Former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan announced through his spokesperson on Tuesday he will donate $1 million to hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas.
Statement From Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/JIcPGE8y2C
— Estee Portnoy (@esteep) September 10, 2019
A 32-year Nevada Air Guardsman has been appointed to lead the Nevada Army and Air Guard, becoming the first African American to hold the position in the state’s 154-year history.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Gov. Steve Sisolak appointed Brig. Gen. Ondra Berry as the state’s highest-ranking military officer on Saturday at the Nevada Air National Guard Base in Reno.
The 60-year-old Berry is a longtime Reno police officer and, most recently, a senior vice president in MGM Resorts International human resources.
Berry, who grew up in Sparks, said he wants to strengthen connections between service members, schools, civilians, nonprofits and local businesses.
Berry replaces Brig. Gen. William Burks who served under three governors.
Gregory Cheadle, the black man President Donald Trump once described at a rally as “my African American,” is fed up.
After two years of frustration with the president’s rhetoric on race and the lack of diversity in the administration, Cheadle told PBS NewsHour he has decided to leave the Republican party and run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representative as an independent in 2020.
Now, the 62-year-old real estate broker, who supported the Republican approach to the economy, said he sees the party as pursuing a “pro-white” agenda and using black people like him as “political pawns.” The final straw for Cheadle came when he watched many Republicans defend Trump’s tweets telling four congresswomen of color, who are all American citizens, to go back to their countries, as well as defend the president’s attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and his comments that Cummings’ hometown of Baltimore is “infested.”
The White House and Trump have fiercely defended the president’s comments as fair criticism of the lawmakers’ liberal policies. But for Cheadle, the incidents were too much. A few weeks ago, he was scrolling through posts written by fellow Republicans, who are his Facebook friends, and reached a breaking point.
“President Trump is a rich guy who is mired in white privilege to the extreme,” said Cheadle, of Redding, Calif., who switched from being an independent to a Republican in 2001. “Republicans are too sheepish to call him out on anything and they are afraid of losing their positions and losing any power themselves.”
“They were sidestepping the people of color issue and saying that, ‘No, it’s not racist,’” he said. “They were saying these people were socialists and communists. That’s what they were saying. And I thought this is a classic case of whites not seeing racism because they want to put blinders on and make it about something else.”
Cheadle said he understands some will think he waited too long to leave the Republican party, even accepting those assertions as “correct.” He said he had held out hope that the Republican party would move to work on challenges specifically facing African Americans like healthcare disparities or black families having less wealth than white families. But, he no longer expects that.
Cheadle said he is especially unhappy with the racial makeup of the president’s judicial nominations. Trump often gets loud applause at campaign rallies for touting how many judges his administration has been able to get confirmed by the Senate. But an Associated Press analysis has found that 91 percent of Trump’s nominees are white, and 81 percent are male.
Cheadle said he wouldn’t use the term “racist” to describe the president but believes he has a “white superiority complex.”
When asked what he would say to critics who think he is leaving the Republican party for publicity, Cheadle said he understands the potential criticism, but that he believes running as an independent is even harder than as a Democrat or Republican because of the lack of party structure. In the end, his decision came down to being disgusted with the president’s words.
“We just haven’t had people called the names publicly that we have had with this administration,” he said. “To stay on this ship now, as a black Republican, I couldn’t do it.”
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. handed out bottled water and discussed Newark’s water crisis with residents at two local facilities Sept. 6. The Congressman spent more than two hours at the Bo Porter Sports Complex and the Boylan Street Recreation Center, where he helped residents get the clean water they needed and talked with them about their water concerns. The visits were part of the Congressman’s commitment to do everything possible to help local communities survive the crisis.
Congressman Payne, Jr. said he understands their concerns because he is one of them.
“As a resident and representative of Newark, I am very concerned about the discovery of elevated levels of lead in Newark’s water supply,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “This is water my family and I drink regularly. Traditionally, Newark has been known for the quality of its water and had been known for some of the cleanest water in the country.”
He said the crisis in Newark is his top priority. He is working with local, state and national officials to solve it as quickly as possible. Congressman Payne, Jr. introduced the Test for Lead Act in Congress to establish stronger tests for lead in school drinking water across the country. Recently, he co-signed and sent letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure facilities and communities have enough bottled water to distribute until the city’s drinking water is considered safe.
But he wanted to see the situation and talk with affected residents personally. He said the urgency of the issue is one that requires physical as well as political action to get clean water to communities now and then make sure nothing like this tragedy happens in the future, especially when it comes to the safety of the district’s children.
“The greatest threat with this water issue is the health of our children,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “We need to work tirelessly and immediately to guarantee what happened in Flint, MI. doesn’t happen anywhere else.”
Led by African drummers, a parade of Congressional Black Caucus members, including civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis, marched into Emancipation Hall on Tuesday to mark the 400th anniversary of the first Africans brought to the English colonies.
“All of our history is what makes this country a great country,’’ said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, noting the nation has been reluctant to embrace all of its history, including slavery.
The ceremony was held in Emancipation Hall, an ornate foyer in the Capitol Visitor Center, named after the slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol. With a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass only a few feet away, Republican and Democratic leaders cited the work of civil rights activists like Douglass and the contributions of African Americans to the building of the country.
This summer marked the 400th anniversary of the arrival of a ship from Angola carrying the first Africans to the English colonies. Across the country, lawmakers, civil rights activists, national park service officials and descendants of enslaved Africans have held ceremonies to remember the country's "original sin" and the impact of chattel slavery.
Later this week, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. will host its annual legislative conference, which will also include programs to recognize the year 1619.
As we remember and honor the 400th Anniversary of all of the enslaved Africans arrival in America, we must never forget the tragedies, successes, and contributions of all of them and all of their progeny. #400YearsLater pic.twitter.com/RlCBiYSviH
— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) September 10, 2019
Many of my readers here at AfricanAmericanReports.com are always on the lookout for children's books featuring characters that look like their children, so I have listed three such books in this post. I hope you, and more importantly, your children enjoy and learn from these books.
Dad, Who Will I Be?
Dad, Who Will I Be? is written by G.Todd Taylor, a former educator and child mental health expert with over 20 years of experience. This book inspires, encourages and educates young readers to be great by introducing to them heroes of color from a number of different professions on an elementary level. Some real-life heroes in the book include Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammed Ali, Mansa Musa, Guion Bluford and Garrett Morgan, W.E.B. Dubois, Tiger Woods and many more. Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu says "This is a fantastic book for children! Children need to have goals and a purpose in life. They need to have their career range expanded. Children need to hear it from their fathers. Garrett truly needs to be commended."
BUY THE BOOK
In this imaginative, evocative story, a girl named Keyana discovers the beauty and magic of her special hair, encouraging black children to be proud of their heritage and enhancing self-confidence.
I Love My Hair! has been a staple in African-American picture books for 20 years, and now has a fresh, updated cover that shines on the shelves!
BUY THE BOOK
In this bike-riding adventure, Champ goes on a quest thru his community and learns building blocks of character from everyday heroes. Along the way, Champ meets three heroes that teach him character traits he can begin to use right away.
BUY THE BOOK
As the academic year launches in earnest for 2019-2020, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) has announced it is providing approximately $90 million in funding this year through more than 10,000 individual scholarship awards to both undergraduate and graduate students across almost 400 programs, internships and fellowships. Last year a similar level of support went to more than 7,200 students attending more than 1,100 colleges and universities, including most historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), throughout the U.S. UNCF is the largest provider of college scholarship funds and educational programs for students of color across the United States.
“None of our funding is provided by the government, and all is raised each year by our dedicated, hard-working fundraisers and UNCF volunteers,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF president and CEO. “We are able to touch the lives of so many talented and deserving students across the nation because we deliver on what we promise: a better future for all Americans by supporting HBCUs and their students.”
UNCF’s national impact—75 years of student and HBCU support and securing more than $5 billion in donations—is made possible through thousands of private donations, large and small, from individuals, corporations, foundations and other partners across the spectrum of philanthropy. Top corporations, foundations, such as Lilly Endowment, Charles Koch and Fund II, and well-known supporters including Kevin Hart and Janet Jackson all have underwritten UNCF scholarships. The scholarships donors create are then administered by a small UNCF team dedicated to providing start-to-finish support that delivers vital learning experiences and ensuring high college graduation rates.
That dedication pays off: UNCF African American scholarship recipients earn college degrees at substantially higher rates than their African American counterparts who don’t receive help from UNCF—70% to 41%.
“This is a story we need to tell, and often goes unnoticed. Our Scholarships and Programs department focuses on our scholarship recipients so that they receive the vital support they need to succeed as college students,” said Larry Griffith, senior vice president, programs and student services, UNCF. “Student success is the ultimate dividend paid to all the donors who make our work possible.”
Lomax added, “While we have such great support from our current scholarship donors, there is always a funding gap. For every 10 students who ask us for help, we are only able to fund one of them, leaving the other nine talented scholars looking for ways to finance their college education. UNCF always needs new donors and scholarship opportunities.”
For more information on UNCF’s scholarship unit, to fund a scholarship or learn more about student achievement, please visit UNCF.org/scholarships. Follow UNCF on social media @UNCF #UNCF.
About UNCF
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
Watch U.S. Sen and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' entire speech at the 2019 New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention.
Watch U.S. Sen and Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker's entire speech at the 2019 New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention.
While most people at age 14 are starting their freshman year of high school, Curtis Lawrence is starting his freshman year at George Washington University as a college student.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) took to Twiiter to slam Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) after the lawmaker revived an old conservative talking point that gun violence in Chicago proved that “gun control doesn’t work.”
Read her response to his comment below:
60% of illegal firearms recovered in Chicago come from outside IL—mostly from states dominated by coward Republicans like you who refuse to enact commonsense gun legislation. Keep our name out of your mouth. https://t.co/yVM4JHL3xy pic.twitter.com/pr613A3dpf
— Lori Lightfoot (@LightfootForChi) September 3, 2019
From Labor Day through February, you won't need a pass to enter the museum on weekdays, the NMAAHC announced over the weekend. Visitors will be able to enter the museum on a first-come, first-served basis on weekdays starting at 10 a.m.
You will, however, still need a timed-entry pass on weekends. You can get same-day passes for weekends online.
In addition, advance timed passes for Saturdays and Sundays in December will become available starting Wednesday at 9 a.m. You'll be able to search for advance timed passes for Dec. 1 and the weekends of Dec. 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and 28-29.
You can also reserve passes here https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes ot by phone by calling 844-750-3012.
Admission and passes are free.
If you're visiting on a day that passes are required, remember that everyone in your group will need his or her own pass, including babies. In addition, the museum will continue to require advance timed-entry passes every day for groups of 10 or more.
Tamron Hall's new daytime talk show, "Tamron Hall," will debut in syndicated markets on September 9, 2019.
Hall, a former Today and MSNBC anchor, developed "Tamron Hall" with Disney-ABC to focus on current events, human interest stories and celebrity interviews.
“Tamron will bring her abundant wit, style, intelligence and warmth to her show. She has the unparalleled breadth of experience to talk and listen to all sides and bring folks together," Executive Producer Bill Geddie said.
As a new mom, a newlywed, and a survivor who is proving you can accomplish anything at any age, Hall brings a refreshing, relatable, unpredictable, and unstoppable voice to television.
Find out more about Tanron's show and where to watch it in your area here: https://www.tamronhallshow.com/
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday called for spending $3 trillion to combat climate change while replacing lead water pipes across the country.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate pledged to replace all lead water lines to schools, day care centers and homes, as well as remove lead from housing units, by 2028, the end of a second term in the White House. Money would come from a new Environmental Justice Fund, led by a White House adviser for environmental justice.
Booker offered his plan while officials in his home city of Newark continued to distribute bottled water to residents with high levels of lead in their water. He is a former mayor of the city and oversaw the city’s water system, though left office before lead levels spiked.
Booker announced his plan a day before he will join nine other Democratic presidential candidates at a CNN town hall on the environment.
[SOURCE: NJ.COM]
Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker released the following statements on the Odessa and Midland Texas shootings, in which 21 were injured and at least five were killed:
Keeping the Midland and Odessa community and the victims in my thoughts and prayers. Grateful to first responders who ran into harm's way.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2019
I’m sick of this. America is sick of this.
We need to act.
I’m heartbroken for the families of the victims in the Odessa and Midland shooting. Our children deserve a future without multiple mass shootings in one month.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 1, 2019
We need gun safety reform.
A 17-month-old baby.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 1, 2019
It’s perverse that we live in a society where this is allowed to happen. My heart goes out to all those affected by today’s mass shootings in Odessa and Midland, Texas. https://t.co/HgEnreuhSK
The Democratic Primary is in full gear, and we are hearing potential presidential candidates talking about what THEY think are the most important things to black voters.
You hear some candidates talk as if voters of color only care about criminal justice reform or police brutality. Issues like education, environmental racism, healthcare, a livable wage, the economy, or domestic terrorism are also of importance to African American voters
That leads us to this question. As an African American voter what three issues are most important to you?
Take the poll below. You may pick three issues or add your own.
Smith is no stranger to Harris-Stowe. He is currently in his 12th year as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the institution, and overall has more than 30 years of progressive administrative and faculty experience in higher education.
Dr. Smith is well-versed in accreditation, enrollment management, student success, strategic planning, faculty and staff development, and obtaining external funding. Since his arrival to Harris-Stowe, he has successfully procured more than $12 million in external funding for various university initiatives. He successfully led the institution through five major accreditations, currently serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, is the Principal Investigator of a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to substantially strengthen Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the state of Missouri, and serves as a Grants Reviewer for the National Science Foundation.
Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, the institution has increased its degree offering by more than 75%, developed undergraduate research opportunities, added STEM degrees and increased its yearly degree production—ranking as one of the top five institutions in Missouri in awarding undergraduate degrees to Minority Students. Additionally, Harris-Stowe ranked in the top 40 in the nation in graduating African-Americans in Education and the top 50 nationally in graduating African-Americans in mathematics and statistics (out of more than 3,000 institutions nationally). During his tenure, Harris-Stowe has been cited in national college rankings including, US News and World Report, Best Regional Midwest Colleges, the Washington Monthly College Guide Rankings, the Economist College Rankings, Niche College Rankings, and Diverse Issues Annual Degree Producer Rankings. Dr. Smith has been instrumental in developing more than 20 collaborations and partnerships with Harris-Stowe and other institutions and organizations regionally and nationally valued at more than $2 million.
Prior to Harris-Stowe, Dr. Smith served as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Avila University where he provided leadership over Student Retention, the Weekend and Evening College for adult learners, the Institutional Research Board, and Study Abroad. Dr. Smith has also served as Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management at Park University, was on the graduate faculty at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and as an Associate Dean in the area of multicultural affairs at Truman State University where he created Truman State’s first Diversity Department.
Dr. Smith is a Fulbright Scholar, serves on the Board of the Higher Education Consortium, and Chairman of the Board of NewPot Solutions Charitable Foundation. He also serves on the Council of Chief Academic Officers, and the American Academic Leadership Institute Strategic Planning Council. His other honors include Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in America and a member of the national honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi.
Dr. Smith earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, Columbia, M.A. in Education Administration and BS degree in Psychology from Truman State University. He has also completed post-doctoral at Harvard University and participated in the Executive Leadership Academy for emerging University Presidents sponsored by the American Academic Leadership Institute.
Cooper-Gibson currently serves as the Assistant Provost for Student Academic Services at Loyola University Chicago and will officially begin her new position on October 14, 2019.
“Dr. Cooper-Gibson’s impressive academic credentials, extensive professional experience and unwavering commitment to student success make her the ideal candidate for this position,” said Seton Hall University President Joseph E. Nyre. “She will play a key leadership role in furthering the University’s mission of providing exceptional opportunities for student learning, growth, reflection and service in our global society.”
The Vice President for Student Services serves as a member of the Executive Cabinet and provides critical leadership and guidance to facilitate decision making in all matters relating to student welfare. At Seton Hall, Cooper-Gibson will oversee a wide array of student support and academic programs including the Academic Resource Center, Career Center, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Freshman Studies, Health Services, Housing and Residence Life, and Public Safety and Security.
+“I look forward to joining the Seton Hall community and building upon the rich tradition of Catholic education that exists here,” said Cooper-Gibson. “All of the people I met while visiting campus were extremely welcoming and I could not have asked for a better experience. I firmly believe that for today’s college students to be successful, it requires close collaboration between divisions, offices and all members of the University community. I am excited to strengthen and expand upon those collaborations.”
As Assistant Provost at Loyola University Chicago, Cooper-Gibson oversees academic support services including First and Second Year Advising, the Career Development Center, TRiO Student Support Services and academic assistance programs. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Council for Student Success and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Education as well as assisting the university in reaching its retention and student success goals.
She previously served as the Dean of Students of the School of Social Services Administration at the University of Chicago, Director of African American Student Affairs at Northwestern University, Assistant Director of the Student Activities Office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Assistant Dean of the School of Communication at Loyola University Chicago.
Cooper-Gibson earned a doctoral degree of education from Boston University, master of education degree from National Louis University and bachelor of science degree from University of Illinois.
Cooper-Gibson was selected following a national search led by a committee that included representatives from the student body, priest community, faculty and administration. Vice President for Enrollment Management Alyssa McCloud served as chair of the search committee.
Robin Cunningham, Associate Vice President and Dean of Freshman Studies, will continue to serve as Interim Vice President for Student Services until Cooper-Gibson’s arrival.
“Dr. Cooper-Gibson is an exceptional leader at this exceptional time in Seton Hall’s history,” noted President Nyre. “As her proven track record and vast experience demonstrates, she is a student-focused leader and will surely advance the Seton Hall mission. We look forward to welcoming her to our university community.”
In a long overdue tribute to the first African American to break international tennis' color barrier, a new statue of Althea Gibson was unveiled at the opening day of the U.S. Open.
The statue is comprised of five granite blocks and created by American sculptor Eric Goulder. It sits outside Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
In 1947, Gibson broke into the elite ranks of the tennis world winning the first 10 consecutive American Tennis Association women's titles. (The ATA was the tennis equivalent of baseball's Negro Leagues.) At the age of 23, Gibson became the first African American player to compete in the U.S. Nationals, the precursor to the U.S. Open, in 1950.
Between 1956 to 1958, Gibson made her mark. She won 11 majors, and was the first black player to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals. When she retired in 1958, she was the top-ranked woman in tennis having won more than 50 singles and doubles championships.
Read more: New Statue At U.S. Open Honors African American Tennis Pioneer Althea Gibson
