robert Kennedy’s passion for equality, justice, basic human rights, and his belief that we all must strive to "make gentle the life of this world."

"I'm not sure if you've heard, but I've been on this hope kick for a while now. Even ran a couple of campaigns on it. Thank you for officially validating my hope credentials," Obama said during his remarks.

The organization's president, Kerry Kennedy, presented the award, which celebrates leaders "who have demonstrated a commitment to social change." Past recipients include Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Bono, George Clooney and Robert De Niro.

"If we summon our best selves, we can inspire others to do the same. It's easy to succumb to cynicism, the notion that hope is a fool's game," Obama said.

"When our leaders are content on making up whatever facts they want, a lot of people have begun to doubt the notion of common ground," Obama said. "Bobby Kennedy's life reminds us to reject such cynicism."

Also honored with Ripple of Hope Awards were New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard. Speakers included actors Alec Baldwin, Keegan-Michael Key, Alfre Woodard and journalist Tom Brokaw.

Kamala Harris on mortality rates of black mothers: 'We can solve' this

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said society needs to do more to curb the increasing rates of mortality among black mothers.

Harris, a rising star in the Democratic Party believed to have presidential aspirations, introduced the CARE Act in August aimed at reducing the disparity in maternal death rates between women of color and white women.

Speaking at the Center for American Progress Wednesday, Harris championed the cause in an effort to raise awareness to the problem, calling it a “truth that must be spoken.”

"Women in the healthcare system must be given dignity. They must be listened to. They must be taken seriously. They must be given respect,” Harris said. “They must be given a sense of dignity about understanding that when they tell you something, then listen. When they tell you what they need, listen. They know what they need when they tell you. Hear them."

Harris said black women are three to four times more likely to die than white women because they choose to become mothers. Additionally, infants born to African-American mothers die at twice the rate of babies born to white mothers.

“We can solve for this, because at its core, one of the biggest parts of the problem is that his is an issue that’s about race,” she said.

Harris noted that increased education and awareness is necessary to fight the growing problem. She believes government also should be doing more to help.

"I've found myself saying recently that if something is worth fighting for, it's a fight worth having. If something is worth fighting for, it's a fight worth having. And when it comes to maternal healthcare for black women in America - it's a fight worth having,” Harris said.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Michelle Obama's surprises Detroit students at Motown Museum

Michelle Obama surprised a group of Detroit college students on Tuesday afternoon, walking into the Motown Museum as the young men of color took part in a roundtable discussion on education.

The former first lady was greeted with smiles, looks of astonishment and applause after entering the second floor of the building where Berry Gordy created sonic history more than a half-century ago. She hugged her brother Craig Robinson and Keegan-Michael Key, an actor and native Detroiter who moderated the discussion that was organized by Obama’s Reach Higher initiative.

“This was supposed to be for boys only,” Robinson said after they sat down, eliciting laughter from his sister and the more than a dozen students from nearby Wayne State University.

“What’s going on,” Obama then asked, echoing the title of Marvin Gaye’s classic Motown tune.

“We’re just talking about education,” Key answered, before mock-asking if it would be OK with them if Obama sat in on their chat.

Obama listened as the students spoke about their experiences in life and school and encouraged them to practice “discomfort” and not be afraid to try new things.

Read more: Michelle Obama's surprises Detroit students at t Motown Museum

Senator Tim Scott wants his party to get smarter on race.

Sen. Tim Scott wants fellow Republicans to get smarter about judicial nominees — specifically, to stop nominating judges with questionable records on race.

The South Carolina Republican earlier this month was instrumental in blocking confirmation of a second judge in four months over concerns about how they’ve dealt with race issues in the past.

But fellow Republicans showed no immediate signs they would do anything, anytime soon, to take some of the pressure off Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican.

He is up against members of his party who don’t think any of their nominees are problematic. That includes fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is poised next month to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which evaluates judges and recommends them for or against confirmation.

“I respect (Scott) very much. There’s nobody I respect more than Tim,” said Graham, before dismissing Scott’s concerns that Thomas Farr, a nominee for a judgeship in the Eastern District of North Carolina, might have been behind a voter suppression strategy in 1990 that involved sending purposefully misleading information to African-Americans.

“I don’t think he had a fraught record on race. I think the mail-out was disgusting in 1990, and (Farr) had nothing to do with it,” Graham insisted.

The conservative base that fuels much of the GOP’s political energy is equally dismissive. The day after Scott announced he would provide the decisive vote to kill the Farr nomination, the grassroots advocacy group FreedomWorks blasted out an email with the phone number for Scott’s office.

“Don’t let this strong conservative nominee crash and burn!” read the call to action from FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon. “Urge (Scott) to stand with President Trump and CONFIRM Thomas Farr.”

Meanwhile, Republican leaders have opted to pretend the debate never occurred, keeping Farr’s candidacy in limbo rather than formally withdrawing his nomination.

Fellow black Republicans, though, are concerned.

Read more: Tim Scott wants his party to get smarter on race. His colleagues are making it tough.

Yolanda Ford elected first African American mayor of Missouri City

Missouri City (Texas) voters Saturday elected Yolanda Ford as their next mayor, the first woman and African American ever selected for the city's highest office.

Ford narrowly defeated incumbent Allen Owen, who has been Missouri City's mayor for nearly a quarter of a century. Ford captured about 52 percent of the vote to Owen's 48 percent in Saturday's run-off election.

"I am so proud that the residents of Missouri City have elected me as their mayor," Ford said in a statement. "After having served on the city council for the past five years, and as a lifelong resident, I am deeply invested in the well-being and growth of Missouri City, and I look forward to working with citizens, the city council and others toward its betterment."

Ford, an urban planning manager, will take the oath of office Dec. 17.

[SOURCE: Chron.Com]

Cast of 'Black Panther' announces $250,000 college scholarship

Who wouldn't want to get a college scholarship from Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira?

During the Hollywood Reporter's 2018 Women in Entertainment gala on Wednesday, the three stars of the blockbuster — and now Golden Globe-nominated — film "Black Panther" took the stage to make an announcement sure to excite young fans across the country.

"In support of fostering young diverse voices in entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios is delighted to announce its own 'Black Panther Scholarship,'" said Gurira to a round of applause. "Because we all know, if we want to live in a world that looks more like Wakanda, the first step is invest in some girls and women."

The scholarship will provide a full ride, worth $250,000, for a lucky student to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Boseman thanked Disney and Marvel executives as well as "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler before opening a white envelope announcing this year's winner — Kalis Coleman.

Coleman, a 17-year-old student from Inglewood, California, was in attendance to receive the award.

When Coleman crossed the stage, Nyong'o crossed her arms over her chest, flashing the quintessential "Wakanda Forever" signal, before giving Coleman a congratulatory hug.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Coleman plans to become a pediatric dermatologist.

[SOURCE: CNBC]

Olivia Hooker first African American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard laid to rest

The first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard and one of the last survivors of a race riot in Oklahoma has been laid to rest with military honors.

A funeral was held Wednesday in White Plains, New York, for Olivia Hooker. She was 103 years old when she died on Nov. 21.

The Coast Guard says Hooker enlisted in the Coast Guard Women's Reserve in 1945 and rose to the rank of yeoman second class before her discharge in 1946.

Hooker also survived one of the worst race riots in U.S. history. She was 6 years old in 1921 when the late-spring riot destroyed much of a Tulsa neighborhood that had been known as "Black Wall Street."

Hooker was a psychologist and a professor of psychology at Fordham University, where she retired at age 87 in 2002.

[SOURCE: NEWS ADVANCE]

100-year-old Tuskegee Airman, Wilfred Defour found dead in Harlem home

Wilfred DeFour, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen — an all-black squadron of World War II pilots that inspired African-Americans across the country — died in his Harlem home Saturday. He was 100.

DeFour was an aircraft technician for the famed squad, which got its name from the group’s training facility in Tuskegee, Ala.

During World War II, the pilots ran missions over North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. DeFour painted the tails of the aircraft from which the squadron drew its “Red Tails” nickname.

Just last month, DeFour was honored as a post office on Macombs Place in Harlem was renamed the Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.

DeFour worked as a postal employee for more than 30 years after his military service.

"We didn't know we were making history at the time,” DeFour, said during the renaming ceremony. “We were just doing our job."

Counting all pilots and support staff — from the mechanics to the cooks — roughly 20,000 men were part of what is considered the “Tuskegee experience.”

As of 2015, some 600 were still alive, according to the Tuskegee Airmen National History Museum in Detroit.

[SOURCE: NY DAILY NEWS]

Black Panther, Blackkklansman, and If Beale Street Could Talk nominated for Golden Globe best picture award

By George L. Cook II AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Thursday morning show live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Three films with black directors and predominantly black cast were nominated in the Golden Globes Best Picture-Drama category. Those three films are Black Panther (directed by Ryan Coogler) , Blackkklansman (directed by Spike Lee), and If Beale Street Could Talk (directed by Barry Jenkins).

Blackkklansman received three other nominations. The film was also nominated for best director (Spike Lee) best actor (John David Washington) and best-supporting actor (Adam Driver).

If Beale Street Could Talk also had Regina King nominated in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture and Barry Jenkins for Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)

Marvel's Black Panther was nominated in the Best Original Score category (Ludwig Goransson), Best Original Song-Motion Picture for the Kendrick Lamar and SZA song "All the Stars."

Although Green Book was not directed by a black director its worth noting that Mahershala Ali was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting in Any Movie.

Cummings: Kemp should testify about voter suppression allegation

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who's expected to become the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he wants Georgia Gov.-elect Brian Kemp (R) to testify before Congress about allegations that he suppressed minority voters during his tenure as Georgia's secretary of state.

“I want to be able to bring people in, like the new governor-to-be of Georgia, to explain ... why is it fair for wanting to be secretary of state and be running [for governor],” Cummings told HuffPost in an article published Monday.

A news report a few months before Election Day found that a disproportionate number of the state's thousands of stalled voter applications were from black residents.

Cummings told HuffPost that he hopes to address the issue of voter suppression when Democrats are the majority in the 116th Congress.

“One of the things about my committee, you know, it’s called Oversight and Government Reform," he told HuffPost. “Oversight, you know, you gotta research and find out what the hell is going on and then, if it is appropriate, to do those things to reform the system.”

Cummings said he also wants to call on election officials from Kansas and North Carolina accused of suppressing Latino and African-American votes.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Frank Scott Jr: First African American elected mayor of Little Rock Arkansas

Frank Scott Jr. has been elected mayor of Little Rock.

Scott is the first African-American elected mayor by popular vote in the city's history. Little Rock has had two black mayors, but they were city directors chosen for the job by fellow board members.

He defeated Baker Kurrus in the nonpartisan runoff election Tuesday after the two received most votes of the five candidates in the general election Nov. 6.

Kurrus conceded to Scott about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after early voting and absentee ballot numbers showed Scott had a sizable lead.

Scott succeeds Mayor Mark Stodola, who announced this year that he would not seek re-election after 12 years in office because of a family medical issue.

With all precincts reporting, unofficial results were:

Scott: 22,622 - 58 percent

Kurrus: 16,282 - 42 percent

Scott, a 35-year-old Little Rock native, is a banker and associate pastor. He was a deputy police director and director of intergovernmental affairs under former governor Mike Beebe. He has also served on the state highway commission and the board of directors for the Little Rock Port Authority and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central Arkansas. Scott is graduate of the University of Arkansas. He holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

[SOURCE: KATV]

Gwen Collins-Greenup in runoff to become Louisiana Secretary of State

A runoff to become Louisiana's next Secretary of State is set for Saturday, December 8.

It's between Democratic candidate Gwen Collins-Greenup, and Republican candidate Kyle Ardoin, who's currently serving as the interim Secretary of State.

If Collins-Greenup wins, she would be the first African-American woman to be elected to statewide office in Louisiana. Watch an interview with her below: