Late Rep. John Lewis' name goes on Troy University building

Just over a month after announcing the change, Troy University has put the new name on one of its signature buildings.

It used to be Bibb Graves Hall that was seated at the head of the quad on its main campus. But that name has been removed.

University officials renamed the building in honor of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis in August. And on Thursday, the building’s sign officially went up.

Graves was Alabama’s governor in the the 1920s and 30s. He was also a member of the Ku Klux Klan. His name has appeared on multiple buildings in Alabama, as well as a bridge.

Lewis, who was born in Pike County, is best known as a civil rights icon and a political leader in Georgia. He was among those beaten by Alabama State Troopers while marching on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965.

Lewis died in July. Troy University was the site of multiple memorials for him.

[SOURCE: WBRC]

Barack Obama statement on Pres. Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis

Former President, Barack Obama released the following sttaement via Twitter in respose to President Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis:

Michelle and I hope that the President, First Lady, and all those affected by the coronavirus around the country are getting the care they need and are on the path to a speedy recovery.

Obviously, we’re in the midst of a big political battle right now, and while there’s a lot at stake, let’s remember that we’re all Americans. We’re all human beings. And we want everyone to be healthy, no matter our party.

Black voters 'frustrated' by Trump debate comments

Some African American voters find it frustrating and exhausting that President Donald Trump did not condemn white supremacist groups and their role in violence in some US cities this summer.

Smithsonian’s African American museum names new director

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture has a new president.

On Tuesday, the museum announced that Kevin Young, the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, will take over for Lonnie Bunch III (the museum’s founding director from 2005 to 2019), who is now the Secretary of the Smithsonian.

The leadership change will take effect Jan. 11, the museum said.

Young, an author, a poet, and an editor, led the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (2016-2020) as the institution acquired the manuscript of Alex Haley’s “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” including a once-lost chapter, and the Harlem-based archives of Harry Belafonte and James Baldwin.

Before Young took the helm at the Schomburg Center, he was a professor at Emory University. He was also the curator of the university’s Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, a 75,000-volume collection of rare and modern poetry, and curator of literary collections.

“I look forward to directing the National Museum of African American History and Culture in this next phase of leadership, after its founding, opening and dynamic exhibitions and events,” said Young in a museum press release. “Having visited the museum myself with my family, I know what a powerful place it is, transforming visitors both in-person and online, and revealing the centrality of African American culture to the American experience. I am eager to engage further directions in the museum’s mission, embracing our digital present and future while furthering conversations around Black history, art, liberation, and joy.”

[SOURCE: SUN TIMES]

Air Force football unveils new uniforms honoring Tuskegee Airmen

The Air Force football team unveiled new uniforms that honor the Tuskegee Airmen. The uniforms were revealed Monday as a part of the 2020 Air Power Legacy Series. This year marks the fifth season of the Air Power Legacy Series, according to the Air Force football team. It began in 2016 to honor the Air Force’s history.

The uniform is gray with black lettering, according to the Air Force. The helmets, which are a chrome base, will feature the p-51 aircraft flown by the airmen with the signature red tails and nose that helped identify the squadron. Also on the helmet will be the squadron patches for the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd.

Air Force will debut the uniforms for against Navy, on Oct. 3rd, in Falcon Stadium.