Coffee Bluff Pictures Wins Jury Award at the 2023 Essence Film Festival

L-R Director Deborah Riley Draper, Executive Producer Merline Saintil and Executive Producer Shannon Nash

Coffee Bluff Pictures won the prestigious Jury Award: Social Impact Stories at the 2023 Essence Film Festival for the documentary "OnBoard." The groundbreaking film, written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper, chronicles the rise of Black women on America's boards and the evolution of corporate board diversity from Patricia Roberts Harris in 1971 to Black Women on Boards (BWOB), a global group of fearless women organized during the Summer of 2020 to create change.

The 2023 Essence Film Festival occurred during the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ weekend, presented by ESSENCE Studios™ and showcases storytellers from across the African diaspora. "OnBoard" offers a compelling glimpse into the movement started by Board veterans Merline Saintil and Robin Washington to expand the opportunity and exposure of Black women who can impact America's corporate boardrooms. The film, with its timely and impactful narrative of access and inclusion, including the historic ringing of the opening bell at Nasdaq by members of BWOB, ironically screened 48 hours after the Supreme Court overturned Affirmative Action. Festival director Lamonia Brown and Hakeem Holmes, VP, ESSENCE Festival of Culture, presented the awards in a live ceremony on Sunday, July 2, 2023. "OnBoard" is Coffee Bluff Pictures' second official selection at the Essence Film Festival. In 2022, Coffee Bluff Pictures opened the festival with a sold-out screening of "Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated."

“I love that I can direct a film about an extraordinary movement started by Black women in a film produced by Black women and screened at the epicenter of celebrating Black women. This win is for the film and all of the women of color who paved the way in Corporate America,” says Deborah Riley Draper. "OnBoard," produced by Lacy Barnes, Shannon Nash, and Merline Saintil, enjoyed a special screening world premiere on June 13, 2023, at the Tribeca Festival in New York, with an encore screening on June 16, 2023. For more information about "OnBoard" and its journey, please visit www.onboardthefilm.com.

About Coffee Bluff Pictures: Coffee Bluff Pictures is an Atlanta-based creative company founded in 2010 by veteran advertising agency executive Deborah Riley Draper to produce artful, meaningful film, TV, and brand content that inspires engagement with the audiences and the greater community. The company's work explores interesting, under-represented characters and the rich, complicated journeys they embark upon in the U.S. and worldwide. Coffee Bluff Pictures is committed to expanding the aperture of the African American narrative on the screen to increase universal awareness and understanding.

Watch the trailer for "OnBoard" here: https://vimeo.com/775339839/33d4c5910a

NJ Governor Phil Murphy Signs Joint Resolution Establishing July 5th as Larry Doby Day

Governor Phil Murphy today signed a joint resolution (AJR221) designating July 5th of each year as Larry Doby Day. This day of recognition honors the incredible legacy of Lawrence “Larry” Eugene Doby, a pioneer in the desegregation of professional baseball in the United States.

A New Jersey native, Larry Doby began his athletic career playing baseball, basketball, football, and running varsity track at Eastside High School in Paterson. His success as a baseball player on the Newark Eagles earned him attention from professional teams, which at the time were limited to white men only. On July 5th, 1947, Doby joined the Cleveland Indians and became the first African American baseball player in the American League. Today marks the 76th anniversary of Doby breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

“We are extremely proud of Larry Doby’s legacy and the impact his life has had on our nation’s history,” said Governor Murphy. “As our national pastime, the sport of baseball holds an important place in American culture and history, and its desegregation is a significant chapter of the civil rights movement. Establishing this day in Larry Doby’s honor creates an annual opportunity to evaluate our effort to continue his fight for equality and to express our gratitude and admiration for his courage.”

“First, I want to thank Senator Ruiz, Senator Pou, Assemblyman Wimberly, and Assemblywoman Sumter for their effort in honoring my father,” said Larry Doby Jr. “I would also like to thank Governor Murphy for signing the bill and making this possible. As a family, we are extremely proud and humbled by this honor.”

Primary Sponsors of SJR118 include Senators Teresa Ruiz and Nellie Pou, and Assemblymembers Benjie E. Wimberly and Shavonda Sumter.

“Larry Doby rose out of the working classes of Paterson to become an American icon, and role model, facing all forms of hate and bigotry along the way,” said Senate Majority Leader Ruiz. “His determination to rise above it, and along with Jackie Robinson to break major league baseball’s color barrier, set a living example that endures nearly 80 years later, and paved the way for generations of young people who dream of playing professional sports. After his retirement, he lived out his days in Montclair where he continued to be a powerful figure in the community.”

“Like Jackie Robinson, Paterson’s Larry Doby endured all manner of racism and discrimination – from white players, fans and even teammates. He was not allowed to sleep in the same hotels or eat at the same restaurants as white players. Yet through it all, he persevered with class and dignity, becoming one of the all-time stars of our national pastime,” said Senator Pou. “This resolution will help make sure Larry Doby’s name and remarkable achievements are never forgotten.”

“Larry Doby’s Major League Baseball career transcended beyond entertainment and will forever live on in our nation’s history,” said Assemblyman Wimberly. “As the second black baseball player to play in the major leagues, he broke down barriers and left his mark on African-American history. It is fitting that we commemorate Larry Doby with a day in his honor.”

“Larry Doby was an extraordinary athlete and a pioneer in the desegregation of professional baseball,” said Assemblywoman Sumter. “An example for all youth, Larry Doby demonstrated dignity and grace in the face of adversity. We must continue to honor his contributions to our state and keep the memory of his tenacity and courage alive.”

Doby’s talent left an indelible impact on both the baseball community and the ongoing fight against racism. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 and was posthumously honored by Congress for his contributions to the advancement of civil rights. Today, a life-sized bronze statue of the baseball star stands just outside of the Cleveland Guardians’ Progressive Field.

Following his retirement, Doby returned to New Jersey to raise his children in Montclair, as well as work in community relations for the NBA on behalf of the New Jersey Nets. The City of Paterson has since renamed Eastside Park’s baseball field to “Larry Doby Field”.

National Urban League : Supreme Court's Student Loan Decision Will Exacerbate Racial Inequality

National Urban League President Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's decision on student loan relief:

“In striking down President Biden’s student loan relief plan, the Supreme Court has delivered a second devastating blow in as many days to the movement for racial justice and set the stage for further destabilization of the nation’s economy.

“The Court’s decision in Biden v. Nebraska is, incredibly, even more nakedly political than their decisions to strike down affirmative action. President Biden’s plan not only is overwhelmingly favored by the American people, it would invigorate the national economy. That’s a political problem for the President’s adversaries, but not a constitutional one. Furthermore, one of the justices who voted with the majority accepted lavish gifts from the chairman of a group that asked the court to block the plan.

“Crushing student loan debt is a key driver of the racial wealth and opportunity gap. It has created a vicious cycle that forces the most vulnerable students to take on disproportionate financial risk to pursue a higher education, only to find themselves even further behind.

“History will remember this week as a low point for the nation’s highest court. The National Urban League will continue to seek justice for Americans who are trapped by our nation’s unjust system of financing higher education.”

Federal Civil Rights Complaint Challenges Harvard’s Legacy Admissions

Federal Civil Rights Complaint Challenges Harvard’s Practice Of Giving Preferential Treatment In Admissions To Children of Wealthy Donors and Alumni 

Preferences Go Overwhelmingly To White Applicants And Systematically Disadvantage Applicants Of Color 

The Chica Project, the African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE), and the Greater Boston Latino Network (GBLN) filed a federal civil rights complaint against Harvard College, challenging its discriminatory practice of giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to applicants with familial ties to wealthy donors and alumni (“legacy applicants”). The complaint, alleging widespread violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) by Lawyers for Civil Rights. 

The complaint comes on the heels of last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited the ability to consider race in college admissions, and argues that it is even more imperative now to eliminate policies that systematically disadvantage students of color. 

As the complaint outlines, nearly 70% of Harvard’s donor-related and legacy applicants are white, and they receive a substantial boost based on their status. Donor-related applicants are nearly 7 times more likely to be admitted than non-donor-related applicants, and legacies are nearly 6 times more likely to be admitted. 

For the Class of 2019, about 28% of the class were legacies with a parent or other relative who went to Harvard. Qualified and highly deserving applicants of color are harmed as a result, as admissions slots are given instead to the overwhelmingly white applicants who benefit from Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences. 

Even worse, this preferential treatment has nothing to do with an applicant’s merit. Instead, it is an unfair and unearned benefit that is conferred solely based on the family that the applicant is born into. This custom, pattern, and practice is exclusionary and discriminatory. It severely disadvantages and harms applicants of color. 

The complaint notes that in recent years numerous colleges and universities have recognized the unfairness of such preferences and have abandoned them, including all higher education institutions in Colorado; the University of California; Johns Hopkins University; and Amherst College.

The civil rights complaint calls on the DOE to launch a federal investigation, under Title VI and its implementing regulations, into Harvard’s practices surrounding legacy and donor preferences. The complaint urges the DOE to declare these practices illegal and to order Harvard to cease legacy and donor preference practices if the university wishes to continue receiving federal funds. 

“Harvard’s practice of giving a leg-up to the children of wealthy donors and alumni – who have done nothing to deserve it – must end. This preferential treatment overwhelmingly goes to white applicants and harms efforts to diversify. Particularly in light of last week’s decision from the Supreme Court, it is imperative that the federal government act now to eliminate this unfair barrier that systematically disadvantages students of color,” said Michael Kippins, Litigation Fellow at LCR.

“There’s no birthright to Harvard. As the Supreme Court recently noted, ‘eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.’ There should be no way to identify who your parents are in the college application process. Why are we rewarding children for privileges and advantages accrued by prior generations? Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process,” said Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, Executive Director of LCR.

Click here to download the complaint: Federal-Civil-Rights-Complaint-Against-Harvard.pdf (lawyersforcivilrights.org)

Don't Let Them Bury My Story: The Oldest Living Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre In Her Own Words

"Every day, I have lived through the massacre. While our country may forget this history, I cannot." Viola Ford Fletcher

Viola Ford Fletcher's memoir Don't Let Them Bury My Story vividly recounts the lasting impact of the Tulsa Massacre on her life. As the oldest survivor and last living witness of the tragic events that unfolded in 1921, she shares her testimony with poignant clarity. From the terror of her childhood as a seven-year-old fleeing the burning streets of Greenwood to her current role as a 109-year-old family matriarch seeking justice for the affected families, Mother Fletcher takes us on a journey through a lifetime of pain and perseverance. Her inspiring story is a powerful reminder that some wounds never fully heal, and we must never forget the lessons of our history.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK ON AMAZON