Thursday, December 26, 2019

Royal S. Freeman sworn in as first African American sheriff in Charlotte County Virginia

On Monday morning Royal S. Freeman was sworn in by Charlotte County Clerk as Sheriff of Charlotte County. In a courtroom packed with supporters Freeman took the oath of office.

Freeman won the recent election by a landslide taking two-thirds of the vote. His support crossed all lines – racial, age, education, and sex.

Upon taking office in January Freeman will become the first African-American in the history of Charlotte County to become sheriff.

Charlotte County’s slate of constitutional officers reflects well on the citizens of our county. Of the five constitutional officers, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue, Sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, and Commonwealth’s Attorney, three are women and two are African-Americans holding office.

The principles of Kwanzaa: Day One Umoja

Kwanzaa celebrates what its founder, Maulana Karenga called the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or Nguzo Saba (originally Nguzu Saba – the seven principles of African Heritage), which Karenga said "is a communitarian African philosophy," consisting of what Karenga called "the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." They were developed in 1965, a year before Kwanzaa itself. These seven principles comprise Kawaida, a Swahili word meaning "common". Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of the seven.

On this, the first day of Kwanzaa the days principle is Umoja.

Umoja (Unity): To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kwanzaa is a secular festival observed by many African Americans from December 26 to January 1 as a celebration of their cultural heritage and traditional values.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Rep. Lauren Underwood's Lower Insulin Costs Now Act signed into law

The Lower Insulin Costs Now Act will help make cheaper generic insulin available more quickly.

Underwood’s bipartisan Lower Insulin Costs Now Act will reduce the cost of insulin by helping lower-cost, generic insulin become available sooner. The Lower Insulin Costs Now Act will allow the FDA to continue to review applications for generic insulin beyond the looming March 2020 cut-off date, creating access to new treatments that can lower the cost of insulin for those who rely on it to survive. Over 1 million Illinoisans are living with type I or type II diabetes, including one in four seniors and a growing number of children in America. Along with Underwood, the legislation was led by Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brett Guthrie (KY-02), and Mike Kelly (PA-16).

"Over the past two decades, the cost of insulin has skyrocketed—it’s unaffordable. I've heard from countless families in our community about the hard decisions they make to afford their insulin, including rationing their supply or going without. This is unacceptable—over 7 million Americans rely on insulin to survive," Rep. Underwood said. "There isn’t a person I won’t work with to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and I’m thrilled my colleagues in Congress and the President supported this advancement toward making lower-cost, generic insulin available more quickly."

Police officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson indicted for murder

Former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean was indicted by a grand jury for murder in the fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson in her home on October 12.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jefferson was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew when Dean entered her backyard. She rose up to take a look out the window when she was shot, according to police records. Dean, 35, was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury.

The arrest warrant mentions three times that Dean didn’t announce that he was a police officer when he went around the house. Dean didn’t provide a statement to Forth Worth investigators on why he shot, according to officials. Usually, in such investigations, it’s common for a cop to give a statement to investigators and to the internal affairs division of their police department.

Jefferson’s family lawyer, civil rights attorney S. Lee Merritt, announced Dean’s indictment , saying, “Though her family is relived [sic] by the news, we need to see this through to a vigorous prosecution & appropriate sentencing.”

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

HBCU Virginia Union University to lower 2020 tuition rates

The Virginia Union University’s Board of Trustees alongside university president Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, have made the bold decision to lower undergraduate tuition rates by 32-percent. This change amounts to a $5,000 reduction, reflective of where VUU’s tuition costs were listed over a decade ago. The decision moves the university towards its goal of offering greater access and affordability to a more diverse student body. The new tuition rate will begin with the Fall 2020 semester and all enrolled students will be eligible.

“We realize how crippling student loan debt has become for students nation-wide,” said Dr. Hakim Lucas, President & CEO of Virginia Union University. “Students enroll in college seeking a career path that will allow opportunity for long-term financial stability. However, they end up spending most of their working years paying back student loans. Virginia Union is doing what it can to ensure that students in the Commonwealth and across the nation have access to an education that will equip them with the tools they need to be successful, while avoiding the crippling bill waiting at the other end of graduation.”

The tuition change is part of the university’s “Access to Excellence” initiative. VUU generated the new financial structure after months of investigating tuition, room and board, and fees of peer university’s in Virginia and comparable universities nationally. A close review of the cumulative amount of student loans and default rates of those loans was also conducted. Currently, the annual tuition at VUU is $15,530 plus $1,753 in fees. The study concluded that making the cost adjustment with tuition makes VUU the highest value and lowest cost HBCU in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The new annual undergraduate tuition will be $10,530 plus $1,753 in fees. That amounts to $351 per credit hour, a 32-percent reduction. 97% of VUU’s students receive financial aid which will continue to be offered under the new model. Those who qualify for state and federal awards will see their dollars go further because of the lower tuition costs. Students will also be able to take advantage of new extended payment options to include 5- or 6-year payment plans.

“This was an important decision for the Trustees as we work to meet the needs of our students,” said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of the VUU Board of Trustees. “Virginia Union University is a special place where students are nurtured academically and spiritually. We want to ensure that anyone who desires a high-quality education has access to it without accumulating a mountain of debt. This decision will change the future for our current students by reducing and, in some cases, eliminating their student loan debt. It will also give opportunity to students who may have felt that higher education was financially impossible.”

While undergraduate tuition will go down, students seeking a master’s or Doctorate degree will see an increase. Master’s program tuition will cost $451 per credit, an increase of $92, and Doctorate tuition will cost $551 per credit, an increase of $295 per credit hour. The increased rates for these programs align with current pricing trends and keeps VUU as a competitive and affordable option among peer institutions.

For more information and to request an interview, please contact Pamela Cox at phcox@vuu.edu or (804) 937-7936.