Experts say black Confederate soldiers didn't fight for South Carolina

Two South Carolina lawmakers want to erect a monument on the State House grounds to African-Americans who served the state as Confederate soldiers. But records show the state never accepted nor recognized armed African-American soldiers during the Civil War.

“In all my years of research, I can say I have seen no documentation of black South Carolina soldiers fighting for the Confederacy,” said Walter Edgar, who for 32 years was director of the University of South Carolina’s Institute for Southern Studies and is author of “South Carolina: A History.”

“In fact, when secession came, the state turned down free (blacks) who wanted to volunteer because they didn’t want armed persons of color,” he said.

Pension records gleaned from the S.C. Department of History and Archives show no black Confederate soldiers received payment for combat service. And of the more than 300 blacks who did receive pensions after they were allowed in 1923, all served as body servants or cooks, the records show.

Confederate law prohibited blacks from bearing arms in the war, records show, until that edict was repealed in 1865 at the very end of the conflict.

That repeal resulted in a handful of African-American units in states such as Virginia and Texas. But there were none in South Carolina, which prohibited African-Americans from carrying guns in the state’s service throughout the war for fear of insurrection, according to the archives.

Read more: A monument to SC’s black Confederate soldiers? None fought for the South, experts say

Army soldier home for the holidays, died trying to save people from in NYC fire

An Army soldier who was visiting New York City for the holidays was among the 12 victims in the deadly Bronx blaze, his father told CBS New York. Kwabena Mensah said his son, Emmanuel, spent his final moments trying to rescue other people in the building.

"That's what I think, because it was in his nature," the elder Mensah said. "He wanted to help people out."

The 28-year-old was in for the holidays – his first trip home since joining the Army a year ago.

Emmanuel Mensah's roommate was the last to see him. She made it out with her four children and husband but lost Mensah in the mix.

"Tried to call and phone everywhere, my husband went to hospital," she told CBS New York.

Kwaben Mensah took comfort knowing his son lived and died a hero.

"God is in control, I have no control. God is in control," he said.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]

FBI Affidavit Details David Clarke’s Intimidation Of Fellow Passenger

Feds dropped their case against him in May, but Milwaukee investigators determined he had abused his authority, the filing reveals.

Former Sheriff David Clarke abused his authority when he ordered the mistreatment and intimidation of a fellow passenger on a flight to Milwaukee in January, according to a newly revealed FBI search warrant affidavit, because Clarke assumed the man was showing disrespect toward the right-wing Donald Trump booster.

The affidavit, which had requested a search of Clarke’s private email account, was revealed as part of a filing in U.S. District Court in Wisconsin on Thursday. It’s unclear if it indicates continued interest by the FBI or just details information from months earlier.

In May, federal prosecutors informed Clarke’s attorney that they weren’t going to pursue charges against him over his encounter with passenger Dan Black. But according to the affidavit, filed in March, investigators for the Audit Services Division of the Milwaukee County controller’s office determined as part of its own investigation that Clarke had “used his official position as sheriff of Milwaukee County in excess of his lawful authority to direct his deputies to stop and question Black without legal justification.”

Despite the damaging information in the affidavit, the Department of Justice sent a letter to Clarke’s attorney in May saying that a decision had been made “not to criminally prosecute any civil rights offenses” against Clarke because of concerns that such a case would be difficult to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The letter warns, however, that the “decision could change if additional information came to light.”

Read more: FBI Affidavit Details Ex-Sheriff David Clarke’s Intimidation Of Fellow Passenger

Eric Holder: Trump DOJ comments both wrong and dangerous

Former Attorney General Eric Holder is not happy with President Trump for saying that he has the "absolute right" to do what he wants with the Department of Justice. Holder tweeted that Trump's comments were "wrong" and "dangerous." Read his full tweet below:

Wrong/dangerous. Trump doesn’t have absolute rights with DOJ. But women and men there have ABSOLUTE duty to follow Constitution and rule of law - not a man. Career DOJ people have ABSOLUTE right to defy illegal orders. And they will. I know them.

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) December 29, 2017

Retired English teacher wants ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ sung at NBA games in February

At 75 years old, Eugene Williams Sr. has embarked on a self-directed mission: to persuade NBA teams to play “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (otherwise known as the “Black National Anthem”) before its games in February (otherwise known as Black History Month).

Every day when he wakes up in his home in Clinton, Maryland, Mr. Williams opens a composition book (the kind you might use to take an essay test) and riffles through its names and telephone numbers — contact information for NBA teams and their staffers.

Then he starts making cold calls.

“This should be sung as well as the national anthem,” the retired English teacher said in an interview. “Particularly for the NBA players.”

Mr. Williams says he’s focusing on the NBA because its players are contractually obligated to stand during the national anthem. Since they can’t kneel in protest, perhaps they could stand in solidarity for another anthem that celebrates the patriotism and resilience of black communities, he said.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written in 1900 by black poet James Weldon Johnson, who at that time was the principal of a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida. His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, wrote the music for the poem in 1905. The NAACP designated it as the “Negro National Anthem” in 1919.

“There have been instances in the past when teams have added a performance of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’” an NBA spokesperson told The Washington Times.

In fact, Stevie Wonder blended “Lift Every Voice” into the end of his performance of the national anthem during the 2005 NBA Finals.

Read more: Man wants ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ sung at NBA games in February