Sharon Bowen becomes first black woman to chair New York Stock Exchange board

Sharon Bowen was named Monday as chair of the New York Stock Exchange, its parent company announced, becoming the first Black woman to hold the role at the Wall Street fixture.

Bowen, who is already a member of the boards of ICE and the NYSE, served from 2014 to 2017 as a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission overseeing futures markets.

In 2010, then-president Barack Obama named her to a vice-chair of the body regulating US broker-dealers, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

Bowen also worked for three decades as a partner and associate in law firms, specializing in business law.

With 2,400 listed companies and a combined capitalization of $36 trillion, the NYSE, located in New York’s Lower Manhattan business district, bills itself as the world’s largest stock exchange.

President Biden selects Tennessee State University's President Glover as HBCU advisory board’s vice-chair

With a firm grip on the achievements of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) amid continuous challenges, including limited resources, Tennessee State University President Dr. Glenda Glover has agreed to serve as vice-chair of President Joe Biden’s HBCU advisory board.

The president’s office announced Dr. Glover’s appointment last week.

The board is crafted to advance the goal of the HBCU Initiative established by the Carter administration – to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to their students and continue serving as engines of opportunity.

The eighth President of Tennessee State University (TSU), a position she has held since January 2013, Dr. Glover in October testified before a congressional committee regarding continued congressional support for HBCUs.

Appearing before the House Education and Labor Committee’s Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee, Glover, who is from Memphis, testified during a hearing dubbed “Homecoming: The Historical Roots and Continued Contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).” She was among the witnesses who stressed to committee members the importance of HBCUs and the economic necessity for continued financial support of them.

“HBCUs have changed the college landscape and have achieved in spite of the continuous challenges and limited resources,” testified Glover, who also is the international president and CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

“HBCUs have consistently had to do more with less…The Build Back Better Act is a game-changer. It reflects the Biden administration’s understanding of investing in HBCUs.”

Through the American Rescue Plan and by forgiving the capital improvement debt of many HBCUs, the Biden-Harris administration has already committed more than $4 billion in support. Re-establishing the White House HBCU Initiative – and placing strong leadership at the head of the Board – is the administration’s move to build on that financial commitment with continued institutional support.

During her congressional testimony, Glover thanked lawmakers for legislation that provided financial support amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly to HBCUs, but she said more was needed.

“The emergency funding was significant because it assisted students as they faced this sudden crisis. Today, we ask you to continue that financial support of HBCUs, not just on the emergency basis as the CARES Act and other emergency funding has done in the past. We ask you to assist HBCUs as they seek to grow, develop, become more competitive and sustainable for years to come.”

She outlined three specific areas that HBCUs need funding: infrastructure and deferred maintenance, technology, new academic programs and research.

TSU, which has received the Carnegie R2 “high research activity” designation, set a school record with nearly $71 million in research in 2020 during the pandemic.

Through her work as international president of AKA, Glover spearheaded a fundraising campaign to raise $1 million in one day for HBCUs. The goal has been exceeded for four consecutive years and culminated in $2.5 million this past September. The massive fundraising effort led to endowments at each of the 96 four-year HBCUs, including her alma mater, TSU.

A mathematics major at TSU, Glover earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Clark Atlanta University before completing her doctorate in business from George Washington University, where she also completed her law degree.

A certified public accountant, Glover is one of only three African-American women to hold the Ph. D-CPA-JD combination in the United States.

[SOURCE: TSD]

Sen. Cory Booker tests positive for COVID-19

U.S. Senator Cory Booker said on Sunday they that he tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing mild symptoms amid a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases.

Booker, 52, a New Jersey Democrat, said on Twitter he had learned Sunday of his positive test "after first feeling symptoms on Saturday." He added he had "relatively mild" symptoms and recently had received a vaccine booster. "I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse," he said.

Booker released the following statement via Twitter:

I learned today that I tested positive for COVID-19 after first feeling symptoms on Saturday. My symptoms are relatively mild. I’m beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster – I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse.

— Sen. Cory Booker (@SenBooker) December 20, 2021

Dr. Bernice King delivers message about commerating the MLK Holiday and voting rights

Dr. Bernice King, the King Center CEO and daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., offered an explanation of the center's and her family's plans for the MLK Day holiday in 2022 after her brother, Martin Luther King III indicated this week they would not formally celebrate it unless voting rights bills pass in Congress.

In a video message posted to social media, Bernice King said she stands in solidarity with her brother, Martin Luther King III, in "calling our nation's attention to securing and protecting the most sacred right of our democracy, which is the right to vote."

Hello, family. Here is a message from me about commemorating #MLKDay, my mother's work to establish a holiday in honor of my father's life and legacy, and #MLKGlobal. Let's educate, advocate and activate. #MLK #CorettaScottKing #ShiftingPriorities pic.twitter.com/UtJNy14V7l

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) December 17, 2021

South Carolina State Wins Celebration Bowl To Become HBCU National Champion

Deion Sanders and his Jackson State Tigers were favored to win the Celebration Bowl. Unfortunately for JSU South Carolina State Coach Oliver "Buddy" Fields and his Bulldogs had other ideas.

South Carolina State QB, Cory Fields Jr. threw for four touchdowns, three to Shaquan Davis, and South Carolina State stunned Jackson State 31-10 on Saturday in a game for the national championship of historically Black colleges and universities.

Sgt. Alwyn Cashe becomes 1st African American recipient of Medal of Honor since 9/11

President Joe Biden on Thursday awarded the Medal of Honor -- the nation's highest military award for valor -- to three U.S. soldiers for risking their lives "above and beyond the call of duty" during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, the first Black service member to be so honored since the 9/11 attacks.

"Today, we honor three outstanding soldiers, whose actions embody the highest ideals of selfless service," Biden said at the ceremony. "We also remember the high price our military members and their families are willing to pay on behalf of our nation."

Cashe suffered fatal injuries while serving in Iraq on Oct. 17, 2005, after rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Salah Ad Din Province, according to the White House.

Cashe died 16 years ago at the age of 35 and his widow, Tamara Cashe, accepted the posthumous award on his behalf during a White House ceremony.

Cashe grew up in Oviedo, Florida, and enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 1989 after graduating from Oviedo High School. He was deployed in the 1991 Gulf War and served in Korea and Germany before being deployed to Iraq in 2005 while serving as a platoon sergeant in the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Cashe was initially awarded the Silver Star, the Army's third-highest honor for valor in combat, but his battalion commander, Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, and other officers advocated for years that Cashe deserved to be upgraded for the Medal of Honor. Cashe-White said that Brito and the 3rd Infantry Division had "been with us every step of the way."

When the vehicle that Cashe was commanding became engulfed in flames during an attack, his uniform caught fire and he sustained severe burns while extinguishing the flames and rescuing his fellow soldiers, according to the White House. Even after suffering injuries, he repeatedly approached the vehicle and helped four soldiers escape while being targeted by live fire.

"He went back into the inferno for a third time and got everyone out of that inferno," Biden said at Thursday's ceremony. "That was his code; his love for his Third Infantry Division ran deep. No soldier was going to be left behind on his watch."

Stacey Abrams releases new children's book: Stacey’s Extraordinary Words

The debut picture book from iconic voting rights advocate and #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams is an inspiring tale of determination, based on her own childhood.

Stacey is a little girl who loves words more than anything. She loves reading them, sounding them out, and finding comfort in them when things are hard.

But when her teacher chooses her to compete in the local spelling bee, she isn’t as excited as she thought she’d be. What if she messes up? Or worse, if she can’t bring herself to speak up, like sometimes happens when facing bullies at school?

Stacey will learn that win or lose . . . her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all.

Check Out Stacey’s Extraordinary Words

Keechant Sewell to be NYC's first woman police commissioner

Nassau County Chief of Detectives Keechant Sewell will be named New York City's first woman police commissioner, a spokesperson for Mayor-elect Eric Adams confirmed Tuesday evening.

A formal announcement is expected Wednesday morning at the Queensbridge Houses.

“Keechant Sewell is a proven crime fighter with the experience and emotional intelligence to deliver both the safety New Yorkers need and the justice they deserve," Adams said in a statement. "Chief Sewell will wake up every day laser-focused on keeping New Yorkers safe and improving our city, and I am thrilled to have her at the helm of the NYPD.”

Sewell, a native of Queens, has not served in the NYPD, unlike recent police commissioners. But she is a 25-year veteran of policing, and recently made history as the first Black woman to lead Nassau County’s detectives.

She will be just the third Black police commissioner in New York City history.

Adams, whose signature campaign issue was public safety, had promised to name a woman to lead America's largest police force. The NYPD has about 36,000 uniformed officers and 19,000 civilian workers, a much larger force than that of Nassau County. Sewell oversees a few thousand detectives in Nassau.

Sewell will take over at a time the city is seeing a sharp increase in shootings, and as the city seeks to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

[SOURCE: NY1.Com]

Exoneration of Muhammad A. Aziz Lead to Civil Actions Against the State and City of New York

Jackson State coach Deion Sanders wins 2021 FCS Eddie Robinson Award

 One of the biggest coaching hires in FCS college football history has paid quick dividends.

Jackson State University certainly “believes” in the results under Deion Sanders, who on Tuesday was named the 2021 recipient of the Stats Perform FCS Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented to the national coach of the year in the Division I subdivision.

One of 17 finalists for the award, which is named for legendary Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson and celebrating its 35th anniversary season, Sanders will be honored at the FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.

Just over a year after the school made the legendary cornerback a first-time head coach, the Tigers have set a program record with 11 wins and captured the Southwestern Athletic Conference title for the first time since 2007. The Tigers have qualified for the Celebration Bowl for the first time, set to face South Carolina State on Saturday in Atlanta.

“This is a team effort, it’s a valiant effort, it takes a lot, it does not just take me. I know it takes a visionary, but people have to really support the vision. And that’s what we did,” Sanders said.

After Jackson State hired Sanders in September 2020, he quickly instituted an “I Believe” mantra to suggest positive days were ahead for a program that didn’t have a winning season since 2013.

In his first campaign this past spring, the Tigers went 4-3, but one win was a forfeit. This fall, they’ve left no doubt, losing only once by five points to an FBS opponent, even while the 54-year-old Sanders, who’s known as Coach Prime, coached in and around a three-week hospital stay.

With Sanders’ son Shedeur, a freshman quarterback, leading the offense as the 2021 Jerry Rice Award recipient, and the defense ranking as the SWAC’s best, Jackson State has gone 11-1, including 9-0 against conference opponents. While it’s unfolded, an average of 42,293 fans flocked to six home games – a single-season record for an FCS school.

Chicago to offer $2.9 million settlement to Anjanette Young over botched police raid

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is proposing a $2.9 million settlement for Anjanette Young over a botched police raid.

Alderpersons were told in closed-door briefings Sunday evening about the proposed settlement amount. Young’s and three other settlements are on the agenda for the Finance Committee meeting Monday. The other three cases have proposed settlement amounts listed, but Anjanette Young v. City of Chicago did not.

Young, a social worker, was in her Near West Side home the night of Feb. 21, 2019, when several Chicago police officers entered, announcing a raid. Young was undressed and getting ready for bed at the time, and she was forced to remain naked in front of the officers for 40 minutes as the ordeal unfolded.

Lightfoot’s office and the Law Department did not respond to requests for comment on the proposed settlement amount.

On Friday, Lightfoot’s office released a statement: “It is our expectation that on Monday, the Finance Committee will be presented with a proposed settlement for consideration regarding Ms. Young. Out of deference to that process, we will not be commenting further.”

[SOURCE: CHICAGO SUN TIMES]

NYPD Chief Rodney Harrison to be Nominated as Suffolk County Police Commissioner

The man who served as the NYPD’s first black chief of detectives and who recently announced his retirement from the department may not be on the sidelines for long, as he will be nominated for a top police position on Long Island, NBC New York has learned.

Rodney Harrison will be nominated to become the next commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department, according to two officials. The nomination will be announced by County Executive Steve Bellone at a Tuesday press conference, Deputy County Executive Jason Elan told NBC New York. A senior NYPD official also confirmed to News 4 that Harrison had been selected.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced in November that Harrison would be stepping down as the force's highest-ranking uniformed officer on Dec. 30. Harrison was a member of the department for 30 years.

[SOURCE NBC NEWS]

HBCU Talladega College receives historic donation of $2.5 million

Talladega College recently received an anonymous and historic donation of $2.5 million in support of student scholarships.

With these funds, the College plans to expand its ‘Angel Award’ scholarship program which will tremendously impact the lives of current and incoming students.

“This donation is the first of many,” said Dr. Lisa Long, acting president of Talladega College. “Our mission is to equip our graduates for the global community through academic excellence, moral values, community service, and professional development.”

“These funds will enable us to continue our path of success and our unwavering journey to remain an institution of excellence,” she added.

In August, the College received an anonymous donation of $250,000 which was used to create the ‘Angel Award.’ This scholarship has provided financial assistance to nearly 100 students who were facing economic struggles.

According to Long, she is not certain about the identity of the College’s ‘angel in disguise,’ but she is exceedingly grateful for their generosity.

“Our College’s most important asset is our people,” said Long. “This donation is yet another validation that we're on the right track with facilitating the needs of our students.”

Among many other demonstrations of generosity and merits, the College recently cleared $925,666 in debt for students with balances for the terms of Spring 2020 through Summer 2021, and was recently ranked in the top 100 most affordable public administration colleges.

Georgetown University names basketball court after John Thompson Jr.

Georgetown's home floor is now called John Thompson Jr. Court.

The university announced the naming of the court at Capital One Arena on Saturday in honor of the legendary leader and former coach who died last year at age 78.

Members of Thompson's family, as well as former Georgetown stars like Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, sat courtside to watch the program honor the Hoyas legend.

Thompson's biggest star at Georgetown, Patrick Ewing, is now entering his fifth season as head coach at his alma mater.

Known for coaching with a white towel on his right shoulder, Thompson was hired in 1972 after the Hoyas had just completed a three-win season. In 1984, he became the first Black head coach to lead a team to the national title.

While winning was important to Thompson, he never shied away from speaking his mind and standing up for social justice issues. On Saturday, the program was also awarded the first John Thompson Jr. Award—an honor given to a school that strives to fight prejudice and discrimination and advance positive societal change—by the Big East.

"Coach Thompson's impact on this program, this athletic department and this university will last forever," Georgetown athletic director Lee Reed said. "Knowing what he stood for, knowing the importance of the work he did in his lifetime, it's our responsibility collectively to not only uphold that but to continue to move that forward."

University of Virginia names Tony Elliott as its next football coach

Tony Elliott has been hired as the University of Virginia’s 41st head football coach. The official news of his selection as the Fralin Family Head Football Coach arrived Friday afternoon, setting social media ablaze, as Charlottesville is now home to one of the more respected names in the Atlantic Coast Conference and beyond.

Elliott, Clemson University’s offensive coordinator since 2014 and assistant head coach since January, helped the Tigers to national titles in 2017 and 2019, plus six ACC championships and four appearances in the College Football Playoff.

In 2017, he won the Broyles Award, an annual accolade that goes to the best assistant coach in college football. Past winners include some of the most successful head coaches in the game, including University of Southern California’s Lincoln Riley and the University of Georgia’s Kirby Smart.

“This is an awesome opportunity for the University of Virginia as we welcome Coach Tony Elliott into the UVA football family,” UVA athletics director Carla Williams said. “Coach Elliott is a winner in every sense of the word. He is known for his character, humility, work ethic, skill set and passion for education. Coach Elliott is an exceptional leader of young men and he is highly regarded across college football as a talented teacher and coach. He is an outstanding recruiter who has been responsible for recruiting, signing and developing scholar-athletes while competing for and winning championships.

“We aspire to elevate UVA football in a manner that is consistent with the University’s core mission and purpose. Coach Elliott understands and embraces this amazing opportunity to do something really special at the University of Virginia. I am thrilled for the young men in our football program. We are honored to welcome him, his wife Tamika and their sons, A.J. and Ace, to Virginia.”

As a player at Clemson, Elliott worked his way up from a walk-on to a team captain by his senior season. He was a first-team Academic All-ACC selection, earning his degree in industrial engineering.

Elliott will replace current head coach Bronco Mendenhall following the Cavaliers’ Dec. 29 matchup with Southern Methodist University in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park in Boston.

‘The Harder They Fall' Tops African American Film Critics Association List Of 2021

'The Harder They Fall' headlined the African American Film Critics Association's annual list of the top 10 films of the year. The film, directed by Jeymes Samuel, and produced by rap mogul Jay-Z, stars Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and Lakeith Stanfield portraying historical Black figures Rufus Buck, Nat Love, Trudy Smith, Stagecoach Mary and Cherokee Bill, respectively.

"Selections for this year's Top 10 speak to history's importance in informing who we are, as a people and as a community," said AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. "Although our top film 'The Harder They Fall' from Netflix is a fictionalized Western, it introduced the world to an incredible array of real-life Black cowboys and cowgirls who helped to transform the West, prompting many to discover the prominent role Black people played in that storied chapter of American history that has long been a Hollywood go-to genre."

"With Richard Williams in 'King Richard' and Aretha Franklin in 'Respect,' you get an examination of two figures who have left an indelible mark on society and world culture. Mr. Williams, through the cultivation of the talent of his daughters, Venus and Serena, has forever transformed tennis. Their success has become a door-opener by which others can enter a sport that has historically been very closed to them," Robertson continued. "Obviously not enough can be said about Ms. Aretha Franklin who shaped and transformed the world through her music. These films, along with the rest of AAFCA's Top 10 films of 2021, celebrate culture, history and history-makers. AAFCA is thrilled to recognize their contributions to cinema."

The full list of AAFCA'S Top 10 Films of 2021:

1. The Harder They Fall

2. King Richard

3. Respect

4. The Tragedy of Macbeth

5. Passing

6. Belfast

7. Who We Are

8. House of Gucci

9. The Power of the Dog

10. West Side Story

As previously announced, AAFCA will reveal winners of the 13th Annual AAFCA Awards honoring outstanding achievement in film in 15 competitive categories on Jan. 17,2022. An in-person celebration in Los Angeles will follow on March 2.

For more information on the AAFCA Awards and the organization's other programs and activities, visit http://AAFCA.com.

[SOURCE: BROADWAY WORLD]

Letitia James suspends campaign for governor

New York Attorney General Letitia James suspended her campaign for governor Thursday, saying she will run for reelection to her current position to “finish the job” amid numerous ongoing investigations, including one into former President Donald Trump.

James ended her campaign for governor the same day it was reported she was seeking to have Trump sit for a Jan. 7 deposition in an ongoing civil probe into his business practices.

James released the following statement as to why she suspended her campaign:

I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general.

There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job.

I am running for re-election to complete the work New Yorkers elected me to do.

Rep. Pressley Leads Resolution to Remove Rep. Boebert From Committee Assignments

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-01), Judy Chu (CA-27), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), led their House colleagues in announcing a resolution to remove Representative Lauren Boebert (CO-03) from her committee assignments. Rep. Pressley and colleagues will hold a press conference on Capitol Hill on Monday at 2:00pm ET to discuss the resolution and the need to hold Boebert accountable.

 The lawmakers’ resolution follows Boebert’s repeated use of Islamophobic, racist and hateful comments and incitement of anti-Muslim animus, and Leader Kevin McCarthy’s refusal to hold her accountable for her dangerous conduct. The resolution also comes amid growing calls from Members of Congress for meaningful accountability. 

“For a Member of Congress to repeatedly use hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobic tropes towards a Muslim colleague is dangerous. It has no place in our society and it diminishes the honor of the institution we serve in,” said Rep. Pressley. “Without meaningful accountability for that Member’s actions, we risk normalizing this behavior and endangering the lives of our Muslim colleagues, Muslim staffers and every Muslim who calls America home. The House must unequivocally condemn this incendiary rhetoric and immediately pass this resolution. How we respond in moments like these will have lasting impacts, and history will remember us for it.” 

"Islamophobia and any form of hate is a direct attack on people in this country and our democracy,” said Rep. Bowman. “Muslims belong in everywhere Congress and any place of power in the country. They need to know that Congress will not accept Islamophobia. We are putting forth this resolution because we love our democracy and our Muslim brothers and sisters. Rep. Boebert has gone beyond expressing usual dissent for a colleague and their views and is endangering Rep. Omar in addition to inciting violence. Trump ran on Islamophobia, and that disease is still in government. We cannot allow any forms of Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant, and xenophobic sentiments stand in the halls of Congress or part of our government. Rep. Boebert must be held accountable.” 

“St. Louis and I did not come to Congress to leave Islamophobic, racist, and inciteful attacks unchecked,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush. “Congressional leadership has a responsibility to show that this kind of behavior is unacceptable—starting in the halls of power. We must be assured that no member is above accountability, and Republican leadership has failed to deliver any such accountability for Boebert. It is time for Democratic leadership to act and pass our resolution to not only protect Rep. Omar, but the livelihoods and lives of Muslim communities around our country.” 

“Once again, Kevin McCarthy refuses to condemn the hatred in his own caucus,” said Rep. Chu. “Rep. Boebert’s comments, which she repeated, were not subtle nor were they a slip of the tongue. It was the latest in a long string of openly Islamophobic and bigoted comments which have repeatedly led to violence. We saw this in the wake of September 11th, when the exact lie that Rep. Boebert is repeating today, led to a spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes. And we have seen it in the numerous death threats directed at Rep. Omar and others since being elected and becoming targets of Republican hate speech. For Rep. Boebert to repeatedly make this claim now, just months after white nationalists stormed the Capitol, shows an incredible disregard for the safety of her peers, if not outright hostility. This would be unacceptable in any workplace, and is certainly unacceptable in the halls of Congress. If Rep. Boebert chooses to spend her time threatening the safety of a colleague because of her religion, it will not be from the privileged perch of Congressional committee.”   

“I join Rep. Pressley and my colleagues in calling for Representative Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments,” said Rep. Jayapal. “There must be consequences for vicious workplace harassment and abuse that creates an environment so unsafe for colleagues and staff that it invites death threats against them. There must be consequences for elected representatives who traffic in anti-Muslim and racist tropes that make all Muslims across the country less safe. There must be consequences when Members of Congress demonize an entire religion and promote hate from their positions of public trust.” 

“This type of bigotry is disgusting, but unfortunately not surprising,” said Rep. Lee. “Anti-Muslim rhetoric is not, and will never be, a laughing matter. Rep. Boebert must be held accountable to show that hate speech will not be tolerated in Congress.” 

“I stand with my friend and colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar. No one, Member of Congress or otherwise, should face bigotry in their workplace. Rep. Boebert still owes her an apology for her hateful rhetoric and actions, and short of that the House should take further action. Islamophobia has no place in our country or the Halls of Congress," said Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García. 

“Democrats are, and should be, focused on building real and symbolic bridges, both within and to all our communities. We cannot lose sight of that,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “But a failure to exact consequences for this dangerous bigotry will lead to more hate, and inevitably, more threats and violent rhetoric or actions aimed at our own Members and the communities of which they are a part. We must hold Members accountable whose rhetoric puts their colleagues and staff in harm’s way. These Islamophobic comments by one of our fellow Members must be called out. Hate is hate, and these types of incendiary remarks can and do inspire violence and direct threats, both to the individuals they are targeted at, and to the larger communities they represent. A pipe bomb that sat in my district office for over 24 hours, and was handled by my staff, testifies to that frightening reality. Sadly, there are countless more examples I could cite. As a Jewish Member, my office receives threats regularly, as do members of my larger community.” 

Joining Rep. Pressley on this resolution are Representatives Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sarah Jacobs (CA-53), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Andy Levin (MI-09), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Mondaire Jones (NY-17). 

Last week, Reps. Pressley joined Reps. Bowman, Bush, Carson, Jayapal and 34 House progressives on a statement calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments. 

On December 1, Democratic Caucus Chairs released a statement calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed of her committee assignments. 

Harvard Professor Tiya Miles Wins National Book Award in the Nonfiction Category

Tiya Miles, a professor of history and Radcliffe Alumnae Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and director of the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History at Harvard University, has won the National Book Award in the nonfiction category. Professor Miles was honored for her book All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, A Black Family Keepsake (Random Houe, 2021).

In 1850s South Carolina, an enslaved woman named Rose faced a crisis, the imminent sale of her daughter Ashley. Thinking quickly, she packed a cotton bag with a few precious items as a token of love and to try to ensure Ashley’s survival. Soon after, the nine-year-old girl was separated from her mother and sold. Decades later, Ashley’s granddaughter Ruth embroidered this family history on the bag in spare yet haunting language— including Rose’s wish that “It be filled with my Love always.” Ruth’s sewn words, the reason we remember Ashley’s sack today, evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love passed down through generations.

The contents of Ashley’s sack — a tattered dress, handfuls of pecans, a braid of hair, “my Love always”—are eloquent evidence of the lives these women lived. As she follows Ashley’s journey, Miles metaphorically unpacks the bag, deepening its emotional resonance and exploring the meanings and significance of everything it contained.

The citation for the National Book Award reads: “A brilliant, original work, All That She Carried presents a Black woman’s countercompilation of lives that ordinary archives suppress. Tiya Miles’s graceful prose gives us narrative history, social history, and object history of women’s craft through the things Rose gave the daughter she was losing forever. With depth and breadth, Miles offers the visual record of love in the face of the child trafficking atrocities of slavery. This book is scholarship at its best and most heartrending.”

Dr. Miles was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Afro-American studies from Harvard University, a master’s degree in women’s studies from Emory University in Atlanta, and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Minnesota. Before coming to Harvard, Professor Miles taught on the faculty of the University of Michigan for 16 years, where she served as chair of the department of Afroamerican & African studies.

Check Out Professor Tiya Miles' book on Amazon

Emmett Till Docuseries 'Let the World See' to Premiere in January 2022

ABC News announced today the special limited docuseries Let The World See, produced in association with Shawn Carter and Roc Nation, Will Smith and Westbrook Studios, and Aaron Kaplan and Kapital Entertainment. The series will chronicle Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley’s fierce quest for justice that sparked the civil rights movement after her son Emmett Till’s brutal murder, inspiring heroes like Ms. Rosa Parks and others to stand up boldly for their rights. Let The World See premieres Thursday, Jan. 6 (10:01-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC and will air for three consecutive Thursday nights following each new episode of ABC’s upcoming limited series Women of the Movement, also produced by Roc Nation, Westbrook Studios and Kapital Entertainment.

Let The World See is a fresh and deep examination of Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight to bring her son’s body home to Chicago and her pivotal yet heartbreaking decision to have an open-casket funeral for the public to see, which ultimately served as a turning point for the civil rights movement. The docuseries also traces Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley’s journey back to the Jim Crow South to face her son’s murderers in court. The program will illustrate how the Till family has continued her legacy since her death in 2003, remaining active in the movement as the deaths of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Ms. Breonna Taylor and others sparked protests around the country.

Weaving together first-hand accounts from Emmett Till’s family, Let The World See includes interviews with Emmett Till’s cousins Rev. Wheeler Parker, who was a witness to the abduction, Ms. Ollie Gordon and Amos Smith, and Ms. Thelma Wright, Ms.Mamie Till-Mobley’s cousin. The docuseries also features interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, activist and friend of Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley; FBI agent Lent Rice, who was a part of the team that opened a new investigation into Emmett Till’s case more than 50 years after his death; journalist Dan Wakefield, who covered the Emmet Till murder trial; and Ms. Betty Pearson, who watched the Emmett Till murder trial in the courtroom more than 60 years ago. The special programming also highlights deeply personal insights from contemporary authors, including Ms. Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Christopher Benson (Death of Innocence), John Edgar Wideman (Writing to Save a Life) and Michael Eric Dyson (Long Time Coming), who visits the scene of the crime for a special reading of his Letter to Emmett Till.

Let The World See is produced by ABC News Studios in association with Roc Nation, Westbrook Studios, Kapital Entertainment and Cobble Hill Films and is directed by Ms. Jeanmarie Condon and Ms. Fatima Curry. Ms. Condon and Ms. Curry are executive producers for Cobble Hill Films and ABC News Studios, respectively; Shawn Carter, Tyran Smith and Jay Brown are executive producers for Roc Nation; Will Smith is executive producing for Westbrook Studios and James Lassiter also serves as executive producer; Aaron Kaplan is executive producer for Kapital Entertainment.

SNEAK PEEK: ‘Let The World See’ docuseries