Daniel Penny to be charged with second-degree manslaughter in death of Jordan Neely

Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran whose chokehold killed Jordan Neely on a Manhattan subway train, is to be charged with second-degree manslaughter and will turn himself in to police on Friday.

Penny, 24, is expected to turn himself in at the Fifth Precinct stationhouse on Elizabeth St. in Chinatown, said a police official. Manhattan DA’s office spokesman Doug Cohen confirmed the arrest charge.

After he turns himself in, Penny is to be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, Cohen said.

Bystander video shows Penny holding Neely, 30, in a chokehold aboard an F train on May 1. He was taken in for questioning later that day, but was released without charges.

[SOURCE: NY DAILY NEWS]

Pioneering African-American opera singer Grace Bumbry dies aged 86

Pioneering opera singer Grace Bumbry has died at the age of 86. The American-born mezzo-soprano spent more than three decades performing at top venues across the world - and was the first ever Black singer to perform at Germany's Bayreuth Festival.

Bumbry died on Sunday 7 May at a hospital in Vienna, Austria, according to her publicist. She had suffered a stroke last October while on a flight to New York to attend her induction into Opera America's Opera Hall of Fame. She was treated in New York City and returned to Vienna in December, spending the last months of her life in and out of medical facilities.

Born to a railroad porter and schoolteacher in St. Louis, Missouri in 1937, the singer won a talent contest at age 17 sponsored by radio station KMOX which included a scholarship to the St. Louis Institute of Music. However, she was denied admission to the institution because she was Black.

She fought against that prejudice throughout her career, placing among the winners of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions and made a recital debut in Paris the same year, then going on to perform at the Paris Opéra in 1960 as Amneris in ‘Aida’.

Among numerous honours, she was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame, was named Commandeur des Arts et Lettres by the French government and was among those honoured for her contribution to the performing arts during the 2009 Kennedy Center Honours, alongside Bruce Springsteen, Mel Brooks and Robert De Niro.

Bumbry was married to Polish tenor Erwin Jaeckel until their divorce in 1972 and she leaves no children. Her publicist says memorials are being planned for the trailblazing star in her adopted home of Vienna and in New York.

[SOURCE: EURONEWS]

NEW READ: The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen Paperback by Darryl J. Brackeen Jr.

The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen Paperback by Darryl J. Brackeen Jr.

The first Black American congressmen highlighted in this book have gone unnamed, unnoticed, and unrecognized due to the short-lived nature of the Reconstruction Era. For a moment after the civil war, Black political power was displayed by the significant voting efforts of African American men through the nominations and elections of Black men to elected office and leadership roles.

Historian, educator, theologian, and political practitioner Darryl Brackeen Jr pens his debut book, "The Almost Forgotten: America's First Black American Congressmen." This series of biographies of formerly enslaved men and free Black Americans who overcame one of the worst periods in American history to become highly respected educators, religious leaders, and business owners during the Reconstruction era. These individuals rose up to get involved in building political efforts for the Black community, despite the violent opposition of the Klu Klux Klan and former Confederate leaders. While this moment in American history is short-lived for Black Americans and many of the individuals in this book are the leaders to run for the United States Congress. Most were "almost forgotten" because many of them ended up in poverty or living in obscurity. Many of their stories have gone untold and under-recognized for generations, and now Brackeen will offer an opportunity to reintroduce some of the brave Black political leaders in American history.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK ON AMAZON

Black Americans are audited 3 to 5 times as often as other taxpayers

Research shows Black Americans are audited more often as other taxpayers. Analysts say the IRS' practice is unfair and produces less money for the government than a more equitable system would. Listen to more on this topic from an NPR interview on All Things Considered by using the player below.

Senator Raphael Warnock Calls for Action on Guns After Deadly Shooting in Atlanta

Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock speaks about the deadly shooting in at a medical facility in Atlanta, in which one person was killed and four others were injured. Senator Warnock calls for action to prevent further gun violence, saying, "Thoughts and prayers are not enough," adding that doing nothing is to "make a mockery of prayer" and "trivialize faith."