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Abortion Ban Worsens Already Deadly Black Maternal Mortality Crisis

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Abortion Ban Worsens Already Deadly Black Maternal Mortality Crisis

By Barrington M. Salmon, The Washington Informer

One year after the far-right majority of the U.S. Supreme Court eviscerated Roe v. Wade, overturning almost 50 years of settled law, the blast radius from this calculated act has spread far and wide and continues to roil the country.

Michael Caruso, CEO and publisher of The New Republic shared his views on what the Republican Party, their rightwing allies and others have unleashed on the country.

“Meanwhile, out in the rest of America, the crisis is getting worse by the day. In the last year, Republicans have enacted abortion bans in 16 states – nearly half of which have no exceptions in cases of rape or incest – and they are trying to quickly add more,” Caruso said in a fundraising appeal. “Studies show half of Americans don’t know if medicated abortion is legal or not. And Republicans are now working to deny access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone – even in states where it is perfectly legal – and to introduce a national ban in Congress.”

The result, Caruso said, is turmoil and a human toll of a kind not seen in recent times. Girls, some as young as 10, who have been raped by their fathers, uncles and other men around them, are being forced to have babies. Twenty-two states, with Republican-dominated legislatures, have banned abortions, others have almost-total bans, and in states like Georgia and Florida, abortions are banned after six weeks of pregnancy, a time when most women don’t even know they’re pregnant.

According to the New York Times, nine states, including Missouri, Kentucky and Alabama, have abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest. In Mississippi, it’s near-total ban has an exception for rape but not incest. Already, states where abortion is most limited are reporting increased rates of infant and maternal deaths and a concerning spiral of economic insecurity.

“All of this is having devastating consequences on a scale unknown for the last 50 years. Women are being forced to endure the trauma of giving birth as the result of rape or incest, and miscarriage patients are being denied lifesaving medical treatment,” he said. “Many people cannot scrape together the money for a long journey to a state where abortion is still legal, and some of those who can make the trip could face criminal charges for having a legal medical procedure.”

The ability to access abortions has always disproportionately affected Black and non-white women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women account for almost 40% of all American abortions, despite African-Americans comprising 12% of America’s population. Black women routinely face racism inside and out of the medical community, sexism, lack of access to quality education and well-paying jobs. Often adding to the mix is: redlining, restrictive covenants, financial institutions denying Black families loans and pervasive and persistent racial inequities with the end-result being Black families living in or adjacent to poverty.

According to the CDC, African-American women are three to four times more likely to die of complications from pregnancy than white women, regardless of their social status, economic standing or education. In addition, infants born to Black mothers are dying at twice the rate of infants born to non-Hispanic white mothers. Meanwhile, a Black woman is 22% more likely to die from heart disease than a white woman, 71% more likely to perish from cervical cancer, and 243% more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes, according to Eastern Virginia Medical School.

“The United States bears the worrying distinction as “deadliest nation” in the industrialized or “developed world” to be pregnant,” said Dr. Michele Bratcher Goodwin in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2023. “Nationwide, as noted by Justice Breyer, “childbirth is 14 times more likely than abortion to result in death.” As reported by Nina Martin and Renee Montagne, “more American women are dying of pregnancy-related complications than any other developed country.” In fact, “only in the U.S. has the rate of women who die been rising.”

In fact, said Bratcher, an author, advocate and Abraham Pinanski Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, “a review of data collected by the United States Central Intelligence Agency provides evidence that it is safer to be pregnant and give birth in Iran, Tajikistan, and Bahrain than in the United States.

“In Mississippi, a woman is 118 times more likely to die by carrying a pregnancy to term than by having an abortion. According to the Mississippi Maternal Mortality Report, Black women accounted for “nearly 80% of pregnancy-related cardiac deaths” in that state.”

Political commentator author and consultant Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, said in an interview last year that the court ruling, the hysteria driving the anti-Critical Race Theory crowd and efforts by far-right Republicans to further disembowel the Voting Rights Act represent a cultural, social and political backlash.

“White people are experiencing trauma and understand that they are an emerging minority, said Jones-DeWeever, a diversity consultant and women’s empowerment expert. “They’re thinking they can force white women to have white babies, but white women will find ways to get abortions. This could actually accelerate the ‘browning of America.’”

Racism and classism already serve as formidable obstacles to the progress of Black and brown women, non-whites and marginalized communities, reproductive rights activists say. And the loss of abortion rights and access to safe, legal and affordable abortions will produce devastating consequences for African-American women.

We need to expand the Supreme Court because they can do damage for a long time.

JONES-DEWEEVER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF INCITE UNLIMITED

Michelle Marks-Osbourne, a minister, scholar and activist, said she’s deeply dismayed by what she described as America’s descent into fascism.

“From my perspective as a minister and a Christian, them overturning Roe v. Wade and the joy exhibited in pulling apart the lives of women and children exposes American Christianity,” said Marks-Osbourne, an equity strategist and founder of the Marks-Osbourne Group, LLC. “When it comes to life, women are suing because they almost died.”

Marks-Osbourne castigated people who claim to be Christians but who revel in cruelty and punishing the most vulnerable in society.

“They cut SNAP and TANF, don’t support a living wage, and have no care for their neighbor in a Biblical fashion,” the North Carolina resident said. “This concerns me. That’s why I am pro-choice.”

Marks-Osbourne said Roe v. Wade had exposed these so-called Christians for the frauds they are.

“You have to come to people where they are, wherever they are. We need to show mercy and compassion. Roe has shown that it’s not there. Roe shows that we have a minority of 20 percent who are dictating this country’s direction and causing a grave amount of harm.”

Marks-Osbourne said white Christians exegetically interpret Scriptures “in the same way they did in slavery.”

“It’s a warped version of faith to do harm under the banner of love,” said Marks-Osbourne, who said she proudly embraces the label of disruptor. “These are people who force laws to be passed and people who stay silent and do nothing. This parallels Nazi Germany. As I think about the anniversary, I actually weep for women who need abortion care as healthcare.”

Yet even as Marks-Osbourne laments what anti-abortion forces have wrought, she and other advocates are fighting to confront and beat back the forces of regression, to hold ground and attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s considerable damage.

Poll numbers from a variety of sources indicate how unpopular the Roe reversal is nationally.

According to a new NBC News poll, 61% of Americans oppose the Supreme Court decision. That includes 92% of Democrats, 60% of independents and 31% of Republicans. In that same poll, pollsters found that 80 percent of women 18 to 49 oppose the ruling.

“The anger, enthusiasm and fury hasn’t diminished. They are fighting against their rights being taken away,” said former Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki, host of ‘Inside with Jen Psaki.’ “Women’s health and the right to healthcare is a fundamental right that was taken away. The GOP didn’t predict the length or scope of the backlash.”

In the year since the high court’s fateful decision, Republicans have lost election after election, primary and judicial races and the midterms.

Jones-DeWeever, president and CEO of Incite Unlimited, LLC, said seeing what the Supreme Court has done is infuriating because Black women and girls will suffer and be disproportionately hurt, maimed and killed since they lack the resources to travel for an abortion, or in many cases, pay for the procedure.

“We should also understand that this is just the beginning. If they are bold enough to overturn 50 years of precedent, what next? We’re screwed,” she said. “We need to expand the Supreme Court because they can do damage for a long time. If there is a bright side to this, it is that this might save Democrats in (future elections).”

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This post was originally published on The Washington Informer

To Feel Less Heat, We Need More Trees

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To Feel Less Heat, We Need More Trees

By Ben Jealous, The Washington Informer

All of us suffered last week through day after day of the hottest average temperatures ever recorded on Earth. Now imagine it had been 10% hotter where you live.

That wasn’t hard to do for residents in urban neighborhoods where pavement, concrete and glass far surpass leafy trees. The people who live there pay a heat tax through their health and their economic well-being.

Roughly 80% of Americans live in urban areas and roughly 80% of those city dwellers live in neighborhoods with less than 20% tree cover. And those places with minimal tree canopy experience significantly higher temperatures than green neighborhoods just miles away. That’s true in big cities like Newark and New Orleans and smaller ones like Burlington, Vt., and Erie, Pa.

Hollywood Under Fire: Black Caucus Members Concerned About Black Women Execs Leaving Entertainment Industry

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Hollywood Under Fire: Black Caucus Members Concerned About Black Women Execs Leaving Entertainment Industry

By Antonio Ray Harvey,  California Black Media

Film studios in Hollywood took a one-two punch last week after actors announced they were joining the ongoing writers’ strike and as legislators in Sacramento questioned their commitment to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

On July 13, California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) members Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) led a group of lawmakers led a news conference at the State Capitol to express their concerns over various news reports of abrupt departures of Black women leaving high-profile careers in Hollywood after the state recently approved $1.6 billion in tax credits for the industry.

The press conference was held the same day the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union representing Hollywood actors, joined striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) members in the biggest labor dispute the American entertainment industry has seen in 63 years.

In recent weeks, several Black women who were executives leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at major entertainment companies have left their positions.

“We are here today, calling on industry executives to meet with the state legislative Black caucus and leaders in the coming weeks to explain what is behind this erasure,” Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) said at the press briefing.

“(We want them to) provide the evidence of how diversity, inclusion and the progress made will continue to move forward given the lack of leadership and gravitas at the forefront of those proposals,” added Smallwood-Cuevas.

Netflix’s vice president, inclusion strategy, Vernā Myers; Disney’s LaTondra Newton, chief diversity officer and senior vice president; Joanna Abeyie, the British Broadcasting Company’s (BBC) creative diversity director; and Warner Bros executive, Terra Potts, executive vice president of worldwide marketing, have all moved on.

In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery’s DEI specialist Karen Horne and Jeanell English, executive VP of impact and inclusion at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences left their DEI roles.

The lawmakers say more Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) could join the mass exodus.

Lawmakers at the press conference said the departure of DEI specialists from major Hollywood companies gives the impression that creating an inclusive culture in the American film industry is not a priority for a sector that has a well-documented history of discrimination and exclusion.

“As Vice Chair of the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, we are proud to stand in solidarity with the Black Caucus,” Sen.David Min said. “I don’t want to accuse anybody of anything, but it certainly looks suspicious when in a short timeframe after we pass the $1.6-billion tax credit was signed into law that we see a number of leading African American female Hollywood executives let go.”

Senate Bill (SB) 485, introduced last year by Sen. Anthony Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge), provides $1.65 billion in tax credits, or $330 million annually, in financial support for film and television makers and other media content creators. The California Film and Television Production Tax Credit Program was scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2025.

State lawmakers are now asking for meetings and are now looking for ways to hold television and film studios executives accountable for benefitting from state investment that essentially helped create DEI programs.

SB 485 was created after a series of production companies opted to leave California for states that offered larger tax incentive programs. The bill was amended to reflect California’s diverse population.

“I was highly offended to see the industry’s response to a $1.6 billion tax subsidy by quietly eliminating Black women from executive positions with a number of studios,” said McKinnor.

“Many of these women were involved in their studios’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, which raises a serious question about their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the film industry.”

SB 485 states that “This bill, for credit allocations made on or after July 1, 2023, would revise the definition of qualified motion picture for purposes of the credit to require an applicant to provide a diversity workplan that includes goals that are broadly reflective of California’s population.

On July 10, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 132 to extend the state’s $330 million-a-year Film and TV Tax Credit Program an additional five years through fiscal 2030-31.

The Governor’s office put out a statement that SB 132 builds “upon a strong track record of success” and “whose productions have generated more than $23 billion” for the economy.

More than 178,000 cast and crew have been supported by the program. The new budget will create the state’s fourth-generation film/TV tax credit program – known as “Program 4.0.”

“The California Film and Television Tax Credit program has led to the creation of hundreds of thousands of high paying union jobs, it’s supported countless local businesses, and pumped billions of dollars into the state’s economy,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association. “The 4.0 version of the program, signed into law by Governor Newsom, will build on that success by creating new commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion and establishing a pilot program on production safety, among other provisions.”

McKinnor said, “While the California film tax credit 4.0 proposal builds upon previous work to solidify California as the entertainment capital of the world, it does not include requirements to increase diversity of its below-the-line hiring.

“The California film tax credit 4.0 only requires a good-faith effort. California, that’s not good enough,” McKinnor continued. “We should all expect more from an industry receiving $1.6 billion in subsidies from California taxpayers.”

Smallwood-Cuevas, McKinnor, and other members of the California legislature want to make amendments to SB 132 that will keep DEI programs intact.

They expect to sit down with members of the film and television industry, union representatives, and Gov. Newsom to get clarity of the entertainment business’ efforts to promote and stabilize DEI initiatives.

“We want progress towards real inclusion and equity in this industry and we want to make sure that our tax dollars are not in any way involved in this erasure,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “We hope that these conversations will lead to a commitment and level of trust that will allow us to continue to move forward and expand our investment in this important industry.”

Survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre Say Their Fight Is Not Over

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Survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre Say Their Fight Is Not Over

By Bria Overs, Word in Black 

The fight for reparations and justice isn’t over. The legal counsel and living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre plan to appeal after an Oklahoma judge threw out the lawsuit on July 7.

Lessie Benningfield Randle, 108, Viola Fletcher, 109, and Hughes Van Ellis, 102, filed their suit in September 2020, seeking accountability and reparations for the racial attack on the historic Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Judge Caroline Wall of the Tulsa County District Court dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the decision is final, and the survivors and their legal counsel cannot refile or retry their particular case. Appealing to the Oklahoma Supreme Court is the only recourse available to move their fight forward, which their attorney, Demario Solomon-Simmons, says they plan to do.

In a press conference on July 10, Solomon-Simmons read a statement responding to the decision on behalf of the three survivors, Randle, Fletcher, and Ellis.

“Despite Tulsa and America’s attempt to silence change and gaslight the facts and truths of our collective racial history and trauma, we, as survivors and all of those that believe in racial justice, will not sit quietly or passively to allow mistruths or injustice to persist.”

STATEMENT FROM THE SURVIVORS

In the spring of 1921, a white mob destroyed the neighborhood, burning over 1,250 homes and 70 businesses, and killing over a hundred Black residents. It marked the end of the success of Black Wall Street.

According to the recent suit, the massacre was a public nuisance under Oklahoma law. A press release from Justice for Greenwood, a network advocating for justice on behalf of survivors and descendants of the massacre, states that the damage caused during the massacre is “estimated to be approximately $200 million in today’s dollars.”

While the decision to throw out this case is disappointing, other recent battles for restitution have reached success.

Nearly 100 years ago, the city of Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles, California used eminent domain, a power governments have to turn private property into public use, to take Charles and Willa Bruce’s ocean-front property. In 2022, Los Angeles County returned the deed and property known as Bruce’s Beach to descendants Marcus and Derrick Bruce.

Earlier this year, the family sold the land back to the county for $20 million.

The Bruce’s case was a major win but also a rarity. This is why experts William Darity and A. Kirsten Mullen believe reparations should ultimately be an issue solved by the federal government.

“We, the federal government, absolutely do have the capacity to pay large sums without a tax burden on United States citizens,” Mullen previously told Word In Black. “We’re not pushing for taxing Americans to pay the reparations debt — and we do see it as a debt, not charity. This is a debt owed to Black American citizens since the end of the Civil War.”

While possible, it’s unlikely this will happen in the lifetimes of the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. With so few options, they opted for fighting for it at the level of government that’s supposed to bring justice: the courts.

The statement on behalf of the survivors continues, “Judge Wall strikingly backpedaled on her prior order permitting us, the three living survivors of the massacre, to proceed with our public nuisance litigation seeking justice for the continuing harms of the massacre. Without a doubt, Judge Wall failed to review this case within the scope of well-established black letter Oklahoma law.”

Wall previously ruled against the defendants, the City of Tulsa, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa Development Authority, and other local government departments, and their motions to dismiss the case.

“But we will not go quietly,” Solomon-Simmons said as he read the survivor’s statement.

“We will continue to fight until our last breaths. Like so many Black Americans, we carry the weight of intergenerational racial trauma day in and day out.”

STATEMENT FROM THE SURVIVORS

“The dismissal of this case is just one more example of how America’s, and specifically Tulsa’s, legacy of racial harm and racial distress is disproportionately and unjustly borne by Black communities and Black individuals like ourselves.”

NHL Player’s Arrest Underscores League’s Persistent Problems in Attracting Black Players, Viewers

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NHL Player’s Arrest Underscores League’s Persistent Problems in Attracting Black Players, Viewers

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The NHL’s ongoing struggle to attract Black players and fans has faced another setback with a recent incident involving Phoenix Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk.
According to a Scottsdale police report, Galchenyuk, who signed a $775,000 contract earlier this month with the Coyotes, was involved in a hit-and-run accident and subsequently confronted a Black police officer using racial slurs and making graphic threats.

During the incident, Galchenyuk reportedly exhibited erratic behavior and aggression toward the officers who responded to the scene.
Various reports said he made disturbing statements, including threatening the officer’s family and using racial slurs multiple times.

“One phone call and you’re all dead, your whole family, your whole blood line is dead,” Galchenyuk allegedly told the officers, before using a derogatory term toward African Americans.
“I’m gonna chop you, your wife, your daughter,” he continued, the police report noted.
The report also mentioned that Galchenyuk was slurring his words and smelled of alcohol, indicating possible intoxication.

The Coyotes swiftly terminated Galchenyuk’s contract, citing a material breach of terms.
“We are aware of the incident involving Alex Galchenyuk and strongly condemn this type of behavior,” the Coyotes said in a statement.

“Once the club was made aware of the allegations, we immediately began the process of terminating his standard player’s contract through the proper channels in conjunction with the National Hockey League.”
Officers arrested Galchenyuk, who faces charges of private property hit-and-run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, and threatening or intimidating.

This incident comes as the NHL is already grappling with diversifying its player base and fan demographic.
Recent surveys indicate that only 10 percent of Black Americans consider themselves avid fans of the NHL.

The league predominantly consists of white players, with 97 percent being Caucasians.
The remaining 3 percent represent players from various backgrounds, including 34 active Black players.
Throughout its 102-year history, the NHL has only had one Black head coach among its 377 coaches.

The NHL’s ongoing efforts to foster inclusivity and diversity have been hindered by incidents like this, reinforcing the perception that the league may not be welcoming or supportive of Black players and fans.

Also, the NHL and the NHL Players Association have repeatedly ignored requests from the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade group representing the more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies comprising the Black Press of America.

Once a Safe Haven for Escaped Slaves, Small Arkansas Town Suffers Water Crisis Amidst Heatwave

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Once a Safe Haven for Escaped Slaves, Small Arkansas Town Suffers Water Crisis Amidst Heatwave

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

During the Civil War in 1863, Helena, Arkansas, located in the South and under Union occupation, provided refuge to runaway slaves, becoming a safe haven for them.
The city also served as a training ground for various regiments comprised of colored soldiers.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Helena transformed into a thriving blues community, flourishing as a bustling port town along the Mississippi River.

According to the city’s official website, musicians from all corners of the South would make a stop in Helena, contributing to its vibrant music scene.
To this day, Helena remains the proud host of the nation’s longest-running blues radio show, King Biscuit Time.

The show played a crucial role in launching the careers of numerous renowned musicians.
Presently known as Helena-West-Helena, the city serves as the county seat for Phillips County and is home to a population of slightly over 9,000 people, predominantly African Americans.

And typical of Black communities across the country, Helena-West Helena has its share of problems that arise from discrimination.
Today, as blistering heat beats down on Helena, the city faces a water crisis and meaningful state, and federal aid has remained elusive.

As the city braces for more scorching temperatures, the mercury expected to reach a sweltering 98 degrees next week, it has grappled with a dire water shortage for the past three weeks.
Aid has been slow to arrive, leaving the community to rely on bottled water for their daily needs.

The root cause of Helena-West Helena’s water woes lies in its aging infrastructure, with pipes dating back at least 60 years, which have been bursting throughout the city.
Mayor Christopher Franklin expressed his concerns in an NBC News interview.
“Some of the problems are about infrastructure being neglected over the years. It’s just been a systemic failure,” Franklin said.

The crisis reached its tipping point on June 25 when a major water line broke, causing the city’s computer operating system that runs the water plant to fail automatically.
As a result, the predominantly Black community endured a grueling 20-hour period without water in scorching temperatures of up to 97 degrees.
Since then, the city has been under a boil water alert, which remains in effect due to leaks sprouting from various compromised parts of the infrastructure.

According to NBC News, city officials estimate that the cost of repairing the antiquated piping system ranges from $1 million to $10 million.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a $100,000 loan to help address the leaks in the primary water system, but Franklin and his chief of staff, James Valley, deemed it insufficient to resolve the issue.

Although water service had been partially restored, low pressure and new leaks persist.
Franklin has tirelessly sought aid from state and federal authorities but claims that his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
Speaking truth to power, Franklin also wasn’t afraid to express his frustration.

“In America, where people have the right to good, quality drinking water, the federal government should be running aid to provide that,” he told NBC.
“Instead, there’s no sense of urgency for us. I mean, why would it be? We’re Black. There’s no urgency until they want our vote. And that’s what’s happening here. What else are we left to think?”
The mayor called upon Arkansas’ two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and John Boozman, both of whom failed to provide a satisfactory response to the crisis.

While Cotton sent an aide to assess the situation, Boozman is scheduled to send one soon.
However, Franklin stressed that what his city truly needs is immediate access to resources and a comprehensive solution, not just visits from representatives.
Acknowledging the assistance provided by entities such as the Arkansas National Guard, the Red Cross, Walmart, and Dollar General in offering support and bottled water, Franklin said he worried that if those organizations are the sole sources of help, the city will face a long, scorching summer.

He others have questioned why substantive and timely aid has been slow to materialize, citing similar delays experienced in other predominate African American communities like Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi.
In his seven months as mayor, Franklin said he has focused on revitalizing the city by demolishing 90 abandoned homes to eliminate blight and attract residents back to the area.

He said he sees this as an opportunity to replace the aging water lines that lie beneath those houses.
However, the water crisis has not been the only challenge for Franklin.
Since defeating a white incumbent in the mayoral race, Franklin said he’s encountered racism, including death threats, property intrusions, and social media attacks.
“I’m not arguing about a football game. I’m arguing about the quality of life for Black people and all the people in this inner city,” Franklin stated.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Aspires to Create New Black Wall Street Through Online Marketplace Empower Global

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Aspires to Create New Black Wall Street Through Online Marketplace Empower Global

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs wants to strengthen the Black dollar: The music mogul is spearheading a new online marketplace called Empower Global that will specifically feature Black-owned businesses.

“I want to create our own Black Wall Street,” Combs told The Associated Press about his e-commerce platform, which launched last week. He feels passionate about building substantial wealth in his community similar to the Greenwood community, the thriving Black-owned business district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was decimated in a two-day attack by a white mob in Oklahoma in 1921.

Combs said he’s not looking for financial benefit after he invested $20 million into Empower Global, which allows consumers to purchase products exclusively created and sold by Black entrepreneurs.

The curated marketplace featuring Black-owned brands will allow consumers to purchase clothing, shoes, beauty accessories including skin care and fragrances, and even wall art. The platform was designed and created by two Black-owned companies, TechSparq and ChatDesk.

The platform launched with 70 brands with plans to introduce new Black businesses monthly. He hopes to showcase more than 200 brands by the end of the year.

“This is about building our own infrastructure and ecosystem,” Combs said. “I’m not doing this for profit. This is about us.”

Combs said he feels more excited about launching into Empower Global than before the start of his widely-popular label Bad Boy Records.

“I’m going into these areas to diversify things and fight for our inclusion. This is a platform about sharing power and empowering each other,” he said. “This is something that is for my people. It’s a tipping point for us to wake up start paying attention and supporting each other while taking responsibility and accountability.”

Combs, who’s worked on the platform for years, said it’s important for Black people to circulate money in their own community.

“It benefits the community to empower and take care of itself,” he said. “Right now, our dollar in the Black community doesn’t even last an hour. Most other communities and ethnic groups, they understand the power of unity. Their dollars stay in their communities for days and get passed on to other people that are like them and from their same community.”

Combs said he’s accomplished his dreams of building one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities. He’s the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

He created the Sean John fashion clothing line, launched the Revolt TV with a focus on music and has his own vodka. He’ also produced the reality show “Making the Band” on MTV.

“My dreams have always been to be successful in music, being obsessed with fashion and the greatest Black serial entrepreneur to ever live,” said Combs, who along with Tyler Perry and Byron Allen is interested in purchasing the network BET. He’s also in a dispute with spirits giant Diageo after he sued the company over allegations of racism over how they handled his liquor brands.

“I’ve graduated from me to we. I’m able to use my God-given intelligence to create,” he said. “I’m passionate about the possibility of showing Black economic unity. I’m not going to stop until I’m working with the best brands, the best Black-owned digital mainstream, so we can start fueling our own economic system.”

Republican State Attorneys General Warn CEOs of the Legal Consequences of Considering Race in Hiring Practices

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Republican State Attorneys General Warn CEOs of the Legal Consequences of Considering Race in Hiring Practices

By Stacy M. Brown, WI Senior Writer

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general have sent a cautionary letter to the CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies, highlighting the potential legal ramifications of using race as a factor in employment practices.
The letter follows the recent Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in higher education.

It has stoked fears that the court’s ruling will extend to corporate America.
“Racial discrimination in employment and contracting is all too common among Fortune 100 companies and other large businesses,” the attorneys general wrote in the July 13 letter to the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies.

“In an inversion of the odious discriminatory practices of the distant past, today’s major companies adopt explicitly race-based initiatives which are similarly illegal.”
The attorneys continued, noting that “these discriminatory practices include, among other things, explicit racial quotas and preferences in hiring, recruiting, retention, promotion, and advancement.”

“They also include race-based contracting practices, such as racial preferences and quotas in selecting suppliers, providing overt preferential treatment to customers on the basis of race, and pressuring contractors to adopt the company’s racially discriminatory quotas and preferences.”

The high court’s ruling, which declared race an inadmissible factor in college admissions, could also apply to private entities, including employers.
They emphasized that treating individuals differently based on their skin color, even with benign intentions, is unlawful and wrong.

Additionally, the attorneys general suggested that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs might constitute a form of discrimination.
Already DE&I positions appear targeted.
Shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision, it was revealed three prominent studios and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had bid farewell to their top diversity executives.

The exodus of diversity executives included the departure of Disney’s chief diversity officer and senior vice president, Latondra Newton.
A veteran of six years at the company, Newton left on June 20 to pursue “other endeavors.”
Netflix’s head of inclusion strategy, Vernā Myers, was the next to announce her departure, set for September.

Additionally, Discovery removed Karen Horne from her position as SVP of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
And at the same time, the Academy bid farewell to Jeanell English, its EVP of Impact and Inclusion.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer created English’s role in July 2022.
Still, several experts noted that the Supreme Court’s ruling does not directly alter existing employer obligations or commitments to DEI.

Greg Hoff, associate counsel of the HR Policy Association, told PBS that the decision does not legally impact Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which governs employment discrimination and workplace bias.
Several experts opined that the ruling pertains specifically to higher education institutions and entities that receive federal funding rather than private employers.

They emphasize that affirmative action in college admissions differs significantly from DEI efforts in workplaces, which can encompass various initiatives such as expanded outreach for diverse hires, the establishment of employee resource groups for underrepresented workers, and the reduction of bias in hiring through practices like blind applications.

David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at New York University’s School of Law, said in a PBS interview that opponents of DEI have been deliberately conflating affirmative action with DEI initiatives to serve their political agendas.
Glasgow emphasized that although affirmative action in the workplace is still technically legal according to Supreme Court precedent, it is still infrequent.

He suggested that if there’s a challenge to workplace affirmative action, the current court might overturn such cases, mirroring the decision made in college admissions.
However, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) recently sent a letter to Target’s CEO, alleging that the company’s DEI program and “racial quota for hiring” were discriminatory, citing the affirmative action ruling.
The attorneys general have expressed their intent to monitor companies’ hiring practices for employees and contractors closely.

They specifically called out several companies, including Airbnb, Facebook, Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Netflix, for their programs to increase racial diversity in their workforce and supplier networks.
Despite the forceful nature of the letter, only about half of the nation’s Republican attorneys general signed it, while Democrats have criticized the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action.

California Black Media Political Playback: News You Might Have Missed

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California Black Media Political Playback: News You Might Have Missed

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Karim Webb Elected to Serve as President of Board of Airport Commissioners

Karim Webb, commissioner Los Angeles World Airport // CBM

On July 13, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) unanimously elected Karim Webb as the group’s President.

Webb is an Entrepreneurial Activist and CEO of 4thMVMT, a Los Angeles-based firm that partners with individuals from underserved communities to own and operate competitive retail businesses.

“It is an incredible honor to serve as President of Board of Airport Commissioners,” said Webb. “An extraordinarily talented group of Commissioners have been assembled to ensure the benefits of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) are realized equitably across our region.

“Collectively, we’ll work to support the LAWA team complete the transformation of LAX while centering the interests of all Angelinos in all we do,” said Webb, who is the son of Reggie Webb, a philanthropist and owner of McDonald’s franchises in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass congratulated Webb on his election to BOAC President.

“I am confident that LAWA will continue to innovate and grow its impact in the region under the leadership of President Karim Webb and Vice President Matt M. Johnson.”

Bass also congratulated Courtney La Bau and Victor Narro on their appointments as new commissioners of BOAC.

L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price Says Charges Are “Unwarranted” as He Makes First Court Appearance

On July 13, embattled Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price made his first court appearance since L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón filed charges against him last month.

Gascón is charging Price with receiving nearly $34,000 in medical benefits for his current wife, Del Richardson Price, between 2013 and 2017 while he was still married to his former wife. Prosecutors also allege that Price made several false statements on forms, including misstating his wife’s income.

Price, 72, who continues to serve his district on the city council, did not speak to reporters at the hearing but released a statement afterward.

“We believe that the charges filed by the D.A.’s office are completely unwarranted and that the facts will bear this out,” Price said. “I have always conducted myself, in and out of the public eye, with integrity and professionalism.”

If convicted, Price could face 8 to 10 years in prison.

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation to Speed Up Infrastructure Projects

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an infrastructure package aimed at accelerating construction on projects that will help California meet its 2035 clean energy goals.

The recently approved state budget allocates $180 billion towards related infrastructure development. It is estimated that these projects could create up to 400,000 jobs, according to the Governor’s office.

“For decades, infrastructure projects critical to our future have stalled because of a pervasive mindset of ‘no,’” said Newsom in a press release. “With this legislation, California is saying ‘yes’ to building the clean energy, safe drinking water and transportation projects we need to deliver on our world-leading climate action. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and build California’s future.”

Newsom also signed components of the 2023-24 state budget agreement, which includes $37.8 billion in total budgetary reserves. This represents the largest figure in state history.

In Annual “Top States for Business” Report, California Gets “F” for Cost of Living and Business Friendliness

Every year CNBC releases a “Top States for Business” ranking.

The network evaluated all 50 states on 86 metrics across 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category was weighted based on how frequently states used it as a selling point to attract potential residents and businesses. The metrics were scored on a scale of 2,500 points and the states with the highest scores made the list.

California gained top rankings in ‘Access to Capital’ and ‘Technology & Innovation’. However,

Everett Sands. CEO Lendistry // CBM

the state received F rankings in ‘Business Friendliness’ and ‘Cost of Living’. Overall, California ranked number 25 in the study.

“Our overall ranking should come as no surprise to the governor and Legislature, who continue to push higher taxes, fees, and expensive regulations onto businesses,” said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable.

“The governor and Legislature’s policies continue to give clear signals that California is not a friendly place to expand or grow jobs,” Lapsley added.

State Board of Education Votes Unanimously to Adopt Math Framework for California Public Schools

On July 12, the California State Board of Education unanimously passed a new framework for Math instruction.

The nearly 1,000-page document calls for significant changes in instruction, emphasizing approaches that engage students through problem-solving, creating context and relating the subject to their daily lives.

Proponents of the new approach say that the goal is to build a conceptual understanding of the subject matter before introducing the math procedures and algorithms that have traditionally been taught first.

The changes to the mathematical framework in response to declining math test scores, which are largely attributed to outdated textbooks and students struggling to recover from the pandemic and readjust to in-person learning.

Only 33% of students met or exceeded mathematics proficiency standards in 2022.

“The framework’s focus on fundamental concepts, open-ended tasks, justice, student inquiry, reasoning and justification aligns with effective mathematics teaching practices,” state board member Gabriela Orozco-Gonzalez told edsource.org.

U.S. Small Business Administration Gives L.A.-Based Black-Owned Fintech Firm SBA Preferred Lender Status

Last week, Lendistry, a Los Angeles-based fintech firm that administered COVID-19 state grants to small businesses in California, announced that it has been granted Preferred Lender status by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

The Preferred Lender Program grants SBA lenders the ability to underwrite and approve SBA loans independently without waiting for the SBA to review them, resulting in faster and more flexible decisions for customers, according to a Lendistry press release.

“In a time when stricter lending rules are slowing the flow of capital to businesses and households, we’re determined to keep expanding financing opportunities,” says Everett K. Sands, CEO of Lendistry. “Technology is the key to equitable lending.”

Derek Smith Joins California African American Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

The California African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) has unanimously added Derek Smith to its Board of Directors. Smith is the founder and managing member of Marinship Development Interest, a California African American Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) leading heavy building and construction innovation for civil and energy infrastructure projects.

CAACC Chairman Timothy Alan Simon, announced that Smith’s experience, leadership skills, resourcefulness, professional achievements, and ability to approach strategic solutions will prove useful to CAACC’s leadership team and objectives.

Smith said he will help the largest African American, statewide-business organization expand exponentially, increase its professional capacity and enhance its image. He will operate as CAACC’s “spokesperson” and is looking forward to elevating the profile of the organization in California and throughout the country.

5 Black Mental Health Accounts to Follow

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5 Black Mental Health Accounts to Follow

By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black 

Social media has made it easier than ever to access mental health education. In a matter of seconds, a quick search for “ways to manage anxiety” or “how to set boundaries” on Instagram or TikTok lands users face-to-face with licensed therapists. With a new platform on the scene — Meta’s Threads — now may be a good time to spruce up your feed.

Here are five Black therapists and mental health organizations to consider following:

1. @MikeyDyson

Michael Dyson is a psychotherapist and career counselor who helps job seekers transition into new workplaces with confidence and self-awareness. Through his company, DYSN Career Counseling, he provides virtual classes and one-on-one counseling. He also serves clients in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a provider with Good Stress Company. Check out Dyson’s page for notes on eliminating distraction, prioritizing happiness, and more.

Quote: “Why settle for being resilient when you have the ability to thrive?”

Howard University Establishes 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy

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Howard University Establishes 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy

By Ashleigh Fields, AFRO Assistant Editor,

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions shattered fifty years of legal precedent, citing the policy as a violation of the 14th Amendment which provides “equal protection under the law.” As the nation reacted with outrage, Howard University announced plans to launch the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy a week prior to the controversial ruling.

“It’s vital that we begin to understand the centrality of the 14th Amendment to post-Civil War America. I fear that far too many people in our country – far too many lawyers, and most Black people – simply don’t know how rich and visionary the 14th Amendment is, and how powerfully its provisions reflect a clear-eyed understanding of the ongoing threat of white supremacy to our democracy,” said Sherrilyn Ifill who will found the center as the inaugural Vernon E. Jordan endowed chair.

Ifill has a storied career as a civil rights litigator and has worked on landmark Voting Rights Act cases such as Houston Lawyers’ Association vs. Attorney General of Texas. Her most recent roles include serving on President Biden’s Commission on the Supreme Court and formerly as the Legal Defense Fund’s (LDF) seventh president since Thurgood Marshall founded the organization in 1940.

“I’ve always been guided by the images and stories of the men and women who did this work in the past. Justice Marshall was sui generis. I’ve been circling his life from my early days as a litigator at LDF, to my decision to move to Baltimore, to the 20 years I spent teaching at the first law school he successfully sued to desegregate – the University of Maryland Law School, to finally become the seventh President and Director-Counsel of LDF,” Ifill told the AFRO. “He’s been kind of my North Star, guiding me.”

Ifill established a personal connection with Vernon E. Jordan while working at LDF where she heard treasured stories of his experiences at Howard University.

“We called him ‘Uncle Vernon’ at LDF. To walk into a room with Vernon was to experience for a moment what it must be like to be on the arm of royalty,” said Ifill. “I am so honored and excited to walk in the legacy of both Justice Marshall and Mr. Jordan.”

As the Vernon E. Jordan endowed chair, Ifill will support Howard’s Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center in recruitment, teaching and research in addition to collaborating with the Charles Hamilton Houston Center at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute to successfully found the 14th Amendment multidisciplinary center.

“The launch of this Center comes at a moment of truth for our country’s pursuit of a genuinely multiracial democracy – and of the promise of the 14th Amendment,” said Zinelle October, American Constitution Society’s (ACS) executive vice president.

Ifill was presented the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award at ACS’s national convention in D.C. this past May.

“Howard could not have chosen a more distinguished or generation-defining civil rights leader. Throughout her career, Sherrilyn has been at the forefront of vindicating civil rights in this country,”  said ACS President Russ Feingold. “At such a decisive moment for this country, we are ecstatic that Sherrilyn will remain on the frontlines of civil rights in this distinguished position.”

Before joining the ranks at Howard, Ifill will teach as a Distinguished Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School this fall where she will lead a 14th Amendment seminar.

“One thing I hope my students will see is how you can make a lifelong commitment to this work. And that they will see the joy in the work, not just the challenges,” said Ifill. “There is nothing better than bringing your heart, your intellect, your experience and your determination to doing the work of justice and equality for your people. It is a powerful centering force for me that allows me to remain resilient and positive in this work.”

 

Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III Succeeds Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. as President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition

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Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III Succeeds Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. as President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Tributes have continued to pour in for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who announced on July 14 his retirement as President and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the influential civil rights organization he started decades ago to carry on the struggle for equality and justice that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought heroically.

The organization said Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III will succeed Jackson.
“The promise of America is that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we’ve never fully walked away from it because of extraordinary leaders like Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.,” President Joe Biden stated.
“Throughout our decades of friendship and partnership, I’ve seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our nation forward through tumult and triumph.”

The President continued:

“Whether on the campaign trail, on the march for equality, or in the room advocating for what is right and just, I’ve seen him as history will remember him: a man of God and of the people; determined, strategic, and unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our nation.”
One of Jackson’s comrade in the civil rights struggle, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., echoed Biden’s remarks.

NNPA President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., with Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition’s Annual Automotive Summit in Detroit/NNPA

“On behalf of the NNPA, representing the Black Press of America, I am so pleased to issue the NNPA’s highest regards and respect to the Honorable Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.,” Chavis remarked.

“I have known and worked with the Rev. Jackson all of my adult life as a fellow freedom fighter in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, NAACP, Rainbow PUSH, United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, and the National African American Leadership Summit.”
Chavis continued:
“Rev. Jackson’s transformative ‘Run Jesse Run’ presidential campaigns in the 1980s irreversibly changed America for the better.

“The Black Press resolutely salutes Jesse Jackson’s outstanding national and global leadership, and we pledge to keep fighting for freedom, justice, equality, and equity.”
Jackson, a renowned figure in the fight for civil rights, founded PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in 1971 and established the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984.
In 1996, the two organizations merged to form the powerful and influential Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Organization officials said Dr. Haynes, a Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. co-chair, has exemplified the same passion and commitment to global racial justice that characterizes Jackson’s legacy.
As a co-founder of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC), Inc., Haynes has been a guiding force for over two decades, upholding the mission and ministry of the organization.

“This nation has entered a new era of struggle against racial injustices, hate speech, new forms of institutional oppression against the poor, people of color, and those marginalized due to religion or sexual orientation,” said Dr. Iva Carruthers, general secretary, and co-founder of the SDPC.

Bishop Leah Daughtry, co-chair of the SDPC, highlighted the necessity for collaboration between national and local organizations during what he called critical times.
“Collaboration between national and local organizations is ever more needed at this time,” he said in a news release.

According to his official biography, Jackson was born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina.
He graduated from the public schools in Greenville and then enrolled in the University of Illinois on a football scholarship.

Jackson later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964.
He began his theological studies at Chicago Theological Seminary but, according to his bio, deferred his studies when he started working full-time in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. King.
Ordained by Rev. Clay Evans on June 30, 1968, Jackson received his Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.

For his work in human and civil rights and nonviolent social change, Jackson has received over 40 honorary doctorate degrees and frequently lectures at major colleges and universities, including Howard, Yale, Princeton, Morehouse, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford and Hampton.

He was made an Honorary Fellow of Regents Park College at Oxford University in the UK in November 2007 and received an Honorary Fellowship from Edge Hill University in Liverpool, England.
In March 2010, Jackson earned induction into England’s prestigious Cambridge Union Society.

In April 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
In October 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Jackson as Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa.

“Jill and I are grateful to Rev. Jackson for his lifetime of dedicated service and extend our appreciation to the entire Jackson family,” Biden added.
“We look forward to working with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition as he hands the torch to the next generation of leadership, just as we will continue to cherish the counsel and wisdom that we draw from him.”

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