Tuskegee Airman from N.J. dies at 101

Tuskegee Airmen Malcolm Nettingham, 101, of Scotch Plains, NJ died Monday. He would have been 102 on Oct. 1.

“He said he was not a hero and didn’t do anything special,” his daughter Deborah Nettingham said. “I said ‘dad, you’re living history. You kind of owe it to the younger generation, African Americans and everyone to let us know your story.’"

Nettingham was among a group of African American soldiers selected in 1944 to integrate a radio communication class in the Army Air Corps. He was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey and trained as a radio operator/gunner on a B-25 bomber in 1945.

He became part of the important support units for the renowned, trailblazing Black squadron.

He was honorably discharged in 1946 and spent 32 years working for an industrial electronics company until his retirement.

Nettingham was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.

Nettingham was survived by his daughter Deborah, of Scotch Plains, and son, Malcolm V., of Piscataway; six grandchildren and other family members. He was a member of the Metropolitan Baptist Church of Scotch Plains for the past 96 years where he taught Sunday school and sang in the choir.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]

Al Sharpton Denounces Attacks On Police

Civil rights activist, Al Sharpton said on MSNBC that he prays for the LA County police officers shot in Compton in the same prayer as he does Jacob Blake and George Floyd. He also asked that ALL senseless violence whether it’s committed by police or civilians stop.

"I think that the protesters that have been, for months, out there now, I among them, should be saying we are not anti-police and we are certainly not for killing or shooting police," said Al Sharpton on MSNBC's Morning Joe. "We are there saying that police should not be wrongfully killing or shooting civilians, particularly in the Black community. And for people to try to associate us with murder and ambushing and death is doing more to hurt the cause than anything else. Some, I suspect in my own way of thinking, could be planted in order to hurt us because that is so extreme from our position."

"Let me be real clear, I pray for the lives of those two officers just like I pray for Jacob Blake who was shot in the back seven times in Kenosha, Wisconsin and I pray for the family of George Floyd," Sharpton added. "And I pray for all of them in the same prayer. I don't have separate prayers for police victims and for police that are victimized. The same prayer: that we stop this senseless violence and this senseless lawlessness. This is where we must be. This is Dr. King's tradition. This is what Nietzsche wrote about. John Lewis. Anyone on the other side whether they claim that they're left or right are wrong, that's what they are."

On Friday, September 18, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will reopen to the public.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture will begin a gradual, phased reopening for the Museum. The museum will be putting safety first  with new measures in place to protect everyone’s health.  Free,  timed-entry passes will be required for entry. Please review the important information below as you plan your visit.

Learn more about the NMAAHC reopening here: Welcome Back

AFSCME, NAACP LAUNCH HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP TO MOBILIZE BLACK VOTERS

Partnership kicks off with a joint four-state presidential radio buy on African American radio stations in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina.

WASHINGTON – AFSCME and the NAACP launched on Saturday two radio ads which will run in the Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Detroit, Flint, Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro markets through election day. Both the AFSCME and NAACP ads slam President Trump’s failures to combat COVID-19, while the virus continues to exact a brutal and disproportionate toll on the Black community.

“While Trump lied, Black people died,” says the NAACP ad before urging voters to request a ballot and make a plan to vote. “Trump spends his time golfing, while COVID-19 hits the black community hard,” says the voiceover in the AFSCME ad (paid for by AFSCME’s PAC, AFSCME PEOPLE) contrasting Trump’s record with that of Joe Biden’s to protect health care. The significant ad buys jumpstart a partnership between the two organizations that will focus on Black voter education and mobilization based on what is at stake in November and beyond for communities of color.

The partnership marks a new chapter in the shared activism and close bond between the civil rights community and AFSCME. Together, the NAACP and AFSCME are addressing the deep-seated racial injustices and corrupt incompetence which have forced Black communities across the country to bear the brunt of the health and economic crises facing the nation.

“The Black vote will determine the outcome of this consequential election, and we must ensure that we use this influence to elect leaders who will empower our communities,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “This historic collaboration is proof that our communities are united during these critical times. From the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 to ongoing police brutality experienced by black people, we must turn out to vote in November — and every election — if we are to achieve the representation and policy changes that will protect our communities. We must ensure that every voice is heard because our lives and future depend on it.”

Listen to the ad here: https://blackvoiceschangelives.org/press/ 

“I can’t recall an election where fundamental issues of racial justice have been more at stake,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “It’s going to take overwhelming turnout among African Americans and communities of color to prevail in November. That’s why AFSCME has entered into this unique partnership with the NAACP. By combining our resources and expertise, we will mobilize voters in targeted states who are tired of leaders who stoke racial resentment and head for the links while Black and brown people die by the thousands. This collaboration — between our two organizations that have done so much to advance civil rights, labor rights and human rights — will help ensure that voters are informed and empowered this November to elect leaders who will invest in all our communities and unite us around shared values.”

Listen to the AFSCME ad here: https://youtu.be/rpWh6P2fGmI

Atlanta Falcons name John Lewis honorary captain for first game of season

The Atlanta Falcons are naming the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) as an honorary captain for their first game of the season on Sunday evening.

Dan Quinn, head coach of the team, confirmed the news over the weekend, according to ESPN, saying: “That's a big deal in terms of the exposure and the impact Congressman Lewis had, not just on Georgia, but on the country overall.”

Falcons safety Ricardo Allen, who is also a captain of the team and helps lead its social justice committee, said in a statement obtained by ESPN that the team thought “it would be best” to start off the season with the move honoring “somebody as legendary as John Lewis,” given the current climate.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]