Herschel Walker declines invitation to debate Senator Warnock

After initially accepting the invitation, Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker says he's declined an invitation to participate in a debate in Macon against Senator Raphael Warnock.

During an appearance in Wrightsville on Friday, Walker said he has no plans to attend the Oct. 13 debate.

Warnock accepted the invitation to participate about a month ago. Walker’s campaign had not responded to the invitation since it was sent in June.

On Friday, Walker said he has no plans to debate in Macon and explained why.

“I'm not going to respond to anything because you know that's not a debate, and you know that,” Walker said. “You've got people that are contributors to his campaign and it's in this room that only two people gonna see it on a Sunday night, I think. NFL Football, I am giving you an opportunity to be statewide so everybody can see what it is, see the contrast between the two of us. I don't know how you can ask for anything better.”

The debate is set for a Thursday night, not a Sunday. It is a co-sponsored debate by 13WMAZ, our Atlanta station 11Alive, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The Telegraph and Mercer’s Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University.

There will have a live audience and the debate will be available across all WMAZ platforms and with our media partners.

[SOURCE: WMAZ]

Sen. Cory Booker Announces Senate Introduction of Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) has introduced the Enslaved Voyages Memorial Act, legislation that would authorize a memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorating enslaved individuals who were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. The legislation would specifically task the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour to establish a memorial honoring enslaved Africans who endured the Middle Passage. Companion legislation was introduced in the House earlier this year by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). 

By the 19th century, nearly 12 million enslaved Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic. The first enslaved Africans were brought to what would become the United States in late August 1619 – more than 400 years ago. 

“We must never forget the painful reality that millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to this land over hundreds of years of our history,” said Senator Booker. “Although I rejoice in our progress, our nation still has a long way to go to reckon with and overcome the dark legacy of slavery and the violence and injustice that has persisted since its end. I am honored to join Representative Norton and introduce this legislation that will commemorate, honor, and celebrate the contributions of these enslaved people and help ensure that their stories are never forgotten.” 

“Thank you to Senator Booker for introducing the Senate companion to my bill in the House, which passed the Committee on Natural Resources in January,” Norton said. “This bill, to authorize the establishment of a memorial on federal land in D.C. to honor enslaved persons, would honor enslaved persons’ presence, celebrate their contributions to history and recognize their resilience and fortitude. Let us honor the personhood of these individuals, who were repeatedly assumed to have none, so that they will never be forgotten.”

 

The full text of the legislation can be viewed here.

Donald Cravins Jr. Confirmed as First Ever Undersecretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that Donald R. Cravins, Jr. will be the first-ever Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Under Secretary Cravins will lead MBDA in its service of the nation’s 9.7 million minority business enterprises (MBEs) following the agency’s historic elevation in authority and influence as mandated by the Minority Business Development Act of 2021.

“Mr. Cravins’ confirmation as Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development is a momentous milestone as MBDA elevates and expands its work to support minority businesses across the country,” said Secretary Raimondo. “In his new position, I fully expect him to continue to provide the type of leadership that will lay the foundation for MBDA to usher in numerous opportunities for enterprise growth, research, and development and ensure minority businesses can compete and succeed.”

Cravins was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on August 4, 2022. Prior to joining MBDA, Cravins was a practicing attorney and a member of the Louisiana Bar Association since 1998. In 2004, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives, and in 2006 he was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. During his tenure as Louisiana State Senator, Don was heavily involved in post-Hurricane Katrina recovery, working as the Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee. He was also an active member of the Juvenile Justice Commission of Louisiana and is an active member of the Army National Guard.

In January of 2009, Cravins left the Louisiana Legislature to serve as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. In January of 2013, he began serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana. Just before his selection as Under Secretary, Cravins served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the National Urban League, where he led the civil rights organization’s corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative.

"It is an honor to serve as the nation's first Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development. I have spent my life dedicated to fostering and advancing minority entrepreneurship, and I am excited to fully embrace the mission of MBDA,” said Mr. Cravins. “I look forward to leading the team of professionals at MBDA and working to ensure minority business enterprises are provided the support and resources they need to succeed in urban, rural, and tribal communities."

Established by an Executive Order in 1969, MBDA is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. minority-owned businesses. In 2021, President Biden signed the Minority Business Development Act of 2021, mandating MBDA’s elevation into a pivotal government leader and prioritizing the success of America’s MBEs like never before. The Act expands the reach and scope of the organization by establishing senate-confirmed leadership, establishing a grants program, building an advisory council, and establishing the MBDA as the United States’ newest federal agency.

Byron Allen’s HBCU Go streamer enters deal with CBS stations to air HBCU football games

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG) free-streaming digital platform, HBCU GO -- the leading media provider for the nation’s 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – proudly announces nationwide clearance for their 2022-23 sports season as part of the new carriage deal with CBS owned-and-operated duopoly stations. Key television markets include: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Miami, and Pittsburgh. HBCU GO will kick off the fall sports season on September 3rd with a star-studded pre-season show featuring the nation’s top Gridiron NFL and Black College Hall of Famers and HBCU alums.

With this new carriage deal, HBCU GO is currently in 60 percent of U.S. television households and 70 percent of African-American households. This news comes on the heels of HBCU GO’s recent announcement of the distribution partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) -- that grants HBCU GO cable, linear, streaming, broadcast, VOD, and pay-per-view rights to premier NCAA Division 2 HBCU conference sporting events.

In addition to the newly announced CBS owned-and-operated duopoly station clearances, HBCU GO has secured distribution with group-owned television stations including Nexstar, Gray, Cox, Scripps, Tegna, Sinclair, Lockwood, Allen Media Broadcasting, Hearst, Circle City Broadcasting, McKinnon Broadcasting, Cowles, Graham, Block, Sun Broadcasting, Tougaloo College, Sagamore Hill, and Marquee. HBCU GO programming is available on HBCUGO.TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Viewers can also access programming by downloading the HBCU GO App.

“Allen Media Group is thrilled that the CBS O&O stations have joined our excellent group of broadcast television station partners to increase the reach of HBCU GO’s high-quality sports programming,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “We are proud to amplify these amazing athletes and HBCUs, while at the same time helping to finance the education of these young adults. Now sports fans across the country will have access to best-in-class games from America’s HBCUs.”

“We are honored to work with our partners at Allen Media Group to bring live broadcasts of HBCU football games to our audiences in 12 major markets,” said Wendy McMahon, President and Co-Head, CBS News and Stations. “As a Louisiana native and football fan, I am personally and professionally proud to play a role in having our stations shine a light on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the student athletes who are living out their dreams both on the field and in the classroom.”

Carlotta Berry Wins the Distinguished Educator Award From the Society of Women Engineers

Dr.Carlotta A. Berry, the Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, will be the recipient of the Distinguished Engineer Educator Award from the Society of Women Engineers. Dr. Berry will receive the award in Houston this October during WE22, a gathering of more than 14,000 women engineers and technologists for professional development, education, networking, and career opportunities.

Earlier this year, Professor Berry received the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ 2023 Undergraduate Teaching Award and the 2022 Distinguished Educator Award from the American Society of Engineering Education’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Division.

Dr. Berry, a member of the Rose-Hulman faculty since 2006, currently co-directs the institute’s multidisciplinary robotics program, which provides students the opportunity to earn a minor in robotics to recognize their experience and knowledge of robotics-related materials. She also co-founded the Building Undergraduate Diversity (RoseBUD) program, which encourages students from marginalized and minoritized groups to pursue STEM careers.

Professor Berry helped start two advocacy organizations, Black In Engineering and Black In Robotics, to bring awareness to systemic racism in STEM, and build community and connection among higher education allies. She also founded an education consulting firm, NoireSTEMinist, to provide workshops to make career fields in robotics and engineering more accessible and attractive to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Professor Berry holds bachelor’s degrees from Spelman College in Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned a master’s degree at Wayne State University in Detroit and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.