Black church set on fire & vandalized with "Vote Trump" graffiti

Hopewell Baptist Church, a black church in Greenville Mississippi was set on fire and vandalized with graffiti that read "Vote Trump". Most of the damage to the 111-year-old church was to the sanctuary and there have been no reports of injury.

During a press conference officials that the incident is now being investigated as a hate crime. Greenville Police Chief Freddie Cannon called the incident "a form of voting intimidation".

The FBI released a statement on the burning:

“The FBI Jackson Division is aware of the situation in Greenville, and we are working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to determine if any civil rights crimes were committed.”

Jim Johnson entering N.J. governor's race

Jim Johnson, a former U.S. Treasury official and federal prosecutor has announced he's running for governor of N.J., wading into a Democratic primary that many considered over before it officially began.

Johnson, of Montclair, has opened a campaign office in his hometown, looking to mount a challenge against banking executive and former U.S ambassador Phil Murphy, who kick-started his campaign with $10 million of his own money and is considered the odds-on favorite for the governorship.

Johnson told NJ Advance Media on Monday that he's running on a platform of rebuilding the state's economy, restoring bonds in the community and renewing trust in government.

"I believe that elections, at the end of the day, are about the people who go to the voting booth," he said.

Johnson is a former undersecretary for enforcement at the Treasury Department, where he oversaw the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Secret Service, U.S. Customs and other agencies during President Bill Clinton's administration.

He also headed up New Jersey's Advisory Committee on Police Standards, which was formed during the late 1990s when the State Police was under federal monitoring for racial profiling, and has helped shape recent reforms including the Attorney General's Office's policy on the use of body-worn cameras.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

NAACP office sues North Carolina, alleging voter suppression

The North Carolina NAACP has filed a federal lawsuit against the state for what it alleges is a Republican effort to suppress African-American voters.

The lawsuit, filed Monday, seeks to stop county election boards in North Carolina from canceling voter registrations. Three counties have canceled thousands of voter registrations based off what the NAACP alleges is “a single item of returned mail, sent via a coordinated campaign, led by individuals with GOP ties.”

The NAACP also aims to restore the already canceled registrations before the election.

In at least one county, African Americans were disproportionately affected, accounting for 65% of the voters whose registrations were nixed, despite making up just one fourth of the population.

Read more: NAACP office sues North Carolina, alleging voter suppression

Antron Brown is now a 3 time NHRA Drag Racing Series World Champion

Antron Brown is officially a three-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world champion, locking up his third overall and second straight Top Fuel title when Doug Kalitta lost to Steve Torrence in the second round at the NHRA Toyota Nationals.

Brown has been the dominant Top Fuel racer this season, winning seven times in 11 final-round appearances and tallying an amazing 51 round-wins through the first 22 events. Though he has done well all season, Brown has been particularly strong during the Countdown to the Championship. Brown entered the playoffs ranked No. 1 and never surrendered that position, thanks to an effort that included wins in Charlotte, Reading, and Dallas. He also qualified No. 1 in Dallas, an event that he dominated to all but shut out the rest of the competition in the championship chase, leaving Texas with a 150-point advantage.

Brown made history in 2012 when he won his first Mello Yello world championship to become the first African-American NHRA world champ and first black driver to win a major U.S. auto racing championship title.

[SOURCE: nhra.com]

Book Of The Month: Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison by Shaka Sengho

If Ava Duvernay's documentary "13th" resonated with you then Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison by Shaka Senghois a book that you need to check out.

A memoir of redemption, reform, and second chances amidst America's mass incarceration epidemic.

Shaka Senghor was raised in a middle class neighborhood on Detroit’s east side during the height of the 1980s crack epidemic. An honor roll student and a natural leader, he dreamed of becoming a doctor—but at age 11, his parents' marriage began to unravel, and the beatings from his mother worsened, sending him on a downward spiral that saw him run away from home, turn to drug dealing to survive, and end up in prison for murder at the age of 19, fuming with anger and despair.

Writing My Wrongs is the story of what came next. During his nineteen-year incarceration, seven of which were spent in solitary confinement, Senghor discovered literature, meditation, self-examination, and the kindness of others—tools he used to confront the demons of his past, forgive the people who hurt him, and begin atoning for the wrongs he had committed. Upon his release at age thirty-eight, Senghor became an activist and mentor to young men and women facing circumstances like his. His work in the community and the courage to share his story led him to fellowships at the MIT Media Lab and the Kellogg Foundation and invitations to speak at events like TED and the Aspen Ideas Festival.

In equal turns, Writing My Wrongs is a page-turning portrait of life in the shadow of poverty, violence, and fear; an unforgettable story of redemption, reminding us that our worst deeds don’t define us; and a compelling witness to our country’s need for rethinking its approach to crime, prison, and the men and women sent there.

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