Judge Tammy Kemp defends hugging, giving bible to Amber Guyger

Judge Tammy Kemp told CNN's Ed Lavandera what was going through her mind when she hugged Amber Guyger and gave her her bible.

Oprah Winfrey donates $13 million to Morehouse College

Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey visited Morehouse College Monday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program and made a surprise announcement. She donated $13 million to continue the scholarship fund, pushing her total investment to $25 million, which is the largest endowment in the College’s history.

Winfrey made the surprise announcement Monday afternoon, on a day in which she met with 47 Oprah Winfrey Scholars that she welcomed as “sons.” She also attended a special luncheon with Morehouse College faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees, and other dignitaries. An oil portrait was unveiled to honor the philanthropist for her generous support of Morehouse over the years.

Winfrey said she was thrilled that the gift that launched the Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship 30 years ago has touched so many lives. Winfrey said she was especially impressed with the current Oprah Scholars that she met Monday. She pledged to continue to fund the program so it could support the education of future men of Morehouse.

Winfrey said she gave to Morehouse College in 1989 because she believes that the College has a “moral core” and mission to develop servant leaders focused on excellence—something that is similar to the teachings she learned as a child.

“I felt that the very first time I came here,” Winfrey said. “The money was an offering to support that in these young men. I understand that African American men are an endangered species. They are so misunderstood. They are so marginalized.

“Where and when I can lend support to try to change that image, I do,” she stated. “That is what Morehouse is doing. It is saying ‘This is who we really are.’”

Over the last 30 years, the scholarship program has funded the education of almost 600 scholars, giving them opportunities for global experiences that would open their classrooms to the four corners of the world, said Morehouse President David A. Thomas.

An impressive number of Morehouse Men have benefitted from Winfrey’s $12 million initial investment in the program since 1989. Among them are: Mayor Randall Woodfin, a member of the Morehouse Class of 2003, who, at age 36, was elected in 2017 as the youngest mayor of Birmingham; and Oluwabusayo “Tope’” Folarin, a 2004 alumnus who graduated from Morehouse with a perfect 4.0 grade point average became Morehouse’s third Rhodes Scholar, and is now an award-winning writer.

“I’m grateful to Oprah Winfrey for her generosity,” said President Thomas, who referred to the philanthropist as “Dr. Winfrey,” throughout the day. (Morehouse was one of the first colleges to honor Winfrey with a doctorate.)

“I am also feeling hopeful for Morehouse and what it has garnered in terms of philanthropic support with gifts like Oprah’s and Robert Smith’s. I am hopeful that this will also get others to step up with their support of Morehouse, but even more broadly, historically black colleges and universities.”

Nathan Rolle, a senior Oprah Scholar who is majoring in International Studies and minoring in Journalism, said it was an honor to meet the philanthropist who funded his scholarship.

“Getting to meet Ms. Winfrey for the first time in my life, taking an individual photo with her — not a lot of people in the world can say that,” he said. “I’ve looked up to Mrs. Winfrey my entire life. This day is the highlight of my Morehouse experience.”

More than 500 people attended Monday’s tribute to Winfrey at Morehouse College. Special invited guests on campus to hear Winfrey speak included: Ambassador Andrew Young; President Emeritus of Morehouse College Robert Franklin ’75; the Honorable Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms; the Honorable Mayor of Birmingham Randall Woodfin ’03; the Atlanta University Consortium Leadership; civil rights activist Joseph Lowery; Councilman Cleta Winslow; and technology entrepreneur and investor Paul Judge ’99.

Kamala Harris demands justice for Joshua Brown

Senator Kamala Harris has demanded authorities investigate and bring justice for the murder of Joshua Brown, who was shot to death over the weekend just days after he was a key witness in the murder trail of a former Dallas police officer.

Joshua Brown’s selflessness and courage brought some justice for his neighbor Botham Jean. We grieve again learning of Joshua’s murder.

I pray for his family, his community, and all those impacted by this tragedy.

We demand answers.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 6, 2019

NAACP Requests Independent Investigation into Shooting Death of Joshua Brown

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is requesting an independent investigation of the shooting death of Joshua Brown. Mr. Brown was a key witness in the trial of Amber Guyger, the former Dallas Police Department officer who walked into Botham Jean’s home and shot him to death. The murder of Botham Jean has raised troubling concerns from the beginning of the investigation, and now, the deeply alarming and highly suspicious murder of Joshua Brown increases the urgency of an immediate, independent investigation of every aspect of these two tragic killings.

Mr. Brown was killed just two days after a Dallas County jury sentenced Guyger to 10 years in prison. His testimony was critical to Officer Guyger’s conviction, including by establishing that Officer Guyger did not shout verbal commands or warnings before shooting Botham Jean.

“The circumstances surrounding the murder of Mr. Brown cries out for answers. Most importantly, it demands an independent investigation of how and why he was killed,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel. “We urge state or federal authorities to follow the trail of misconduct left by this case and fully investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr. Brown’s death. It is critical to public confidence in the administration of justice that witnesses who speak out against police violence are fully protected. The suspicious circumstances of Mr. Brown’s killing should cause great alarm and demand an immediate and piercing inquiry. We echo Allison Jean’s statement that the ‘corruption we saw during this process must stop,’ and support her request for a comprehensive federal investigation of the Dallas Police Department.”

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.

Tyler Perry dedicates a soundstage at his Atlanta studio to Diahann Carroll

Filmmaker Tyler Perry delighted a star-studded crowd of A-list celebrities and politicians Saturday when he dedicated a new soundstage at his sprawling Atlanta studio to actress Diahann Carroll during a gala ceremony at the complex.

Perry paid tribute to the groundbreaking African American actress, one day after the announcement of her death. Carroll, who made TV history as the first black actress to star in a prime time series as a career woman rather than a domestic worker in “Julia,” died at age 84 following a long bout with cancer, said her daughter Suzanne Kay.

Perry had already planned to honor Carroll with the soundstage, one of several dedicated to pioneering African American entertainers during the weekend celebration.

But while the dedication of stages to Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Sidney Poitier were cheered by the largely VIP crowd, the tribute to Carroll was a clear highlight.

“We are honored to have shared this planet with Diahann Carroll,” Perry said on a stage in front of the chocolate-brown structure. As the cover was removed, unveiling the name of the stage, the gathering cheered robustly as fireworks marked the moment.

Said Perry, “Let her hear you up in heaven” as clips from “Julia,” “Dynasty,” the film “Claudine,” where she played a welfare mother, and other moments from her career played on a screen.

[SOURCE: LA TIMES]