Austin Davis wins Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Governor primary

Pennsylvania State House Representative Austin Davis has won the Democratic Party nomination for Lt. Governor, according to the Associated Press.

Davis faced a small field of competitors, including State Representative Brian Sims in the May 17 primary. With 36% of the vote in Davis has 67% of the vote.

Endorsed by Pennsylvania’s Attorney General and now the nominated Democratic governor candidate Josh Shapiro, the Pittsburgh-area state lawmaker Davis would be the state’s first Black lieutenant governor if elected in November.

[SOURCE ITTSBURGH COURIER]

National Museum of African American History and Culture to Hold Juneteenth Events

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will host a variety of activities virtual and in-person highlighting the experience of Blacks celebrating Juneteenth.

The programming schedule consists of:

• Tuning In To Juneteenth, June 6 at 6 p.m. This virtual program features Stephen Lewis, the museum’s curator of music and the performing arts, discussing the debut of the Juneteenth Playlist featuring the best of jazz, soul, rhythm, and blues, gospel, classical and other genres. The program is free but registration is required.

• Juneteenth Dishes to Taste and Savor, June 6 at 6 p.m. Museum curator Joanne Hyppolite and Sweet Home Café Chef Ramin Coles will talk virtually about how at-home audiences can design and cook a Juneteenth Day menu. The program is free but registration is free.

• Public Program: Texas Freedom Colonies, June 11, 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. ET. Andrea Roberts, a scholar at the University of Texas at Austin, will discuss her work researching, documenting, preserving, and mapping “Freedom Colonies”—areas where Blacks started intentional communities between 1865-1935 during Reconstruction and the Jim Crow eras in Texas. This event will occur in the Oprah Winfrey Theater and will be streamed on the museum’s platforms. The program is free but registration is required.

• Public Program: Juneteenth: Watermelon & Red Birds—A Conversation with Nicole A. Taylor, June 13 at 7 p.m. This in-person event, which will take place in the Oprah Winfrey Theater, will showcase cookout author Nicole A. Taylor and Kevin Young of the museum discussing Taylor’s latest work “Watermelon & Red Birds.” The book talks about 19th century Juneteenth celebration and the latest recipes for modern-day tastes. A reception will follow the discussion and books will be available to purchase. The program is free but registration is required.

• One Year Later: Juneteenth for all Americans, June 15 at 7 p.m. Kevin Young of the museum moderates in-person a panel of scholars as they discuss the historic and social complexity of Juneteenth. The program is free but registration is required.

• Juneteenth Community Day, June 19. Celebrate the festivities of Juneteenth in person at the museum with three community events. There will also be craft-making activities occurring from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. All programs are free but registration is required.

• Storytime: The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez, June 20 at 11 a.m. Noted author Rio Cortex will read from her book “The ABCs of Black History.” The program is free but registration is required.

• Juneteenth Soundstage: Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings, June 20 at 3 p.m. ET. Two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings bring the sounds of New Orleans in-person and virtually, to the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater. The program is free but registration is required.

• Juneteenth: A Soldier’s Story, June 20 at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Museum visitors can learn about the United States Colored Troops, the Black servicemen during the Civil War, and their connection to Juneteenth.    

Vice President Kamala Harris to attend funeral for Ruth Whitfield, victim of Buffalo massacre

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel to Buffalo on Saturday to attend the funeral of Ruth Whitfield.

86-year-old Whitfield, died in the mass shooting at Tops on Jefferson Avenue on May 14. 10 people in total were killed and three others were injured.

Whitfield was the mother of former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield.

While in Buffalo, VP Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff will also meet with the families of other victims.

[SOURCE WKBW]

NEA President rejects call to arm teachers in wake of school massacre in Uvalde, Texas

Training teachers to carry firearms in schools has often been proposed as a deterrent to would-be mass shooters targeting schoolchildren, but the leadership of the National Education association opposes the idea.

NEA President Becky Pringle released the following statement on arming teachers:

“Our public schools should be the safest places for students and educators, yet the gunshots from a lone shooter armed with a military-grade weapon shattered the physical safety of the school community in Uvalde, Texas. The powerful gun lobby and their allies did not waste a second after the horrific killing of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School to call for arming teachers. Bringing more guns into schools makes schools more dangerous and does nothing to shield our students and educators from gun violence. We need fewer guns in schools, not more. Teachers should be teaching, not acting as armed security guards.

“We need common-sense solutions now. Schools need more mental health professionals, not pistols; teachers need more resources, not revolvers. Arming teachers makes schools more dangerous and does nothing to protect students and their families when they go off to school, shop at the grocery store, attend church services, ride the subway, or simply walk down the streets of their neighborhoods. Those lawmakers pushing to arm teachers and fortify school buildings are simply trying to distract us from their failure to prevent another mass shooting.    

“Educators and parents overwhelmingly reject the idea of arming school staff. Rather than arming educators with guns, we need to be giving them the tools needed to inspire their students. Rather than putting the responsibility on individual teachers, our elected leaders need to pass laws that protect children from gun violence and bring an end to senseless and preventable killings. Americans want the carnage to stop. My message to Congress: What are you going to do?”

Amanda Gorman writes poem in response to school shooting in Uvalde, Texas

In the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas poet Amanda Gorman tweeted out a poem that points out the reality of gun violence in America.

Schools scared to death.
The truth is, one education under desks,
Stooped low from bullets;
That plunge when we ask
Where our children
Shall live
& how
& if

— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) May 24, 2022

Philanthropists Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault Donate $2 Million to Howard Law for Vernon Jordan Endowed Chair

Philanthropists Kenneth and Kathryn Chenault have donated $2 million to Howard University in memory of their longtime friend and mentor, the late Vernon Jordan, to support an endowed chair at the School of Law. The gift for the Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq., Endowed Chair will be made to support the recruitment, teaching, research, service and other activities of the professor.

“Ken and Kathryn have been loyal friends of Vernon Jordan for decades,” said Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “The value of that relationship is manifested here in this generous gift to the Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq., Endowed Chair. This gift will allow students and faculty to continue to benefit and grow in the likeness of Mr. Jordan. The shared values of Mr. Jordan and the Chenaults will also be embraced and celebrated through the endowed chair.”

“We are thankful to the Chenaults for this gift to the Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq., Endowed Chair,” said Danielle Holley-Walker, dean of the Howard University School of Law. “Mr. Jordan’s love of the law school, lifetime of public service, and commitment to racial justice are an inspiration to our students, faculty and alumni. With this generous donation, Howard Law graduates will uphold his legacy of excellence in their own lives and careers.”

Jordan (J.D. ’60) died in 2021 at 85. He had a storied career as a civil rights activist. As a lawyer, his firm sued to desegregate the University of Georgia. Later, Jordan worked with the NAACP, Southern Regional Council, Voter Education Project, United Negro College Fund and National Urban League. He also was an adviser to President Bill Clinton.

As a pioneering and influential business figure, Jordan championed and mentored Black senior executives, including Ken Chenault, who served as chairman and CEO of American Express from 2001-2018. Jordan was the longest-serving independent board director in the company’s history.

Currently, Ken Chenault is chairman and managing director of the venture capital firm General Catalyst. Kathryn Chenault is a patron of the arts and an advocate for equitable education and health care. A former practicing attorney, Kathryn Chenault serves on many boards that reflect her deep commitment to community and civic service. Together, their philanthropic commitments are a reflection of their dedication to social justice, education, and making a lasting positive impact on society.

“Vernon’s education at Howard law was a catalyst for his extraordinary success in life,” said Ken Chenault. “It gave him the knowledge to harness the law for social justice and the confidence to thrive in the business world, where he was a mentor and champion to many, and a dear, supportive friend to Kathy and me. We are honored to make this gift to Howard law so the Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Esq., Endowed Chair may continue his legacy of excellence.”

Both of Ken Chenault’s parents were Howard alumni and Commencement speakers who finished first in their classes, Anne Chenault from the School of Dental Hygiene and Hortenius Chenault from the School of Dentistry. Kathryn’s mother, Elaine Hancock, and her stepfather, Victor Hancock, also were Howard alumni, and Victor was a top graduate from the School of Dentistry. Kathryn’s grandfather, Albert Cassell, a noted Black architect, designed several buildings on campus, including the historic Founders Library.

[SOURCE: HOWARD.EDU]

President Biden nominates Indiana judge, Doris L. Pryor for Midwest federal appeals court

The Biden administration is nominating an Indiana judge and IU grad to join a federal appeals court that oversees parts of the Midwest.

The White House announced Wednesday it was nominating Doris L. Pryor to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over federal court cases appealed out of Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Judge Doris L. Pryor has served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana since 2018. From 2006 to 2018, Judge Pryor served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana. She served as National Security Chief for the office from 2014 to 2018. From 2005 to 2006, Judge Pryor served as a Deputy Public Defender for the State of Arkansas Public Defender’s Commission. Judge Pryor served as a law clerk for Judge J. Leon Holmes on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas from 2004 to 2005 and for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 2003 to 2004.

Judge Pryor received her J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2003 and her B.S. from the University of Central Arkansas in 1999.

President Biden nominates Roy W. Minter, Jr for U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Georgia

President Biden has announced his third round of U.S. Marshal nominees, officials who will be indispensable to upholding the rule of law.

These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in their fields, and their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all.

Among those individuals is Roy W. Minter, Jr, Chief of Police for the Savannah Police Department.

Roy W. Minter, Jr. has served as the Chief of Police for the Savannah Police Department since 2018. Mr. Minter previously served as the Chief of Police in Peoria, Arizona from 2011 to 2018. He served as the Chief of Police for the Denton, Texas Police Department from 2007 to 2011. From 1992 to 2007, Mr. Minter served in the Aurora, Colorado Police Department, where he held numerous leadership positions, including as Training Section Commander and Operations Support Section Commander. From 1982 to 1992, Mr. Minter served in the Houston Police Department. Mr. Minter received his M.A. in 1998 and his B.A. in 1996, both from the University of Phoenix.

Lucy McBath wins Georgia primary

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath has defeated fellow Democratic U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux in a Georgia primary race between two incumbents who became rising stars after flipping districts long held by Republicans.

"This night isn't the end of an election," McBath told supporters gathered in a ballroom at the Hilton Atlanta NE in Peachtree Corners. "Tonight, we are not at the end of the challenge, but we are actually on the face of a mountain, one arm ahead to pull ourselves up. The other stretched back to embrace those who feel forgotten or left behind.

"America has always been defined by the challenges that we face and we face a grave one tonight. We can be a nation where the many who do not look like us, think like us or worship or act like us are simply one nation, so, tonight, I stand before you as Lucy McBath, a daughter of the Civil Rights movement, a woman who survived breast cancer twice and a mother who lost her son to gun violence."

McBath face the winner of the Republican primary, which appears be headed to a runoff between Mike Corbin and Mark Gonsalves.

U.S. House District 7 - Democrat Votes

Lucy McBath 33,442 63%

Carolyn Bourdeaux 16,262 31%

Donna McLeod 3,344 6%>/p>

Herschel Walker & Raphael Warnock to face off in Georgia Senate race

Former football star Herschel Walker has clinched Georgia’s Republican nomination for the Senate, NBC News projects, setting up a general election against Sen. Raphael Warnock, the Democratic incumbent, who also won his party’s primary Tuesday.

The race, which is projected to be one of the most competitive in the country, will be a rare case of two Black candidates competing in a critical Senate contest.

[SOURCE: NBC NEWS]

VP Kamala Harris statement on Uvalde Texas school shooting

Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement via Twitter on the Uvalde school shooting:

Tonight in Uvalde, Texas, there are parents who lost children. Families who have lost loved ones. And many who have been injured.

Enough is enough. As a nation, we must have the courage to take action and prevent this from ever happening again. It is long past time for our country to stand up to the gun lobby and pass reasonable gun safety laws.

To the people of Uvalde: Please know that we grieve with you. We are praying for you. And we stand with you.

NAACP President calls on Congress to take action on gun control

Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP took to Twitter to call on lawmakers to take legislative action on gun rights in the wake of the tragic shooting that killed 18 children in Uvalde Texas:

Thoughts without actions are just dreams.

Prayer without works is dead.

Stop talking and pass some meaningful legislation that protects the communities that YOU SERVE!!!

Stacey Abrams responds to David Purdue’s racist remarks

Stacey Abrams responds to racist comments made by Georgia Republican candidate David Perdue in which he said that Abrams should "Go back where she came from".

Walmart removes Juneteenth ice cream after backlash

Walmart will remove its ice cream, commemorating Juneteenth amid growing online backlash from African Americans.

The ill conceived ice cream consisted of a swirl of red velvet and cheesecake flavors.

"Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence," the company said in a statement to FOX Television Stations. "However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers and we sincerely apologize. We are reviewing our assortment and will remove items as appropriate."

Herschel Walker wants total ban on abortion

Georgia Senate candidate and former football star Herschel Walker said Wednesday he supports abortion bans without any exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the mother.

“There’s no exception in my mind,” Walker told reporters after a campaign speech. “Like I say, I believe in life. I believe in life.”

Walker’s adamant anti-abortion stance follows an endorsement from National Right to Life.

“Herschel Walker will be a most effective champion for unborn babies and their mothers in Washington and he has demonstrated the passion and perseverance it takes to win the critically important Georgia Senate race,” Carol Tobias, the organization’s president, said.

“Georgia deserves a pro-life senator like Herschel Walker who is committed to building a culture of life,” Tobias added. “Walker’s stance for life stands in stark contrast to the out-of-touch record of Warnock who supports abortion for any reason until birth.”

Cancer deaths among African Americans drop

Cancer death rates have steadily declined among Black people but remain higher than in other racial and ethnic groups, a new U.S. government study shows.

Cancer deaths have been dropping for all Americans for the past two decades because of lower smoking rates and advances in early detection and treatment.

The rates among Black people fell 2% each year from 1999 to 2019, from 359 cancer deaths per 100,000 to 239 deaths per 100,000, according to the report published online in JAMA Oncology.

In 2019, the highest cancer death rates were in Black men — 294 deaths per 100,000 — almost double the lowest rate in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The rate for white men was 249 deaths per 100,000. For Hispanic men, it was 177 deaths per 100,000 and 255 deaths per 100,000 among Native American men.

An earlier report from the American Cancer Society found the racial gap was narrowing, mostly because of a bigger decline in cigarette smoking among Black people.

In the new study, based on an analysis of death certificates, deaths from most cancers dropped in Black men and women. The biggest declines were in lung cancer among Black men and stomach cancer in Black women. Both are linked with declines in smoking, which contributes to many other cancers.

The persistently higher death rate among Black Americans remains a concern, and likely reflects social and economic disparities including poverty, less access to care and mistrust of doctors, said National Cancer Institute researcher Wayne Lawrence, who led the study.

“It’s showing that we can’t simply rely on medical care as a way to address and eliminate the disparities,’’ said Carla Williams, a Howard University expert in cancer-related health disparities, who had no role in the research.

Cancer prevention expert Dr. Otis Brawley of Johns Hopkins University noted that other data show Black Americans get worse cancer care than white people. That’s in part because they’re more likely to be treated at hospitals with overworked doctors and fewer resources, and less likely to have a college degree, he said.

New biography: His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice

His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice is a new book by authors Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa.

The book is a landmark biography by two prizewinning Washington Post reporters that reveals how systemic racism shaped George Floyd's life and legacy—from his family’s roots in the tobacco fields of North Carolina, to ongoing inequality in housing, education, health care, criminal justice, and policing—telling the story of how one man’s tragic experience brought about a global movement for change.

His Name Is George Floyd tells the story of a beloved figure from Houston's housing projects as he faced the stifling systemic pressures that come with being a Black man in America. Placing his narrative within the context of the country's enduring legacy of institutional racism, this deeply reported account examines Floyd's family roots in slavery and sharecropping, the segregation of his schools, the overpolicing of his community amid a wave of mass incarceration, and the callous disregard toward his struggle with addiction—putting today's inequality into uniquely human terms. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews with Floyd's closest friends and family, his elementary school teachers and varsity coaches, civil rights icons, and those in the highest seats of political power, Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa offer a poignant and moving exploration of George Floyd’s America, revealing how a man who simply wanted to breathe ended up touching the world.

BUY THE BOOK

General Lee Avenue in Fort Hamilton renamed for Black Vietnam War hero

BROOKLYN NY - After years of controversy, Fort Hamilton has removed the name of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from an avenue on the Brooklyn Army base, replacing it with that of Lt. John Warren Jr, a Black Vietnam War hero from Crown Heights.

While serving as a platoon leader in Vietnam, the 23-year-old shielded his fellow soldiers from an enemy grenade. Warren later died in the war.

He received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.

Summer Lee wins Pennsylvania Democratic primary

Summer Lee has won a five-way Democratic primary for a Pittsburgh-based U.S. House seat, making her the favorite in the heavily Democratic district to win the fall general election and become the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.

After Tuesday, Lee led by less than half a percentage point. But there were still in-person ballots to be counted, as 26 precincts within the district didn’t return their memory sticks properly.

On Friday, those precincts were counted and they increased Lee’s lead up to 740 votes, according to unofficial results. Lee leads with 41.8% of the vote, and Irwin is behind her with 41.1% of the vote.

The Associated Press called the race Friday evening.

“We built a movement in Western Pennsylvania that took on corporate power, stood up for working families, and beat back a multimillion-dollar smear campaign,” Lee said in a statement.

Lee, a second-term state House member, lawyer and former labor organizer, comes from the party's progressive wing. She was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two-time presidential candidate and a leading voice in the Democratic Party’s left wing who came to campaign for Lee.

Lee will face the Republican nominee of the same name as the outgoing Democratic incumbent, Mike Doyle in the fall general election.

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS ISSUES STATEMENT ON STUDENT LOAN DEBT CRISIS

Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on the call for student loan debt cancellation:

"The $1.7 trillion student loan debt crisis is a racial and economic justice issue disproportionately impacting Black communities across the nation. We are calling on the Biden Administration to implement broad-based student loan debt cancellation by executive action. We are committed to working with the Administration to explore all options and we are requesting to meet with the President,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Joyce Beatty. “This is a crisis created through policy decisions, and we have a responsibility to address it head-on. Canceling student loan debt is one of the most impactful ways to address ongoing economic and racial inequities plaguing our nation. As representatives of more than 17 million Black Americans and 80 million Americans, the urgency of this moment requires we move with intention. In order to reduce the racial wealth gap and advance a just and equitable economic recovery for all, we must alleviate the burden of student debt. Nothing is off the table, except inaction.”