Breonna Taylor grand jurors file petition to impeach Attorney General Daniel Cameron

Three grand jurors in the Breonna Taylor case filed a petition with the state House of Representatives on Friday, objecting to the conduct of Attorney General Daniel Cameron and calling for his impeachment.

A press release indicated the attorney for three of the grand jurors in the Taylor case signed onto the petition on their behalf in order to protect their identities.

The petition alleges Cameron breached public trust and failed to comply with his duties by misrepresenting the findings of the grand jury in the Taylor case.

“The Grand Jurors did not choose this battle,” stated Kevin Glogower, the attorney for the three grand jurors. “This battle chose them."

"These are randomly selected citizens who were compelled to sit on a grand jury and were terribly misused by the most powerful law enforcement official in Kentucky. It is truly a testament to the Kentucky Constitution that they are able to be here today and to expose injustice and demand public accountability.”

House Speaker David Osborne confirmed lawmakers had "received notice of another petition for impeachment," but said in a statement he would "reserve further comment until our attorneys review it and the committee on committees has an opportunity to act."

The Committee on Committees will determine what committee will consider the petition. Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, who chairs the impeachment committee, said Friday he assumed his committee would get it once it's officially filed, which cannot happen until legislators return to Frankfort on Feb. 2.

[SOURCE: COURIER JOURNAL]

Barry Bonds statement on the death of Hank Aaron

Barry Bonds, who surpassed Hank Aaron as the all-time home run leader in baseball history, released the following statement on the passing of the baseball and civil rights icon:

"I want to send my heartfelt and warmest condolences to the Aaron family on their loss today. I was lucky enough to spend time with Hank on several occasions during my career and have always had the deepest respect and admiration for all that he did both on and off the field. He is an icon, a legend and a true hero to so many, who will forever be missed,"

UNCF Remembers Baseball Legend Hank Aaron

Today, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) mourns the passing of a great human, husband, father and quiet activist, who made tremendous accomplishments both on the field of baseball and in the game of life. Hank Aaron passed away at home surrounded by his family and beloved wife, Billye, UNCF’s former vice president of the Southern region.

Together, the Aarons graciously and consistently used their star power, wealth and gifts bestowed upon them to lift others to greatness through the work of UNCF, donating time, treasure and impact to help sway the public and press, drawing attention and support to our cause. We thank them for that from the bottom of our collective heart.

Over the years, the Aarons’ support has been substantial. Hank appeared in UNCF public service announcements. Together, they appeared on the nationally televised UNCF An Evening of Stars®. They donated millions of dollars to UNCF and to our member historically Black colleges and universities. They set up and funded a scholarship. They introduced UNCF team members to other interested business partners and supporters. The Aarons moved mountains and made a difference—all to help others that needed them.

“Hank and Billye Aaron’s sincere belief in our motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”®, led them to co-found with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young the first-ever Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball,” said Maurice Jenkins, UNCF Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “The Mayor’s Masked Ball has become an annual fundraising tradition in Atlanta for more than 30 years, drawing ever-larger crowds each year and breaking the million-dollar mark several years in a row. The Mayor’s Masked Ball has now been franchised across the United States to several other cities to help UNCF raise money in other locations because of its model of success—all thanks to the passion and ingenuity of Hank and Billye Aaron.”

Just two weeks ago, Hank was still doing his part to help better the lives of others by getting his COVID vaccine publicly at the UNCF-supported Morehouse College of Medicine, doing his best to let the Black community know how important it is that education and science lead in overcoming the current pandemic.

In his passing today, Hank Aaron has made a mark that counts not only in the sports world, but also in American education and American life in general—by opening doors of opportunity that would have otherwise remained closed. Hank’s philanthropy mattered, making a difference for untold thousands of students of color. He will be missed.

University of Dayton names building to honor Jessie Hathcock, first African-American woman graduate

The University of Dayton on Jan. 22 announced that its newly renovated computer science academic building will be named in honor of Jessie Hathcock ‘30, the first African American woman to graduate from the University, a noted educator and humanitarian in the Dayton community.

"Jessie Hathcock's life includes an extraordinary record as an educator and community leader, achieving success through courage and perseverance," said President Eric F. Spina. "She was a true pioneer and dedicated to serving others with empathy and compassion.

"Jessie S. Hathcock Hall will be an exciting educational facility, housing our fastest growing academic program, equipped to offer students the classroom and experiential learning opportunities they need for success in this dynamic field," Spina said. "It is a fitting tribute to a quintessential educator and truly distinguished UD alumna.

"Naming the building for this trailblazing woman will make her life and her story visible to generations of UD students, inspiring them to continue her legacy of educational excellence, humanitarianism and community activism," Spina said.

Hathcock graduated from UD with a bachelor's degree in education in 1930. She taught in Dayton public schools for 34 years, and was Dean of Girls and an English teacher at Dunbar High School. At Dunbar, she touched the lives of thousands of students, organizing the Dunbar PTA, and serving for many years as faculty sponsor of the student council, Junior Council on World Affairs, and the Junior Red Cross.

In addition to serving the Dayton community through education, she worked with the City Beautiful Council, the Wegerzyn Garden Board and the American Association of University Women. A global citizen, she traveled the world extensively, was active in the Dayton Council on World Affairs, and founded the Dayton and Miami Valley Committee for UNICEF.

She also was a charter member of Beta Eta Omega, Dayton, Ohio, chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and served as its first president in 1934. Selected as one of the Ten Top Women in Dayton in 1966 for her humanitarian efforts and civic pride, she was a longtime member of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Dayton.

In 1978, she received an honorary doctorate in humanities from the University of Dayton, the first African American woman to be so honored. In her words of thanks to the university, she stated, “May the University of Dayton continue to grow in influence for the betterment of our city and may its doors of learning be forever open to all races, creeds and nationalities, for the Glory of God, who taught us the meaning of brotherhood and the oneness of mankind.”Hathcock's family — granddaughter Beverly Hathcock Robinson and her husband, Leonard, grandson Lloyd Hathcock and his wife, Barbara — said the entire family, including many cousins, are pleased and honored.

"We are simply delighted and thrilled. As an educator for many years, our grandmother would be particularly pleased that the building named in her honor is a place of learning," the family said.

The Jessie V. Scott Hathcock Memorial Scholarship was established in her honor in 2004 to assist either traditional or non-traditional students, with first preference given to female, African American students majoring in education or English, with a preference for residents from the City of Dayton. Candidates must represent the qualities of leadership and service illustrated by Hathcock's life. Click here for information on the scholarship or to make a gift.

The University also announced the department chair office suite will be named to honor Father Thomas Schoen, S.M., who helped found the University's computer science program in 1961, one of the first such programs in the nation.

As a Marianist brother, Schoen led the development of the computer science department as chair from 1961 to 1978, Although he had a successful ministry as a teaching brother at UD, he always felt called to the priesthood. After his ordination in 1987, he returned to UD to teach computer science until 2006. In 2009, Fr. Thomas was named professor emeritus for his instrumental role in bringing UD into the computer age, after serving the University for more than 50 years.

Hathcock Hall, the former Music/Theatre Building, will be the new home for the growing Department of Computer Science. The 58,000-square-foot project includes new classroom, laboratory and office spaces, as well as an enclosed walkway to connect the facility to Kettering Labs. View a video about the building and how it will support computer science learning.

A formal dedication and blessing will be held in the fall, should pandemic conditions permit.

Transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem: The Hill We Climb

Amanda Gorman has received well deserved praise after reciting her poem, "The Hill We Climb" during the presidential inauguration.

Read the full transcript of her poem below:

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade.

We've braved the belly of the beast,

We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,

and the norms and notions

of what just is

isn't always just-ice.

And yet the dawn is ours

before we knew it.

Somehow we do it.

Somehow we've weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn't broken,

but simply unfinished.

We the successors of a country and a time

where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes we are far from polished.

Far from pristine.

But that doesn't mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect.

We are striving to forge a union with purpose,

to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man.

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us,

but what stands before us.

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside.

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another.

We seek harm to none and harmony for all.

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true,

that even as we grieved, we grew,

that even as we hurt, we hoped,

that even as we tired, we tried,

that we'll forever be tied together, victorious.

Not because we will never again know defeat,

but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

and no one shall make them afraid.

If we're to live up to our own time,

then victory won't lie in the blade.

But in all the bridges we've made,

that is the promise to glade,

the hill we climb.

If only we dare.

It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it's the past we step into

and how we repair it.

We've seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth,

in this faith we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption

we feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter.

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So while once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert,

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was,

but move to what shall be.

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free.

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation,

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation.

Our blunders become their burdens.

But one thing is certain,

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy,

and change our children's birthright.

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with.

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west.

We will rise from the windswept northeast,

where our forefathers first realized revolution.

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states.

We will rise from the sunbaked south.

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover.

And every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful.

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid,

the new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light,

if only we're brave enough to see it.

If only we're brave enough to be it.