Nina Strickland is Missing!

The NYPD is seeking the public’s help to locate a 54-year-old woman who has been reported missing from Mariners Harbor.

Nina Strickland most recently was seen leaving her home in the vicinity of Michelle Court and Van Name Avenue on Sunday around 4 p.m., according to a statement from the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Strickland, who has brown eyes and black hair, stands about 5′6″ tall and weighs about 120 pounds. She was seen dressed all in black with a jacket, jeans and sneakers, according to the police statement.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS ANNOUNCES “BAN ON BLACK HISTORY PROTEST”

February is Black History Month. Today, February 1st, the first day of the month long observance, the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) is calling for a “Ban On Black History Protest,” Saturday, February 25, 2023, 12 noon, at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue, in Newark, New Jersey.

“The purpose of this protest is to demonstrate our opposition to attempts in Florida, Virginia, and other states, municipalities, and school districts across the United States to ban and censure the study of black history in our educational institutions and society,” stated Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization for Progress.

“As we begin Black History Month, we must confront the fact that today there are racist and fascist forces in our country who are trying to change the way black history is taught, eliminate it from school curriculum, or prohibit its introduction,” Hamm said.

“Here we are in the twenty-first century, and legislation, executive orders, and policies are introduced and laws are passed that would criminalize the teaching of black history. Books about black historical figures and events written by black and white authors are being banned,” he stated.

“The attempts to revise and eliminate black history must stop and we must stand up to those who are attempting to carry them out,” Hamm said.

“It is outrageous that the The College Board would bow to the demands of Governor Ron DeSantis and strip down it’s A.P. curriculum for African American studies. Attempts to impose a racist white supremacist revisionist history of black people upon us must be resisted,” Hamm said.

“American history that does not reflect the breadth, depth, and truth of the Black historical experience is mythology. Black history should be taught in all of our schools and educational institutions,” he said.

For more information please call People’s Organization For Progress (POP) at (973)801-0001.

As Black History Month Begins, Booker, Bowman Reintroduce African American History Act

 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). and U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16) reintroduced the African American History Act. This legislation provides important resources to help educate the American public about the richness and complexity of African American history and the impacts of racism, white supremacy, and the struggle for justice on the fabric of America.  

Black Americans and those of the African Diaspora have made countless contributions since the founding of the United States. Unfortunately, throughout history, there have been attempts to purposefully revise or remove African American history within our school curriculums. As recent as this year, those attempts are still being pursued after news of the state of Florida attempting to ban an AP course on African American studies.

“The story of Black people in America is inextricably linked to the story of America. The fullness of this rich history must be told -- both its dark chapters and the light brought by generations of people determined to overcome and make our country better through an ongoing quest for justice,” said Senator Booker. “We have seen this happen far too many times throughout history – where some dismiss our important stories and intentionally change the way history is told to fit political agendas. As we begin Black History Month, I am proud to reintroduce this legislation that will invest in initiatives to make African American history education programs more accessible to the public, help educators incorporate these programs into their curriculum, and develop additional resources focused on Black History for students and families to engage with.”

“It is our moral imperative to tell the truth about our past to finally reconcile with this nation’s history of racism and white nationalism, and our legislation will serve as a vital component in our fight to do just that,” said Representative Jamaal Bowman Ed.D (NY-16). “The truth is under attack by white supremacists attempting to ban Black history at all levels of education, but we know that a democracy cannot exist without access to truth. As a Black man and an educator, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for this nation to collectively commit to learning from our past. Senator Booker’sand my legislation invests $10 million over 5 years to support African American history education programs that will be available for students, parents, and teachers. The moment we are in requires a clear-eyed effort to ensure that everyone has access to resources and education that accurately recount African American history – including how the Black struggle for freedom has strengthened our society for all Americans, and brought us closer to realizing the potential of our democracy.”

Booker and Bowman’s legislation invests $10 million over 5 years in the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to support African American history education programs that are voluntarily available for students, parents, and educators. 

This bill will help the NMAAHC expand and improve upon their work in a variety of ways, including:

• Developing and maintaining a variety of accessible resources to promote an understanding of African American history. This includes a collection of digital content, housed on the NMAAHC website, to assist educators, students, and families across the country in teaching about and engaging with African American history
• Engaging with the public through programming, resources, and social media to increase awareness of African American history through a social justice and anti-bias lens
• Convening experts and creating and disseminating scholarly work
• Translating new and existing NMAAHC work into multiple languages

Further, the bill supports the NMAAHC’s work to increase national capacity for African American history education, including:

• Developing and disseminating high-quality pedagogy related to teaching African American history
• Providing opportunities for Professional Development for early childhood, elementary, and secondary teachers
• Designing and implementing a teacher fellowship program
• Engaging with local and state leaders interested in incorporating these resources in curricula

The Original Co-sponsors of this legislation in the Senate include Senators: Menendez (D-NJ), Feinstein (D-CA), Padilla (D-CA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Murphy (D-CT), Van Hollen (D-MD), Sanders (I-VT), Welch (D-VT), and Brown (D-OH).

The full text of the legislation can be viewed here.

For a section-by-section on the legislation, click here.

Watch Kamala Harris speak at Tyre Nichols' funeral

Vice president Kamala Harris makes remarks at the funeral service for Tyre Nichols, five days after the city of Memphis released videos showing him being beaten by police.

Watch Al Sharpton eulogize Tyre Nichols and call out those who killed him

Watch Rev. Al Sharpton give the eulogy at the funeral for Tyre Nichols and admonish those police officers who killed him.