Friday, May 15, 2020

Susan Rice: I would 'certainly say yes' to be Biden's VP

Former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice said she would “certainly said yes” if former Vice President Joe Biden asked her to be his running mate.

“I’m humbled and honored to be among the extremely accomplished women who are reportedly being considered in that regard,” Rice said in an interview with PBS.

The former official said that if this was the role in which Biden felt she could best serve, she would not say no.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

New Documentary on Singer and Civil Rights Icon Marian Anderson in Production



American Masters and Philip Gittelman Productions, in association with Black Public Media, have begun production on a new documentary on contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) for PBS. Directed by Emmy- and Peabody Award-winner Rita Coburn, American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (w.t.) will explore the life, career, art and legacy of the singer of classical music and spirituals. Best known for her performance at the legendary Freedom Concert on April 9, 1939, Anderson, in a bold protest against racial intolerance, sang before a diverse crowd on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., after being denied use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In that moment, Anderson — despite being a fiercely private person — transformed into a symbol for the nascent civil rights movement, even inspiring a 10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr., who listened on the radio.

With unprecedented access to the Marian Anderson Estate, the documentary will draw on rare archival footage and audio recordings and Anderson’s extensive personal correspondence to family and friends, including Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, Duke Ellington, Shirley Chisholm and Langston Hughes, to reveal the woman behind the icon. Anchored by key performances in her career, American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (w.t.) will show how her quiet genius and breathtaking voice set the stage for black performers in classical music, and a louder voice for civil rights.

“When producing films about people who experienced racism and the Civil Rights movement, having a filmmaker who understands the lens of the subject is a crucial part of telling the story successfully,” said Michael Kantor, executive producer of American Masters. “Rita co-directed our award-winning documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, and we’re thrilled to have her at the helm of this project.” “As an African American female director, I am honored to continue Marian Anderson’s legacy at a time when our culture needs to hear the tonality of resilience, power, beauty, voice and courage,” said director Rita Coburn. “When American Masters approached me with this opportunity, their support in curating a team of strength and talent from the black community was important to create a work that is empowered, inclusive and entrenched in the rigors of authentic storytelling. I look forward to working closely with director of photography Henry Adebonojo (Independent Lens: I Am Not Your Negro), composer Kathyrn Bostic (Clemency, American Masters – Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am), and executive producer Brenda Robinson (United Skates, A Crime on the Bayou).”

The film, a recipient of a production grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, will feature new interviews with Anderson’s friends, contemporaries and those she influenced, including fellow black opera singers, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and tenor George Shirley, who also serves on the film’s team of humanities advisers. Additional advisers with deep knowledge of Anderson, black history and music include Naomi André, Associate Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, Women’s Studies, at the University of Michigan; Raymond Arsenault, author of “The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America;” Christopher A. Brooks, Professor of Anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia; Lucy Caplan, lecturer of History and Literature at Harvard University; and Allan Keiler, author “Marian Anderson: A Singer’s Journey.”

Affectionately known to audiences as “The Lady from Philadelphia” and “The People’s Princess,” Anderson’s career was propelled by her talent, but also steered by the limits imposed by racism and segregation. This gifted pioneer, whose strength was rooted in family and community, overcame humiliation, prejudice and financial hardship to become a voice for justice, an internationally renowned master of her craft and the first African American to sing a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955. Balancing her public triumph with her personal struggles and resilience, American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (w.t.) will chart the impact of one of the world’s greatest singers, whose career provides a window into a time of seismic cultural change

American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (w.t.) is a co-production of American Masters Pictures and Philip Gittelman Productions. Produced in association with Artemis Rising Foundation. Directed by Rita Coburn. Produced by Philip Gittelman. Executive Producers: Regina K. Scully, Michael Kantor and Brenda Robinson.

UNCF Celebrating the Class of 2020 with a Virtual Commencement Ceremony- HBCU Edition on May 16th




In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis that has forced colleges and universities across the nation to postpone their commencement celebrations, a coalition of HBCU leaders, advocacy organizations, and corporate partners have come together to host the National HBCU Commencement Celebration. The virtual event, the brainchild of Paul Quinn College president Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, will be streamed live internationally on ESSENCE Studios (www.essencestudios.com) thanks to a partnership with ESSENCE – the leading media, technology and commerce company serving Black women and communities for 50 years. 
The celebration will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2020 and will feature celebrity hosts, motivational speakers, musical performances, and the profiles of HBCU valedictorians and other graduates. In addition to highlighting this year’s graduates and their institutions, the event will raise funds for participating HBCUs and their students.
“As the result of COVID-19, our students have been robbed of a moment that they and their families have earned,” said Sorrell. “I am so grateful that this coalition of partners stepped up to answer the call of the HBCU community and stand in the gap for our students and their families.”
In addition to Paul Quinn College, the celebration is being organized by Howard University, The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), Thurgood Marshal College Fund (TMCF), and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The event is being supported by several partners, including ESSENCE, JPMorgan Chase, and the National Basketball Association (NBA). 
“We are excited that graduates from our member-schools will receive the public recognition that they earned and deserved,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO of TMCF, which represents 47 member-schools. “This celebratory event is an effort to lift up all of our students and to let them know that we are proud of their hard work and perseverance, especially during these difficult times.” 
Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF praised the event and said that the celebration will reinforce the importance and history of HBCUs.
“For 76 years, UNCF has helped more than half a million students graduate from college, and our mission remains the same even as we grapple with the impact of COVID-19,” said Lomax. “Students who receive a UNCF scholarship have a 70% graduation rate. I hope this program inspires viewers to support students to become college graduates.”
Funds raised during the event will go into an emergency fund to support HBCU students and will be distributed by TMCF and UNCF.  These dollars will go a long way in helping students who have been impacted by COVID-19.
“NAFEO is excited to join Dr. Michael Sorrell in realizing his vision and the dream of giving back to HBCU seniors, perhaps the most unfathomable aspect of their abrupt exile—the cancelling of the commencement ceremonies,” said Lezli Baskerville, President and CEO of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. “Denying the seniors and their families the opportunity to participate in the ceremonial walk down the aisle to higher ground and the receipt of a ticket to greater economic security, greater independence, opportunities for service, and leadership is a celebration we would not permit for our sons and daughters and their families to miss.”
Added Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President of Howard University: “Every HBCU in the country has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic due to interruptions to our academic year and the challenging transition to online learning,” said Frederick. “However, the loss that our seniors are experiencing with the abrupt end to their final semester and subsequent cancellation of the commencement convocation is the most heartbreaking part of this crisis. Hopefully this opportunity to come together as an HBCU community and celebrate these exceptional students will express our sincere gratitude to these scholars for their individual contributions to their respective institutions.”
JPMorgan Chase is supporting this effort through its Advancing Black Pathways initiative, which is committed to helping the black community achieve meaningful gains in three areas: educational achievement, career success and wealth creation. 
“Graduating from college is a sacred moment in a student’s life, and we are honored to support HBCUs, students and their families as we navigate one of the most unique and challenging periods in our nation’s history,” said Sekou Kaalund, the Head of Advancing Black Pathways. “Education is core to our mission of creating opportunity, and we are committed to helping black college students and graduates navigate this difficult environment and get on a path to lasting and rewarding careers.”
“These deserving students have earned the right to commemorate and celebrate the tremendous accomplishment of receiving their diploma and launching the next phase of their lives,” said Oris Stuart, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer for the NBA. “The NBA is proud to support HBCUs and honor their graduates during this momentous occasion.”
“HBCUs have served as educational, social and legacy pillars in the Black community for generations and continue to be an invaluable treasure to the nation,” said Richelieu Dennis, Founder and Chair, Essence Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE.  “For more than 180 years, these institutions have equipped students with the critical tools needed to create pathways to success and have cultivated generations of vanguards, trailblazers and leaders.  As we come together to develop innovative solutions for these unprecedented times, we are excited to utilize our ESSENCE Studios platform to provide thousands of 2020 HBCU graduates and their loved ones from around the world with the special commencement experience and celebration they deserve.
                                                                                            ###
About UNCF UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Sen. Kamala Harris calls for Dept. of Justice to investigate Breonna Taylor's death

During an appearance on MSNBC Sen. Kamala Harris called for the Dept. of Justice to investigate Breonna Taylor's death at the hands of Louisville police officers.

Taylor was a woman who was shot and killed in her Louisville, Kentucky home by police executing a "botched" search warrant who forced their way in, surprising the woman and her boyfriend who thought the officers were burglars. To make matters worse police were at the wrong address. Records show that the police investigation was centered around a "trap house" more than 10 miles from Taylor's apartment.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Rep. Pressley, Senator Booker Lead Congressional Call for Federal Civil Rights Investigation into Ahmaud Arbery Murder




Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and more than 80 of their colleagues called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a criminal civil rights investigation into the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and an independent investigation into local authorities’ handling of the case. The lawmakers have sent a letter to urge the DOJ to investigate these matters swiftly and thoroughly so that Mr. Arbery’s family can know the truth about what happened to their son.

Read that letter below:

The Honorable Eric S. Dreiband

US Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division

Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Main

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530



Dear Mr. Dreiband,

We write to you today with grave concerns regarding the Ahmaud Arbery case in Glynn County, Georgia. As you know, Mr. Arbery, a 25-year old Black man, was harassed and brutally killed while out for a jog on February 23, 2020. In the days and weeks since his murder, and until very recently, Mr. Arbery’s family had been denied their calls for accountability in their son’s murder.

It is deeply disturbing that until the public release of a video recording depicting the heinous incident – a video that the prosecuting attorney’s office has had in its possession for months – no significant actions were taken to hold the men involved accountable. We are troubled by the length of time it took to not only arrest and charge Gregory and Travis McMichaels in this case, but by reports that have outlined disputes between Glynn County police officers present at the scene and the prosecuting attorney’s office — first assigned to District Attorney (DA) Jackie Johnson and later DA George E. Barnhill, both of whom have subsequently recused themselves due to prior professional relationships with the defendants. According to internal documents, and despite mounting evidence of the McMichaels’ culpability, Mr. Barnhill believed there was “insufficient probable cause” to issue arrest warrants to the McMichaels. This was later contradicted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, whom within days of taking over the case from local authorities, issued arrest warrants and charged the McMichaels with murder and aggravated assault. The dereliction of duty by Mr. Barnhill and Ms. Johnson’s offices, and agents involved in this case, must be independently investigated.

No mother or father should have to wait 74 days for known suspects involved in their son’s apparent murder to be taken off the street. Make no mistake, there cannot be true justice in this case, for in a just America, Mr. Arbery would still be alive. However, his family and this nation demand accountability for Mr. Arbery’s death. We are encouraged by the initial steps taken by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in this case and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s recent call for a federal investigation. The recent announcement by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia that they would begin assessing evidence of this crime is an encouraging step forward in a case where substantial actions have been delayed.

We strongly support the launch of a federal criminal civil rights investigation into the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Because Georgia does not have a law prohibiting or acknowledging bias-based crimes, the DOJ Civil Rights Division is uniquely suited to investigate whether or not the tragic death of Mr. Arbery was a hate crime, or another violation of federal civil rights law. There must be a fair and independent investigation into the handling of Mr. Arbery’s case to determine any constitutional violations by Glynn County District Attorney’s Office or Police Department.

The history of America lays bare the constant threat of systemic racism and white supremacy that continues to rob this nation of Black lives. Time and time again, this country has witnessed the absence of justice in cases from Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner to Sandra Bland and Freddie Gray. For generations, Black Americans have been forced to doubt the value of their own lives and that of their loved ones under a cloak of presumed guilt and brutality that have long infected their communities. Public outcry should not be the impetus for accountability in a society that promises equal justice for all. The need to rid our country of systemic racism and injustice must always be our guiding light.

DOJ must uphold its duty to conduct oversight of misconduct by law enforcement and local authorities and ensure that every community, particularly those communities where incidents like these occur with impunity, is protected from blatant dismissal and violations of their civil rights. We can and must hold accountable those involved in any wrongdoing. We urge you to swiftly and thoroughly conduct all necessary investigations. Mr. Arbery’s family, and the community that grieves with them, deserve the truth regarding Ahmaud’s tragic death.

Sincerely,


In addition to Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Booker, the letter is also signed by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Bobby L. Rush (IL-01), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Ted W. Lieu (CA-33), Eliot L. Engel (NY-16), André Carson (IN-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Joe Neguse (CO-02), José E. Serrano (NY-15), Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Al Green (TX-09), Deb Haaland (NM-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Darren Soto (FL-09), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), A. Donald McEachin (VA-04), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Cedric L. Richmond (LA-02), Frederica S. WIlson (FL-24), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Raul M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Mike Doyle (PA-18), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30), Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Joseph P. Kennedy, III (MA-04), Andy Levin (MI-09), Peter Welch (VT-00), Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Karen Bass (CA-37), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-00) and Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Thomas R. Carper (D-DE), and Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR).