New Harris-Walz campaign ad shows impact of Project 2025 on Black voters

The Harris-Walz campaign is using the conservative Project 2025 plan to court Black voters. A new ad Titled “Backwards,” shows how Black Americans would be hurt if the Project 2025 agenda went forward under a second term for former President Trump.

Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Highlights Efforts to Combat Hate Crimes Targeting Black People

Next month is the 15th anniversary of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a landmark law that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has used since 2009 to prosecute those who commit hate crimes. Over the next several months, the Civil Rights Division will highlight their work to combat hate crimes. Today’s blog post will discuss their work in combating hate crimes that target Black people.

In announcing the hate crime prosecution of the man accused of murdering 10 Black people in June 2022 at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York, and wounding three other people, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland observed that “The Justice Department was founded more than 150 years ago with the first principal task of protecting Black Americans — and our democracy — from white supremacist violence. Today, we approach that task with the same degree of urgency as we did then.”

Also in June 2022, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, emphasized the importance of this mission: “From the thousands of lynchings of Black people, to the deaths of Emmett Till, the four little girls killed at the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church and James Byrd, to the nine peaceful worshippers gunned down in Charleston, South Carolina, to the senseless murder of Ahmaud Arbery — racially motivated violence is a stain on our nation’s history.”

And, addressing the convictions of three men in February 2022 who killed Ahmaud Arbery just because he was Black, Attorney General Garland affirmed that “The Justice Department does have the authority — and will not hesitate to act — when individuals commit violent acts that are motivated by bias or hatred.”

A key source of the authority the Attorney General was citing is the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. That statute and a broad array of other federal laws provide the Justice Department multiple tools to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable. One of the namesakes of the Act, James Byrd Jr., was murdered 26 years ago in Jasper, Texas, by three white men, two of them avowed white supremacists. They chained 49-year-old Byrd by the ankles to the back of a pick-up truck, dragged him nearly three miles to his death and then abandoned his decapitated, mutilated body.

This hate crimes statute is a fitting legacy for Mr. Byrd.

One of the tools the Shepard-Byrd Act creates is 18 U.S.C. § 249. That provision authorizes the Justice Department to prosecute anyone who causes or attempts to cause bodily injury using a firearm, dangerous weapon, fire or an explosive or incendiary device “because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin of any person.” The punishments for violating this provision are substantial, including, in certain circumstances, the death penalty. That was one of the statutes invoked against the Buffalo shooter and the killers of Ahmaud Arbery.

The department has other tools at its disposal as well. Under 18 U.S.C 245 (1967), it can charge violent interference with federally protected rights because of the victim’s race or color. It can bring hate crime charges under the Fair Housing Act (1968), Damage to Religious Property Act, also known as the Church Arson Prevention Act (1996) or Emmett Till Antilynching Act (2022). And the Ku Klux Klan Act has been on the books since 1871.

Here are just a few examples of the department’s hate crimes prosecutions from the first eight months of 2024:

• In July, a Kansas man pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing for brandishing a firearm and using racial slurs to threaten two Black juveniles, using his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the children and threatening to hurt or kill any Black person who visited a white woman in her home.
• In June, a Michigan man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for conspiring with his co-members of a white supremacist group to threaten Black and Jewish people in the exercise of their rights.
• In April, a man in Florida was sentenced to five years in prison for attacking two Black women with a gun.
• In March, a man in Maine pleaded guilty to sending racist death threats to a Black family living in his apartment complex.
• In February, a South Carolina man was convicted of killing a Black transgender woman.

In 2023 as well, the department vigorously prosecuted hate crimes involving violence or threats against Black people. Those cases included:

• In December, we charged a Florida man with a federal hate crime for murdering a Black man in the Kansas City, Missouri, area.
• In October, we charged a Georgia man for making racially motivated threats and shooting at his neighbor, a Black man, in violation of the criminal provisions of the Fair Housing Act.
• In October, a Florida man was sentenced for using his car to attack a group of Black men who were surveying land for a possible memorial regarding the 1923 Rosewood Massacre in Florida.
• In July, an Oklahoma man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a racially motivated attack on a Black victim in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

This is a small sample of the many similar cases the department brought in 2023. Since January 2021, the department has charged more than 140 defendants with bias-motivated crimes in more than 125 cases. Most of these hate crime prosecutions have involved violence or threats against Black Americans. These totals do not include the other matters the department has handled involving bias against Black people, including findings of racial discrimination by police departments in Minneapolis, Louisville, Kentucky, and Phoenix, among others.

Prosecutions alone are not enough in the work to combat hate. Separate and apart from the laws used by the Justice Department to prosecute perpetrators of hate crimes, the Justice Department has also taken steps to improve hate crime reporting, encourage better data collection and expand public education campaigns concerning hate crimes, especially at the state and local levels. Laws like the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (2021) have helped strengthen outreach and data-collection efforts across the country.

The Civil Rights Division — indeed, the entire nation — is profoundly indebted to the many heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, both leaders and foot soldiers, who sacrificed so much to advance racial justice in this country. We are determined to honor their sacrifices and to redeem their legacy by combatting bigotry, including hate crimes against Black people, wherever it rears its ugly head. We have done that, and we will continue along that path.

Eighty-eight corporate leaders endorse VP Kamala Harris in new letter

Eighty-eight current and former top executives from across corporate America have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in a new letter shared exclusively with CNBC. 

The full text of the letter and list of signatures is below.

We endorse Kamala Harris’s election as President of the United States.

Her election is the best way to support the continued strength, security, and reliability of our democracy and economy. With Kamala Harris in the White House, the business community can be confident that it will have a President who wants American industries to thrive. As a partner to President Biden, Vice President Harris has a strong record of advancing actions to spur business investment in the United States and ensure American businesses can compete and win in the global market. She will continue to advance fair and predictable policies that support the rule of law, stability, and a sound business environment, and she will strive to give every American the opportunity to pursue the American dream.

• Roger Altman, Founder & Senior Chairman of Evercore
• Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream
• Carl Bass, former CEO of Autodesk
• Tom Bernstein, President and Co-Founder of Chelsea Piers
• Afasaneh Beschloss, Founder & CEO of Rock Creek
• Jeff Bewkes, former CEO of Time Warner
• W. Michael Blumenthal, 64th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and former CEO of both Bendix and Unisys
• Rosalind “Roz” Brewer, former CEO of Sam’s Club; former CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance; former COO of Starbucks
• Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox; Chairwoman of Teneo; Founding Partner of Integrum Holdings
• Maverick Carter, CEO of The SpringHill Company
• Ken Chenault, Chairman & Managing Director of General Catalyst; former Chairman & CEO of American Express
• Peter Chernin, Co-Founder & Partner of TCG 
• Tony Coles, Chairperson & former CEO of Cerevel
• Tim Collins, Founder, CEO, and Senior Managing Director of Ripplewood
• Ron Conway, Founder & Managing Partner of SV Angel
• Robert Crandall, former President and Chairman of American Airlines
• Mark Cuban, Various entrepreneurial endeavors and a “shark” on Shark Tank
• Richelieu Dennis, Founder and Executive Chair of Sundial Group of Companies
• Barry Diller, Chairman & Senior Executive of IAC and Senior Executive of Expedia; Former Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Fox, Inc.
• John Doerr, Chairman of Kleiner Perkins
• Arnold Donald, former CEO of Carnival Corporation
• Blair Effron, Partner & Co-Founder of Centerview Partners
• José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Clearlake Capital Group
• David P. Fialkow, Co-Founder & Managing Director of General Catalyst
• Anne Finucane, former Vice Chair of Bank of America
• Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Chief Executive of E.L. Rothschild
• Ken Frazier, former Executive Chairman, President & CEO of Merck
• Mark Gallogly, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Three Cairns Group; Co-Founder of Centerbridge Partners
• Chad Gifford, Former Chairman of Bank of America
• David Grain, Founder and CEO of Grain Management
• Logan Green, Chairman and former CEO of Lyft
• Daniel J. Halpern, Co-founder and CEO of Jackmont Hospitality
• Bruce Heyman, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada and former Managing Director of Private Wealth at Goldman Sachs
• Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments; Chairman of Starbucks
• Roger Hochschild, former CEO and President of Discover Financial Services
• Reid Hoffman, Partner at Greylock Partners and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn 
• Glenn Hutchins, Chairman of North Island or Co-Founder of Silver Lake
• Blake Irving, former CEO of GoDaddy
• Tony James, former President, CEO & Executive Vice Chairman of Blackstone; Founder of Jefferson River Capital
• David Jacobson, Senior Advisor and former Vice Chair of BMO Financial Group; Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada
• Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises
• Brad Karp, Chairman of Paul, Weiss
• Jeffrey Katzenberg, Founder & Managing Partner of WndrCo
• Ellen Kullman, President and CEO of Carbon3; former Chair and CEO of DuPont
• Todd Lachman, Founder of Sovos Brands
• Chris Larsen, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Ripple
• Jeff Lawson, former CEO of Twilio
• Ted Leonsis, CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment
• Aaron Levie, Co-Founder & CEO of Box
• Ed Lewis, former Chairman and CEO of Essence Communications, co-founder Essence Magazine
• William M. Lewis, Jr.
• Michael Lynton, Chairman of Snap, Inc., former CEO of Sony Entertainment
• Tracy V. Maitland, President and Chief Investment Officer of Advent Capital Management
• Helena Maus, CEO of Archetype and Marker Collective
• Marissa Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Products, former CEO of Yahoo!
• T.J. McGill, Co-Founder of Evergreen Pacific Partners and Suzanne Sinegal McGill, Co-Founder of Rwanda Girls Initiative
• Danny Meyer, Founder & Executive Chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group
• Dustin Moskovitz, Co-founder and CEO of Asana
• Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford
• Anne Mulcahy, former Chairman and CEO of Xerox
• James Murdoch, Founder & CEO of Lupa Systems; former CEO of 21st Century Fox
• Laxman Narasimhan, former CEO of Starbucks
• Indra Nooyi, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo
• Peter Orszag, former Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget and CEO of Lazard
• Deven J. Parekh, Managing Director of Insight Partners
• Sean Parker, Founder of Napster; Founder and Chairman of Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
• Charles Phillips, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Recognize; former President of Oracle and former CEO of Infor; 
• Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President of Emerson Collective
• Penny Pritzker, 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce; founder and Chairman of PSP Partners 
• Vasant Prabhu, former CFO and Vice-Chair of Visa
• Spencer Rascoff, Founder and CEO of 75 & Sunny Ventures; Co-Founder and former CEO of Zillow
• Punit Renjen
• Rachel Romer, Founder of Guild Education
• Robert Rubin, former U.S. Treasury Secretary; Senior Counselor at Centerview Partners
• Kevin P. Ryan, Co-founder, MongoDB, Business Insider, GILT Groupe, Zola, Pearl Health, Affect Therapeutics, and Transcend Therapeutics
• Faiza J. Saeed
• Dan Schulman, former President & CEO of PayPal
• Jim Sinegal, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Costco
• Dan Springer, former CEO of Docusign
• Tom Steyer, Founder and former Co-Senior-Managing-Partner of Farallon Capital
• Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO of Yelp
• Scott Stuart, Founding & Managing Partner of Sageview Capital
• Larry Summers, 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury and President Emeritus of Harvard University
• Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder & CEO of Chobani
• Daniel Weiss, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Angeleno Group
• Steve Westly, Founder and Managing Partner of The Westly Group
• Ron Williams, former CEO of Aetna
• Robert Wolf, former CEO of UBS Americas

[SOURCE: CNBC]

Take the #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge in honor of September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

For September, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Civil Rights icon Charles D. Neblett, PhD's family nonprofit organization, Community Projects, Inc. has created a new initiative, the #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge, asking Black prostate cancer survivors and patients to post their journeys using the hashtag. The purpose of the initiative is to open dialogue, overcome stigmas and fears, capture snapshots of experiences, and share information and resources to reveal the complex issues of health equity concerns among Black men @BlackProstateCheckChallenge on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, and Facebook pages.

Charles D. Neblett, PhD was recently diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer and passed the torch to carry on his civil rights legacy in the fight for equity. ”To give a platform to the often-ignored opinions of African-American men, we launched this challenge to give them the space to be heard. Right now, we need to pay attention to what Black men as patients care about. We’ve asked doctors and policymakers to pay attention and listen to the relevant social media updates regarding urgent issues right now,” said son Kwesi Neblett, “Much effort has been put into screening, but not enough effort into Black men currently battling the disease right now. Too many Black men are passing away unnecessarily; thus, this is an urgent issue.” His father, Charles, added, “We want to have a voice in determining the best course of action for ourselves as individuals being treated with equity and in our community by discussing the effects of therapies on our genetics.” Black men, who live in areas where health problems are most prevalent, are the intended targets of this diversity challenge.”

The #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge Panel includes:

Kwesi Neblett, President of Community Projects, Inc. creator of #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge
Charles D. Neblett, PhD, Founder, Community Projects, Inc.

Dr. Lisa Cooper, Internal Medicine, MD at Johns Hopkins, elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and author of “Why Are Health Disparities Everyone’s Problem?”

Dr. Otis Brawley, MD, Oncologist, Johns Hopkins, specializing in metastasized prostate cancer, and is an epidemiologist elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his work on cancer screening.

Dr. Clayton Yates, PhD and Dr. Jelani C. Zarif, PhD of Johns Hopkins, endowed research Professors studying prostate cancer among African-American men

Dr. Naysha Isom, MD, Concierge Medicine, includes a nutritionist, a fitness trainer, and a registered herbalist to create a customized plan for healthy living.

Doug Davis, community activist and co-creator of #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge

Kwesi, son and creator of the challenge, said, “We need a space to hear from Black men and families who battle the disease and the inequities. We want to challenge them to elevate their voices to make a difference, as they are the ones who can articulate the issues better. We should hear it from them directly and as authentically as possible.” Kwesi has also created a #BlackProstateCheckChallenge Panel of community leaders, policymakers, expert doctors, and holistic providers who are dedicated to guiding Black men through the process of prostate cancer treatment.

7 Myths Dispelled by #BlackProstateCancerCheckChallenge:

1. "Black men get prostate cancer just like every other race." No. According to the American Cancer Society, the prevalence of prostate cancer is greater in Black males, affecting one out of every six, compared to one out of every eight white men. In addition, black men experience a greater mortality rate from prostate cancer, which is twice as high as that of white men. White men have historically enjoyed the privilege of receiving cancer treatments, which accounts for the difference in mortality rates. Recent Johns Hopkins studies found African-Americans have a unique inflammatory response as well previously undiscovered genetic variants that increase the risk of prostate cancer in men of African ancestry.

2. "I don’t have prostate cancer if I have any symptoms.” No. Black men are being diagnosed in later stages and with more specific aggressive prostate cancer. Sexual partners are encouraged to help notice symptoms because Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in much later stages than white men. If a Black man has a grandfather or father who has prostate cancer, they should be getting a DRE exam by age 35-38.

3. "Every hospital has the same standard radiation equipment." No. You should ask what year your radiation machine was built. Thirty percent of men getting radiated for prostate cancer are treated with older, lower energy machines. Patients should work with their doctor to stay on top of their imaging as well as their PSA test results.

4. “There is one best way to treat prostate cancer." No, a patient and a doctor should have “shared decision-making.” You should have an open, trusted relationship to decide the route that’s the best individualized for you based on your genetics, health history, age, stage, and lifestyle. Every prostate cancer patient should have access to a nutritionist.

5. "Every male should get screening as soon as possible." No. Black men have the highest false-positive results. There have not been enough Black men studied in clinical trials to support that early screening prevents prostate cancer.

6. "Prayer and spirituality can’t help cancer." Cancer can help patients to focus on what truly matters, and prompt us to live with a heightened consciousness of our ultimate priorities. The current data suggests that added stress or trauma can contribute to more aggressive cancer.

7. "Cancer care is completely covered by Medicare." No. The average cost of Stage 4 prostate cancer is more than $93,000 annually, according to the American Cancer Society. The Medicare for All Act has not been passed.

Dr. Lisa Cooper, MD noted, “Health disparities are everyone’s problem. Many factors contributing to inequality in America stem from a history of unequal opportunities and unjust treatment for people in vulnerable communities.” She continued, “Everyone is affected by the factors that harm the health of the most disadvantaged individuals, not just those individuals themselves.” Kwesi Neblett emphasized the need for policy extensions that include holistic and integrative therapy. The Supreme Court's decision to deny the Chevron deference will likely exacerbate issues.

HBCU Buzz, BET, Live Nation Urban and When We All Vote Launch Vote Loud: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge

HBCU Buzz , BET, Live Nation Urban and When We All Vote, Michelle Obama's national, nonpartisan voting initiative, announced the Vote Loud: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge, calling on HBCU students and community members to use their voices at the ballot box this November. By registering to vote and making sure their communities do the same, current students, alumni, professors and extended family members can help their school community win special prizes to be announced soon, which may include access to special performances brought to you by Live Nation Urban, HBCU Buzz, BET and When We All Vote.

"With only nine weeks until the 2024 election, the power of young Black voters has never been more clear," said Beth Lynk, Executive Director of When We All Vote. "The issues that impact our community the most are on the ballot, and it's time to ensure our communities are ready and empowered for the work ahead. We're so excited to partner with HBCU Buzz, BET and Live Nation Urban to encourage some healthy competition and make sure that HBCU community members are bringing the energy from this Challenge to the ballot box this year."

"Voting in the upcoming election is a critical way for HBCU students to make their voices heard and drive the change they want to see," said Luke Lawal, Jr., Founder and CEO of HBCU Buzz. "Our participation goes beyond casting a ballot; it's about shaping policies that impact our education, our communities and our future. We are thrilled to be partnering with When We All Vote, BET and Live Nation Urban to challenge the HBCU community to rise up, register and vote loud in the 2024 election."

The Vote Loud: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge celebrates the power of Black voters, who will determine elections around the country. This year, more than 34 million Black Americans are eligible to vote, representing 14% of all eligible voters in the United States who will decide much more than the presidential election this November. Down-ballot races and ballot initiatives on the issues that matter the most to young Black voters are on the ballot, including the economy and cost of living.

"At BET, we understand that the collective voice of young Black voters is a force for change," said Kimberly Paige, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Lead of Social Impact at BET. "That's why we're proud to partner with When We All Vote, HBCU Buzz and Live Nation Urban on the Vote Loud  Challenge — a powerful commitment to shaping the future and empowering the next generation of leaders. By voting, we're actively working to protect our education, our families and our communities, ensuring that our future is decided by us, for us."

"Live Nation Urban has had a longstanding partnership with When We All Vote, and we are extremely excited to continue that partnership alongside HBCU Buzz and BET for such an important initiative," said Brandon Pankey, VP, Business Development + Operations at Live Nation Urban. "The company was built upon the notion of giving power and strength to Black voices, and there has never been a greater moment in history for young Black voices to be heard during such an important election season. The Vote Loud: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge not only will help to impact this election, but it has the opportunity to become an initiative that can affect real change for generations to come."

The Vote Loud: HBCU Voter Registration Challenge will be open from Thursday, September 5, 2024, to Saturday, October 5, 2024. More information on how to enter and share voter registration information with friends, family, neighbors and classmates to win points for your school community can be found HERE.