NAACP statement on Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement on the Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling:

Statement on Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek:

“The Court’s rulings today upend our democratic principles by allowing party politics to determine the outcomes of our elections. Extreme partisan gerrymandering has infected our electoral process for far too long. Exercise of the franchise, which many fought and even died for, must not be reduced to a political charade in which the outcomes are predetermined. In America, voters should choose their representatives instead of representatives choosing their voters.

The Court should have halted this unconstitutional conduct, but it did not. This is a dereliction of duty in protecting our democracy. In racially polarized environments like North Carolina where racial block voting is standard, today’s decision will license policymakers to mask racial intent as partisan gerrymandering in order to suppress votes and prevent communities from fully participating in democracy to elect candidates of their choice.

We are entitled to fair maps and fair representation in every state. We call upon elected officials everywhere – as well as state courts – to reject partisanship and insist on fair redistricting so that everyone can have a voice.”

Rickey Smiley To Replace The Tom Joyner Morning Show In January 2020

June 28, 2019 – Today on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tom introduced listener favorite Rickey Smiley as the successor to the morning anchor position established by Tom over the course of 25 years. Joyner, who is retiring at the end of the year, acknowledged that Smiley has established himself as a trusted leader on-air and in the community with his current show, captivating audiences with his authentic humor but also his unique perspective on topics important to his audience. Smiley also announced that Eva Marcille and Gary Wit Da Tea would be among the on-air cast members joining him to broadcast out of the Dallas studios beginning January 2020. Additional details about the show will be shared in the coming months. 

Joyner reflected on his accomplishments and the future, “I’m happy to see the landscape of Urban AC morning radio continue to expand with Rickey, and I’m proud of the doors the Tom Joyner Morning Show opened. Twenty-five years ago, there was no template for a syndicated Urban radio show and we worked hard to prove that we could successfully produce and market a national platform that would entertain, inform and empower African-American listeners. We broke some ground, raised the bar for what audiences expected from Black radio all while partying with a purpose. Yeah, we’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot left to be done. I’m confident that Rickey’s activism along with his love for radio, the community, and HBCUs, will pick up where we left off.” 

Making the announcement public, Rickey Smiley shared his excitement, “It’s an honor to continue the legacy of my boss and frat brother Tom Joyner. Not only has he been a friend to my family and me over the years, but we consider him family. Tom’s mentorship has instilled in me valuable wisdom that I will carry with me through this new morning show.” 

  

David Kantor, Reach Media and Radio One CEO, acknowledged the collaboration, “Tom changed the entire urban radio marketplace. He entertained and educated multiple generations of listeners over the last 25 years. While there is and will always be only one Tom Joyner, we are excited that Rickey will be moving to Urban AC in January. Like Tom, Rickey’s talent, community consciousness and commitment to his audience will serve his listeners well.” 

Congresswoman Beatty Leads Congressional Effort to Put Harriet Tubman on the New Twenty

U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) hosted a press conference to condemn Treasury Secretary Mnuchin’s senseless decision to indefinitely delay putting renowned abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the new $20, to request more information on the decision from the Trump Administration, and to explore possible legislative remedies. Joining Beatty were the Democratic Women’s Caucus Co-Chairs Lois Frankel (FL-21), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Jackie Speier (CA-14), as well as U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-04). The press conference coincided with our nation’s observance of Juneteenth, the day commemorating the abolition of slavery in Texas and the former Confederate South

On May 22, 2019, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced that the new $20 would be delayed until at least 2026 and refused to commit to upholding the decision to place Tubman on the redesigned $20. Since, news reports have called into question the motives behind the delay and contradicted the Trump Administration’s claim that the redesign was still in its early stages. In response, Beatty reintroduced the Woman on the Twenty Act, H.R. 3082. If enacted, H.R. 3082 would require a $20 bill printed after 2022 to prominently feature a portrait of the famous abolitionist.

“We are here today to make clear to Secretary Mnuchin that it is time to put a woman on the twenty,” Beatty said during the press conference. “His decision to delay the release of the new $20 bill featuring Harriet Tubman and his refusal to commit to ensuring our currency reflects the values and diversity of our great country is extremely disappointing.” She continued, “Tubman embodies everything that makes up the American spirit—even before America recognized her as a free person—and that is why I will continue to work tirelessly to make sure she finds her rightful place on our nation’s currency.”

Beatty has fought throughout her time in Congress to secure a woman on our nation’s currency. In June 2015, she introduced the Woman on the Twenty Act, directing the Secretary of the Treasury to create a citizens’ panel to recommend a woman to be placed on a $20 bill. Several weeks later, she spoke from the House Floor in support of putting Harriet Tubman on the new $20. The following April, Beatty wrote a letter to former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew calling on the Department to fast track the new note and have it in circulation by 2020. Then, in 2017, Beatty wrote Mnuchin urging him to recommit to the redesign of the $20 bill featuring Harriet Tubman.

STACEY ABRAMS TO SPEAK ON VOTER SUPPRESSION AT NAACP 110TH NATIONAL CONVENTION

The Honorable Stacey Abrams will speak on the importance of ending voter suppression during the annual NAACP Convention in Detroit

BALTIMORE – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 

(NAACP), the nation’s foremost civil rights organization, has announced that politician, lawyer and author Stacey Abrams will be speaking at the prestigious Clarence Mitchell Luncheon during the NAACP’s 110th Annual Convention in Detroit, Michigan on July 22.

“Stacey Abrams may have become a household name during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race but she has committed her life to fighting for and uplifting the Black community,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO. “Because of her unparalleled compassion, commitment and diligence to improving civic engagement, educational equality, and eliminating race based discrimination, we are so honored and excited to have her speak at the luncheon.”

Stacey Abrams, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, became the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African American to lead in the House of Representatives. In 2018, Abrams was the Democratic nominee in the Georgia gubernatorial election and became the first black female major-party gubernatorial nominee in United States history. Dedicated to civic engagement, Abrams founded the New Georgia Project, which submitted more than 200,000 registrations from voters of color between 2014 and 2016. She is also the founder and chair of Fair Fight Action, an organization dedicated to advocating for free and fair elections, and securing the voting rights of Georgians. Under the pen name Selena Montgomery, Stacey is also an award-winning author of eight romantic suspense novels, which have sold more than 100,000 copies.

The Clarence Mitchell, Jr. Memorial Luncheon honors the life and legacy of a stalwart of equal justice, Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., who served as the chief Washington lobbyist for the NAACP for nearly three decades. Mitchell, nicknamed “the 101st U.S. Senator,” played a key role in winning passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (including the 1970 and 1975 extensions of the Voting Rights Act), and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, among other notable accomplishments. The luncheon is held in conjunction with a two-day continuing legal education (CLE) program dedicated to training a cadre of attorneys to identify and challenge voter suppression efforts in communities of color during upcoming election cycles. Past speakers for the luncheon have included some of the country’s greatest legal minds, such as Kamala Harris, Eric Holder and Nathaniel Jones. This year’s Clarence Mitchell Luncheon will also include a special honoring of civil rights attorney Damon Keith, who championed for equal and civil rights for nearly a half-century .

ABOUT NAACP 110TH CONVENTION:

The NAACP Convention brings together over 10,000 activists, organizers, and leaders to set policies priorities for the coming year. Highlights will include a Presidential Candidates Forum, a legislative session, a CEO Roundtable, LGBTQ workshop, the awarding of the prestigious Spingarn Medal to Ambassador Patrick Gaspard, and the signature NAACP Experience retail expo and diversity career fair. More information about the 110thAnnual NAACP National Convention, including a detailed schedule of events may be found by visiting naacpconvention.org.

Media interested in covering the event should apply for press credentials here.

###

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.

Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ Returning To Theaters For 30th Anniversary

Three decades later Universal Pictures is marking the 30th anniversary of Spike Lee’s incendiary and still-topical Do the Right Thing with a remastered 4K restoration that will hit theaters June 28.

In partnership with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and the Criterion Collection, the re-release will include one-week engagements as well as single-day showtimes June 30 at select AMC, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark, and Alamo Drafthouse theaters. There also will be 35mm screenings at select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and Brookline, MA.

[SOURCE: DEADLINE]

NABJ: CNN’s Promotion of Diversity Officer Still Leaves No Blacks in News Leadership

The Call Continues for Change in CNN’s Hiring and Promotion Practices. CNN still has not made progress in hiring blacks in day-to-day senior news management positions. That's the finding of the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) Media Monitoring Committee, which has been charged with monitoring the diversity and inclusion practices and hiring and promotion strategies of news companies like CNN.

CNN still has not made progress in hiring blacks in day-to-day senior news management positions. That's the finding of the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) Media Monitoring Committee, which has been charged with monitoring the diversity and inclusion practices and hiring and promotion strategies of news companies like CNN.

It has been more than 100 days since NABJ called for an examination of diversity and inclusion practices among CNN's executive news management team. The absence of blacks in news decision-making roles impacts the network's ability to provide balanced perspectives from one of the most influential and largest consumer groups in the nation – the black community.

Warner Media, CNN’s parent company, announced late Monday the promotion of Johnita Due as the new SVP and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of its Sports & News Division. This is a step in the right direction and NABJ congratulates Due, a black lawyer and past recipient of the NABJ Ida B. Wells Award, on her promotion.

Due received the Ida B. Wells Award in 2008 for her leadership of CNN's Diversity Council, a team of network colleagues dedicated to ensuring that CNN's news coverage and overall staffing reflected the rich racial and ethnic composition of the nation. Noticeably, since Due's departure from the role and the introduction of Jeff Zucker, CNN’s current president, CNN has taken steps back from hiring blacks in editorial management roles.

NABJ is hopeful that Due’s new role will influence daily operational and news responsibilities, leading to progress in the hiring of black journalists serving in key management roles critical to daily news operations. Due will join CNN President Jeff Zucker’s executive team, however, Due is not a journalist or news manager. NABJ's research findings still indicate that there are no black employees holding critical positions in the oversight of daily news coverage.

In a March 5, 2019 news release, NABJ reported:

CNN has no black news executive producers
CNN has no black news senior vice presidents
CNN has no black news vice presidents

Millions of voices, including the NAACP, and other civil rights and civic organizations, have spoken out to express concerns about NABJ's CNN findings, and unfortunately, there are still no blacks working in executive news roles at CNN to date.

NABJ urges CNN to consider the analysis of Andrew McCaskill, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of Global Communications and Multicultural Marketing, in the company's 2018 Black Impact report: "If a brand doesn't have a multicultural strategy, it doesn't have a growth strategy. The business case for multicultural outreach is clear. African-American consumers and all diverse consumers want to see themselves authentically represented in marketing, and they want brands to recognize their value to the bottom-line."

This perspective parallels news content. CNN’s ratings have recently dipped.

NABJ's leadership has yet to officially meet with CNN leadership as requested last year, and NABJ continues to ask the following questions:

Why are there no black employees in executive or senior news management positions?
What are CNN’s specific plans to correct the issues?
What is CNN’s timetable for correcting the issue?

NABJ’s request for a response to these questions had not been answered by CNN at the time of publication.

NABJ has reissued its request to meet with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. NABJ received a commitment for a meeting last year with AT&T, which owns WarnerMedia and CNN, that Stephenson would meet with NABJ’s delegation, and now is the time for that to happen.

The text of NABJ's March 2019 letter to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson can be viewed below.

-30-

Media Contact:

Kanya Stewart
Director of Communications
press@nabj.org

_____________

March 8, 2019

Randall Stephenson
AT&T Chairman, CEO & President
208 S. Akard Street
Dallas, Texas 75202

Dear Mr. Stephenson:

I’m resurfacing the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) invitation to
meet with you, AT&T’s executive team and NABJ’s four-member board delegation. I
shared with WarnerMedia’s John Stankey yesterday that I’d follow up with you
about the AT&T meeting request specifically.

In addition, NABJ is formally requesting that AT&T conduct a civil rights audit of
CNN and its news operations, and that the audit be conducted by an outside party.
To date, the NABJ has met or has scheduled meetings with CBS, Fox, NBC and
ABC to discuss diversity, inclusion and equity, specifically in the news operation’s
executive ranks.

All of CNN’s broadcast competitors have been very receptive, positive and respectful
of the NABJ delegation and its motives to meet. All continue to be heavily engaged in
NABJ initiatives because those initiatives match many of their business model needs.
They demonstrate that they not only respect NABJ’s efforts but value those efforts to help
them achieve their business objectives. They want to grow audiences through content
offerings that appeal to a wide range of audiences/consumers.

As we all know, many content offerings are driven by a diverse group of decision-makers
in the media industry. A lack of diversity narrows the scope of palatable content offerings
and may have direct impact on consumer interests. Utilizing language from your
mission statement, we believe there is a disconnect with CNN regarding “connecting”
to its audience.

Connecting with that audience “better than anyone else” is compromised
at CNN based on its track record on diversity. It is our hope that the AT&T mission and its
diversity efforts will be pushed down through the ranks to initiate positive change at CNN,
WarnerMedia and other entities, such as DirectTV, under the AT&T umbrella.
We have received tremendous support from a number of organizations asking how
they can help motivate CNN to do the right thing in terms of hiring practices of black
employees in the management ranks. We have responded that AT&T is open to
talking with our leadership team and that we are hopeful that the initial very positive
reception to our meeting with you is still the case.

We will adjust our schedules to meet your availability. Please advise when we may
meet with you and your team. I’m reachable by personal cell.

Sincerely,

Sarah Glover
NABJ President

Danny Green: Toronto Raptors visiting Trump White House a 'hard no'

When asked Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green on Saturday said that the 2019 NBA champions likely wouldn't accept an invite to the White House from President Trump. Watch Green give his response below.

Raptors to the White House?

"To put it politely, I think it's a hard no." - @DGreen_14 pic.twitter.com/do6vyQa7O7

— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) June 22, 2019

Tuskegee Airman Who Flew 142 WWII Combat Missions Dies at 99

World War II pilot Robert Friend, one of the last original members of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen, has died at the age of 99.

Friend’s daughter, Karen Friend Crumlich, told The Desert Sun her father died Friday at a Southern California hospital.

Born in South Carolina on 1920’s leap day, Friend flew 142 combat missions in World War II as part of the elite group of fighter pilots trained at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute. The program was created after the NAACP began challenging policies barring black people from flying military aircraft.

Friend’s 28-year Air Force career included service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also worked on space launch vehicles and served as foreign technology program director before retiring as a lieutenant colonel and forming his own aerospace company.

[SOURCE: KTLA]

Rep. John Lewis on Joe Biden: "I don't think the remarks are offensive."

Civil Rights icon John Lewis came to Joe Biden's defense after Biden suffered backlash over his boasting of working with political adversaries, such as racist segregationists, as a lawmaker.

Congressman Bobby Rush: Biden is ‘woefully ignorant’

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL 1st District) issued a scathing rebuke of Joe Biden on Friday, calling him “woefully ignorant” of the black American experience, as the former vice president confronts a growing backlash over his comments about working alongside fervent segregationists.

Rush, a high-profile activist during the height of the civil rights movement, told POLITICO in an exclusive statement that Biden’s remarks at a New York fundraiser earlier this week were “wholly out of touch.”

“You would think that after eight years of serving as Vice President under President Obama, Biden would get it, that his frame of reference would be more audacious for the future and less on the obvious incrementalism of the past,” Rush said. “With his statement he has demonstrated that he is wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience and that is, in itself, beyond disappointing.”

[SOURCE: YAHOO]

Chicago mayor: City won't cooperate over reported ICE raids

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) said she would take “concrete steps” to support immigrant communities after reports emerged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would begin raids this weekend to round up families who have received deportation orders.

Lightfoot said in a statement Friday that she directed Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to terminate ICE’s access to the Chicago Police Department’s databases related to immigration enforcement activities.

“I have also personally spoken with ICE leadership in Chicago and voiced my strong objection to any such raids,” Lightfoot tweeted.

“Chicago will always be a welcoming city and a champion for the rights of our immigrant and refugee communities, and I encourage any resident in need of legal aid to contact the National Immigrant Justice Center.”

The ICE operation set to begin Sunday is reportedly expected to target up to 2,000 families facing deportation orders in up to 10 cities with large immigrant communities, including Houston, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Trump refuses to apologize to the Central Park Five

White House correspondent April Ryan asked President Donald Trump if he would apologize Central Park Five, but Trump refused to apologize for his past demands that they be executed. Watch his response below:

WATCH: President Trump declines to apologize to the exonerated Central Park Five, and asserts that “you have people on both sides” of their exoneration.

The case has received renewed attention in light of Ava DuVernay’s ‘When They See Us’. https://t.co/Sk2vHNmWsT pic.twitter.com/UFX7GIbF5D

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 18, 2019

Mitch McConnell: Reparations For Slavery Not A Good Idea

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday rejected reparations for slavery in part because it would be hard to know whom to pay. Watch his statements below:

Portland appoints city’s first African American fire chief

Portland has appointed the city’s first African American fire chief.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Thursday that Sara Boone was announced as the new head of the Portland Fire & Rescue department Thursday.

Boone became the city’s first African American woman firefighter in 1995 before rising through the ranks to division chief leading medical services and training.

Boone says in a statement that her “mission has always been caring for the city where I was raised.”

Portland Fire Bureau Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty — who in January became Portland’s first female African American city councilor — made the announcement.

Hardesty says Boone impressed an interview panel with “her commitment to community, her technical knowledge, her passion for the fire service and her leadership style.”

[SOURCE: SEATTLE TIMES]

Happy Father's Day, Black Fathers Matter

Some would like you to believe that Black fathers who take care of their kids in every way are an anomaly, that's complete bull****! To be honest black fathers who take care of their kids are the NORM!

Many Black Father's are active in their children's lives and contrary to popular belief, most live with their children.

Too many use the barometer of whether or not the father lives with the child to determine whether or not a man is a good father. While living with your children may be preferable to some, it's just as important that a father has a continued presence in their children's lives. Fathers teach their sons how to be good men and their daughters what a good man looks like, and no one can replace that role.

In short, BLACK FATHER'S MATTER!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

House Judiciary Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Legislation to Study Slavery Reparations

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties has issued a press release about a hearing it will hold a hearing on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act which was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas.

Read that release below:

June 19th: House Judiciary Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on H.R. 40, Legislation to Study Slavery Reparations

Washington, D.C. – On June 19th at 10:00 a.m., the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties will hold a hearing on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. The purpose of the hearing is to examine, through open and constructive discourse, the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, its continuing impact on the community and the path to restorative justice.   

Witnesses:       Ta-Nehisi Coates, Distinguished Writer in Residence, Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University

Danny Glover, Actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the U.N. Decade for People of African Descent

Katrina Browne, Documentarian: Traces of the Trade

Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, Episcopal Bishop of Maryland

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Economist and Political Commentator

Professor Eric J. Miller, Loyola Marymount University

Republican witnesses to be announced      

Date:               June 19, 2019

Time:               10:00 a.m.

Location:         2141 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington D.C.

Livestream:     The hearing will stream live here. 

Background: H.R. 40, the “Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act,” would create a commission to study the history of slavery in the United States and in the American colonies from 1619 to 1865; the role of the federal and state governments in supporting slavery; federal and state laws that discriminated against the descendants of African slaves; other forms of discrimination against the descendants of African slaves; and the lingering effects of slavery on African Americans.  The commission would also make recommendations as to appropriate ways to educate the American public about its fin

116th Congress

22 Democratic presidential candidates attending Jim Clyburn's World Famous Fish Fry

It’s time again for the event columnist Roger Simon described as “one of those all-too-rare, feel-good evenings in politics,” and this year it’s bigger than ever. “Jim Clyburn’s World Famous Fish Fry” will be held on Friday, June 21st during the 2019 South Carolina Democratic Weekend in Columbia, S.C., and it will be a “can’t miss” stop for any candidate seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

Twenty-two Democrats running for president in 2020 will attend House Majority Whip James Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) fish fry in South Carolina next Friday as they jockey for support in the early primary state.

The event is likely to be the largest gathering of the 2020 candidates so far this election cycle, as nearly the entire primary field will attend. The fish fry, founded 30 years ago, has steadily grown into a campaign staple every four years and comes shortly before the first primary debates later this month.

“Each candidate will be given a generous moment to address the audience. The candidates are then encouraged to enjoy the fried fish, join in the electric slide and take selfies with the attendees,” a press release for the event said.

The only major contender of the 24-candidate field to not have confirmed their attendance is Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.

Jim Clyburn began the fish fry nearly three decades ago as a thank you to his campaign workers and for folks who couldn’t afford to attend the South Carolina State Democratic Party dinner. This free event is known for tons of fried fish, the Electric Slide, and old-fashioned politicking.