Inaugural class at LeBron James' school to receive free tuition to Kent State University

The inaugural class of LeBron James' I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, has received some amazing news.

All 193 students, who are high school juniors, will be receiving free tuition to Kent State University. The kids, who were visiting the Kent State campus, erupted in cheers when they were told of the news, while their parents, watching from a live feed in a separate room, burst into tears.

The students will be guaranteed free tuition for four years as well as one year of a free room and meal plan.

The students will be eligible for the package as college freshmen for the 2021-2022 academic year. To be eligible, they must be admitted to Kent State, fill out required financial aid forms and have completed a required number of community service hours each semester.

To remain eligible, students need to remain in good academic standing, take part in a required number of community service or volunteer hours and complete a minimum number of credit hours per year.

"We have so many options, and I just know that so many kids in my community just don't have many options," James said. "So for me to be able to be in a position where I can give these kids options to decide what they want to do with their future, it's probably the best thing I've ever done."

WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT

[SOURCE: CNN]

Rep. Gregory Meeks endorses Mike Bloomberg for president

Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York has endorsed Mike Bloomberg for president, touting his plan to invest in all Americans – especially those that have been abandoned by President Trump. He applauded Bloomberg’s vision for improving our nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems, saying America deserves a pragmatic leader who will deliver.

“The most vulnerable communities in America cannot weather another four years of a Donald Trump presidency. Too much is on the line to allow that to happen,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks. “We need someone in the White House who will unite us behind the common purpose of rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure and driving our economy forward into the 21st century. Mike Bloomberg will do exactly that. As mayor, he made promises with concrete plans to see them through. As president, he will do the same. I look forward to working with Mike as we revitalize overlooked communities, enable wealth creation for working families, and fight back against Donald Trump who continues to threaten our fundamental American values.”

“Congressman Meeks knows we need to rebuild America, starting with the infrastructure that President Trump has allowed to crumble and the health care system Trump is trying to destroy,” said Mike Bloomberg. “I worked with Congressman Meeks during my time in City Hall, and his efforts in Washington helped New York City rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. He knows the importance of investing in sustainable infrastructure and building on Obamacare to make sure every America has access to affordable health care. I’m excited to welcome him as a Co-Chair for the Mike for Black America National Leadership Council. As President, I’ll work with Rep. Meeks to get both done — after we send the Queens native in the White House on a permanent vacation to Mar-a-Lago.

Congressman Meeks has devoted his energy and skill to serving one of the most diverse constituencies in the nation. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Meeks has fought to make New York City accessible and full of opportunity for all New Yorkers. He has prioritized revitalizing the economy and creating quality jobs. As Representative of the Fifth District, which was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, he has focused on investments in transportation, housing, and environmental infrastructure.

Meeks is Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions. The Subcommittee oversees the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, bank regulators and all matters pertaining to consumer credit and the stability of the banking system. Meeks is also a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy and the Environment and is Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade.

Meeks is Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and the Queens County Democratic Organization.

Black History Month Person Of The Day: Martin Kilson

Martin Kilson Jr. was an American political scientist. He was the first black academic to be appointed a full professor at Harvard University, where he was later the Frank G. Thomson Professor of Government from 1988 until his retirement in 1999.

Kilson returned to Harvard and accepted a lectureship at the university in 1962; he was appointed assistant professor in 1967. Two years later, he became Harvard's first fully tenured African-American academic. Kilson was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1975 and became the Frank G. Thomson Professor of Government at Harvard in 1988. At the start of his academic career, Kilson became known for his research into African American studies, and became an adviser for the Association of African and Afro-American Students at Harvard. Kilson also compiled works relating to comparative politics, focusing within the field on African studies.Kilson's 1966 book, Political Change in a West African State: A Study of the Modernization Process in Sierra Leone, was reviewed extensively.

After retiring from teaching in 1999, Kilson continued to write and occasionally lecture. In 2002, he wrote a review for The Black Commentator critical of Randall Kennedy for the title of his book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. In 2010, Kilson was featured in Harvard's annual W. E. B. DuBois lectures. He also wrote his final book, The Transformation of the African American Intelligentsia, 1880–2012, which was published in 2014.

Deval Patrick suspends his presidential campaign

Former Massachussetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced Wednesday that he's suspending his presidential campaign after a dismal performance in the New Hampshire primary.

Read his message to his supporters below:

Hello friends,

I believe that America is yearning for two things: better outcomes and a better way. Better outcomes in our citizens lives and a better way of achieving them.

Having delivered health care to 99% of Massachusetts residents, nation leading student achievement and energy efficiency, responsible budgets, and the highest bond rating in Massachusetts history, I believed and still believe we had a strong case to make for being able to deliver better outcomes. And having shown through legislative initiatives, economic recovery, natural and man-made disasters, and a terrorist attack that we can lead by asking people to turn to each other instead of on each other, I thought we had a pretty good case for a better way as well.

But the vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaign's back to go on to the next round of voting. So I have decided to suspend the campaign, effective immediately.

I am not suspending my commitment to help, and neither should you. We are facing the most consequential election of our lifetime. Our democracy itself, let alone our civic commitments to equality, opportunity and fair play, are at risk.

Americans are hurting. Having to hold two or three low wage jobs to survive, trying to keep up with tuition, the rent or a mortgage, and health care premiums, doubting whether the schools in your neighborhood will prepare your kids for life and work -- these are the challenges too many Americans face. In the midst of such economic anxiety and social unease, some will divide us for political gain. Others will use this moment to unite us. Both paths are, historically speaking, American. Only one is patriotic. I choose patriotism. And so should you.

Patriotism demands, now more than ever, that we reject false choices. Despite our righteous anger, Democrats don't have to hate Republicans to be good Democrats. We don't have to hate business to fight for social justice or to hate police to believe black lives matter. In that same spirit, we don't have to hate moderation to be a good progressive. I say that because, unlike most other candidates, I have actually delivered progressive results using a moderate approach. Leaving room in our plans and our hearts for people who may not agree with us on everything is the only way to make lasting change. I don't fit in an ideological box and most people I meet don't either. We cannot, and will not, defeat Donald Trump by relying exclusively on old labels, poll-tested messages and cable news hits. We must meet people where they are and ask them to do the same for us.

I could see last night in the faces of many of our supporters that this setback is hard. But let's keep our perspective. Hard is choosing between paying the heat or the rent in the same month. Hard is not knowing if you'll be able to afford the prescription drugs that keep you alive. Hard is serving your country in the military and not being able to live off the streets when you come home. Hard is being called the N word by fellow citizens leaving and inspired by a rally for the President of the United States. Hard is trying to vote when your own government doesn't believe you should have a say. Hard is wondering whether you or your family will be deported from the only country you've really ever known, to which you've paid taxes or for which you've worn the uniform, because you once sought refuge from violence or despair. Hard is facing a cancer diagnosis, especially if you don't think you're covered. These and similar questions can only be answered by deciding the character of the country. That's what's at stake right now. I've never been afraid of doing what's hard -- only of missing the opportunity to do what's right.

Doing what's right and fighting for justice are my life's work. That work doesn't end here because it didn't start here. On the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up, people have felt for generations the urgency so many of us feel now. We have a unique opportunity to use our shared pain redemptively to bring the country together. No one can stand on the sidelines at a time like this. I, for one, will not. Failing to engage risks losing a lot more than an election next November.

So, I am grateful to you for your support and will likely call upon you again, because "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice" when you and I and others make that work our own.

Ever forward! Ever thankful!

DLP

Brenda Robinson: Navy’s first African American female pilot to earn her wings

In 1980 Brenda Robinson became the Navy’s first African American female pilot.

She successfully completed 155 aircraft carrier landings and flew seven types of aircraft, touching the skies from the East Coast to Guam, Germany, the Middle East, and Italy.