Michael Strahan explains why his hand was not over his heart during the National Anthem on Veterans Day.
Michael Strahan has apologized for not honoring the National Anthem on Veterans Day. He sounds genuinely sorry about his mistake. He was NOT protesting; he was spacing out and taking it all in. People make mistakes. Let it be known that he is not anti-American. pic.twitter.com/YP2furqQvL
— GodParticles (@G0DParticles) November 13, 2024
NAREB is set to unveil its 2024 State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA) report, a comprehensive study that uncovers concerning trends in Black homeownership. The report reveals that the two promising demographics for African American homebuying - Black female-headed households and millennials - experienced a decline in home sales in 2023. The meticulously researched report, packed with facts, statistics, and analysis, cites persistent barriers to Black homeownership. Only 45.7% of Black households were homeowners in 2023, a stark contrast to the 74.3% among Whites and a significant drop from a peak of 49% in 2004.
A panel of industry stakeholders will discuss programs and initiatives that can bolster Black home ownership, and local mayors will discuss ways in which the public sector can help increase Black home ownership. There will also be a fireside chat on Black homeownership and wealth with CNN's Barkari Sellers, NAREB President Courtney Johnson Rose, and Jim Carr, the author of SHIBA and Appraisal Bias reports. Dr. Rose and Carr preside over a session with stakeholders on moving Black homeownership forward.
STAKEHOLDERS:
WHERE:
Clark Atlanta University
Student Center – Corner of Atlanta Student Movement Street and Fair St., 30314
2nd Floor – Junita P Baranco Multipurpose Room
WHEN:
8 AM – 5 PM
Media, please contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com or 202-625-4328 for a copy of the 2024 SHIBA report.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore joined Maryland National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, and Del. Edith Patterson for a commissioning and recognition ceremony at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center. Along with members of the Maryland National Guard, the governor and Maj. Gen. Birckhead posthumously commissioned Harriet Tubman to the rank of Brigadier General for her military service to both the United States and Maryland.
“Harriet Tubman lived the values and virtues that I was taught when I served in the United States Army, and many of the people here today learned too: Live mission first, people always. Lead with honor, integrity, duty, and courage. Leave no one behind,” said Gov. Moore. “And with each act of courage, Harriet Tubman helped bring us together as a nation and a people. She fought for a kind of unity that can only be earned through danger, risk, and sacrifice. And it is a unity we still benefit from to this day.”
Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt, the great-great-great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman, represented Tubman’s family and received the commissioning proclamation on her behalf.
A number of Harriet Tubman’s descendants took part in the commissioning ceremony, attended by military, community, and local leaders. The Maryland Army National Guard’s 229th Army Band performed ceremonial music and the Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Squadron provided a flyover.
“Harriet Tubman’s military service was defined by her bravery, wit, and dedication to doing what is right and it truly stands as an example for all veterans to emulate,” said Maryland Adjutant General Janeen L. Birckhead. “I am so proud that her legacy will officially be tied to the Maryland National Guard, as she was born here, lived here, and served here just like our soldiers and airmen.”
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Mississippi State Senate for discriminating against a Black former staff attorney in its Legislative Services Office (LSO). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the Senate paid her about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits racial discrimination in compensation and other forms of employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.
“Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a Black employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy. Our work to eliminate race-based pay disparities is about promoting compliance with the law and promoting equity and fairness for all workers.”
The department alleges in the complaint that the Senate discriminated against Kristie Metcalfe by paying her significantly less than every other LSO attorney, all of whom were white. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Metcalfe and these other attorneys had substantially the same job responsibilities and yet she was paid less than these attorneys throughout her eight-year tenure. The LSO is a non-partisan office that provides legal services, such as drafting bills, for all members of the Senate. In the 34 years prior to Ms. Metcalfe’s hire, the LSO employed only white attorneys.
The complaint alleges the pay gap between Ms. Metcalfe and her white colleagues began when she was hired and was perpetuated in several additional discriminatory pay actions. In 2011, Ms. Metcalfe was paid a starting salary significantly lower than any LSO attorney in over 30 years. Just one month after her hire, every attorney but Ms. Metcalfe was given a substantial raise, further widening the pay gap and leaving her with a salary less than half of what her white colleagues were earning. In the following years, the Senate consistently paid Ms. Metcalfe many times less than her white colleagues. Finally, near the end of Ms. Metcalfe’s tenure, the Senate hired a white attorney with no previous legislative experience and a similar number of years of legal experience as Ms. Metcalfe at a salary significantly higher than Ms. Metcalfe’s. At a meeting with Senate officials responsible for setting LSO salaries, Ms. Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity with the new hire, but the Senate denied her request for comparable pay.
Through this lawsuit, the department is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Ms. Metcalfe, in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Jackson Area Office investigated and attempted to resolve Ms. Metcalfe’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Justice Department for litigation. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Trial Attorneys Louis Whitsett and Young Choi of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Graves III for the Southern District of Mississippi are handling the case.
The FBI released the following statement on the offensive and racist text messages many African Americans around the United States recieived:
The FBI is aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.
As always, we encourage members of the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement authorities.
