Al Sharpton to lead We Shall Not Be Moved March in Washington DC

Rev. Al Sharpton & National Action Network (NAN) along with other major civil rights group to hold a We Shall Not Be Moved march in Washington DC just six days before Donald Trump's inauguration. The march is part of a series of other marches and rallies that are meant to remind Trump that voting rights, civil rights, and healthcare are important issues to many people of color. Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/themarch2017/

On January 14, thousands will converge in Washington, D.C. as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday begins — just six days before Donald Trump’s inauguration. We will rally and put him (and the nation) on notice that there are some things that will not be changed no matter who is president and what party dominates the House and Senate. Protecting the civil rights of citizens and the voting rights of people that have been excluded, providing health care for all Americans and equal opportunity should supersede any of the beltway partisan fights that we are inevitably headed into. Some have given their lives and others dedicated their lives to try to make Dr. King’s dream a reality, and now they have added to that mission by preserving the legacy of President Obama. Groups come and go, elections come and go, but some things must remain constant and non-negotiable.

March Route

· Assemble at 9am at the National Sylvan Theater

(Sylvan Theater, Independence Avenue Southwest & 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20024) Light Rally will take place.

· March from National Sylvan Theater to West Potomac Park via Independence Ave SW beginning at 11am

· Rally at West Potomac Park beginning at 12pm

(West Potomac Park, Washington, DC 20418)

Directly across from Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Victor Cruz speaks out after racist graffiti found at teammate's home

I know there are many in America that prefer that athletes, especially black ones just enjoy their millions and stay quiet on social issues. Thankfully Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will have none of that. Cruz spoke out on Thursday after the home of teammate Nikita Whitlock was robbed and vandalized with racist graffiti. He sees this as a reflection of the current state of the country after Donald Trump's election. Watch his comments below.

2017 Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship Program Now Open to Students!

The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship is for minority high school students in the United States. In addition to a financial grant, the foundation also provides its scholars with mentoring and leadership development opportunities, and internships.

To be eligible, all applicants must be graduating seniors and must belong to a minority group (African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, or Native American). Applicants must also plan to attend an accredited and approved four-year institution within the United States, must show leadership potential, must demonstrate a dedication to community service, and must present evidence of financial need.

Applicants must also have a minimum SAT score of 1,000 combined on the math and critical reading sections or a composite ACT score of 22, and not possess a degree from a 2 or 4-year College when applying for the scholarship.

Jackie Robinson was an American baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. In 1973, the Jackie Robinson Foundation was created as a national, not–for–profit, organization to perpetuate his memory through the advancement of higher education among underserved populations. The foundation's strategic combination of financial assistance and support services results consistently in a nearly 100% college graduation rate.

The deadline for this scholarship is usually in FEBRUARY of each year, and the award amount is usually $7,500.

For more details, visit www.JackieRobinson.org

Land-Grant HBCUs Seeking Aid From Congress

The nation’s 19 historically Black land-grant colleges (the so-called 1890 HBCUs), are expected this week to have a Congressional hearing on a plan to specifically strengthen the institutions’ financial abilities to provide formal education to minorities and others pursuing studies in the agricultural sciences.

The full House Committee, chaired by Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, plans to hear Wednesday morning from two panels — one of lawmakers and one of university presidents — about a House resolution (6020) that would provide each of the 19 institutions $1 million a year for five years to fund scholarships for students planning to pursue careers in the field of agriculture.

The scholarship funds proposal by Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., represent what Scott notes is a “drop in the bucket” from the billions spent annually by the federal government to help higher education.

Still, he says, there is positive action on the proposal for a variety of reasons. It would come at a crucial time in history, as the ranks of the nation’s agricultural farming and producer population are declining rapidly. The average age of the declining ranks — 60 years old, according to federal population studies — is getting higher and higher.

Scott’s proposal also would give a needed boost to the 1890 colleges, a specific group of public colleges created to fulfill a post-Civil War effort by the government to provide agricultural education training and services to Blacks in 19 states.

Read more: Land-Grant HBCUs Seeking Aid From Congress

Willie Taggart named head football coach of Oregon Ducks

EUGENE, Ore. — Willie Taggart, one of college coaching's brightest offensive minds and a proven winner, will be introduced as Oregon's next head football coach at a press conference Thursday morning in the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.

Taggart, 40, coached South Florida to a school-record 10-2 regular-season mark this fall, three years after the Bulls went 2-10. He will be the 33rd head coach in UO football history, and will have the distinction of being the football program's first African-American head coach.

"We are thrilled to welcome Willie, his wife, Taneshia, their sons, Willie Jr. and Jackson, and their daughter, Morgan," UO athletic director Rob Mullens said. "Willie places an emphasis on ensuring a positive student-athlete experience and on winning, and his previous stops have proven his success at both. We have a very bright future under his leadership."

Mullens will introduce Taggart at a press conference Thursday in the main theater of the HDC at 11 a.m. The event will be streamed live on Facebook and Twitter via the GoDucks accounts.

"I am grateful for the trust that President Schill and Rob Mullens have put in me to be the next head coach of the Oregon football program, and I thank them for the opportunity," Taggart said. "Oregon has a strong national presence and a proud recent history of playing among the nation's elite, and I look forward to the challenge of upholding the excellence.  I can't wait to get started."

"I want to congratulate Willie Taggart on becoming the University of Oregon's next head football coach, and welcome him and his family to the flock," UO president and professor of law Michael H. Schill said. "I am confident that Coach Taggart fits with the UO's values and culture of excellence as it relates to supporting our student-athletes' personal growth and success both on and off the playing field.

"I also want to recognize athletic director Rob Mullens for his hard work and dedication over the last few weeks. He did not have an easy task, but he's delivered a wonderful outcome and hired a great coach. Welcome Coach Taggart, and go Ducks!"

A 1998 graduate of Western Kentucky, Taggart began his coaching career as an assistant with his alma mater from 1999-2006. He then spent three seasons as an assistant to Jim Harbaugh at Stanford from 2007-09, coaching running backs and helping Toby Gerhart win the 2009 Doak Walker Award.

Taggart returned to Western Kentucky as head coach in 2010, taking over a program that had lost 20 straight games and leading the Hilltoppers to their first bowl bid in 2012. Taggart then took over at South Florida and has the Bulls in their second straight bowl game this fall.

With Taggart calling plays in the "Gulf Coast Offense," South Florida finished the regular season seventh nationally in scoring offense (43.6) and fifth in yards per play (7.29). The Bulls also boast the nation's fifth-best rushing offense at 291.75 yards per game, and they have 29 explosion plays of 40 yards or more, third-most in the FBS.