BLACK VOTERS WANTED! NAACP TO TURN OUT THE BLACK VOTE LIKE OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT

The morning of November 7, 2016 was a rude awakening for millions of Americans – 231, 556,622 Americans to be exact. This was the approximate number of eligible voters who did not vote in the presidential election. In fact, if each of these 230 million plus people collectively wrote in a hypothetical candidate’s name on a ballot, that candidate would have won the election by a landslide.

More alarming is the fact that Black voter turnout declined for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election after it had just peaked at 66% in 2012. Political pundits may have used the two years since the elections to argue and dissect what happened, but organizers knew what we needed to focus on was how to ensure it never happened again.

This go around, we’re doing things differently. NAACP has launched a civic engagement campaign to increase Black voter turnout, not just in the 2018 midterms, but in the years to come. The message behind this campaign is simple: Vote! Our lives depend on it.

At the genesis of this campaign is research. We talked to real people about real issues, and their very real concerns heading into the ballot box. Much of what’s happened over the last two years, both in federal policy and in day-to-day life, has resulted in the undervaluing of Black lives. The numerous #LivingWhileBlack incidents, the uptick in hate rallies, the attempted rescinding of DACA, the racist remarks spewing out of the White House, and even the Facebook hacks that pitted people of color against the rest of the country, have shown that this campaign is necessary to mobilize Black Americans.

In addition to investing funds into this campaign, as the leader and coalescing advocate for the Black community, NAACP is bringing together other social justice organizations to partner on this mission to register and turnout a record number of Black voters. NAACP has also expanded its civic engagement department to be one of the largest in the organization, and for the 2018 midterm elections, has identified six key states where the Black vote will make a particularly impactful difference: Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, each with a corresponding State Director or advisor for civic engagement.

Why did we pick these six states? Research. We looked at the political climate in the country, and we partnered with GSSA, LLC, a Colorado data analytics group, to pinpoint where we can make the most difference.

As it stands on November 6, Floridians will have a remarkable 12 initiatives to vote on, including one on the restoration of voting rights for felons. Georgia may or may not make history as the first state to elect the nation’s first Black female governor. In Michigan, a ballot initiative proposes automatic voter registration for all eligible voters in the state. North Carolinians will have the opportunity to vote on whether identification must be presented in order to vote – an initiative NAACP is adamantly against. Ohio and Pennsylvania, two states which played a critical role in electing President Trump, will have to reckon with their 2016 decision, and either vote along party lines or cause a seismic shift.

Over the next couple of weeks, our State Directors will be reporting back about their progress in these states. Stay tuned to our blog section to see how we’re turning out the Black vote.

Chicago police Officer found guilty of second-degree murder in Laquan McDonald killing

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted Friday of second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, marking a stunning end to a racially tinged case that roiled the city when now-infamous police dashboard camera video of the shooting was released three years ago by court order.

Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer in half a century to be found guilty of murder for an on-duty shooting. He faces a minimum of six years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Vincent Gaughan.

The jury deliberated for about 7½ hours before finding Van Dyke guilty of second-degree murder instead of the first-degree charge on which he was indicted.

The veteran officer also was convicted of all 16 counts of aggravated battery for each shot he fired at McDonald. The jury acquitted him, however, of a single count of official misconduct.

Second-degree murder does not carry mandatory prison time — offenders can be sentenced to four to 20 years in prison or even receive probation.

In Illinois, those convicted of second-degree murder typically serve about half their sentence.

Second-degree murder does not carry mandatory prison time — offenders can be sentenced to four to 20 years in prison or even receive probation.

In Illinois, those convicted of second-degree murder typically serve about half their sentence.

[SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE]

Congressional Black Caucus to Trump: We Have Lost A Lot

During his election campaign Trump asked African Americans What do they have to lose. Weeks before the November midterm elections, the Congressional Black Caucus has released a video that answers that question. The nearly four-minute documentary is titled “We Have Lost a Lot.” and sharply criticizes the policies of Donald Trump’s Administration,discusses how his policies have hurt African Americans, and urges African Americans to vote in response.

The video features African American lawmakers and CBC members Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).

Watch the video below:

Passes once again required for admission to National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture is going back to its traditional admission system for the rest of the year.

Last month, the hugely popular museum held what it called Walk-Up Weekdays, but with the passing of September it returned to requiring passes that are only good at a particular date and time, and obtained in advance, to get in.

The museum will do Walk-Up Weekdays again in January. The timed passes for January — which apply to the weekends — will be made available Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 9 a.m.

The museum also makes some same-day passes available at 6:30 a.m. each day until they run out, and a limited number of walk-up tickets are available at 1 p.m. each weekday.

All tickets are free. You can check availability on the museum’s website.

[SOURCE: WTOP]

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson pushing Coast Guard Academy to use congressional nominations to increase diversity

A proposal in Congress would require 50 percent of each incoming class at the Coast Guard Academy to come from a pool of congressionally nominated candidates.

The proposal is part of The Coast Guard Academy Improvement Act introduced by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat representing Mississippi's 2nd congressional district, on Sept. 26.

Thompson, ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, which has oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, including the Coast Guard, has for many years pushed for congressional appointments to the academy as a way to increase diversity. Unlike the other military service academies, the Coast Guard Academy has never had congressional nominations or appointments.

"When you chart out where cadets are from, it's primarily the East Coast and the West Coast. They're sparsely represented in the other parts of the country," Thompson said by phone Tuesday.

The academy's Superintendent Rear Adm. James E. Rendón responded with a written statement saying, "One of the main goals in our strategic plan is to further the important work we have been doing to cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment at the Academy. So we look forward to working with members of Congress to continue to diversify our Corps of Cadets who will soon be the future leaders of our service."

Women make up 40 percent of the incoming Class of 2022, and minorities make up a record 36 percent. The academy offered 392 appointments for the Class of 2022. That was out of 2,045 prospective students who completed an application. Of the appointments offered, 281 were accepted.

Thompson's bill would allow each member of Congress to nominate up to three candidates to attend the academy. The academy would chose half of its incoming classes from that pool of candidates, and the other half under its current admissions process.

The proposal also calls for a plan to improve retention and recruitment of cadets, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds. It would formally authorize an existing program the academy uses to help recruit and retain minority cadets. Those efforts led to the largest number of black cadets — 18 — to graduate from the academy this past spring. Formalizing the program, known as the Academy Minority Outreach Team, would "ensure permanent leadership and that leadership has authority in law to get things done," Thompson said. Right now, the work is being done largely on a volunteer basis.

[SOURCE: STARS AND STRIPES]