Rep. Bennie Thompson calls on to investigate bomb threats to HBCUs

More than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities reported bomb threats Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day of threats at HBCUs nationwide and prompting calls for federal law enforcement to investigate amid campus lockdowns.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said the threats warrant a full investigation, and he said he was working with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security as well as with leaders of the HBCUs "to get them the answers they deserve."

In a statement to USA TODAY, the FBI said it was investigating.

"The FBI is aware of the series of bomb threats around the country and we are working with our law enforcement partners to address any potential threats," the statement said. "As always, we would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious to report it to law enforcement immediately."

HBCU's to report new threats Tuesday were Kentucky State University in Frankfort; Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans; Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida; Fort Valley State University in Georgia; Spelman College, in Atlanta; Coppin State University in Baltimore; Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi; Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi; the University of the District of Columbia, Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Georgetown Law School suspends legal scholar who said Biden would name a 'lesser Black woman' to the Supreme Court

Georgetown Law School has put Ilya Shapiro, an incoming director of a research institute, on administrative leave following a series of deleted tweets about President Joe Biden naming a "lesser Black woman" to the Supreme Court instead of other potential nominees due to the president's promise to make a historic selection.

"Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn't fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so we'll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?" Shapiro wrote in a now-deleted tweet.

"Ilya Shapiro's tweets are antithetical to the work that we do here every day to build inclusion, belonging, and respect for diversity," Georgetown Law School Dean William Treanor wrote in a note to the law school community, according to Slate's Mark Joseph Stern.

Treanor said Shapiro will remain on leave and off-campus until an investigation into whether he violated the university's policies and "expectations of professional conduct" is complete. InsideHigherEd reported that the Georgetown Black Law Students Association among others had previously called for Shapiro's termination.

[SOURCE: MSN]

Several HBCUs received bomb threats Monday

For the second time this month, at least six historically black universities and colleges have received bomb threats.

Howard University, Bowie State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Southern University, Delaware State University and Albany State University have all reported potential threats Monday.

Judge rejects federal plea deal for man who killed Ahmaud Arbery

A federal judge rejected a plea agreement Monday that would have averted a hate crimes trial for the man convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery.

Arbery’s parents denounced the proposed deal for Travis McMichael, with mother Wanda Cooper-Jones and father Marcus Arbery emotionally asking the judge to reject agreements filed for McMichael and his father, Greg McMichael.

In rejecting the deal, U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood said it would have locked her into specific terms — including 30 years in federal prison — at sentencing. Wood said that in this case it would only be appropriate to consider the family’s wishes at sentencing, which the proposed deal wouldn’t allow.

Marcus Arbery told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Brunswick that he’s “mad as hell” over the deal, which lawyer Lee Merritt said could enable Travis and Greg McMichael to spend the first 30 years of their life sentences in federal prison, rather than state prison where conditions are tougher.

“Ahmaud is a kid you cannot replace,” Arbery said. “He was killed racially and we want 100% justice, not no half justice.”

Cooper-Jones described the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to propose the plea deal despite her objections as “disrespectful.”

“I fought so hard to get these guys in the state prison,” she said. “I told them very, very adamantly that I wanted them to go to state prison and do their time. ... Then I got up this morning and found out they had accepted this ridiculous plea.”

The proposed plea agreements were filed with the court late Sunday. There was no mention of a deal with their co-defendant, William “Roddie” Bryan. Federal deals would not affect state murder convictions in Arbery’s killing. All three men were sentenced to life in prison on Jan. 7 after a trial last fall.

[SOURCE: AP]

Cheslie Kryst former Miss USA dies at 30

Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst has died.

A New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed to Insider that Kryst jumped from a 60-story building in Manhattan, where she was a resident, on Sunday morning.

Kryst, who won the Miss USA title in 2019 while representing North Carolina, was 30 years old.

In a statement Kryst's family said they know the pageant's queen "impact will live on."

"In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie," it read. "Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed, and she shined."

"Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA, and as a host on EXTRA. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on. As we reflect on our loss, the family asks for privacy at this time."

[SOURCE: INSIDER]

Rep. James Clyburn on what it would mean to have a Black woman on the Supreme Court

Democratic Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina says naming a Black woman like Judge Michelle Childs to the Supreme Court "says to every little child out there growing up in moderate circumstances … you've got just as much of a chance to benefit from the greatness of this country as everybody else."

National Black Farmers Association calls out PepsiCo for failure to keep agreement

John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), is calling out Pepsico after a year and half of all talk and no contract following a verbal commitment to Black farmers.

NBFA raised concerns over the gargantuan company's failure to contract with members of the NBFA to provide agricultural products that form the foundation of their firm's processes. Only White farmers have been afforded the opportunity to share in PepsiCo's enormous profits. It prefers the superficial responses to public opinion such as changing the brand image of its stereotyped figure Aunt Jemima. PepsiCo immediately reached out to the NBFA on June 19th 2020 in the face of such controversy.

However, as PepsiCo indicated they wanted to do business with NBFA members, the company insisted that our growers share personal information through our national data base. A year and a half later, when NBFA growers met all the required elements for a potato delivery contract, the company's executives apparently had lost interest in keeping its part of the bargain.

In an appalling stunt, PepsiCo executives recently notified the President of the NBFA that it would not be moving forward with any contracts for NBFA members.

"PepsiCo had decided to "move in a new direction" that would not include NBFA black farmer members, we were told.

Our outrage at this kind of bullying discrimination is not just about hurt feelings. Our livelihood and financial stability is at stake when we encounter such blatantly low-level business practices. Some black famers have actually lost their farms amid this unethical and inhumane treatment. The NBFA is seeking legal counsel regarding PepsiCo's verbal commitment for a potato contract.

Boyd is calling on PepsiCo Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta to meet with NBFA leaders and respond to the hardship and realities his company's latest recent discriminatory act has caused."

Gayle King signs new deal with CBS

Gayle King signed a new contract with CBS, she said Friday, ending speculation about whether she’d leave her seat on the network’s morning show.

The “CBS Mornings” co-host has agreed to a new contract that will keep her at the Tiffany Network for the foreseeable future, she told listeners on her SiriusXM radio show on Friday.

“I officially signed on the dotted line,” King said. “So I will be with CBS a little bit longer.”

King, who earns an annual salary of $13 million per year, drew interest from potential suitors, including CNN boss Jeff Zucker. Her current contract was due to expire in April. It’s not clear what she’ll make under the new agreement.

[SOURCE: NY POST]

Judge Michelle Childs is under consideration for Supreme Court nomination

South Carolina federal judge Michelle Childs is under consideration to succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court, the White House confirmed late Friday.

Childs, 55, is based in Columbia, South Carolina, and was nominated last year by President Biden to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, often regarded as the second-most prominent federal court because of its proximity to the high court, the caliber of cases it considers and because so many of its judges have been elevated to the Supreme Court.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had been scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing for Childs's nomination next week, but aides confirmed Friday that her hearing would be postponed.

The White House explained late Friday the postponement is because Childs is under consideration to succeed Breyer.

"Judge Childs is among multiple individuals under consideration for the Supreme Court, and we are not going to move her nomination on the Court of Appeals while the President is considering her for this vacancy," White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement.

Childs is among several contenders under consideration, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, also a judge on the D.C. appeals court, and Leondra Kruger, a justice on the California Supreme Court who once served in the Justice Department's Office of the Solicitor General.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]

St. Louis County appoints first Black police chief

A man who has served for 42 years in the St. Louis County Police Department was named police chief Tuesday, becoming the first Black chief in the department's history.

Kenneth Gregory, 70, has served as interim chief of the department for the last six months. The St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners appointed him chief after a four-hour closed meeting, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Police board chair Brian Ashworth said commissioners believe the department has stabilized and grown since Gregory was named acting chief July 30.

Gregory said 42 years ago no one would have considered "that a man that looks like me" would be the department's chief.

Gregory has worked in or led almost every St. Louis County police unit during his career.

He was named interim chief after former Chief Mary Barton resigned Aug. 6 when she agreed to drop a discrimination complaint against the county in exchange for a $290,000 settlement.

VP Kamala Harris Will Play a 'Central Role' in Biden's Search for a Supreme Court Pick

White House Press Secretay Jen Psaki says Vice President Kamala Harris will have a “central role” in President Joe Biden’s search for a nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Psaki said, “The vice president will play a central role in this process, and the president intends to consult with her very closely.”

“Obviously, she has a long history as a former attorney general, a member of the judiciary committee, and he respects her opinion greatly,” she added.

Three Black women who could be the next Supreme Court Justice

During his campaign President Biden promised to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. With the upcoming retirement of Justice Stephen G. Breyer, Biden now has a chance to keep that promise.

Fortunately there are several qualified candidates, so many in fact that there is almost no excuse not to pick a Black woman. While this article focuses on three perceived favorites, there are several more qualified candidates such as Michelle Alexander,Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley,United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina Anita Earls.

Early discussions about a successor are focusing on U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger.

Ketanji Brown Jackson, a 51-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who graduated from Harvard Law School and clerked for Justice Breyer, and Leondra R. Kruger, a 45-year-old justice on the California Supreme Court who graduated from Yale Law School and clerked for former Justice John Paul Stevens.

J. Michelle Childs, who has been nominated but not yet confirmed to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, is another option. Childs, currently a federal trial court judge in South Carolina, is a favorite of Clyburn, who made a crucial endorsement of Biden just before that state’s presidential primary.

Leondra Kruger, 45, a justice on the California Supreme Court. A graduate of Harvard and Yale’s law school, she served as a law clerk on the high court before arguing a dozen cases before the court as a lawyer for the federal government.

President Biden nominate Vanessa Avery to run U.S. Attorney's office in Connecticut

President Joe Biden has nominated a diverse group of six attorneys to run for U.S. attorneys’ offices across the country, their latest picks for top law enforcement positions. The nominees announced by the White House include Vanessa Avery.

If confirmed, Avery would be the first African American woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

Avery is a former federal prosecutor who is now a an associate state attorney general in the Connecticut attorney general's office, to be the U.S. attorney there. Since 2021, she has served as the chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the state attorney general's office. She was an associate state attorney general and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

From 2004 to 2005, Avery served as a trial attorney at the U.S, Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division, according to the White House.

She received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999 and an undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1996.

Rep. Terri Sewell Statement on Federal Court Blocking Alabama Congressional Map

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement after a federal court blocked Alabama’s new congressional map in favor of the creation of a second majority-minority district:

“Monumental news from the court! Increasing political representation of Black Alabamians is exactly what John Lewis and the Foot Soldiers who marched across the bridge in my hometown of Selma fought for. It is the reason why I am the lead sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and have led efforts to get it signed into law.

“I am carefully reviewing the opinion and I look forward to working with the Alabama Legislature to fulfill the court’s mandate.”

Federal judges block Alabama’s congressional redistricting maps that dilute the Black vote

The Alabama Legislature’s redistricting plan for 2022 will not take effect for congressional races after a panel of three federal court judges found the map dilutes the voting power of Black residents and blocked the proposal.

Two separate federal lawsuits were filed against the redistricting map on claims that it violated the Voting Rights Act by packing Black Alabamians into a small number of districts — including one congressional district, Alabama’s seventh, represented by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham — and limiting their influence on state elections.

Blacks comprise 27 percent of Alabama’s population yet only constitute one of the state’s seven congressional districts — or 14 percent of the districts. Alabama’s 7th Congressional District was first drawn in 1992.

The panel of three judges from federal courts in Alabama found that the plaintiffs are “substantially likely to establish” that the map violates the VRA, adding that “Black voters have less opportunity than other Alabamians to elect candidates of their choice to Congress.”

The Alabama Legislature has a variety of alternative redistricting maps they can consider, the judges noted, and said a new map “will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”

The panel said it would provide the Legislature with an expert to redraw the lines if Montgomery can’t come up with another map in two weeks.

“We are confident that the Legislature can accomplish its task,” the judges said, pointing out that lawmakers came up with the blocked map “in a matter of days” last year.

“Black people drove a disproportionate share of Alabama’s population growth. Throughout last year, Black Alabamians publicly called on the Legislature to recognize this reality and sought equal representation in Congress,” said NAACP Legal Defense Fund Senior Counsel Deuel Ross in a statement. “The state ignored these demands, but we are deeply gratified that the unanimous court found that Black voters deserve full representation now. We look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure that Black voters are fairly represented in any remedial map.”

[SOURCE: MSN]

Police open criminal investigation into Lauren Smith-Fields’ death

More than a month-and-a-half after the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, the 23-year-old college student who died in her Bridgeport, Conn. apartment after meeting up with an older man earlier that evening, Bridgeport police announced Tuesday they are opening a criminal investigation of her death.

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case On Affirmative Action In College Admissions

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the consideration of race in college admissions. The court said it will take up lawsuits claiming that Harvard University, a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, a state school, discriminate against Asian American applicants. A decision against the schools could mean the end of affirmative action in college admissions.

Aspiring bodybuilder wins medal in 1st bodybuilding competition after 20 weeks of chemo

Erica Langley, an aspiring bodybuilder who discovered she had cancer in 2018 is inspiring others after winning a medal in her first competition after chemotherapy.

Watch her story below:

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HANESBRANDS ANNOUNCES $2 MILLION INVESTMENT IN HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

HanesBrands, a global leader in iconic apparel brands, today announced a $2 million investment in three historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The four-year partnership involves North Carolina A&T, Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design and Winston-Salem State University.

The university partnerships will fund research and offer financial support to students in areas ranging from sustainability to fashion design to supply chain management. The investment will build on HanesBrands’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, providing opportunities for underrepresented minorities and building pipelines of diverse talent.

“Inclusion is at the core of who we are as a company, and we are committed to creating opportunity for all,” said Steve Bratspies, CEO of HanesBrands. “Our partnerships with these HBCUs are part of HanesBrands’ legacy of investing in our communities. The scholarships and internships that are part of this program will ensure that students have opportunities to acquire the education and experience necessary to succeed and will help build a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

HanesBrands will engage students at the universities who are studying Information Technology, Data Analytics, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Marketing, Fashion Design and Merchandising. The partnership includes scholarships, internships, mentorships and research grants.

“We’re proud to partner with HanesBrands, not only in student support but on industry-relevant research,” said Chancellor Harold L. Martin, Sr. of North Carolina A&T State University. “This partnership will give students industry and research experience that will lead to rewarding careers of impact after graduation, as well as growing a stronger workforce for HanesBrands and North Carolina more broadly.”

“Our students recognize HanesBrands as a company that offers meaningful careers and is making a positive difference in our hometown of Winston-Salem,” said Chancellor Elwood L. Robinson of Winston-Salem State University. “This partnership will bring learning opportunities directly to our campus. Having real-world industry experience and building corporate networks will be invaluable to our students as they prepare for careers in everything from finance to fashion design to supply chain.”

"We are humbled and honored that HanesBrands shares our same vision to not only see but also take the necessary steps needed to create a more diverse industry,” said D’Wayne Edwards, President of Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. “The work we will co-create together will inspire, change lives and leave our industry better than when we entered it. Thank you to HanesBrands for believing in us and inviting us to be on this journey with you."

The company will be a strategic partner of the HanesBrands Apparel Studio at Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. The college, located in Detroit, is set to open in 2022. The company will donate materials, including fabrics and blank finished goods, as well as a variety of equipment to help teach students design.

HanesBrands has a longstanding commitment to providing educational assistance and support to expand access and opportunities to underserved communities. In 2020, the company established a two-year, $50,000 annual financial commitment in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) to provide scholarships to freshman students attending HBCUs. Since 1981, HanesBrands has been a corporate partner to Carver High School in Winston-Salem, NC and since 2015, the Urban Dove Team Charter School in Brooklyn, NY.

These new investments support HanesBrands’ commitment to improve the lives of at least 10 million people by 2030 through diversity and inclusion initiatives, health and wellness programs, improved workplace quality, and philanthropic efforts that improve local communities.

HanesBrands strives to make its workplace more diverse and inclusive and provide equal opportunities for associates to reach their full potential. To learn more about HanesBrands’ commitment to people and 2030 goals, visit HBISustains.com.

Statue of late Congressman John Lewis to be unveiled in Charleston

A statue of late Georgia congressman and civil rights leader, John Lewis, is set to be displayed in Charleston as it makes its way to Washington, D.C.

The statue will be unveiled on Feb. 3 at the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA) on Meeting Street in Downtown Charleston. The event will include remarks by S.C. Representative Jim Clyburn.

The Charleston unveiling is just the first stop for the 7-foot, 800-pound statue as it makes its way to its permanent location in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The statue is set to be unveiled in each state it passes through.

After leaving Charleston, the statue will be displayed at S.C. State University in Orangeburg for one week. In honor of this grand gesture, it will be accompanied by and mounted on a 1,300-pound stone plinth created by students at the American College of the Building Arts.

The event begins at 12 PM and is free and open to the public.