Black History Month: Clarence Sumner Greene, first black neurosurgeon

Before there was Ben Carson, there was Clarence Sumner Greene.

In 1936, Greene received his medical degree from the Howard University College of Medicine. He spent seven years training in general surgery and received certification from the American Board of Surgery. After serving for four years as a professor of surgery at Howard University, Dr. Greene trained in neurosurgery at the Montreal Neurological Institute. Dr. Greene became the first black neurologist on October 22, 1953, when he was certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. He returned to Howard University, where he served as chair of neurosurgery until his sudden death in 1957.

Flint water crisis: Report says 'systemic racism' played role

A government-appointed civil rights commission in Michigan says systemic racism helped to cause the Flint water crisis, according to a report released Friday.

The 129-page report does not claim there were any specific violations of state civil rights laws, but says "historical, structural and systemic racism combined with implicit bias" played a role in the problems, which still linger in the city's drinking water almost three years later.

"The presence of racial bias in the Flint water crisis isn't much of a surprise to those of us who live here, but the Michigan Civil Rights Commission's affirmation that the emergency manager law disproportionately hurts communities of color is an important reminder of just how bad the policy is," state Sen. Jim Ananich, a Democrat from Flint, said.

It was an emergency manager, appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder, who had the cash-strapped city's water supply changed from Lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014 -- a decision reversed more than a year later amid reports of corroded pipes and elevated blood lead levels.

The report, which was released after a year-long investigation that followed three public hearings and took testimony from more than 150 residents and officials, says: "The people of Flint have been subjected to unprecedented harm and hardship, much of it caused by structural and systemic discrimination and racism that have corroded your city, your institutions, and your water pipes, for generations."

Read more: Flint water crisis: Report says 'systemic racism' played role

Read the Congressional Black Caucus letter to Donald Trump

Donald Trump lied about the Congressional Black Caucus not reaching out to him during his epic rant/meltdown at a press conference on February 16, 2017. He asked American Urban Reports reporter April Ryan if she could set up a meeting with the CBC since they had not reached out to him. Problem is that the CBC sent him a letter on 01/19/2017. Read that letter below.

Congressional Black Caucus Letter to POTUS on New Deal by George L. Cook III on Scribd

New Book, Obama's Legacy: What He Accomplished

Many of President Obama's critics have pushed a false narrative that President Obama didn't accomplish much in his eight years in office completely ignoring what the man had done and the obstruction he faced. Well Michael I. Days has written a book, Obama's Legacy: What He Accomplished as President based on FACTS that looks at President Obama's legacy.

Book Synopsis:

Evidence indicates President Barack Obama has been tremendously successful and effective by objective measures. On economic indicators alone, he is credited with the longest streak of job growth in U.S. history, a two-thirds reduction in the federal budget deficit, and the rebounding of the stock market to record highs following the record lows of the recession under his predecessor. His victories have come against a backdrop of criticism and sometimes open defiance from conservatives, lack of cooperation in Congress, and racially tinged commentary in traditional and social media. Through it all, the President who campaigned on a slogan of 'Yes, We Can!' has persevered in his determination to make a difference and left an indelible mark on American politics and the world. LEGACY is a commemoration of his eight years in the White House.

HARDCOVER------ KINDLE BOOK

Trump lied about planned meeting with Elijah Cummings

During a rambling and wide ranging press conference, Trump accused prominent African-American Rep. Elijah Cummings of cancelling a planned sit down for political reasons.

"I actually thought I had a meeting with Congressman Cummings and he was all excited and then he said, 'Oh I can't move it might be bad for me politically. I can't have that meeting,'" Trump said.

The president then said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer or "some other lightweight" likely pressured Cummings to cancel the sit down.

Cummings, a former chair of the CBC, denied ever having cancelled a meeting with Trump and said the leader of a different chamber of Congress never spoke to him about it.

"I have no idea why President Trump would make up a story about me like he did today. Of course, Senator Schumer never told me to skip a meeting with the President," Cummings said in a statement. The Democratic congressman said he was looking forward to speaking to the president about the price of prescription drugs.

[SOURCE]