During a CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama made it quite clear to those of us holding out hope that she would ever run for office that that's not going to happen. Watch her statement below.
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
President Obama Grants 153 Commutations and 78 Pardons to Individuals Deserving of a Second Chance
Today, President Obama granted clemency to 231 deserving individuals — the most individual acts of clemency granted in a single day by any president in this nation’s history. With today’s 153 commutations, the President has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, including 395 life sentences. The President also granted pardons to 78 individuals, bringing his total number of pardons to 148. Today’s acts of clemency — and the mercy the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients — exemplify his belief that America is a nation of second chances.
The 231 individuals granted clemency today have all demonstrated that they are ready to make use — or have already made use — of a second chance. While each clemency recipient’s story is unique, the common thread of rehabilitation underlies all of them. For the pardon recipient, it is the story of an individual who has led a productive and law-abiding post-conviction life, including by contributing to the community in a meaningful way. For the commutation recipient, it is the story of an individual who has made the most of his or her time in prison, by participating in educational courses, vocational training, and drug treatment. These are the stories that demonstrate the successes that can be achieved — by both individuals and society — in a nation of second chances.
Today’s grants signify the President’s continued commitment to exercising his clemency authority through the remainder of his time in office. In 2016 alone, the President has granted clemency to more than 1,000 deserving individuals. The President continues to review clemency applications on an individualized basis to determine whether a particular applicant has demonstrated a readiness to make use of his or her second chance, and I expect that the President will issue more grants of both commutations and pardons before he leaves office. The mercy that the President has shown his 1,324 clemency recipients is remarkable, but we must remember that clemency is a tool of last resort and that only Congress can achieve the broader reforms needed to ensure over the long run that our criminal justice system operates more fairly and effectively in the service of public safety.
From Banks to Beauty Products The #BuyBlack Movement Is Real
It’s a trend that many are hoping won’t just turn into a passing fad.
Late last month, Essence magazine noted that after years of slow-burning idealism, #BuyBlack has seen a community-wide takeoff.
And, as the holiday season moves into full swing, the #BuyBlack campaign has led many to imagine what would happen if African Americans — the largest consumer group of color in the United States with an estimated $1.2 trillion in spending power — routinely demonstrated allegiance to the 2.6 million Black-owned businesses that exist in America.
“I think the #BuyBlack initiative is a good move for the Black community and not just because of dollars and cents,” said Walt L. Jones III, principal of the SEQ Advisory Group, a Bethesda, Maryland-based management consulting and advisory firm dedicated to helping businesses achieve the highest level of performance and efficiency. “There’s the deeper perspective of reinvesting in our own community and building up the local businesses, some that are owned by our friends, neighbors, and relatives.”
Jones continued: “Similar to the #ECStrong initiative, a community can only heal, recover, and persevere if its residents are willing to make an investment in its infrastructure.”
Read more: From Banks to Beauty Products The #BuyBlack Movement Is Real
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Hail to the Chief: Ebony to Release President Obama Commemorative Issue
“Our readers know the utter importance of simple images of Obama and the first family in a White House that had been very literal with respect to its previous inhabitants,” says Kyra Kyles, editor-in-chief of Ebony. “But our team went well beyond the aesthetics and recruited the most sought-after Black thought leaders to candidly discuss the social context around his administration, his achievements over two terms and the impact he will have as our first but hopefully not our last.”
Among the highlights:
Editor’s Letter: EIC Kyles bids adieu to President Barack Obama in this touching reflection on his absolute grace under partisan fire.
Poetic Justice: Nikki Giovanni pens an exclusive poem for Ebony capturing the essence of the first African-American president.
The Legacy: From his electrifying ascent to the legislative imprint he leaves behind, Ebony examines President Obama’s undeniable impact on health care, race relations, gay and women’s rights.
The Love: They examine the love shared by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama and its impact on uplifting Black families.
The Look: By combining haute couture with dashes of attainable attire, the first family embraced the power of fashion.
The Laughs: He could have occasionally been dubbed “comic-in-chief.” A look at Obama’s best clapbacks.
Famous Farewells: Supporters ranging from members of Congress to well-known entertainers offer their thanks and words of encouragement to the 44th U.S. president.
Ebony’s commemorative special commemorative edition will be available December 20 for purchase on newsstands only.
Dylann Roof will not use mental health to avoid death penalty
Convicted murderer Dylann Roof will not ask jurors to take his mental health into consideration next month during the death penalty phase of his trial for killing nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina.
In a handwritten note filed in a South Carolina federal court on Friday, Roof, an avowed white supremacist, wrote, "I will not be calling mental health experts or presenting mental health evidence."
Roof was found guilty on Thursday of 33 charges of federal hate crimes after a six-day trial featuring harrowing testimony about the night of June 17, 2015, when he attended Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before opening fire on the parishioners.
Roof's decision not to call mental health experts or present mental health evidence came after he called the field of psychology a "Jewish invention" in his journal, part of which was read aloud at his trial earlier this month.
"I am morally opposed to psychology. It is a Jewish invention that does nothing but invent diseases and tell people they have problems when they don't," Roof wrote.
The jury is scheduled to begin hearing evidence on Jan. 3 in the second phase of the trial, which will determine whether Roof faces execution.
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