Lawmakers and Advocates Rally to Support Mary Bethune Statue in Washington D.C.

FLORIDA-Several current and former state lawmakers, as well as members of the nation's oldest Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha gathered at the state capitol today, calling on the legislature to honor the late educator and civil-rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

Bethune would replace a confederate general as one of Florida's representatives in a set of statues at the U.S. Capitol, under one proposal filed in the Senate.

The legislature voted last year to replace General Edmund Kirby Smith's statue amid a backlash against confederate symbols, following the 2015 shooting deaths of nine African-American worshippers.

State Senator Perry Thurston says the reasons to choose Bethune are many, adding it would be a good symbolic gesture.

Last June, Bethune, who founded what is now known as Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach appeared to be the favorite to replace Smith, getting the votes of all of the members of the "Great Floridians Committee".

[SOURCE:WTXL.COM]

Sen. Cory Booker Statement on Department of Justice Review of Consent Decrees

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice announced a review of federal consent decrees with law enforcement agencies across the country:

“As mayor of Newark, I began as a skeptic of federal law enforcement consent decrees as we worked proactively to address long-standing issues with the Newark Police Department, working with the ACLU and residents to increase transparency and seek reforms. But I learned through my experience that these agreements can provoke meaningful changes in policing practices that improve public safety and fight crime while building trust between communities and police departments, ensuring fair enforcement of laws, and protecting civil rights. State and local police departments play a critical role in protecting our citizens and the vast majority of police officers do an incredible job in tough circumstances. Consent decrees, where necessary and properly constructed and implemented, can help keep officers and citizens safe, and improve life in the communities they serve.

“I’m deeply concerned that Attorney General Sessions’ announcement for a Department of Justice review of federal civil rights agreements with law enforcement would undermine the principle of equal justice for all Americans. I fear that this announcement paves the way for a retreat from accountability and oversight of allegations of systemic civil rights abuses. This would be a tremendous setback to both the efforts of our communities’ to fight crime and America’s ongoing commitment to fulfilling the promises of our Constitution. We need a Justice Department that takes seriously its charge to faithfully and vigorously enforce the nation’s civil rights laws and ensure that no one is above the law.”

NJ student accepted to all 8 Ivy League schools.

Ifeoma White-Thorpe, Morris Hills High School (NJ) has been accepted to all eight Ivy League schools and also Stanford. Watch her story below.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: No Tax Reform Without Trump’s Tax Returns

Last night in Washington, Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York 8th Congressional District, Brooklyn, Queens) took to the House floor demanding that President Trump release his tax returns.

Jeffries, a member of the House Judiciary and House Budget Committees, presented a privileged resolution which would delay any tax-reform legislation until the House Ways and Means Committee has had the opportunity to review Trump’s tax returns and determine how and if the president could benefit from tax-code changes.

The “privileged” resolution means that the House would have to act within two legislative days.

Jeffries argued that the House of Representatives shall:

-Immediately request tax return information of Donald J. Trump for tax years 2007 through 2016 for review in closed executive session by the Committee on Ways and Means, as provided under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, and vote to report the information therein to the full House of Representatives.

-Postpone consideration of comprehensive tax reform legislation until after the elected representatives of the American people in this House have been able to review Trump’s tax returns and ascertain how any changes to the Tax Code might financially benefit the President of the United States.

Jeffries stated that the American people deserve transparency concerning the President’s financial conflicts of interest and possible involvement with Russia.

[SOURCE: bklyner.com]

Dawn Staley leads South Carolina women to NCAA women's basketball championship!

Dawn Staley didn't win an NCAA title as a player, although she went with Virginia to the Women's Final Four three times. She has finally won her college championship, as the coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks! She becomes the second black woman to coach a team to a women's championship. Carolyn Peck coached Purdue to a championship in 1999.

For the first time in four years, women’s college basketball has a new top team and it wears garnet and black. The South Carolina women’s basketball team is the new national champion, winning a national title for the first time in program history.

The Gamecocks beat Mississippi State 67-55 in Dallas on Sunday afternoon, completing the run through the postseason all the way to the crown in Dawn Staley’s ninth season.

USC made the whole run without senior center Alaina Coates, who missed the NCAA Tournament with an ankle injury. But what the Gamecocks had was more than enough — and all of it is expected back next season.

Junior forward A’ja Wilson led the Gamecocks with 23 points, while Allisha Gray — the star against Stanford on Friday in the Final Four — again came up huge for South Carolina with 18 points.

Read more: CHAMPS! South Carolina women’s basketball wins first national title