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President Biden Salutes Black Press During Convention in Nashville

Maria

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Jul 3, 2023

President Biden Salutes Black Press During Convention in Nashville

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

This week, during the NNPA’s Annual Convention, which celebrated 196 years of the Black Press of America, Biden appeared via video to salute the NNPA and its member publishers on the occasion.

“Congratulations to the Black Press of America for celebrating 196 years of serving communities across our nation,” Biden stated in the address which aired on July 1.

“Ida B. Wells once said, the way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon the wrong. That’s the sacred charge of a free press. That’s the charge African American publishers have pursued for nearly two centuries,” Biden continued.

“With every story you publish, you make our democracy stronger. Thank you for what you do to turn the light of truth wherever your work leads you. Thank you.”

President Joe Biden has always maintained that the Black vote pushed him over the top in his 2020 election victory over Donald Trump.

And it’s never been lost on the president that the pivotal day in his campaign occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 26, when he sat down for a live roundtable interview with Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned newspapers and media companies.

Joining Chavis at that campaign-turning event were dozens of Black Press publishers and media company owners, and the livestream of that event, followed later in the day by an endorsement from Democratic South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, catapulted the once slumbering candidacy all the way to the White House.

Dr. Chavis and outgoing NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards, praised the President for recognizing the importance of the Black Press of America.

“The NNPA is especially honored to hear directly from President Joe Biden for his continued support and advocacy of the importance of the Black Press of America,” Chavis stated. “As we celebrate 196 years of the Black Press, it’s always gratifying and encouraging to have the support of the President of the United States. In the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on civil rights, the Black Press rededicates our journalism to be a clarion voice for freedom, justice, equality, and equity.”

Richards who is the publisher of the Houston Forward Times, also thanked the President.

“To have the President of the United States take the time out to be a part of our convention is of course special,” Richards said. “But, it’s also a testament to just how vital the Black Press remains. Collectively, as Black publishers and Black business owners, we are stronger than ever and the President’s message reinforces that.”

Newly elected board chair Bobby Henry, publisher of the Westside Gazette in Florida, added, “That message from President Biden to the association was one that signifies that he remains true to his pledge to value the role African Americans play and have played in this country. Further, acknowledging the role that the Black press plays in reaching our people and those sympathetic to our plight remains a critical component of the 2024 electoral strategy.”

Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Student Loan Relief

Maria

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Jul 3, 2023

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Supreme Court Puts the Brakes on Student Loan Relief

By Bria Overs, Word in Black

After months of waiting, borrowers now have answers on the fate of their federal student loans. The Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan. The plan would have canceled up to $20,000 in federal loans for eligible borrowers, totaling over $400 billion in relief.

Because of the decisions from the Court, borrowers can expect their student loans to start gaining interest again as early as September and payments to restart in October.

The Court decided on two cases today — Biden v. Nebraska and U.S. Department of Education v. Brown. Both sought to block student loan forgiveness and challenged the president’s authority to push a plan of such magnitude.

In Biden v. Nebraska, six Republican-led states argued that the student-debt plan would harm their states’ tax revenues, as well as harm Missouri-based student-loan servicer MOHELA.

The administration, on the other hand, argued they were well within their power, citing the HEROES (Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students) Act of 2003. The act was originally passed in 2001 and expanded in 2003 to allow the Education Secretary to provide relief for borrowers affected by war, military operation, or national emergency.

The Court ruled 6-3 in the states’ favor, pointing out that the HEROES Act permits the Secretary to “modify” but does not permit “basic and fundamental changes in the scheme.”

Student debt cancellation is significant for marginalized people, especially Black borrowers who hold a majority of the overall debt.

“Student loan debt is an urgent crisis that disproportionately burdens Black and LGBTQ+ students, compounding barriers in accessing post-secondary opportunities and achieving equity and justice, more generally,” David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, said in a statement.

“The National Black Justice Coalition calls on lawmakers and the Biden-Harris administration to explore alternative avenues for relieving Black and LGBTQ+ students burdened by student loan debt.”

DAVID J. JOHNS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL BLACK JUSTICE COALITION

“Instead, ‘modify’ carries ‘a connotation of increment or limitation,’ and must be read to mean ‘to change moderately or in minor fashion,’” the decision reads.

In U.S. Department of Education v. Brown, two student-loan borrowers sued the department because they were not eligible for the full $20,000 of relief. In the forgiveness plan, those who did not receive Pell Grants while attending college but met the income threshold were eligible for half the relief at $10,000.

The judges unanimously, 9-0, decided to toss out the U.S. Department of Education v. Brown and stated the cases lack of standing as the cause.

In this case, the decision reads, “Because respondents fail to establish that any injury they suffer from not having their loans forgiven is fairly traceable to the Plan, they lack Article III standing, so the Court has no jurisdiction to address their procedural claim.”

“I believe that the Court’s decision to strike down our student debt relief plan is wrong. But I will stop at nothing to find other ways to deliver relief to hard-working middle-class families. My Administration will continue to work to bring the promise of higher education to every American.”

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IN A WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT

The statement also pointed to “hypocrisy” from the Republican party for forgiveness of loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Outside of today’s rulings, the Biden administration previously announced in Nov. 2022 a plan to restart payments 60 days after implementation if the Supreme Court ruled in their favor. Or 60 days after June 30 if the Supreme Court struck it down.

However, Congress recently passed legislation to block Biden’s relief program and end the payment pause, guaranteeing the restart regardless of the Court’s decisions.

The Jobs Creator Network Foundation, part of the support for legal challenging, claims the Court’s ruling will help address rising tuition rates, a growing issue among colleges.

“With this ruling, the Supreme Court has protected hardworking Americans who have paid back their student loans or never went to college from having to unfairly cover the college debt of others,” the statement reads.

Other organizations, along with several prominent politicians, who are advocates for the plan, urge Biden to take a new route to fulfill his campaign promise of relief for borrowers.

“Student loan relief is a promise from President Biden to more than 40 million families,” Melissa Byrne, student loan activist and executive director of We The 45 Million, said in a statement. “It is our chance for dignity. He must immediately implement a plan B including finding a different path to ensure no repayment begins until cancellation is delivered. Failure to deliver student loan relief is not an option.”

Judge Awards Black Church $1 Million after BLM Banner Burned by Proud Boys During Protest

Maria

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Jul 3, 2023

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Judge Awards Black Church $1 Million after BLM Banner Burned by Proud Boys During Protest

By Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Friday awarded more than $1 million to a Black church in downtown Washington, D.C. that sued the far-right Proud Boys for tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter banner during a 2020 protest.

Superior Court Associated Judge Neal A. Kravitz also barred the extremist group and its leaders from coming near the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church or making threats or defamatory remarks against the church or its pastor for five years.

“Our courage and determination to fight back in response to the 2020 attack on our church is a beacon of hope for our community and today’s ruling showed us what our collective vision and voice can achieve,” said the Rev. William H. Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan AME, in a statement from the church’s counsel on Saturday. “While A.M.E. refused to be silenced in the face of white supremacist violence, that does not mean real trauma and damage did not occur – merely that congregants and the church have and will continue to rise above it.”

The ruling was a default judgment issued after the defendants failed to show up in court to fight the case.

Two Black Lives Matter banners were pulled down from Metropolitan AME and another historically Black church and burned during clashes between pro-Donald Trump supporters and counterdemonstrators in December 2020.

The destruction took place after weekend rallies by thousands of people in support of Trump’s baseless claims that he won a second term, which led to dozens of arrests, several stabbings and injuries to police officers.

Metropolitan AME sued the Proud Boys and their leaders, alleging they violated D.C. and federal law by trespassing and destroying religious property in a bias-related conspiracy.

“The attack against Metropolitan A.M.E. was an attempt to silence the congregation’s voice and its support for Black life, dignity, and safety. It represents just the latest chapter in a long history of white supremacist violence targeting Black houses of worship,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in the church counsel’s statement. “These attacks are meant to intimidate and create fear, and this lawsuit’s aim was to hold those who engage in such action accountable.”

Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, of Miami, publicly acknowledged setting fire to one banner, which prosecutors said was stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church.

In July 2021, Tarrio pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor criminal charges of property destruction and attempted possession of a high-capacity magazine.

He was sentenced to more than five months in jail.

Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys were separately convicted of seditious conspiracy charges as part of a plot to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a desperate bid to keep Donald Trump in power after the Republican lost the 2020 presidential election.

Supreme Court Ruling Brings Bitterness for Borrowers Counting on Student Loan Forgiveness

Maria

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Jul 2, 2023

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Supreme Court Ruling Brings Bitterness for Borrowers Counting on Student Loan Forgiveness

By SHARON LURYE and ANNIE MA, Associated Press

Whitney Jean Alim, a 27-year-old educator in Chicago, dreamed of buying a house sooner with the room in her budget from President Joe Biden’s student loan cancellation plan. It would have cut in half the $40,000 she owes on loans taken out for college and a master’s degree.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the forgiveness plan, dashing the hopes of Alim and millions of other borrowers who were expecting their student debt would be reduced or wiped out entirely.

“Literally this morning, I felt like: ‘Damn, I just lost $20,000,’” said Alim, who learned of the decision from a reporter.

For borrowers around the country, the ruling brought bitterness and frustration, even for those who anticipated the plan’s rejection by the conservative justices. Some fought back feelings of despair.

The student loan forgiveness program would have eliminated $10,000 in debt for those making less than $125,000. Households earning less than $250,000 were also eligible. Pell Grant recipients would have had an additional $10,000 in relief. Forty-three million borrowers would have been eligible, the administration said.

Conservative opponents of the debt relief objected to the cost, estimated at $400 billion over 30 years, and said it was unfair to Americans who had already repaid their debt or did not go to college. Supporters of Biden’s plan said it would boost the economy and narrow the racial wealth gap, given the disproportionate amount of student debt held by borrowers of color.

Brittany Bell Surratt, of Washington, D.C., said she wasn’t surprised at the court’s ruling. But she said the news left her disheartened at the future for Black Americans like herself, especially coming a day after the court ruled against affirmative action in higher education.

“We have been systemically discriminated against in so many ways, and this goes hand in hand with the affirmative action decision,” she said. “That’s a choice, and it’s intentional and deliberate and conscious.”

Bell Surratt, 37, said she was not making payments while student loans were frozen during the pandemic because she was saving up for her 17-year-old son, who plans to attend college next year. Her student loans totaled about $47,000 originally, but currently she owes over $65,000, with interest. When payments resume Oct. 1, she expects to spend about $800 a month. “That’s a mortgage in a lot of places.”

Nicholas Richard-Thompson, a communications coordinator for the mayor’s office in Aurora, Illinois, was at his desk when he saw a student loans news alert flash across his phone. Although he was not surprised by the ruling, it left him feeling defeated.

To finance his education, Richard-Thompson now has nearly $100,000 of debt. As one of the youngest children of older parents, Richard-Thompson said he could not have pursued higher education without taking out loans.

Richard-Thompson said that the recent string of Supreme Court decisions rolling back progress for women, LGBTQ+ communities and people of color were a product of a Democratic Party that has been unwilling to take a bold stance on the issues.

“These are consequences from their politics of the last 20 years,” Richard-Thompson said. “Unless they diverge greatly, it’s going to continue and get worse.”

Advocacy groups supporting debt cancellation condemned the decision while demanding Biden find another avenue to fulfill his promise of debt relief. Biden, who promised debt forgiveness during his presidential campaign, said he he would work to begin a new program designed to ease borrowers’ threat of default if they fall behind over the next year.

Alim said the degrees she and her peers financed with loans have not paid the dividends they had been led to expect.

“I just think that education in America is not really worth it. It’s not becoming worth it,” she said.

When student loan repayments start again in the fall, she’ll have to find $500 a month to make payments on her loans. That money could have gone toward saving to buy a home, she said.

Elizabeth Shoby, a 33-year-old artist in New York City, says the court’s decision deprives her family of financial relief that was much needed. Biden’s plan would have canceled $10,000 of the $70,000 in debt she borrowed for a graduate degree in fine arts.

“My husband and I have a pretty tight budget,” Shoby said. “Our incomes are quite maxed out in terms of our current debts, mortgage, payments, etcetera. And I think both of us know that another $400 a month payment is just — we can’t really foresee right now where that’s going to come from.”

Kerrianne Troesch, a rising junior majoring in communications at Pennsylvania Western University, would have gotten nearly $10,000 in student loan debt cancelled from her freshman year of college alone. Troesch, 20, has already resigned herself to an expected $60,000 in student loan debt after she graduates.

Troesch, who is also an organizer with a nonprofit called Rise that advocates for affordable education options, considered not going to college at all, but felt then her only options would be minimum-wage jobs.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, because you’re going to be racking up debt no matter what,” she said.

SCOTUS Strikes Down Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

Maria

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Jul 2, 2023

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SCOTUS Strikes Down Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Supreme Court has blocked President Joe Biden’s ambitious student loan forgiveness program, which aimed to provide up to $20,000 in relief to millions of borrowers.
The decision comes as a blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to alleviate the burden of student debt on struggling individuals.

President Biden, determined to support student loan borrowers, plans to announce new actions during his upcoming address later today.
The source reveals that while the White House strongly disagrees with the Supreme Court’s ruling, they had been preparing for such an outcome.

Considering the decision, the administration intends to emphasize to borrowers and their families that Republicans are responsible for denying them the much-needed relief that President Biden has been fighting to deliver.
The White House said it remains committed to its mission of easing the financial strain on Americans burdened by student loans.

Democrats for Education Reform DC (DFER DC), an organization dedicated to improving education policies, issued a statement expressing disappointment in the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Jessica Giles, Executive Director of DFER DC, condemned the conservative justices for what she perceived as their alignment with Republican political interests.
Giles argued that the decision has not only disrupted the lives of over 40 million student loan borrowers but has also dealt a particularly devastating blow to Black Americans.

She asserts that the ruling will exacerbate the racial wealth gap, push numerous borrowers into financial hardship, and erode public trust in the Supreme Court.
In response to this setback, DFER DC urged Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council to take proactive measures to expand existing programs aimed at reducing student loan debt and fixing the flaws within the higher education system.
The organization said it believes that local initiatives can help mitigate the negative impact of the Supreme Court’s decision and provide much-needed support to borrowers in the absence of federal relief.

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, with an estimated cost of $400 billion, was designed to offer significant relief to borrowers burdened by the weight of their student loans.

However, with the program now blocked by the Supreme Court, the administration will need to explore alternative avenues to address the pressing issue of student debt in the United States.

“This Court clearly has a self-imposed mandate to legislate from the bench. They have waged war on women, unions, Black and Brown Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, religious freedom, and democracy,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement.

“In the last two days, they have set their sights on college students to either block them from getting into elite institutions or put a financial albatross around their neck so they can’t succeed.
“We applaud President Biden’s commitment to following through on this campaign pledge, because millions of Black and Brown Americans are counting on it.”

Sacramento Observer Dominates NNPA Fund Messenger Awards; Larry Lee Wins Publisher of Year

Maria

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Jul 2, 2023

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Sacramento Observer Dominates NNPA Fund Messenger Awards; Larry Lee Wins Publisher of Year

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Sacramento Observer added the seventh John B. Russwurm Award to its storied history, scoring a resounding victory during the National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund’s Messenger Awards.

The Russwurm Award is presented to the top Black-owned newspaper in the country.
In all, the publication, established in 1962, took home 16 awards including Publisher of the Year.
Observer Publisher Larry Lee thanked his NNPA peers and his staff for the newspaper’s continued success.

“On a very humbling night during the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards, the Sacramento Observer won 16 awards including the Russwurm Award as the nation’s best Black newspaper,” Lee celebrated.
“I was also awarded Publisher of the Year. I cannot express how proud I am of our team,” he said.

The 2023 NNPA Fund Messenger Awards took place in Nashville, Tenn., during the NNPA’s annual convention.
Legendary Tennessee Tribune Publisher Rosetta Miller-Perry served as host and help guide members of the Black Press through Music City with a reception and tour of the National Museum of African American Music, and a taste of southern hospitality.

The annual awards help bolster a week of meetings, panel discussions, and other events that brings together more than 200 African American publishers and media company owners, their partners, and sponsors.

While the Observer took home the biggest awards haul, other multiple award winners included the Atlanta Voice, Houston Defender, Philadelphia Tribune, and the Washington Informer.
Below is a list of winners from the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards.

NNPA FUND MESSENGER AWARDS 2023

Category winners
Newsletter Excellence Award Michigan Chronicle
Newsletter Excellence Award New Pittsburg Courier
Newsletter Excellence Award The Philadelphia Tribune

Category winners
Layout & Design (Tabloid) – Robert L. Vann Award Houston Defender
Layout & Design (Tabloid) – Robert L. Vann Award The Observer Newspapers
Layout & Design (Tabloid) – Robert L. Vann Award Washington Informer

Category winners
Original Photography Use Award Atlanta Voice
Original Photography Use Award Birmingham Times
Original Photography Use Award St. Louis American

Category winners
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle – Ada S. Franklin Award Houston Defender
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle – Ada S. Franklin Award Michigan Chronicle
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle – Ada S. Franklin Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Health – Emory O. Jackson Award Atlanta Voice
Health – Emory O. Jackson Award The Observer Newspapers
Health – Emory O. Jackson Award Houston Defender

Category winners
Special Edition – Leon W. Washington Award Seattle Medium
Special Edition – Leon W. Washington Award The Philadelphia Tribune
Special Edition – Leon W. Washington Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Faith & Religion Award The New York Amsterdam News
Faith & Religion Award The Philadelphia Tribune
Faith & Religion Award Wave Community Newspapers

Category winners
Education – Frank L. Stanley Award Birmingham Times
Education – Frank L. Stanley Award Houston Defender
Education – Frank L. Stanley Award Washington Informer

Category winners
Video Campaign Award Atlanta Voice
Video Campaign Award Texas Metro News
Video Campaign Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Layout & Design (Broadsheet) – Robert L. Vann Award Afro American Newspaper (Baltimore)
Layout & Design (Broadsheet) – Robert L. Vann Award Michigan Chronicle
Layout & Design (Broadsheet) – Robert L. Vann Award The Philadelphia Tribune

Category winners
Community Engagement – W. A. Scott II Award Houston Defender
Community Engagement – W. A. Scott II Award St. Louis American
Community Engagement – W. A. Scott II Award The New York Amsterdam News

Category winners
Youth & Children Award Atlanta Voice
Youth & Children Award Houston Defender
Youth & Children Award New Tri-State Defender

Category winners
Social & Criminal Justice – Ida B. Wells Award Final Call

Social & Criminal Justice – Ida B. Wells Award St. Louis American
Social & Criminal Justice – Ida B. Wells Award The New York Amsterdam News

Category winners
Editorial & Opinion -Robert S. Abbott Award St. Louis American
Editorial & Opinion -Robert S. Abbott Award The Observer Newspapers
Editorial & Opinion -Robert S. Abbott Award The Philadelphia Tribune

Category winners
Community Service – Carl Murphy Award Washington Informer
Community Service – Carl Murphy Award The Observer Newspapers
Community Service – Carl Murphy Award The New York Amsterdam News

Category winners
Facebook Campaign Award Atlanta Voice
Facebook Campaign Award The New York Amsterdam News
Facebook Campaign Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Instagram Campaign Award Houston Forward Times
Instagram Campaign Award New Pittsburg Courier
Instagram Campaign Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Enviroment – Wilbert L Holloway The Observer Newspapers
Enviroment – Wilbert L Holloway The New York Amsterdam News
Enviroment – Wilbert L Holloway Washington Informer

Category winners
Sports – Don King Award Houston Defender
Sports – Don King Award New Pittsburg Courier
Sports – Don King Award Seattle Medium

Category winners
Entertainment – Armstrong Ellington Award The New York Amsterdam News
Entertainment – Armstrong Ellington Award The Observer Newspapers
Entertainment – Armstrong Ellington Award Wave Community Newspapers

Category winners
Newspaper Excellence – John H. Sengstacke Award Houston Defender
Newspaper Excellence – John H. Sengstacke Award Birmingham Times
Newspaper Excellence – John H. Sengstacke Award The Observer Newspapers

Category winners
Business Award Michigan Chronicle
Business Award The Observer Newspapers
Business Award Wave Community Newspapers

Category winners
Website Excellence – A.Philip Randolph Award The Observer Newspapers
Website Excellence – A.Philip Randolph Award Washington Informer
Website Excellence – A.Philip Randolph Award Houston Forward Times

Category winners
Original Advertising Campaign – E. Washington Rhodes Award Afro American Newspaper (Baltimore)
Original Advertising Campaign – E. Washington Rhodes Award Houston Defender
Original Advertising Campaign – E. Washington Rhodes Award The Philadelphia Tribune

Newspaper Excellence Award
New Pittsburgh Courier full editions – Feb. 9, Feb. 16, Feb. 23
Voter outreach rally kicks off on King Day

Houston Defender Layout – Tabloid
The Sacramento Observer
8/25/2022 & 9/1/2022

Election Central: The People Have Spoken
Summerfest, food and fun
School Shooting

Black women & Alopecia by ReShonda Tate | Black Maternity Crisis by Aswad Walker
Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle
Lifestyle

The Faces of Atlanta Medical Center *series*
Our Birth Stories
No Way Out? Black male suicides by ReShonda Tate

Seattle Medium Juneteenth Edition
Black History Month: The making of Jackie Robinson (75th anniversary)
A Culture Of Care: Black Nurses Special Edition

Faith and Religion stories
Sharon Baptist Church: Celebrating 40 pastoral years together
Church at the Crossroads: Waning attendance stifling churches

Maranathan Academy Still Serves Critical Need
Black Families choosing homeschooling
Group Challenges Colleges to Better Accommodate Student Parents

REACTION: Herschel Walker vs Senator Raphael Warnock square off in only Debate
10 Year Aniversary
The Sacramento Observer

AFRO Layout & Design July 8 & 15, 2022
Layout & Design Broadsheet
Voter outreach rally kicks off on King Day

Houston Defender “State of Black Women” The Power of Our Vote
35th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Multi-Media Coverage:

Community Engagement

Dynamite Dance Factory epitomizes owner Kyri Hayes vision for youth dance
Gen Z & Voting: How young people could shape elections
Black Cosplayers are Creating Their Own World in the Cosplay Community

Hell on earth in Alabama

The Kevin Johnson story – In search of humanity
STOP THE BLOODSHED: Community demands, ‘Keep the bullets in the chamber’

Coming together as community in wake of tragedy
Reparations
Mayor: Lead or leave

Our House – Keeping Homes Black Owned in the DMV
The Sacramento Observer – Grand Jury
Blacklight Fact Checks

Ethnic Media Collaboration conversation w/ Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock
Beyond the Barrel of the Gun
The Sacramento Observer

Worth the Weight
New Pittsburgh Courier’s Instagram page keeps Black Pittsburgh informed
The Sacramento Observer

Heatwave
Climate goals, climate justice: Who gets left behind?
Many School Uniforms Contain Potentially Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’: Study

Sports: March 10 & 17 – Deion Sanders impact – Terrance Harris | Jodie B. Jiles
New Pittsburgh Courier sports sections, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28
The Grid – Seattle Medium Youth Football Coverage

Seun Kuti rocks Sony Hall
The Sacramento Observer
Local entertainment coverage

Houston Defender – Oct 13, 20, 27
General Excellence
The Sacramento Observer

Banking on Detroit’s African American Communities_Donald James
Black Women Businesses
‘Tyler Perry like’ studios to provide economic boom for L.A.

The Sacramento Observer
www.washingtoninformer.com
Digital Excellence

130th Anniversary Gala Advertising Campaign
Houston Defender SMART MARKETING EVENTS
Our Community. Our Health

Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles at Walt Disney Concert Hall 15th Annual Season Finale Concert and Special Tribute to Dr. Otis Williams, founding member of The Temptations, to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award

Maria

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Jul 2, 2023

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Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles at Walt Disney Concert Hall 15th Annual Season Finale Concert and Special Tribute to Dr. Otis Williams, founding member of The Temptations, to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award

By NNPA Newswire

Los Angeles, CA- Sunday, July 9th, 2023, at 3pm – The Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA), celebrates its 15th Annual Season Finale Concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, featuring a special tribute to The Temptations and Dr. Otis Williams, the only remaining member of the five original Temptations.

Dr. Williams, who still tours and performs with his group in the U.S. and abroad, will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from ICYOLA.
Upon receiving the news, Dr. Williams commented, “It’s a great honor to be the recipient of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles’ prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. I’m 81 and Los Angeles is now my home.

“To see young people from Los Angeles’ inner city, with that same excitement about making music that The Temptations had when we were their age, brings back great memories from the early days of our career.

“Music transformed my life, and I can only imagine all the wonderful possibilities that lay ahead for this world class orchestra. I was born in rural Texarkana, Texas and grew up in the inner city of Detroit. Berry Gordy and Motown gave The Temptations and many young artists from Detroit’s inner city a chance to make their dreams a reality.

“That opportunity launched our iconic career. Now 60+ years later, I still love singing on stage and making music. I can personally relate to the life-changing opportunities that Charles Dickerson and ICYOLA are giving the orchestra’s youth.
“I applaud him and the entire organization for their extraordinary work and sincerely thank them for their special tribute to The Temptations.
“I’m profoundly proud to receive this distinguished award and to be a part of ICYOLA’s historic family.”

Dr. Otis Clayborn Williams, founding member of the world-renowned, five-time Grammy Award-winning group, The Temptations, is a music legend.
From award-winning singer, songwriter to critically acclaimed author, from television producer, and Broadway executive producer to executive producer of the group’s new album, Temptations 60.

Dr. Williams has been and still is the chief architect of The Temptations’ evolution throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and he continues to carry the torch forward for the next generation of Temptations’ fans.

Celebrating 60+ years at the forefront of The Temptations, he is a global superstar. Dr. Otis Williams received an honorary degree, Doctorate of Humane Letters, from Stillman College, a historically Black college and university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2006.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, based on Williams’ personal journey, won the 2019 Tony® Award for Best Choreography. Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations is currently touring across the U.S. this year and next. The electrifying Broadway musical also opened in the UK, in the West End of London at the Prince Edward Theater, on April 20, 2023.
For details, see the link here: https://ainttooproudmusical.com/ .

The Temptations are ranked #1 in Billboard magazine’s most recent list of the “Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of All Time. We invite you to follow the group on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok, and YouTube. www.temptationsofficial.com
Charles Dickerson, (aka Chuck), is the Founder, Executive Director, and Conductor of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles.
His professional career spans over 40 plus years of conducting performances throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa.
He also holds important compositional and arranging credits.

His best-known work is “I Have A Dream,” a choral and orchestral setting of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s landmark speech which was performed for the unveiling ceremonies the King Memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC, and at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as Los Angeles County’s official celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the speech. He has also arranged and conducted orchestral performances of the music of Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Motown and others.

Through its Orchestra Program, ICYOLA presents an annual Season of 8 to 10 concerts that features both the standard orchestral repertoire and contemporary music that resounds within the community from which ICYOLA emanates and that it serves. The Concert Season concludes each year with a Season Finale at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

ICYOLA boasts approximately 125 members aged 10 and above. ICYOLA offers intense after-school and summer break programs to youngsters in the inner-city communities of Los Angeles where they offer lessons on how to play an instrument, the fundamentals of music theory, and a rigorous literacy enhancement program through which they increase student’s reading, comprehension, listening and speaking skills.

ICYOLA Sponsors include KTLA 5, Amgen, KUSC, Pann’s, Making Space, the Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture, California Arts Council, and numerous Foundations including the Andrew Mellon Foundation, The Mohme Foundation, The Colburn Foundation, The Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation, the Guitar Center Foundation, and a host of private supporters.

Proceeds from the event benefit the ICYOLA Orchestra and Drum Corps, the Los Angeles Orchestra Fellowship, and the South Los Angeles Music Project.
For more information, press only: Call (213)788-4260 or Email [email protected]
Concert Tickets and additional information can be found at https://icyola.org/

California’s Historic Work on Possible Black Reparations Moves to the Legislature

Maria

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Jul 1, 2023

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California’s Historic Work on Possible Black Reparations Moves to the Legislature

By SOPHIE AUSTIN and JANIE HAR, Associated Press/Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Members of California’s Black reparations task force handed off their historic two-year report to state lawmakers Thursday, beginning the next chapter in the long struggle to compensate the descendants of slavery.

The first U.S. panel of its kind met one last time Thursday, urging supporters to press lawmakers into action on more than 100 recommendations. State legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom must agree for any money to be paid or for any policy changes to be adopted.

“This book of truth will be a legacy, will be a testament to the full story,” said Lisa Holder, a civil rights attorney and task force member. “Anyone who says that we are colorblind, that we have solved the problem of anti-Black animus and racism, I challenge you to read this document.”

The mood was buoyant, but tinged with frustration and anger that hours earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education, programs that have disproportionately helped Black students. Task force members said their suggestions will pass legal muster because the proposed benefits would only go to descendants of enslaved people, not to all Black residents.

The panel narrowly voted to limit any financial redress to residents who can document lineage from Black people who were in the U.S. in the 19th century.

The 1,100-page report details California’s role in perpetuating discrimination against Black residents. Ideas for repairing the harm range from formally apologizing to paying descendants of enslaved people for having suffered under racist actions such as over-policing and housing discrimination. The panel also recommended creating a new agency to oversee reparations efforts.

Turning the proposals into policies won’t be easy. State Sen. Steven Bradford said there are “a lot of folks” in the Legislature who do not support reparations and a 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that only 30% of U.S. adults favored the concept.

A more recent survey by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found 54% of respondents had a negative opinion of California creating a reparations task force, although 59% said they would support a formal apology from the state to descendants.

More than 200 people gathered at the Thursday meeting in Sacramento, with an overflow crowd outside the room. Inside, many stood at one point and began a call-and-response to demand action.

“What do we want?” someone shouted.

“Reparations,” the crowd responded.

“When do we want them?” he asked.

“Now!”

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who wrote legislation creating the task force, said slavery stripped her of her identity and heritage and that she has visited Africa dozens of times, only to conclude there is nowhere for her to go back to.

“I am an American,” she said. “This country has shaped and formed us and we have given to it. And we have a right to be here. We have a right to have the benefits.”

Rev. Amos C. Brown, a longtime civil rights activist and vice-chair of the task force, said California’s projected $31.5 billion budget deficit should not stop the state from making reparations.

“This state has committed a crime against Black folks, and it’s time for them to pay,” Brown said to cheers from the audience. “Deficits don’t last always.”

The nine-member reparations panel convened in June 2021, the year after Newsom signed legislation creating the group. He and legislative leaders picked the members, including lawyers, educators, elected officials and civil rights leaders descended from enslaved people.

Federal reparations efforts have stalled for decades, but cities, counties, school districts and universities have taken up the cause. An advisory group in San Francisco recommended that qualifying Black adults receive a $5 million lump-sum, guaranteed annual income of at least $97,000 and personal debt forgiveness. San Francisco supervisors are supposed to take up the proposals later this year.

New York may soon follow California by creating a commission to examine the state’s involvement in slavery and consider addressing present-day economic and educational disparities experienced by Black people. Lawmakers approved the legislation earlier this month, but Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to sign it.

Illinois approved a reparations commission last year.

California entered the union as a free state in 1850. In practice, it sanctioned slavery and approved policies and practices that thwarted Black people from owning homes and starting businesses. Black families were terrorized, their communities aggressively policed and their neighborhoods polluted, according to a groundbreaking report released last year as part of the committee’s work.

The panel did not recommend a fixed dollar amount for financial redress, but endorsed economic methodologies to calculate what is owed for decades of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration and housing discrimination. Initial calculations pegged California’s potential cost in those areas at more than $800 billion — more than 2.5 times the state’s annual budget. The estimated cost was cut to $500 billion in a later report, though no explanation was given for the change.

The panel has recommended prioritizing elders for financial compensation.

Economists recommended nearly $1 million for a 71-year-old Black person who lived all their life in California — or $13,600 per year — for health disparities that shorten the average life span.

Black people subjected to aggressive policing and prosecution in the “war on drugs” from 1971 to 2020 could each receive $115,000 if they lived in California throughout that period, or more than $2,300 for each year.

Kamilah Moore, an intellectual property and entertainment lawyer who led the task force, called the last two years a whirlwind.

“It’s been very work intensive, but also very cathartic and very emotional,” she said. “We’re standing in the shoes of our ancestors to finish, essentially, this sacred project.”

Department of Justice Reportedly Preparing 30 to 45 New Federal Charges Against Donald Trump

Maria

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Jul 1, 2023

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Department of Justice Reportedly Preparing 30 to 45 New Federal Charges Against Donald Trump

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly making significant progress in its investigation into former President Donald Trump and his associates, with preparations underway for a “superseding indictment” against the ex-president.
Yahoo! News quoted a “source familiar with the matter,” who said the DOJ is considering bringing additional charges against Trump and other figures in his orbit in the Southern District of Florida.

The ongoing case and the actions of the Trump-appointed district judge, Aileen Cannon, who presides over the proceedings in the Southern District of Florida, would impact the decision to file additional charges against Trump.
The report noted that the DOJ could consider a different venue to bring the additional charges.

Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team of federal prosecutors could add 30 to 45 charges to the existing 37-count indictment against Trump, filed on June 8.
The charges could involve presenting previously undisclosed evidence, including incriminating recordings of Trump.
Several news outlets recently broadcast recordings of the former president appearing to brag about sharing classified documents, including information about potential U.S. military action against Iran.

The charges are expected to cover various aspects of Trump’s actions, including his attempts to undermine the 2020 election results.
The DOJ is also preparing to bring charges against several attorneys who assisted Trump in his efforts to overturn the election.
One notable figure among them is Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney and former mayor of New York City.

Giuliani, whose law license has been suspended in New York and Washington, participated in a voluntary interview with prosecutors under the supervision of the Special Counsel.
Yahoo! News said Guiliani’s cooperation took place under a “queen for a day” deal, allowing him to avoid jeopardy for any disclosures made to prosecutors during the interview.
Still, according to the report, Smith would bring certain charges against Guiliani for his work as a lawyer for Trump between the November 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.

During his interview, Giuliani allegedly provided insight into Trump’s actions during that period as he sought to retain power despite the election results.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis leads a state-level investigation into Trump and Giuliani in Georgia.

The Georgia investigation focuses on Trump’s alleged attempts to pressure local officials to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Indictments resulting from this investigation could be announced as early as next month.
They may involve Trump, Giuliani, prominent Republicans in Georgia, and Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff.

Meadows, who testified before a special grand jury last year, is reportedly cooperating with the DOJ’s probe into Trump’s efforts to overturn the election.
Yahoo! News said Meadows signed an agreement outlining his obligations to assist in any prosecution related to Trump or other individuals connected to the former president in exchange for potential leniency in his legal situation.

Essence Festival of Culture 2023 kicks off in New Orleans

Maria

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Jul 1, 2023

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Essence Festival of Culture 2023 kicks off in New Orleans

By CHEVEL JOHNSON RODRIGUE, Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Nearly 30 years ago, creators of Essence Magazine came to New Orleans to celebrate the publication’s 25th anniversary with a salute to Black women highlighting culture, empowerment conversations with the nation’s thought leaders and, of course, music.

The Essence Music Festival has since morphed into the Essence Festival of Culture, which, in its 29th year, kicked off Thursday and goes through July 3 across various venues in downtown New Orleans. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will hold most of the free workshops, vendor exhibits and celebrity meet-and-greets. Blocks away, the Superdome will host nightly ticketed performances by artists including headliners Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion as the festival commemorates 50 years of hip-hop.

Hakeem Holmes, a New Orleans native and newly appointed vice president of the festival, describes the festival as a “crown jewel of Black culture” that “plays a pivotal role in the amplification and celebration of the contributions of the Black community through business, music and more.”

“This is the first time three black women emcees are headlining,” Holmes noted. “That’s representative of the growth and the direction we’re taking the event. It’s important to have the attention of the audience we’re serving. We’re attracting younger generations now so we’ve had to grow. It’s exciting that throughout out each night we’ll feature younger artists alongside the legends.”

New Orleans has hosted every festival except for 2006, when it moved to Houston while the Superdome underwent Hurricane Katrina -related repairs. In 2020 and 2021, Essence was staged virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hill returns to the festival’s stage after a surprise cameo performance at last year’s festival with her former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean. Friday night’s show will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of her five-time Grammy Award winning project, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Rap icon Doug E. Fresh, to mark hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, will lead a night of performances by rap pioneers including Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD and KRS-One. Also scheduled to perform are Tems, Jagged Edge, Ari Lennox and New Orleans’ own Juvenile.

Juvenile had criticized organizers for not including him in the festival’s lineup, questioning how it could celebrate hip-hop in the City of New Orleans without him. Essence Ventures CEO Caroline Wanga has said there was never any intent to not include New Orleans artists on the bill.

“When we started to source talent, there was no way in hell we were not going to have New Orleans artists,” she said. “We have always created a festival that had some things announced and some surprises. We would never plan a festival that didn’t have involvement from the city that birthed us.”

Missy Elliott, the first female in hip-hop to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will take center stage Saturday while music mogul Jermaine Dupri will curate a special segment of hip-hop’s greatest hitmakers from the South called “The South Got Something To Say,” including performances by T.I., Ludacris, Gucci Mane, Lil Jon and Big Boi. Dupri is also marking the 30th anniversary of his label, So So Def. Jill Scott, Monica, Coco Jones are scheduled to perform and West Coast rappers Ice Cube, Ice T, Yo-Yo, J.J. Fad and E-40 will be showcased as well.

Three-time Grammy winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion will close out the festival’s concert series on Sunday, while radio personality Angie Martinez plays host to a celebration of women who influenced the culture with performances by Eve, Salt-N-Pepa, Remy Ma, Trina and New Orleans’ own Mia-X. Others taking the stage will include Wizkid, Muni Long and Kizz Daniel.

The festival’s lineup in the past has been heavily shaped by mostly R&B artists. Holmes said the 2023 look “evolves” the event’s tone.

“We’re hoping that everyone who attends feels seen and we hope that we’re strengthening the things they want to see,” said Holmes, who noted elements of the festival targeting men, the Gen Z population and fans of alternative arts exemplified by Essence’s Afropunk festival.

The 2022 festival had a $327 million impact on the City of New Orleans’ economy, according to a study commissioned by Essence and generated by Dillard University. Before Essence, the city struggled in the summer because of the sometimes tumultuous and always hot, hot weather. Now, the festival is a major rainmaker for the city’s summer tourism season.

Speaking ahead of a discussion organized by the Global Black Economic Forum, Vice President Kamala Harris told the crowd she was extremely disappointed by a U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday essentially ending affirmative action in college admissions. She urged people to read a dissenting opinion from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and vowed the Biden-Harris adminstration will do everything it can to promote diversity.

“The court is not fully understanding the importance of equal opportunity for the people of our country,” Harris said. “And it is in so many ways a denial of opportunity, and it’s a complete misnomer to suggest this is about color-blind when in fact it is about being blind to history, being blind about data and being blind to empirical evidence about disparities and being blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms, to boardrooms.”

Harris is scheduled to speak again Friday on issues ranging from protecting reproductive freedom to addressing the maternal health crisis. Also, as part of the administration’s Investing in America tour, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will discuss Biden’s legislative accomplishments.

Last year’s festival saw 1.9 million live and virtual attendees of activities including Essence Food & Wine Festival, Essence Marketplace, Essence Film Festival, Essence Wellness House, Global Black Economic Forum, Essence Family Day and more.

Some of the events take place away from the main venues — a move Wanga said was aimed at encouraging people to visit other parts of the city.

Biden Blasts Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision

Maria

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Jul 1, 2023

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Biden Blasts Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The United States Supreme Court has sent shockwaves through the nation’s education system by departing from decades of precedent that have fostered diversity and inclusivity in colleges and universities.
The ruling has ignited concerns about the future of creating vibrant learning environments where students can grow and learn from one another.

President Biden, a vocal advocate for equal opportunity in education, expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision.
He emphasized that while talent and hard work are abundant across the country, equal opportunity remains elusive.

The President urged that this decision not be the final say in the matter and called on colleges and universities to lead in expanding access to educational opportunities for all students.
The President highlighted diversity’s strength to educational institutions and the entire nation.

He emphasized that when colleges and universities embrace racial diversity, they tap into the full range of talent present in the country.
President Biden urged institutions of higher learning to consider the adversities that students have overcome, including financial struggles, upbringing, high school attendance, and personal experiences of hardship or discrimination, including racial discrimination.

By considering these factors during the admissions process, colleges and universities can recognize and value the resilience and determination shown by aspiring students in the face of challenges.
To support colleges and universities in this pursuit, the Biden-Harris Administration has pledged to clarify admissions practices and additional programs within the next 45 days.

This guidance will help institutions prepare for the upcoming application cycle.
The administration also plans to convene a National Summit on Educational Opportunity and release a report outlining strategies to increase diversity and expand educational opportunities.

Transparency in college admissions and enrollment practices will be promoted, and states will receive assistance in analyzing data to enhance access to education for underserved communities.

These measures build upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to ensure equal access to higher education.
Previous accomplishments include:
• Securing historic increases in Pell Grants.
• Prioritizing college completion.
• Supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions.

Additionally, the administration is addressing issues in the student loan system to provide relief to borrowers burdened by loans.
Although the affirmative action decision threatens to undermine progress in advancing racial equity and civil rights, the Biden-Harris Administration vows that it remains committed to fighting against this setback.

In the wake of the Court’s decision, Biden pledged to “safeguard the hard-earned achievements and preserve opportunities for all Americans to pursue higher education.”
Biden said the battle for diversity and equal opportunity in higher education continues.

“Because affirmative action is so misunderstood, I want to make sure everybody is clear about what the law has been and what it has not been, until today,” the President stated.
“Many people wrongly believe that affirmative action allows unqualified students to be admitted ahead of qualified students. This is not how college admissions work.”

The President continued:

“Rather, colleges set out standards for admission, and every student — every student has to meet those standards. Then, and only then, after first meeting the qualifications required by the school, do colleges look at other factors in addition to their grades, such as race.

“The way it works in practice is this: Colleges first establish a qualified pool of candidates based on meeting certain grades, test scores, and other criteria. Then, and only then, and it’s from this pool of applicants, all of whom have already met the school’s standards, that the class is chosen, after weighing a wide range of factors, among them being race.”
Finally, the President said he believes the nation’s colleges are more robust when racially diverse.
“Our nation is stronger because we are tapping into the full range of talent in this nation,” he asserted.

“I also believe that while talent, creativity, and hard work are everywhere across this country, not equal opportunity. It is not everywhere across this country. We cannot let this decision be the last word. I want to emphasize: We cannot let this decision be the last word. While the Court can render a decision, it cannot change what America stands for.”

No Systemic Racism?

Maria

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Jul 1, 2023

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By Black PressUSA

I woke up a few days ago expecting, almost hoping, that my day would be sufficiently uneventful so as not to aggravate my spirit. Instead, while listening to “The View,” I heard Senator Tim Scott proclaim, “There is no Systemic Racism in America.”

He attempted to justify his assertion by using his home state of South Carolina as an example. He mentioned there being a Black police chief. Just one time, he mentioned America having a Black President. Thoughtlessly, or maybe with full thought and consideration, he didn’t mention President Obama as being only one president out of forty-six in 247 years.

To be fair to him, he named two or three other Black people as examples for his premise, but he was speaking on “The View” where the hosts knew better. His understanding of Systemic Racism was somewhere outside the realm of reality and Joy Behar told him so.

It was clear he was prepared for an adversarial response from Whoopi Goldberg, and he seemed somewhat surprised that he was confronted by Sunny Hostin. She asked him to define what he believed to be Systemic Racism. Responding as I’ve come to expect, Scott gave a solid ‘non-answer’ to her question, saying, “One of the things I think about, and one of the reasons I’m on this show, is because of the comments that were made, frankly, on this show that the only way for a young African American kid to be successful in this country is to be the exception and not the rule.”

He went on to say, “That is a dangerous, offensive, disgusting message to send to our young people today, that the only way to succeed is by being the exception.”

Scott’s other-worldly understanding of Systemic Racism in American history obviously does not include nearly 250 years of enslavement or the empirical data which caused Republican President Nixon to establish The Federal Affirmative Action Program (E.O. 11478 – August 8, 1969) to correct the ills of an uninterrupted pattern of racial discrimination in the Federal sector.

Scott has obviously ignored the history and patterns of personal Black American achievement in post-enslavement America. On one hand, are the “chosen few” – those Blacks whose demeanor, disposition, and/or unique circumstances present them as non-threatening to whites and acceptable for favorable treatment. On the other hand, are those I characterize as indomitable – those who have the talent, courage, confidence, and perseverance to challenge any obstacle that confronts them. Either of these personality types achieves because of their exceptionalism. Unlike the chosen few, those who are indomitable achieve without willingly compromising their principles.

While success is not always measured by wealth or position, opportunity and access or lack thereof are prime considerations. Earl Graves, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Wes Moore ARE exceptions because of the obstacles they overcame.

Scott and his black-robed judicial counterpart, Clarence Thomas, exemplify the ‘chosen few.’ Scott echoes the talking points of his handlers and denies the obvious realities of those who must live through the hazards of racism. When appointed to coordinate with Corey Booker to create a bipartisan response to police violence, Scott initially spoke with knowing candor. Somewhere in the process, he was reined in and unyieldingly embraced the qualified immunity doctrine for police which effectively ended any bipartisan effort.

Since joining the Supreme Court, Thomas has espoused the destruction of the same affirmative action initiatives which provided the lift necessary for his professional development. All appearances suggest that these two ‘chosen ones’ ignore any indignity or violence inflicted upon Blacks and other people of color or upon members of “other out-groups.”

Maybe guilt prevents the Senator from acknowledging his own complicity in the practices of Systemic Racism.

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H.E. Ambassador Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret) is President of http://thedickgregorysociety.org and author of “Wake Up and Stay Woke”–a tribute to Dick Gregory

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