Democrat Cori Bush has been elected to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, making her the first Black Congresswoman in the history of Missouri.
Bush dfeated her Republican challenger, Anthony Rogers by winning 78.9% of the vote.
Vote Totals
Democrat Cori Bush: 245,520
Repiblican Anthony Rogers: 59,156
Retired NBA star and Alabama native Charles Barkley has pledged $1 million to Tuskegee University.
Barkley chose to support the university through Capitol One’s The Match: Champions for Change, according to the university.
According to the university, this is Barkley’s fifth major donation to a historically black college. The Leeds native pledged $1 million to Miles College earlier this year. He donated $1 million to both Alabama A&M and Clark Atlanta University in 2016. In 2017, he pledged $1 million to Morehouse College.
“We are excited to learn that Mr. Barkley made it a priority to support Tuskegee University,” said Interim President Dr. Charlotte Morris in the release. “His philanthropy will play a crucial role in advancing the university’s strategic goals.”
Democrat Maxine Waters easily won reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 43rd Congressional District
Waters defeated her Republican challenger, Joe Collins by getting 72% of the vote.
Vote Totals
Democrat Maxine Waters: 172,039
Republican Joe Collins: 66,656
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries wins reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 8th Congressional District.
Jefferies won a fifth term by deafeating his Republican challenger, Garfield Wallace by getting 82.6% of the vote.
Vote totals
Democrat Hakeem Jeffries: 175,140
Republican Garfield Wallace: 36,873
Sumter County made history on Election Day by electing the county’s first African-American sheriff.
“I’m overly excited, anxious, looking forward to the responsibility of the role of sheriff of Sumter County, Georgia and most importantly, I’m blessed,” Col. Eric Bryant said.
Bryant is chief deputy and interim sheriff in Sumter County. He made history Tuesday night after being elected the first African-American sheriff for the county.
“I’m excited to be able to make history here in Sumter County, Georgia and also look forward to encouraging other African-American males that they too can make a difference,” Bryant said of his win.
Bryant was the Democratic candidate in the race. He beat out his Republican counterpart, Phillip Daniel, with 69 percent of the vote Tuesday night.
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Democrat Teresa Myers Ervin is the new mayor of Florence, South Carolina after defeating Republican Bryan Braddock.
Myers Ervin is the first African American to serve as mayor in Florence.
She's been on council for more than 10 years and points to her success with redeveloping communities in North and Northwest Florence.
"I am energized because I love my hometown. And I love moving us forward. I want to see us progress with our economic development. I want to focus on COVID-19 recovery. And also I want to continue to expand our community development. And areas such as North Florence, Northwest. And I want to focus on East Florence that corridor. So, I am looking forward to moving our city forward economically, and also community-based," said Myers Ervin.
Democrat Marilyn Strickland, the former mayor of Tacoma and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, has won the open congressional race in Washington’s 10th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race for Strickland, in a district representing Olympia, Lakewood, Puyallup, eastern Tacoma and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Strickland, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, will become both the first Black member of Congress from Washington and the first Korean American congresswoman anywhere in America.
Incumbent Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman successfully defeated Republican Mark Razzoli to win a fourth term to New Jersey's 12th Congressional District.
With 63% of polls reporting, she won with 70.3% of the vote, leading Razzoli by more than 98,000 votes.
VOTE TOTALS
Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman: 164,079
Repunlblucan Mark Razzoli: 66,017
Democrat Jahana Hayes, the first Black woman elected to Congress from Connecticut, won a second term by defeating Republican David Sullivan on Wednesday.
Ms. Hayes led Mr. Sullivan by roughly 11 percentage points, and The Associated Press declared her the winner on Wednesday afternoon.
VOTE TOTALS
Jahana Hayes: 188,409
David Sullivan: 150,072
Rep. Ayanna Pressley has won a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to The Associated Press.
The congresswoman defeated Independent candidate Roy Owens in Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District.
With 90% of voting precints reporting Pressley recieved over 87% of the vote.
VOTE TOTALS
Pressley: 219,518
Roy Owens: 31,442
Democrat Donald Payne Jr. wins a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District.
Payne easily defeated Republican Jennifer Zinone. Early vote totals have Payne winning 86% of the vote with over 60% of precints reporting.
VOTE TOTALS
Donald Payne Jr.: 161,805
Jennifer Zinone: 21,381
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker easily won re-election Tuesday to a second six-year term in Washington.
The Associated Press called the race for Booker shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m.
Booker, the first Black elected to the Senate from New Jersey, defeated Republican Rik Mehta, according to the Associated Press.
Booker's Senate win comes after his unsuccessful presidential primary bid, which was suspended in January 2020 before Booker officially endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in March.
Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks at a rally in support of Joe Biden and other Democrats at a rally hosted by former President Barrack Obama in Atlanta. Watch her entire speech below:
City Manager James Chisholm announced the appointment of Deputy Chief Jakari Young as Daytona Beach’s (FL) next police chief. Chief Young will take over as police chief on Friday, Nov. 6, and he will take his oath of office at a swearing-in ceremony Friday, Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. on the steps of City Hall, 301 S. Ridgewood Ave. Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick L. Henry will administer the oath.
Young, 42, will be the department’s first African American police chief and its 17th chief since 1919. Young has served as the department’s deputy chief since 2017 and has been a member of the command staff for the past six years.
“I believe Jakari’s the right choice to serve as Daytona Beach’s next police chief. He knows our community, has a stellar track record and has the respect of his peers. He has established himself as a competent law enforcement professional and is well qualified to lead our department,” said Chisholm.
Young will replace outgoing Chief Craig Capri, who is retiring from the Daytona Beach Police Department after a 30-year career. Capri served as police chief since 2017.
“I would like to thank our City Manager James Chisholm for providing me this opportunity,” Young said, “I am extremely humbled and honored to lead this great organization. The dedication, commitment and professionalism displayed by the men and women of this department is second to none, and I couldn’t be any prouder to be their leader. I am also extremely excited to be able to continue to both serve and partner with our 68,000 plus residents and business owners on a daily basis while executing 21st century policing strategies to both reduce and prevent crime.”
He added, “Much love and respect to my friend, mentor and predecessor Chief Craig Capri for all of his support and guidance throughout my career. I wish him nothing but the best in all future endeavors.”
During his 19-year tenure with the Daytona Beach Police Department, Young has worked in various operational and administrative capacities, including the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations, Special Response Team, Crisis Intervention Team and the Office of Professional Standards. He has been recognized with several awards and accolades throughout his career, including multiple Medals of Merit, Chief’s Awards, commendations and the Bernard Schneider Award.
Young holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree from Bethune-Cookman University in Criminal Justice and Criminal Justice Administration, respectively. He holds memberships in the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). Young is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police, the Southern Police Institute and the Florida Leadership Academy. He also serves on the Board of Directors for SMA Healthcare. He is a happily married father of three children.
The Daytona Beach Police Department has an annual budget of $40 million and employs 256 sworn officers and 60 civilian employees.
Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. introduced the Pandemic Planning and Response for Schools Act today. The bill would “require the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education to create a public plan for the continuation of education during a public health emergency.”
“My bill is a direct response to the failed leadership of the Trump Administration regarding how to reopen schools during this global pandemic,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. “Right now, we have school districts across the country trying to figure out how to teach students and keep them safe during this public health crisis without any federal guidelines or standards. We need a plan from the two federal agencies that handle public health and education to guide schools on what to do during such an emergency.”
The bill states that a plan to outline how to continue student education during a public health crisis must be created and available to Congress, the States, and the public no later than 30 days after an emergency has been declared. The plan would provide requirements and recommendations on how to protect students and faculty during in-class instruction. If schools need to be closed, the plan would give directions regarding how to conduct online classes with direct supervision from a teacher or classroom instructor. In addition, it would provide rules and guidelines for what to do if schools use in-class and online instruction for students during the emergency.
The board of trustees of Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland, has named Theresa B. Felder as the college’s tenth president. Dr. Felder will take office on January 1.
Harford Community College enrolls just over 5,700 students according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 16 percent of the student body.
Dr. Felder comes to Harford Community College from Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio, where she most recently served as the senior vice president for student success. Prior to this position, she was the vice president of student affairs and administrative dean for Clark State’s largest branch campus.
Laura Henninger, chair of the college’s board of trustees stated that Dr. Felder’s “strength, breadth of experience, and her student-focused background align with Harford’s mission, vision, and values. We believe that she is the right person at this time to move the college forward.”
Dr. Felder is a graduate of Syracuse University in New York, where she majored in accounting. She holds a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University and a doctorate in higher education leadership from Northeastern University in Boston.
As Georgia wrapped up weeks of early voting on Friday for the Nov. 3 election, Black voter turnout had far surpassed the level seen at the same time in 2016.
Some 1 million Black voters have already cast ballots this year, up from 712,000 this time four years ago, according to TargetSmart, a Democratic analytics firm.
It is part of a rush to the polls in Georgia. More than 3.8 million Georgians had already cast ballots as of 5 p.m. on Friday, compared to 4.1 million overall in the last presidential election.
Urban One announced that veteran television executive Michelle L. Rice has been named President of TV One and CLEO TV. Since February 2018, Rice has served as General Manager with full management oversight of TV One, the general entertainment network serving a diverse audience of adult Black viewers, and spearheaded the 2019 launch of CLEO TV, an aspirational cable network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color.
“Michelle’s dynamic leadership has strengthened network partnerships, developed strategic alliances, and expanded distribution for both TV One and CLEO TV. All of which has uniquely positioned our networks to navigate the changing broadcast environment and catapult them to even greater success in the future,” said Alfred Liggins, President and CEO of Urban One.
“It has been a tremendous honor to work with such an exceptionally talented team and group of leaders who continue to transform and grow the business every day, even in the face of the most challenging circumstances presented to us this year. I’m incredibly excited about the future of both TV One and CLEO TV,” said Rice. “I am grateful for this recognition and the opportunity to continue building the TV One and CLEO TV brands. I appreciate the unwavering support and confidence in my leadership from Alfred Liggins and Urban One Founder and Chairperson, Cathy Hughes.”
Rice has successfully navigated and led the organization through a multitude of business and operational challenges since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, TV One has expanded its existing relationship with AT&T to include the upcoming launch of CLEO TV across DIRECT TV, AT&T TV, and AT&T NOW and with Philo TV, resulting in TV One’s first vMVPD distribution deal. Rice has brokered an exclusive partnership with the NAACP to develop and launch the ‘Hey Black America’ digital content campaign in response to a myriad of political and social issues that profoundly impact communities of color. TV One and CLEO TV have also developed REPRESENT THE VOTE: OUR VOICE, OUR FUTURE, a three-part series of virtual town halls designed to tackle various social, economic, and political issues impacting Black women voters across the U.S.
Rice was one of the inaugural TV One employees, hired as the Vice President, Distribution Strategy, and Operations. She was promoted to Senior Vice President and held the role of Executive Vice President, Content Distribution and Marketing until she was promoted to General Manager.
ABOUT URBAN ONE
Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. As of June 2020, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 61 broadcast stations (including all HD stations, translator stations and the low power television stations we operate) branded under the tradename "Radio One" in 14 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the African-American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired and MadameNoire digital platforms and brands. We also have invested in a minority ownership interest in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George's County, Maryland. Through our national multi-media operations, we provide advertisers with a unique and powerful delivery mechanism to the African-American and urban audiences.
ABOUT TV ONE
Launched in January 2004, TV One serves 59 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult black viewers. The network represents the best in black culture and entertainment with fan favorite shows Unsung, Uncensored, ATL Homicide, Fatal Attraction and Urban One Honors. In addition, TV One is the cable home of original blockbuster films including When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story, Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, Bobbi Kristina and The Bobby DeBarge Story. TV One is solely owned by Urban One, Inc., formerly known as Radio One, Inc. [NASDAQ: UONE and UONEK, http://www.urban1.com , the largest African-American owned multi-media company primarily targeting Black and urban audiences.
ABOUT CLEO TV
Launched in January 2019, CLEO TV is a lifestyle and entertainment network targeting Millennial and Gen X women of color. Derived from the name Cleopatra, one of the most powerful, trendsetting, rule-breaking and iconic women in history, CLEO TV offers distinctive content that defies negative and cultural stereotypes of today's modern women. Original and acquired series covering topics such as travel, home design, cooking, talk shows, movies, docu-series, and sitcoms include: Just Eats with Chef JJ, New Soul Kitchen, Living by Design with Jake and Jazz, and Lens of Culture. CLEO TV is currently available on Comcast Xfinity and Charter Spectrum in various markets, as well as Philo. CLEO TV is fully owned by TV One, LLC, a brand of Urban One, Inc., formerly known as Radio One, Inc. [NASDAQ: UONE and UONEK, http://www.urban1.com , the largest African-American owned multi-media company primarily targeting Black and urban audiences. Visit http://www.mycleo.tv for more information.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has announced his selection of Dr. Brian Bridges as the state’s new Secretary of Higher Education. Bridges, who is UNCF’s Vice President of Research and Member Engagement, is leaving UNCF to assume his duties beginning Nov. 16.
Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF, said “Brian Bridges is a great choice to be New Jersey’s new Secretary of Education. He has led our research and institutional transformation work at UNCF, driving our strategy to ensure that our Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) produce ever stronger results for the students they serve. Brian is a passionate, committed, and relentless advocate for justice, equality, and equity in the academy. All of us at UNCF will miss Brian, but we know that he will continue to champion the urgent cause of higher education access and affordability, and he will lead a new era of innovation and transformation for all of New Jersey’s colleges and universities and their students.”
As New Jersey’s Secretary of Higher Education, Dr. Bridges will use his higher education experience and leadership skills to help guide the governor and the New Jersey state legislature in carrying out its critical mission to make college more affordable and accessible to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all. His new role will oversee 78 two- and four-year institutions, serve more than 500,000 students and provide advice and guidance on $1.5 billion of sustainable and responsible funding for those institutions.
“Achieving this level of success comes as no surprise,” said Dr. Lomax. “Since joining UNCF as executive director of the UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) in 2012, and then rising to vice president of research and member engagement in 2014, Brian has contributed to the success of UNCF and grown in both leadership and national stature as he positioned FDPRI into the nation’s leading authority on the HBCU value proposition and gained a reputation as a leading voice in African American higher education.”
“For this, and his many major contributions to our organization, we truly thank him, and look forward to watching him as he continues on a path to major success. Congratulations, Secretary Bridges!” said Lomax.
A 33-year NYPD veteran is continuing to blaze trails as she takes over as the new chief of collaborative policing.
Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, who used to be in charge of the School Safety Division, is now tasked with fostering partnerships with people, government agencies, and community-based organizations. She is one of the highest ranked African-American women in the department.
