Teresa Weatherspoon Announced as Member of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2019

Today, at a press event presented by Haggar Clothing Company, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 12 honorees in the Class of 2019 to be celebrated September 5-7, 2019 during this year’s Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Class Announcement was made in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the site of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four and televised live on ESPN2.

One of those 12 honorees was New York Liberty star Teresa Weatherspoon

Weatherspoon is a five-time WNBA All-Star (1999-2003) and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998). Recognized as an iconic player with the New York Liberty, she was the first player to tally 1,000 points and 1,000 assists in the WNBA. Internationally, Weatherspoon is a six-time Italian League All-Star (1989-1994), two-time Russian League champion (1995,1996), and an Olympic gold medalist (1988). A native of Jasper, Texas, Weatherspoon played for Louisiana Tech University (1984-1988) where she was named to the Kodak All-America Team twice (1987, 1988). In 1988, she led her team to an NCAA Championship and was named the recipient of the Wade Trophy. Weatherspoon was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sidney Moncrief going into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Sidney Moncrief is one of the most decorated players in Milwaukee Bucks history.

Moncrief can add the most prestigious honor to his accolades after being named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Moncrief is widely seen as one of the best defensive guards in NBA history. He was drafted fifth overall by the Bucks in 1979 after a standout collegiate career at Arkansas. Moncrief spent 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee.

He ranks third on the franchise's all-time list in points (11,594), second in games played (695), first in free throws made (3,505), second in assists (2,689) and third in steals (874).

Moncrief was named the NBA's defensive player of the year in 1983 and '84. He was a five-time all-star (1982-'86) and was on the league's all-defensive team four straight seasons from 1983-'86. Moncrief was honored as first-team all-NBA in 1983.

Jack Sikma, Vlade Divac, Paul Westphal, Bobby Jones, Theresa Weatherspoon, Bill Fitch, Al Attles and Carl Braun were among the other players voted into the hall of fame.

[SOURCE: JSONLINE]

Kamala Harris speech at 2019 National Action Network Convention

Speaking at the National Action Network's conference in New York, California Sen. Kamala Harris pledged to double the size of the Justice Department's civil rights division and to sign legislation creating a commission to study reparations to African Americans hurt by slavery. Watch her entire speech below:

Cory Booker speech at 2019 National Action Network annual convention

Democratic Presidential Candidate Cory Booker spoke at the 2019 National Action Network annual convention in New York City. Booker spoke about the importance of the Black Church and the moral crisis facing the United States when it comes to clean water and the injustice in the criminal justice system. Watch his full speech below:

Pope Names Wilton Gregory as New Archbishop of Washington

Pope Francis has tapped Archbishop Wilton Gregory to lead the embattled Archdiocese of Washington, giving the nation's capital its first African-American archbishop a veteran leader who guided the Catholic Church through its clergy sexual abuse crisis in the early 2000s.

The archbishop of Washington is traditionally elevated by the Pope to the college of cardinals, meaning that Gregory eventually could be the first African-American cardinal ever to serve in the Catholic Church in the United States.

Archbishop Gregory has was previously in charge of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Georgia. He was appointed Archbishop in December 2004, and took office on 17 January 2005.

The Archbishop, who was born in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, studied philosophy at Niles College and theology at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. He was ordained a priest on May 9, 1973 for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

In 1980 Archbishop Gregory obtained his Doctorate in Liturgy at the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in Rome.

After his priestly ordination, he held the following positions: Parish Vicar of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview; Student in Rome (1976-1979); Professor of Liturgy at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelain, Member of the Archdiocesan Office for the Liturgy and Master of Ceremonies for Cardinals Cody and Bernardin (1980-1983).

In October of 1983 he was appointed titular Bishop of Oliva and Auxiliary of Chicago. He was transferred to the See of Belleville, Illinois, in 1993.

Within the United States Episcopal Conference, the Archbishop has held a number of positions including, President (2001-2004), Vice-President (1998-2001). He is currently Chair of the Committee on Divine Worship.