Rep. Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight chairman responds to Trump's lawsuit against him and the administration's fight against congressional subpoenas.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Bill To End Hair Discrimination In The Workplace And Schools Passes Senate Vote In California
 |
| Sen. Holly J. Mitchell |
Introduced by Senator Holly J. Mitchell, SB 188 aims to "Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair" (the CROWN Act) by clarifying that traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyle, be protected from discrimination in the work place and in our K-12 public and charter schools.
"Many Black employees, including your staff, members, will tell you if given the chance that the struggle to maintain what society has deemed a 'professional image' while protecting the health and integrity of their hair remains a defining and paradoxical struggle in their work experience, not usually shared by their non-Black peers," said Senator Mitchell shortly before the Senate vote. "Members, it is 2019. Any law that sanctions a job description that immediately excludes me from a position, not because of my capabilities or experience but because of my hair, is long overdue for reform."
The C.R.O.W.N. (Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair) Act will ensure protection against discrimination in the workplace and schools based on hairstyles by prohibiting employers and schools from enforcing purportedly "race neutral" grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color. Additionally, while anti-discrimination laws presently protect the choice to wear an Afro, Afros are not the only natural presentation of Black hair. SB 188 will ensure protection against discrimination based on hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles in the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the California Education Code.
"Dove has been committed to championing real beauty for women and girls for decades, and believes the individuality of all of our hair should be celebrated," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever. "As a proud member of the CROWN Coalition, we're overjoyed to see that the California Senate passed SB 188, and look forward to continuing to drive equity and fairness for all women and men, particularly around hair inclusivity."
The CROWN Act corrects an inconsistency in existing anti-discrimination laws by amending the California Government and Education Codes to protect against discrimination based on traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and protective hairstyles. The Coalition, in support of The CROWN Act, aims to put an end to the significant injustices of hair discrimination that has spanned decades across the United States.
The CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition is a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove as sponsors of Senate Bill 188 'The Crown Act'. The CROWN Coalition members believe diversity and inclusion are key drivers of success across all industries and sectors.
For more information on SB 188 'The CROWN Act' click here to see the legislation.
CONTACT:
Motunrayo Tosin-Oni
Motunrayo.tosin-oni@sen.ca.gov
Office of Senator Holly J. Mitchell
Marcy Polanco, JOY Collective
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms To Deliver Spelman College Commencement Address
Mayor Bottoms is the only mayor in Atlanta's history to have served in all three branches of government, serving as a judge and city councilmember before being sworn in as mayor. Leading with a progressive agenda focused on equity and affordable housing, Mayor Bottoms serves as chair of the Community Development and Housing Committee for the United States Conference of Mayors.
Only the second woman to be elected to Atlanta's highest office, Mayor Bottoms has demonstrated her courageous leadership through initiatives like the citywide elimination of cash bail bonds, the closure of the Atlanta City Detention Center to ICE detainees, and the launch of Atlanta's financial transparency platform – Open Checkbook. During her time on city council, she launched Invest in Southwest , a 360-degree urban planning initiative with the goal of revitalizing and expanding economic development within the Southwest Atlanta community. She also authored panhandling legislation, which combined empathy with enforcement, and resulted in offenders receiving often-needed social services to help break the cycle of recidivism.
"Atlanta is fortunate to have such a dynamic leader as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has had a tremendous impact on the city, in particular on the Westside, where Spelman is located," said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. "She stands as an example for Spelman students of how to effectively lead the country's bedrock for civil and human rights, while navigating complex issues, prioritizing civic engagement and advancing Atlanta's progress in global commerce and equity. We look forward to Mayor Bottoms sharing her experience with the class of 2019."
Under Mayor Bottoms' leadership, the City of Atlanta recently led the successful staging of Super Bowl LIII, which included unprecedented community benefits – a $2.4 million renovation of John F. Kennedy Park on Atlanta's Westside, more than 20,000 trees planted throughout the community and the seamless coordination of 40 federal, state and local public safety agencies.
Mayor Bottoms has volunteered and served on the board of numerous community organizations, including The Children's School, the Firefighters' Pension Fund, the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA, the YWCA of Atlanta, Cure for Childhood Cancer and Central Atlanta Progress. She has been a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights – Women's Solidarity Society and also served on the board of Families First, where she often shared her personal story of adoption and advocates on behalf of adoption and foster care.
"Spelman College is a beacon of excellence across the globe and I am honored to stand among the many fearless women who have graced this space to share life lessons with the graduates as they journey into their next chapter," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. "I am equally grateful to receive the 2019 National Community Service Award. Thank you, Spelman College, for the thoughtfulness in this recognition."
Monday, April 22, 2019
Sheilah Coley to Lead Trenton New Jersey PD
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora announced on Monday his nomination of Sheilah Coley as the next Director of the Trenton Police Department. Coley previously served as Director and Chief of the Newark Police Department and as Public Safety Director for East Orange. Coley also has the designation of being Trenton’s first African-American female Police Director.
“I am thrilled that Chief Coley has agreed to head the Trenton Police Department,” said Gusciora. “She has been at the forefront of cutting edge crime-fighting technology and understands how to make changes in a department that pay off in reducing crime. She is extremely qualified, and we are excited to welcome her to the Capital City.”
“This is an honor, and I am proud to have the chance to serve the people of Trenton as their next Police Director,” said Coley. “I want to thank Mayor Gusciora for this opportunity and the City Council for their consideration, and I look forward to working with the community to help make Trenton a safe and prosperous place to live.”
Coley was selected from dozens of applicants and went through a vetting process by Mayor Gusciora’s search committee. She now awaits confirmation by the City Council and approval by the Department of Community Affairs, per the Memorandum of Understanding.
Coley joined the United States Air Force at age 17 and served for three years. She then went on to serve in the Newark Police Department for 25 years, holding each rank, including Chief and Director. She then went on to serve as Public Safety Director of East Orange, overseeing Police, Fire, and OEM divisions. Coley earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice and her M.A. in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Rutgers University Dedicates Plaza to Paul Robeson
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the graduation of its most acclaimed alumnus, Rutgers University dedicated a plaza named for Paul Robeson on Friday to honor his legacy as distinguished a scholar, athlete, actor and global activist for civil rights and social justice.
The open-air plaza, which features eight black granite panels detailing the story of Robeson’s life, stands in a prominent location next to the Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus at Rutgers–New Brunswick. The Paul Robeson Plaza was unveiled Friday during a ceremony that attracted hundreds of students, alumni and community members.
“There’s no question, as you’ve heard, that Paul Robeson is among the greatest of the hundreds of thousands of Rutgers alumni – simply one of the greatest,” Rutgers President Robert Barchi said. “In fact, we may never see again so many talents combined in one person – a superior scholar, an all-American athlete, a world-renowned singer and actor, a spellbinding orator and a passionate activist and humanitarian.”
Robeson’s granddaughter, Susan Robeson, said “what was so extraordinary about my grandfather was that the more successful, the more wealthy, the more famous, the more accomplished he became as a singer and an actor, the less focused he was on himself and the more attuned he became to the suffering of others. To him, all the success in the world was meaningless if it didn’t benefit someone else.”
“My greatest hope is that students today strive to become global citizens who transcend boundaries and engage with the issues of peace and social justice in every corner of the globe and, like Paul, never fear to speak truth to power,” she added. “My grandfather often said, ‘I’m not free until we’re all free,’ and he wasn’t just talking about black folks. He was talking about every single person who walks on the planet Earth.”
“President Barchi, this is our milestone gift and it is the hope of the Class of 1971 that the Paul Robeson Plaza will stand as a public and lasting tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of Paul Leroy Robeson and will serve to inspire future generations to stand up, to speak out (on) social injustice and human rights with Paul Robeson as their model and their mentor,” said Claude White, president of the Rutgers College Class of 1971.
In the 20th century, Robeson was a quintessential Renaissance man who championed equal rights. Globally recognized at the time, his name faded from public consciousness even though the issues of justice and equity have flared anew, from Black Lives Matter to the #MeToo movement.
Black Lives Matter cofounder Opal Tometi recently told a Rutgers audience that today's civil rights movement wouldn’t be possible without Robeson and Martin Luther King Jr. “Robeson is so important because he paved the way for us to have a global perspective on our movements," she said.
Robeson, a native of Princeton, attended Rutgers College in New Brunswick on an academic scholarship, becoming the university’s third African-American student. He soon became a star scholar with a consistently high grade point average. In his junior year he became one of only four classmates admitted to Phi Beta Kappa and, in his senior year, was one of four men chosen to join the Cap and Skull Honor Society.
He earned acclaim as an orator and singer while at Rutgers, and won oratorical competitions each of his four years. At his 1919 graduation he gave the valedictory speech titled “The New Idealism,” which called upon his audience to fight for a government where “character shall be the standard of excellence.”
He persevered at Rutgers despite the racism he faced. On one occasion, the football coach benched Robeson when an opposing team refused to take the field against a black man – though the coach regretted that decision and refused to give in the next time such a request was made.
After Rutgers, Robeson earned a law degree at Columbia Law School and then launched a successful career as a performing artist. Robeson’s deep baritone led to fame as a singer. He starred in films and plays and, as Othello, led the longest-running Shakespeare play in Broadway history.
Robeson used his fame to advocate for the rights and dignity of African Americans and oppressed people throughout the world. He spoke out for the rights of miners and other workers; for India’s independence; and for the anti-fascist cause during the Spanish Civil War. His relationship with the Soviet Union generated controversy and attention from the House Un-American Activities Committee.
But, as shown in his song “Ballad for Americans,” he expressed a view of the common humanity of all Americans and belief in America’s promise: “Our country’s strong, our country’s young, and her greatest songs are still unsung.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)