Rep. Karen Bass being vetted to be Biden running mate

Congresswoman Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is undergoing vetting as a candidate to be Joe Biden's running mate, CBS News has learned according to sources familiar with the process.

The five-term congresswoman represents Los Angeles and endorsed Biden for president in mid-March.

It is not immediately clear where Bass stands in the vetting process but her name has been floated for consideration by powerful Democrats like House Majority Whip James Clyburn. "Karen Bass would be a big plus…she is a great person in my mind, I work with her every day," Clyburn told CNN in June when asked about Biden's vetting process.

Bass' vetting comes as pressure builds on Biden to pick a woman of color to join him on the ticket.

From her perspective, Bass told Garrett she "would certainly like to see" a woman of color chosen as Biden's running mate but added it was not "imperative."

Neither Bass' congressional office nor Biden's campaign immediately responded to a request for comment.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]

The Congressional Black Caucus Statement on President Trump’s “Police Reform” Executive Order

On June 16th, President Trump announced an Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities in response to national calls for law enforcement reform. The President’s Executive Order falls woefully short of the long overdue demands for accountability and transparency in our police departments. During the announcement today, the President claimed the Executive Order would set standards "as high and as strong as there is on Earth" on the use of force, and that he would prioritize federal grants to police departments that met those standards, yet this order excludes a ban on chokeholds, which killed Eric Gardner and George Floyd.

Last Monday, the House and Senate Democrats led by the Congressional Black Caucus unveiled the Justice in Policing Act, renamed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This bill is the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and our communities.

The Justice in Policing Act is calling for real reform including banning chokeholds, banning the no knock warrant, limiting the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement, requiring body cameras, reinvesting in our communities by supporting critical community-based programs to change the culture of law enforcement and empowering our communities, makes lynching a federal crime, and creates a nationwide police misconduct registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave one agency, from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability and much more. These are just some of the provisions of the new bill.

For perspective, if the Justice in Policing Act had been law last year Breonna Taylor would not have been shot to death in her sleep because no-knock warrants for drug offenses would have been illegal. This May, Tamir Rice would have graduated from High School because the officer who killed him would not have been working as a police officer because he was previously listed in the national registry for misconduct. President Trump’s Executive Order calls for none of this. We need proactive solutions such as the Justice in Policing Act and not timid responses to a national crisis.

President Trump continues to dismiss the needs of Black America and the importance of effectively dismantling institutions of systemic racism. To him, it doesn't exist. COVID-19 continues to severely impact Black America and when the CBC demanded for the racial data on coronavirus cases, the Trump Administration refused to release the comprehensive data. He chose Tulsa, Oklahoma, the city where the worst act of racial violence was committed when Black Wall Street was burned down by white supremacists, as the location to kick off his re-election campaign rally. Black Wall Street in Tulsa was a thriving and established Black community that consisted of Black owned businesses and over 1,200 homes occupied by Black families. The rally was also originally scheduled for Juneteenth - the day African Americans celebrate emancipation. President Trump only decided to change the date of his rally to the 20th after extensive backlash.

At a time when communities across the world are joining the American people in solidarity to call for change, President Trump has opted for fake reforms that will not change anything. America needs the Justice in Policing Act because it calls for real reform and will ensure police officers are held accountable. It also provides an opportunity to re-imagine what just and equitable policing looks like and begin the process of rebuilding.

Dept. of Justice investigating noose found in NASCAR star Bubba Wallace's garage stall

Department of Justice investigators said Monday they are looking into the noose that was found in NASCAR star Bubba Wallace's garage stall.

"The U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are reviewing the situation surrounding the noose that was found in Bubba Wallace's garage to determine whether there are violations of federal law," US Attorney Jay E. Town said in statement.

"Regardless of whether federal charges can be brought, this type of action has no place in our society."

Wallace, the only Black driver in NASCAR's top circuit, has been an outspoken advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement and the corresponding protests against systemic racism and police brutality. He wore an "I Can't Breathe" shirt before one event, repainted his car with the "Black Lives Matter" phrase and called on NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag, which the organization agreed to do June 10. [SOURCE CNN]

New Black Anime Website Launches

Over the past decade, anime has become a sweeping sensation in the United States, especially in the African American community. This has sparked a desire for more black anime characters to be seen and for their stories to be told in the visually captivating art style that originated in Japan. Answering the call is Black Streak Entertainment. Their new website blackstreakanime.com puts the studio’s African American anime centric comics, manga, and merchandise on display for the world to indulge.

“We are answering the internet’s growing desire to see more black anime characters and black comics,” says Terry L Raimey, CEO and Co-Founder of Black Streak Entertainment. “We have been anime fans for decades, so it’s wonderful that we can tell stories from our African American perspectives using this amazing art style.”

“As a black manga artist, it’s important for me to present both black female anime characters and black male anime characters in ways that have never been seen before,” says Justin Raimey, President and Co-Founder of Black Streak Entertainment. “This means being creative and stepping outside the box that black manga characters and black superheroes are usually placed in.”

Black Streak Entertainment’s diverse black anime properties include The Legend of Tsakanin, an action adventure fantasy comic inspired by West African mythology; Black Quest, a medieval fantasy themed side-scrolling beat ‘em up video game; Dusty Dirty Days, a comedy manga starring two dust bunny sisters turned landlords in a shady neighborhood occupied by insect residents; and Fiji Random, a comedy manga about a teenage game addicted slacker and her wacky high school misadventures.

Learn more about Black Streak Entertainment at https://blackstreakanime.com/. A portion of every sale will be donated to African American youth organizations.

WNBA player Renee Montgomery sitting out 2020 WNBA season to fight for social justice

Renee Montgomery of the WNBA's Atlanta dream has announced that she would sit out the 2020 WNBA season to work on off-court initiatives such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

Montgomery released the following statement via Twitter:

After much thought, I’ve decided to opt out of the 2020 WNBA season. There’s work to be done off the court in so many areas in our community. Social justice reform isn’t going to happen overnight but I do feel that now is the time and Moments equal Momentum. Lets keep it going!

"I really took a leap of faith," Montgomery said in a ESPN article "I didn't have a specific plan, I just kind of knew that this is where my heart is, so let's see where it goes.

"It is very difficult, because I played basketball my whole life. Everybody has associated me with basketball. So to give up that comfort zone of basketball, yeah, that's scary. But in the same breath, I felt strongly enough that I knew whatever happens, this is the right decision for me."

Montgomery, who is from St. Albans, West Virginia, has her own foundation and has raised money to help protesters and support the Black Lives Matter movement. She will continue that work and also do speaking engagements in the Atlanta community and beyond.

Montgomery said she envisions a multiplatform approach for the issues she wants to address, including the voting problems that were in evidence in Atlanta recently with hourslong lines.