NASCAR sued for racial discrimination against black owned teams/drivers

Black-owned teams and drivers say they’ve been blocked from competing.

NASCAR was hit with a $500 million lawsuit accusing the auto racing body of racial discrimination for preventing black-owned teams and drivers from competing, including in the Sprint Cup Series.

Terrance Cox and his company, Diversity Motorsports Racing, filed a lawsuit late on Friday in U.S. district court in Manhattan against NASCAR, its parent company, International Speedway Corp, and 18 teams, according to court records.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an injunction requiring the defendants to “fully integrate the African-American community.”

In a statement, NASCAR said the lawsuit has no merit.

“Diversity both on and off the track continues to be a top priority for NASCAR and its stakeholders,” the organization said. “We stand behind our actions, and will not let a publicity-seeking legal action deter us from our mission.”

Read more: Auto Racing's NASCAR Accused of Racial Discrimination in Lawsuit

Hillary Clinton discusses plan to help black colleges (HBCUs)

During an interview on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed her plan to help HBCU's. In response to a question from Roland Martin she made the following comments.

So what I’m focusing on is more good-paying jobs, I want to make college affordable and that is a plan that I’ve been talking about and working toward since I got into this campaign. I also want to help everybody with student debt and that’s a very high proportion of African-American young people with a B.A., that come out with student debt. We’re going to really help that get paid down and paid off so people can get on with their life.

I’m committed to helping historically Black colleges and universities – in fact, I have a specific fund of $25 billion dollars that will really upgrade and support and provide financial assistance for young people, because I think the HBCU’s are incredibly important in providing a pathway into the future.

Black doctors urge President Obama to ban menthol cigarettes

African-American doctors are calling on President Barack Obama to ban sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which government data show are heavily preferred among black smokers.

The African-American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, a nonprofit anti-smoking advocacy group, launched a public campaign this week asking Obama to direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to remove all so-called mentholated tobacco products from the marketplace.

The FDA found in 2013 that menthol cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than regular cigarettes, especially among African-Americans, but it stopped short of recommending a ban.

Read more: Black Doctors Call on Obama to Ban Menthol Tobacco Products

American Uprising: The Untold Story of America's Largest Slave Revolt

With the upcoming release of "Birth of a Nation" a movie about a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner you may be interested to know about the largest slave rebellion that took place in the United States. A revolt that took place in New Orleans by 500 organized slaves.

In January 1811, five hundred slaves, dressed in military uniforms and armed with guns, cane knives, and axes, rose up from the plantations around New Orleans and set out to conquer the city. Ethnically diverse, politically astute, and highly organized, this self-made army challenged not only the economic system of plantation agriculture but also American expansion. Their march represented the largest act of armed resistance against slavery in the history of the United States.

Historian Daniel Rasmussen reveals the long-forgotten history of America’s largest slave uprising, the New Orleans slave revolt of 1811. In an epic, illuminating narrative, Rasmussen offers new insight into American expansionism, the path to Civil War, and the earliest grassroots push to overcome slavery.

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President Obama: Full 2016 Congressional Black Caucus Speech

President Obama's complete speech at the 2016 Congressional Black Caucus in which the President reflects on his eight years in the Oval Office and urges Americans to defend the legacy he has built by voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Watch his speech below.