Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg (Yes, the stop and frisk guy) has released a plan he claims will help African Americans achieve economic (but you notice not social) justice.
He calls that plan the Greenwood Initiative. The plan is named after the section of Tulsa Oklahoma once known as Black wall Street.
Read the plan here: THE GREENWOOD INITIATIVE: ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR BLACK AMERICA
Rutgers University is set to name its first black president, Jonathan Holloway, provost of Northwestern University and a former Stanford football player, NJ Advance Media has learned.
Holloway will be named president on Tuesday, pending formal approval by the university’s Board of Governors, according to four sources who have knowledge of the selection but were not authorized to speak on the record.
According to his official Northwestern University biography, Holloway received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, where he played on the football team alongside Sen. Cory Booker. He received his Ph. D. in history from Yale University, whose faculty he joined in 1999. Before being named provost of Northwestern in August 2017, he served as the Dean of Yale College.
[Source: NJ.COM]
If you love the history and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King then the book, The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. must be in your library.
The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Created as a living memorial to the philosophies and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this essential volume includes more than 120 quotations from the greatest civil rights leader’s speeches, sermons, and writings selected and introduced by Coretta Scott King.
BUY THE BOOK
Claressa Shields, who has already unified two women's world titles at super middleweight and then collected all four major belts to become the undisputed middleweight champion, made history in a boxing match at the Ocean Casino Resort.
Shields, moving down in weight yet again, thoroughly dominated Ivana Habazin en route to a near-shutout decision to win a pair of vacant junior middleweight world title belts in the main event of a Showtime tripleheader.
Shields, who scored a knockdown in the sixth round, won 100-89, 100-90 and 99-89 and then placed a purple crown on her head. ESPN also scored it 100-89 for Shields.
Shields, who still holds the undisputed middleweight title, won a world title in a third weight class in just her 10th bout, setting the record for fewest number of fights needed to win belts in three divisions for a female or male boxer.
"This feels great -- I did it in 10 fights," Shields said. "Now I'm No. 1, the fastest boxer in history to become a three-division world champion. I was [trying to punish her]. I wanted victory."
Congratulations to former NFL player Matthew A. Cherry! His short film "Hair Love" has been nominated for an Academy Award.
The film tells the heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter's hair for the first time.
Cherry had this to say about the film's nomination:
"It's very validating, I moved to LA 13 years ago and kinda started over when I retired, and I started as a PA (production assistant) and kinda worked my way up doing music videos and short films -- so to be here now at the highest level is so crazy,"
The film featured Issa Rae. It was written by Matthew A. Cherry, who was also a director and the executive producer of the film. Other directors include Everett Downing Jr. (Animator, "Up") and Bruce W. Smith (Creator, "The Proud Family," Animator, "The Princess and the Frog").
Producers on the film include Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Yara and Keri Shahidi, N'Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Fredric, and Claude Kelly.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley opened up today for the first time about her battle with alopecia, the condition that causes hair loss. In an interview and video with The Root, the Massachusetts representative discussed when she first started losing her hair and her emotional reaction to the moment she lost her final strand, and, in a strong and powerful moment, revealed her bald head to the world.
Although NBA star Stephen Curry is sidelined with an injury, Under Armour continues to release fresh colorways of his latest signature shoe, the Curry 7. The latest look is inspired by the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., arriving just in time for Black History Month.
The limited-edition Under Armour Curry 7 “Our History,” according to the brand, was inspired by the Golden State Warriors’ trip to the museum in February 2018 as well as Curry’s fascination with the venue, which was designed by architect David Adjaye. Under Armour said the brand and the baller reflected on the trip when coming up with the design and concept behind the BHM shoe.
The Curry 7 “Our History” shoe features tiers of brown, olive and bronze (as well as hits of neon green), which is reminiscent of the museum’s three-tiered exterior. Further diving into the theme, Under Armour placed the museum’s longitude and latitude coordinates on the heel tab.
The Under Armour Curry 7 “Our History” arrives Jan. 20 on UA.com and at UA Brand Houses and select retailers, and it will retail for $140. Ahead of the release, a limited number of pairs will drop on Jan. 18 on the SC30 product wall at the Chase Center Warriors Shop at Thrive City in San Francisco.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi selected a very diverse group of House impeachment managers which includes two African Americans.
The two are Rep. Val Demings (D-FL 10th District) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY 8th District).
Demings is a retired law enforcement officer with 27 years on the force who served as Chief of the Orlando Police Department.
She sits on the following House committees:
Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations (Vice Chair)
Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support
Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readines
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries served as a clerk for Judge Harold Baer, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then worked in the litigation department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison before becoming an assistant litigator for Viacom and CBS. During Jeffries' time at Paul, Weiss he also served as director of intergovernmental affairs for the New York State Chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors and as the president of Black Attorneys for Progress.
He is currently the Democratic Caucus Chair which is the fourth position in House leadership and heads organization of all Democratic Party members in the House.
Jeffries sits on the following Committees:
State House Committee on Banks
State House Committee on Codes
State House Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions
State House Committee on Correction
State House Committee on Housing
State House Committee on Judiciary
State House Subcommittee on Banking in Underserved Communities
State House Subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama
State House Subcommittee on Transitional Services
State House Subcommittee on Trust and Estates
Besides Demings and Jeffries the managers are:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Rep. Adam Schiff
Rep. Zoe Lofgren
Rep. Jason Crow
Sylvia Garcia
The American director Spike Lee is to serve as President of the Jury at the next Festival de Cannes. He becomes the first Black person to lead the jury.
At 62, the filmmaker, who is also a screenwriter, actor, editor and producer, has made numerous films that have become cult objects, and he brought the questions and contentious issues of the times to contemporary cinema. But he’s never lost sight of the public, setting out to raise their awareness of his causes in film after film.
Surrounded by his Jury, which will be announced in mid-April, Spike Lee will award the Palme d'or at the close of the 73rd edition, which will take place from 12 to 23 May 2020.
Moments after telling supporters that he would be suspending his presidential campaign, Cory Booker filed for re-election to the U.S. Senate where he has served since 2013.
Booker filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday in order to start raising money for the November election.
The Senator does face a primary challenge from progressive activist Lawrence Hamm, who is chair of Bernie Sanders’ New Jersey presidential campaign.
Booker is expected to win the endorsement of all 21 Democratic county organizations in New Jersey, and is the overwhelming favorite to win renomination.
The filing deadline is March 30 and the New Jersey primary is June 2.
Today NJ Senator Cory Booker ended his 2020 presidential campaign. He released the following statement via Twitter:
It’s with a full heart that I share this news—I’m suspending my campaign for president.
To my team, supporters, and everyone who gave me a shot—thank you. I am so proud of what we built, and I feel nothing but faith in what we can accomplish together.
Let’s just come out and say it. Regina King is one of the most talented actors of this or any other generation, and she had a storage unit full of awards to prove it.
King took home another award last night by winning the Best Actress in a Drama Series category at the 25th annual Critics Choice Awards. She won for her role as Angela Abar/Sister Night in the HBO series Watchmen.
This is Regina King’s 3rd Critics Choice Award. She has won previously for her work in the movie If Beale Street Could Talk and the television series American Crime.
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us won the Best Limited Series category at the 25th annual Critics Choice Awards.
Jharrel Jerome also won a Critics Choice award for his tropy case for his turn as Korey Wise but DuVernay’s speech in which she thanked the association for ‘Finally letting us take the stage’ was one of the nights highlights. Check it out below:
"Let a Black Woman do her thing." @Ava. Watch Ava's full Acceptance Speech after winning the #CriticsChoice Award for Best Limited Series for #WhenTheySeeUs. Congrats! pic.twitter.com/gMEVVIYdNR
— ARRAY (@ARRAYNow) January 13, 2020
By George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com
The Michael B. Jordan produced movie, Just Mercy opened wide this weekend with $10,435,000.
The movie stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson.
The film stars Jordan as Bryan Stevenson as a lawyer who left behind a potentially lucrative career to help overturn wrongful convictions. In the film, he takes on the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a black man wrongfully accused of killing a white woman in Alabama.
While $10 million may not seem like a lot in this day of mega-blockbusters but the movie has a few things going in its favor as it looks toward a long and hopefully profitable run.
Just Mercy film has received great reviews and is the first film of 2020 to receive A+ Cinema Score. Jordan and Fox have also received accolades for their performances which should hopefully lead to Oscar nominations for both of them. (Don't hold your breath on either of them winning though). That and word of mouth should increase audience turnout.
My prediction is that the film eclipses Harriet's 43 million dollars gross and comes in near the $49.3 million that Blackkklansman made.
A recent poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is the favored candidate among black voters by a wide margin.
According to the latest Washington Post/Ipsos national poll, 48 percent of Black voters who are likely to vote for a Democrat picked Biden as their top candidate.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are a distant second and third, with 20 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
"It's hardly a surprise that Vice President Biden has such a large lead," Clifford Young, president of Ipsos Public Affairs, said.
"Our polling found that more than six in 10 African Americans believe the next president should continue to build on President Obama's policies, and Biden's campaign has promised to do exactly that," he explained.
The online poll was conducted Jan. 2-8 and surveyed a random national sample of 1,088 non-Hispanic Black adults over the age of 18. Overall, the poll has a margin of error of plus-minus 3.5 percentage points, and a four-point margin of error for the sample of 769 Democratic-leaning voters.
Rap mogul Jay-Z and hip-hop artist Yo Gotti wrote a letter to two top Mississippi officials Thursday, protesting the conditions of Mississippi prisons and demanding change.
The letter contained a threat — Jay-Z and Yo Gotti are ready to sue the state if prison conditions aren't improved.
An outbreak of deadly gang violence that left five dead in Mississippi prisons has brought the system's long-running problems into sharp relief and under national scrutiny.
The letter, addressed to Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Pelicia Hall, mentions frequent prison lockdowns, violence, a staffing shortage and inmates who "are forced to live in squalor, with rats that crawl over them as they sleep on the floor, having been denied even a mattress for a cot."
A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alex Spiro, a New York lawyer representing Roc Nation, Yo Gotti and Jay-Z's company, signed the letter on behalf of Team Roc. He said he wrote the letter in collaboration with the celebrities.
Spiro told the Clarion Ledger Yo Gotti and Jay-Z have been involved with other social justice and civil rights cases in the past.
They have been in touch with "folks on the ground and people within the prison system," Spiro said.
"We are exploring a variety of civil rights claims and constitutional claims that the prison system and the government is violating the Eighth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act," he said.
Spiro said Jay-Z and Yo Gotti do not want to "remain idle spectators with something this inhumane."
"As the prison system continues to incarcerate more and more people, predominantly African American people down in Mississippi, the prison system becomes more crowded, more underfunded and more inhumane and you know what you see now is a system at its breaking point," the attorney said.
The U.S. Air Force will call its new trainer the T-7A "Red Hawk."
Acting Air Force Secretary Matt Donovan announced the name of the jet, known previously as the T-X, on Monday, alongside retired Col. Charles McGee, who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
"The name, Red Hawk, honors the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, and pays homage to their signature red-tailed aircraft from World War II," Donovan said here during the annual Air, Space and Cyber conference.
"The name is also a tribute to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, an American fighter aircraft that first flew in 1938 and was flown by the 99th Fighter Squadron -- the U.S. Army Air Forces' first African-American fighter squadron," Donovan said.
According to a video shown at the conference, the T-7 will have red vertical canted tails, mimicking those of the Red Tail Squadron's P-51C aircraft.
The Tuskegee Airmen defied the odds by becoming the first African-American pilots, navigators and support personnel to serve during World War II, often escorting and protecting bombers.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Police are asking for help from the public to find a missing woman.
Domeneque Taylor, 32, is around 5’1″ and around 195 pounds.
If you have any information you are asked to call 501-404-3042 or 501-371-4829.
Michelle Obama: Quotes to Live By, a life-affirming collection of more than 170 quotes from one of the world’s most admired and respected public figures: Michelle Obama.
“People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.” —Michelle Obama, campaign rally, October 2016
As First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama used her platform to express her strongly held beliefs—and earned admiration for her intelligence, generosity, strength, bravery, confidence, and hard work. This collection of quotations, which covers topics ranging from education and equality to self-belief and success, helps cement her place as one of the strongest voices on the global stage today.
The quotations include:
“Every single child has boundless promise, no matter who they are, where they come from, or how much money their parents have. We’ve got to remember that.” —National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, November 2016
“It is so important to remember that our diversity has been—and will continue to be—our greatest source of strength and pride.” —Annual Nowruz celebration, April 2016
“We shouldn’t be sending messages to girls that there are things they can’t do—because there’s nothing that a girl can’t do.” —The Guardian, interview, November 2018
“It is not about voting for the perfect candidate—there is no such person.” —Campaign rally, September 2016
“Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” —Democratic National Convention, September 2012
“When you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something . . . and that is the power of hope. The belief that something better is always possible if you’re willing to work for it and fight for it.” —Final speech as First Lady of the United States, January 2017
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Netflix's Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker will officially stream on March 20.
The four-part mini-series will star Octavia Spencer as Walker, and the cast includes actors like Tiffany Haddish and Blair Underwood.
The new limited series is inspired by the book On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, written by Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles. It's set to chronicle her iconic rise to fame and fortune, telling the story of how her revolutionary products and brand changed the Black haircare industry as we know it.
