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Amid the Chaotic Speakership Debate in the House, A Star is Born

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Jan 9, 2023

Amid the Chaotic Speakership Debate in the House, A Star is Born

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

It’s possible that after the bitter campaign for House Speaker ended on January 7th, Americans – especially Black Americans – felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries provided a masterclass on leadership and served up a clear reminder of what an up-and-coming senator from Illinois named Barack Obama once did during a divided America.

“Progress asserted itself tonight, manifested in [Hakeem] Jeffries, even amidst a hostile takeover of the House by neo–fascists,” Jason Randolph of Vote.org commented.
Randolph said Jeffries delivered “what’s likely the best political speech not given by Obama in generations.”

On July 27, 2004, during the Democratic National Convention in Boston, a 42-year-old Barack Obama, who a few months earlier won a Senate primary in Illinois, spoke eloquently and inspiringly about the divide facing America.

“Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of ‘anything goes,’” Obama asserted.
“Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.”

Nineteen years later, in 2023 where many say politics are as divisive and dangerous as ever, Jeffries, 52, channeled Obama by providing a masterclass on leadership.
He called for “maturity over Mar-a-Lago,” a direct shot at new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s praise of Trump.

Throughout Jeffries’ speech, Trump supporting Republicans jeered by Democrats rose to applaud the Brooklyn born Democrat.
Jeffries smoothly went through the alphabet to capture all the ails America, and what’s needed to repair the divided nation.

“House Democrats will always put American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the Constitution over the cult, democracy over demagogues,” Jeffries asserted.
“Freedom over fascism, governing over gaslighting, hopefulness over hatred quality of life issues over Q’Anon, reason over racism, substance over slander, triumph over tyranny, understanding over ugliness, and voting rights over voter suppression.”

Earlier, the Republican Party did, in fact, select a speaker, albeit grudgingly; however, given the 15 rounds it took for McCarthy to secure the necessary votes, it’s possible that his tenure as speaker won’t last.

Whether or not McCarthy remains speaker, his ascension to the top post in the chamber is unlikely to be remembered as the 118th Congress’ defining moment.
McCarthy, despite multiple defeats before winning the speakership race and his previous condemnation of former President Trump’s role in the 2021 insurrection, still praised Trump.

The person elected to lead Congress and look out for America’s best interests praised an alleged would-be over thrower of the U.S. government just two years and one day after the Trump-inspired insurrection in which several lives were lost.

Although a congressional committee recommended criminal charges and numerous members of Trump’s inner circle testified to the committee about the former president’s guilt.

McCarthy, upon being presented with the speaker’s gavel, remarked, “I do want to especially thank President Trump.”
“Do not doubt, in my opinion; in fact, no one should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning. So, thank you, President Trump.
However, two years earlier, McCarthy held that “the President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.”

McCarthy’s moments aside, many people who watched the inauguration of the 118th Congress said that Jeffries, the first African American to lead a major political party in Congress, demonstrated true leadership.

“McCarthy’s speech should have contained some of the words Jeffries spoke,” Dean Obeidallah, a lawyer and host of a self-titled SiriusXM show, opined.
“[McCarthy] should have made it clear he denounces autocracy, fascism and the grave threats facing our democracy by Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party,” Obeidallah insisted.

The radio host wasn’t alone.

“Rep. Hakeem Jeffries speaks truth to power,” declared attorney Ben Crump.
“Politicians must remember that they represent U.S. All of us. Let’s encourage our lawmakers to work together and pass policy that helps all American people and that preserves our democratic form of government,” Crump said.

“This is what leadership looks like, sounds like and does,” podcaster Chris Hahn tweeted.
Strategist Steve Schmidt added, “The early morning hours of January 7 marked the rise of a new American leader: Hakeem Jeffries. The thunderclap was the magnificence of his voice rising in defense of the American creed and his taking his place in a long line of liberty’s defenders.”

Actor Rob Reiner simplified the outpouring of accolades resulting from Jeffries’ speech.
“A star is born,” Reiner declared.

Sarah Cooper Memoir ‘Foolish’ Scheduled for October Release

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Jan 9, 2023

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Sarah Cooper Memoir ‘Foolish’ Scheduled for October Release

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The title alone of Sarah Cooper’s upcoming memoir is a hint that she doesn’t plan to flatter herself.

Cooper has a deal with Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint, to write “Foolish: Tales of Assimilation, Determination and Humiliation.” The comedian, author and actor said in a statement Thursday that she hoped to “inspire everyone to risk embarrassing themselves.”

“I’m excited to share the story of what it’s like being a Jamaican immigrant trying to succeed in this country and how that can often mean rejecting the things about you that make you, you. It’s about how I realized I wanted to be an actress as soon as I was told I couldn’t sing, and how I rejected that dream for more sensible ones, including trying to find a man on Match.com, working at Google, buying a house and trying to have kids,” she said.

“But the path I was trying to follow made me miserable. As hard as I’ve tried all my life to fit in, to look smart, to assimilate, I’m learning now to embrace my inability to fit into any box. I’ve always been terrified of looking like a fool but I’ve found the most power in being foolish and I can’t wait to take readers on this very foolish journey.”

“Foolish” is scheduled to come out in October.

Cooper’s previous books include “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings: Non-threatening Leadership Strategies for Women” and “100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings: How to Get by Without Even Trying.” She is known to many fans for her parody videos in which she lip-synced comments by then-President Donald Trump. She is expected to appear with Hugh Grant and Amy Schumer among others in Jerry Seinfeld’s new movie, “Unfrosted.”

New Workplace Protections for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Employees Are on the Horizon

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Jan 9, 2023

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New Workplace Protections for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Employees Are on the Horizon

By Alexa Spencer, Word in Black

It’s been a long time coming for working, breastfeeding moms. On top of limited maternity leave, when moms do return to work, many are faced with a lack of support from employers when pumping breast milk.

But things are looking up after the U.S. Senate passed the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act in December 2022.

The PUMP Act — passed as part of the 2023 omnibus spending bill — requires employers to provide break time and a private, non-bathroom space for all breastfeeding employees.

The act extends protections to salaried workers, who weren’t included in the 2010 Break Time for Nursing Mothers law. The legislation provided only hourly employees with time and space to pump, leaving nearly one-in-four women of childbearing age unprotected, according to the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee.

But now, any lactating professional, seasonal, or agriculture worker — hourly or salaried — is entitled to workplace support.

Breastfeeding Discrimination in the Workplace

More breastfeeding support at work could mean more mothers and babies accessing the health benefits that nursing offers.

When breastfed, infants have a lower chance of developing asthma, obesity, and other illnesses. For moms, nursing lowers their risk for breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and postpartum depression.

Although research on the health benefits of breastfeeding is vast, and employers have been required to provide accommodations for more than a decade, some mothers still find themselves being forced to choose between nursing and losing their jobs.

According to the Center for WorkLife Law, lactation discrimination in the workplace can look like being denied pumping breaks when in pain or leaking milk, or being fired just for asking.

In some instances, lactating employees are denied a private place to express milk and receive inappropriate gestures from co-workers, such as comments on their “tits” or being mooed at.

Lactation discrimination impacts women at all socio-economic levels but has particularly harsh effects for low-wage workers, who are more likely to be women of color.

CENTER FOR WORKLIFE LAW, EXPOSED: DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BREASTFEEDING WORKERS

The Center for WorkLife Law reviewed breastfeeding discrimination cases for a 2019 report and found that three-fourths involved economic loss, with nearly two-thirds ending in job loss.

Additionally, lactating workers who are discriminated against become vulnerable to health issues like painful infections, diminished milk supply, or weaning their babies earlier than recommended by doctors.

These acts could significantly impact Black women and other women of color.

“Lactation discrimination impacts women at all socio-economic levels but has particularly harsh effects for low-wage workers, who are more likely to be women of color,” the authors wrote in the report.

The PUMP Act comes at a time when Black mothers are less likely to initiate or sustain breastfeeding.

Data from 2015 published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that only 69% of Black moms initiated breastfeeding, compared to 86% of white moms.

And when it comes to exclusive breastfeeding — where infants are fed breast milk only — 17% of Black mothers nursed their babies for up to six months, versus 29% of white mothers.

While the Break Time Law entitled breastfeeding workers to one year of workplace protection following the birth of their child or children, the PUMP Act extends those rights to two years.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

The Senate also passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act — a law that requires employers to make accommodations for employees experiencing pregnancy or childbirth-related medical conditions.

Specifically, the bill considers it unlawful to:

fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such employees unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity’s business operation;
require a qualified employee affected by such a condition to accept an accommodation other than any reasonable accommodation arrived at through an interactive process;
deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee;
require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided; or
take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against a qualified employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations.

Tina Sherman, who serves as senior campaign director for maternal justice at MomsRising, says America’s “moms and families won a major, meaningful, long overdue victory” with the passing of the PUMP and Pregnant Workers Fairness Acts.

‘When lawmakers enact these two essential measures, breastfeeding moms will no longer be forced to pump breastmilk in bathrooms, cars, closets, and cafeterias; and fewer pregnant workers will be forced out of their jobs because employers deny them reasonable accommodations like carrying water bottles and taking more bathroom breaks,” she said in a statement.

“Both these measures will especially help low-income women and women of color, and they will make America’s moms and families more economically secure.”

Congress Acts to Remove Bust of Dred Scott Decision Author

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Jan 9, 2023

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Congress Acts to Remove Bust of Dred Scott Decision Author

By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Wednesday that calls for removing from the Capitol a bust of the U.S. Supreme Court justice who wrote the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that held African-Americans were not citizens.

The bust of Roger B. Taney, the nation’s fifth chief justice, sits inside the entrance to the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. Capitol. The chamber is where the high court met from 1810 until 1860. Taney led the court in that period, from 1836 to 1864.

The legislation also commissions a bust of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to be placed somewhere in the Capitol. Marshall became the court’s first Black justice in 1967.

The bill was passed by voice vote and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

The notorious Dred Scott decision held that Blacks were not citizens and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., led the effort in the House to remove the Taney bust. Taney was born in Maryland and statues of him in the state were also previously removed.

“Over 3 million people visit our Capitol each year,” Hoyer said. “The people we choose to honor in our halls signal to those visitors which principles we cherish as a nation.”

“For Black Americans who have grown up in segregation, face racial violence and still confront institutional racism today, seeing figures like Taney honored here is a searing reminder that the past is present.”

The House had earlier passed a bill to remove the Taney bust along with three other statues honoring white supremacists — including former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. But legislation was narrowed in scope to win over senators who want to continue the practice of letting states act on their own to replace the statues they place in the Capitol.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, said that as a “son of the segregated South,” he was grateful for the bill.

“To those of us who have had to sit in the back of the bus, the balcony of the movie and go to the back doors of restaurants, it means a lot,” Green said.

The bill states that while the removal of the bust from the Capitol does not relieve Congress of the historical wrongs it committed in protecting slavery, it expresses the recognition by Congress “of one of the most notorious wrongs to have ever taken place in one of its rooms.”

The legislation directs the removal of the bust within 45 days of the bill being enacted into law. It will then remain in the custody of the Senate Curator. It also calls for entering into an agreement to obtain a bust of Marshall within two years, and that priority for its location should be near the Old Supreme Court Chamber.

This Chicago Collective Is Making Black Art Accessible

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Jan 9, 2023

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This Chicago Collective Is Making Black Art Accessible

By Nadira Jamerson, Word in Black

Chicago’s home to walkable, bustling neighborhoods filled with fine dining restaurants, attractions, and robust nightlife spots — at least it is depending on which side of the city you live in. Even though the historically Black South Side is home to plenty of mom and pop spots — as well as the DuSable Museum, Brown Sugar Bakery in Chatham, and the former Obama home in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood — there simply aren’t as many art galleries and maker spaces as on the city’s whiter North Side.

Patricia Andrews-Keenan is out to change that. She’s the founder and owner of Pigment International, a South Side-based multimedia collective that promotes Black art, curation, and innovation. She founded Pigment International in 2018 as a Black woman-run space dedicated to connecting Black artists with galleries and reporting on the art, people, issues, trends, and events shaping Black contemporary art.

Since its founding, Pigment International has held programs for Black artists and art enthusiasts across the South Side. Their current temporary gallery on 79th Street is part of the effort to revitalize Chatham — a predominantly Black area that Andrews-Keenan says has since been neglected due to gang violence and systemic racism.

“The Chatham neighborhood in Chicago was a very vibrant neighborhood — shops, and stores, and nightlife, and all of these things happening. But in the ’80s, when the gangs came, they pushed a lot of people out,” Andrews-Keenan says.

“Then we ended up with lots of empty storefronts and a decline in the community. The Greater Chatham Initiative has been tackling that. They invited us there. It’s bringing the community back through various different efforts. It’s using art to revitalize the community.”

Her journey with Pigment International has shown her that Black Chicago artists and residents are eager to support their own. At the gallery, Andrews-Keenan says she is inspired by all of the folks who discover the space, praise the artists on display, and promise to come back.

“People always come back,” she says. “Building those relationships helps us build community. Art is a beautiful way to build community.”

Connecting the Past and Present

Pigment International is special not only for its ability to uplift contemporary artists but because the organization honors historic Black artists as well.

The times have changed, but the circumstances for artists are similar. You need to be able to look back and say so-and-so went through this and got through it. I can do it too.

Andrews-Keenan says that by examining the connections between historical and contemporary Black art, new generations of Black artists can have greater opportunities to succeed.

“Those who don’t know their history don’t know where they come from. People need to know, and it seems in the Black community, we’ve always been trying to find that,” she says

The challenges Black artists from the past dealt with, like failing marriages, juggling parenthood, or struggling with depression, “are all things artists have to deal with today,” Andrews-Keenan says. “The times have changed, but the circumstances for artists are similar. You need to be able to look back and say so-and-so went through this and got through it. I can do it too.”

Making Art Accessible

Along with serving artists through its rotating galleries, the organization also publishes Pigment Magazine, as well as weekly newsletters that educate the community about Black art, offer resources, and spotlight Black artists.

Andrews-Keenan also takes pride in making art accessible to the everyday person.

Winter 2021-22 Pigment Magazine. Winner of the publishing industry’s Ozzie/Eddie Award for Best Cover Design Magazines Under 250K. Photograph courtesy of Patricia Andrews-Keenan.

“We are lay people. We are not art historians,” Andrews-Keenan explains. “We are not art educated. We look at art from the layman’s point of view, and I think a lot of people relate to that.”

Pigment International is also the force behind Black Fine Art Month — a month-long celebration of Black contemporary art hosted every October. The month’s goal is to gain national recognition for all the ways Black artists have propelled social movements and helped create a better society. During the inaugural Black Fine Art Month in 2019, Andrews-Keenan says she got her member of Congress to enter it into the Congressional record.

Black artists looking to get involved with Pigment International can check out their website and social media platforms.

The bottom line is, whether you live on Chicago’s South Side or not, Black creatives need support.

“Buy Black art,” Andrews-Keenan says, “and if you can, buy it from living artists because they’re trying to make a living and support their families.”

US Police Killings Hit Record High in 2022

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Jan 9, 2023

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US Police Killings Hit Record High in 2022

By AFRO Staff, Afro News

Last year was the deadliest year on record for police brutality in the U.S. and the victims were disproportionately Black, according to new data analysis.

Law enforcement officers killed at least 1,183 persons in 2022—or more than three per day, according to the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence, which maintains a database of reported cases of police brutality, including people fatally shot, Tasered, beaten or restrained. It was the highest number of fatal incidents since experts began tracking the killings in 2013, and the numbers could climb as the group continues to plug more data into its catalogue, which was last updated on Dec. 31.

The number of cop killings in 2022 exceeded that of the previous year by 31. In 2021, law enforcement police killed 1,145 people; 1,152 in 2020; 1,097 in 2019; 1,140 in 2018; and 1,089 in 2017.

Even as the numbers changed, the lopsided rate of police killings with Black victims did not. Despite widespread uprisings and calls for police accountability, criminal justice reforms and the valuing of Black lives sparked by the killing of George Floyd in 2020, police violence against Blacks continued unabated.

Of the 1,183 persons slain by police last year, 25% were Black although African Americans account for only 13% of the population. Blacks were three times as likely to be killed as Whites and were more likely to be unarmed, the nonprofit found.

“It just never stops,” Bianca Austin, aunt of Breonna Taylor, whose March 2020 killing in Kentucky sparked mass protests, was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper. “There was a movement and uproar across the globe, and we’re still having more killings? What are we doing wrong? It’s so disheartening.”

The circumstances surrounding these fatal incidents also stayed true to pattern in 2022: just below one-third of the killings, 370 (31%), were cases involving an alleged violent crime and in another 128 (11%) officers alleged that the target was seen with a weapon. However, 132 killings (11%) were cases in which no offense was alleged; 104 cases (9%) were mental health or welfare checks; 98 (8%) involved traffic violations; and 207 (18%) involved other allegations of nonviolent offenses. There were also 93 cases (8%) involving claims of a domestic disturbance.

Hamlin in their Hearts, the NFL Pays Tribute to No. 3

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Jan 9, 2023

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Hamlin in their Hearts, the NFL Pays Tribute to No. 3

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Damar Hamlin’s old high school teammate clutched the ball he had just intercepted, jogged to the 30-yard line, gingerly placed the pigskin at the top of the red-outlined “3,” raised his hands over his head and formed them in the shape of a heart.

“I’m just glad I got a chance to go out there and make a play and honor him the way I did,” said Hamlin’s buddy, Colts safety Rodney Thomas II.

Thomas’ gesture might have been the most poignant moment, but it was far from the only shout-out to the Bills safety on an NFL Sunday filled with love for a stricken player whose impact is being felt across the nation.

Hamlin’s number — number “3” — was on display everywhere across the league, outlined on 30-yard lines on fields, worn on special patches on the Bills uniforms and featured on jackets and sweatshirts and even on red hearts dangling from the tailgate tents outside the Bills home stadium.

The highest volume of tribute poured in, naturally, from that parking lot in Orchard Park, New York, where Buffalo’s 35-23 victory over New England was punctuated by a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Nyheim Hines on the game’s opening play.

“OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!,” Hamlin tweeted after the quick score.

The safety, whose recovery after his collapse on the field Monday night in Cincinnati has overtaken every NFL story line, also shared a photo of himself making a heart with his hands from his hospital bed shortly before kickoff with the text “GAMETIME!!! @BuffaloBills.”

Before that, in the lot outside of Highmark Stadium, Ryan Magnuson stood in front of a 4-x-10-foot canvas greeting card that he placed at the foot of the Bills stadium entrance for fans to sign. The message on the card: “If you get a chance to show some love today, do it. It won’t cost you nothing” — a reprise of a tweet Hamlin sent back in 2021.

“It’s been very positive. I’ve seen Bills fans, I’ve seen Patriots fans and people wearing other NFL jerseys coming up. I think this is bigger than a team thing at this point,” Magnuson said.

Fifteen-hundred miles away, and three hours later in Denver, the Chargers and Broncos each walked to the numbers and linked arms near their respective sidelines before the game’s first snap while the No. 3s on both teams — Russell Wilson and Derwin James Jr. — met at the 50-yard-line, shook hands and kneeled in prayer.

Philly running back Miles Sanders tweeted a picture of himself, wearing a “Love For Damar” sweatshirt, and flashing the number “3” while FaceTiming with Hamlin from his hospital.

Not all was warm and fuzzy.

In Cincinnati, Bengals running back Joe Mixon celebrated a touchdown by mimicking a coin flip — the likes of which could have happened, per a late NFL contingency plan — to decide home-field advantage in a potential playoff game between the Bengals and Ravens.

Cincinnati’s 27-16 win over the Ravens on Sunday staved off that possibility. The Ravens will visit Cincy next week in the wild-card round. But saying all is back to normal in the NFL this week, or for the upcoming playoffs, still feels like a bit of a stretch.

The postseason is bound to be outfitted in “Love For Damar” sweatshirts and others embroidered with “Hamlin Strong,” the likes of which Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wore during Saturday’s win over the Raiders. Some might even wear shirts being sold by Hamlin himself, with proceeds going to first responders and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he’s been since he collapsed on the field and had to have his heartbeat restored by medical staff last Monday.

It is bound to be filled with reminders that the high stakes of these games are about more than a trophy to be awarded at the end of the Super Bowl.

It is bound to feel a little bit off. If the Chiefs and Bills advance to the AFC title game, for instance, that game will be played on a neutral field, in a city still to be determined.

The heart of this league was beating most strongly in Buffalo on Sunday.

In the vast parking lots circling the stadium, fans wore self-made shirts and jerseys honoring Hamlin.

Sue Sonner wore a former Bills quarterback EJ Manuel’s No. 3 jersey; her husband creatively covered over Manuel’s name and replaced it with Hamlin’s.

“It’s going to be very emotional. I’m taking some tissues with me for sure,” said Sonner, who is from Corning, New York, and was also in the stadium in Cincinnati last Monday.

“We could see the scurry and the trauma and the panic and all of that. So very somber, very somber environment,” she said. “Now that he’s progressing and we think he’s going to be okay, now we’re excited to play football again. And hopefully he’s on the road to recovery.”

Keeping it Real: Do We Have the Courage to Demand Local Officials “Stop the Stops”?

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Jan 9, 2023

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Keeping it Real: Do We Have the Courage to Demand Local Officials “Stop the Stops”?

By S. E. Williams, Black Voice News

On January 3, California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory (Board) released its 2023 Annual Report (Report), the sixth since the Board was formed in 2016.

Most readers will not be surprised to learn that overall, not much has changed for the better according to data presented in the report. In other words, the report highlights the same disparate trends in all aspects of law enforcement stops. This includes everything from the reason given for stopping a driver to actions taken during a stop to results of a stop.

Traffic Violations

A traffic violation was the most commonly reported reason for a stop and accounted for 86.6% of all stops. It was followed by pretextual stops or stops for “reasonable suspicion that the individual was engaged in criminal activity”. This was the case in 10.5% of all stops. These numbers reflect stops statewide and across all racial/ethnic groups. Blacks had the highest proportion of their stops reported as reasonable suspicion and the lowest proportion of their stops reported as traffic violations.

Not too dissimilar from findings revealed in last year’s report, individuals that officers perceived as Black were searched more often, detained on the curb or in a patrol car, handcuffed, and removed from a vehicle by order more often than any other group.

The data collected under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) over the last four years has provided verifiable evidence showing disparities in policing by local agencies throughout the state.

Not only was there no noticeable improvement in the disparate treatment of Black and Brown people as it relates to traffic stops in this year’s report, the number of stops increased year over year (2021 vs 2020).

Locally, traffic stops by Riverside County sheriff deputies increased by 19,516 stops in 2021 or 34.6%.

Recognizing traffic volumes were suppressed by the pandemic in 2020, it is interesting to note the differences between Riverside and San Bernardino Counties for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. San Bernardino has continued to reduce the number of traffic stops since 2019 (for many critics the number of traffic stops by San Bernardino County Sheriffs in 2019 appeared exorbitantly high). The Riverside Sheriff’s Department, on the other hand, seemed to make up for lost opportunities in 2020 with an exponential increase in traffic stops in 2021.

This year’s Report also examines the negative impacts on mental health resulting from adverse law enforcement interactions on individuals and communities. The Report also explores youth interactions with law enforcement both in and out of school.

The Board noted that some law enforcement agencies, municipalities, and states are working to end pretextual stops and searches, limiting the use of fines and fees for traffic violations to reduce the fiscal impact of some pretextual stops; and are working to create a traffic program that involves unarmed civilians rather than law enforcement.

George Floyd Police Reform Bill

May 25, 2023 will mark the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police. Despite the national uprising that followed in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and although there has been nominal change in California, not much has changed overall regarding traffic stops beyond accruing the data. Of course, data is important to proving the need for change. However, the George Floyd Police Reform Bill remains locked in the deadfile of the U.S. Senate and we seem unable to make incremental change on something as obviously disparate as pretextual traffic stops.

The question is, Do we have courage in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to put an end to pretextual stops and adopt the other ideas detailed here? I believe that if we don’t, we certainly should. And we all know that power concedes nothing without a demand. We must continue to demand and push for change at all levels of government.

Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.

In the coming week Black Voice News and IE Voice will provide a more indepth review of this Report.

Georgia Grand Jury Investigating Trump Completes its Work

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Jan 9, 2023

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Georgia Grand Jury Investigating Trump Completes its Work

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

The Georgia special purpose grand jury that was convened in June to investigate allegations that President Trump illegally attempted to influence the outcome of the 2022 election has been disbanded.

Their final report is due this month per a judge’s order.
Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, has already indicated that she intends to pursue criminal charges.

Indictments cannot be handed down by special grand juries in Georgia.
However, Willis can now ask a regularly empaneled grand jury to seek indictments against the ex-president, who she claims tried to pressure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” him more votes in the presidential election in Georgia.

Democrat Joe Biden unseated Trump in the 2020 election.
Later, Willis broadened her probe to include state legislators and others suspected of participating in a fake elector scheme.

On January 24, Willis and others may appear before a judge to argue for or against releasing the special grand jury’s report.

“It is the ORDER of this court that the special purpose grand jury now stands dissolved,” wrote Judge Robert McBurney after the special purpose grand jury submitted its final report.

President Biden Praises Jobs Report, ‘We are Moving in the Right Direction’

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Jan 9, 2023

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President Biden Praises Jobs Report, ‘We are Moving in the Right Direction’

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

In December, the United States added 223,000 jobs, exceeding expectations by more than 21,000, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5%.

The unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in 54 years.
Last year, 4.5 million new jobs were created. President Joe Biden stated that his first two years in office saw the highest levels of job growth in history.
“We are witnessing the transition to steady and stable growth that I have been predicting for months,” Biden said.

“We still have work to do to bring down inflation and help American families feeling the cost-of-living squeeze. However, we are on the right track.”
According to the White House, the unemployment rate for Black and Hispanic Americans has dropped to near-record lows.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for disabled people hit a new low, while hourly wages for all workers rose slightly in December after five months of increases in real wages.
Manufacturing employment increased by 8,000 jobs last month, bringing the total number of manufacturing jobs created since Biden’s election to 750,000.

In addition, administration officials say that people in their prime working years have continued to join the workforce faster than in previous recoveries.
“These historic job and unemployment gains are giving workers more power and breathing room for American families,” Biden said.

“Real wages are up in recent months, gas prices are down, and we are seeing welcome signs that inflation is coming down as well. It’s a good time to be an American worker.”
“We have more work to do, and we may face setbacks along the way,” the president said, “but it is clear that my economic strategy of growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out is working.”

“We are just getting started,” he said.
“This month, we are capping the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 per month. We are lowering energy and utility bills for Americans,” Biden said.
“And shovels are hitting the ground all around the country to rebuild our infrastructure, supply chains, and manufacturing here at home.

“That is how we will build an America in which we can all be proud, where working families have good jobs and more breathing room, and the economy grows from the bottom up and middle out over time.”

Justice Jackson Working on a Memoir, Titled ‘Lovely One’

Maria

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Jan 8, 2023

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Justice Jackson Working on a Memoir, Titled ‘Lovely One’

BY HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is working on a memoir. Jackson, the first Black woman appointed to the court, is calling the book “Lovely One.”

“Mine has been an unlikely journey,” Jackson said in a statement released Thursday by Random House.

“But the path was paved by courageous women and men in whose footsteps I placed my own, road warriors like my own parents, and also luminaries in the law, whose brilliance and fortitude lit my way. This memoir marries the public record of my life with what is less known. It will be a transparent accounting of what it takes to rise through the ranks of the legal profession, especially as a woman of color with an unusual name and as a mother and a wife striving to reconcile the demands of a high-profile career with the private needs of my loved ones.”

No release date has been set for “Lovely One.” Jackson, 52, was born Ketanji Onyika Brown. The book’s title comes from the English translation of Ketanji Onyika, the name suggested by an aunt who at the time was a Peace Corps worker in West Africa.

Jackson joined the court last year after President Joe Biden named her to succeed the retiring Stephen Breyer. She had previously been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

“My hope is that the fullness of my journey as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, litigator, and friend will stand as a testament for young women, people of color, and dreamers everywhere,” Jackson added, “especially those who nourish outsized ambitions and believe in the possibility of achieving them.”

“Lovely One” is Jackson’s first book, but not the first by a current member of the Supreme Court. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor are among those who have released books in recent years. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a deal with the Penguin Random House imprint Sentinel.

Financial terms for “Lovely One” were not disclosed, although interest in her makes it likely her advance is at least comparable to the 7-figure deals negotiated in the past for memoirs by Sotomayor and Justice Clarence Thomas.

In announcing Jackson’s book, Random House called it a story she tells with “refreshing honesty, lively wit, and warmth.”

“Justice Jackson invites readers into her life and world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her,” the announcement reads in part, “from growing up in Miami with educator parents who broke barriers during the 1960s to honing her voice as an oratory champion to performing improv and participating in pivotal student movements at Harvard to balancing the joys and demands of marriage and motherhood while advancing in Big Law — and, finally, to making history upon joining the nation’s highest court.”

Venus Williams out of Australian Open due to Injury

Maria

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Jan 8, 2023

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Venus Williams out of Australian Open due to Injury

By COURTNEY WALSH, Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open for an undisclosed injury she sustained while playing in a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand this week.

A seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams received a wild-card entry into the Australian Open last month to compete in what would have been her 22nd major at Melbourne Park.

But the Australian Open said on Saturday the 42-year-old Williams had withdrawn from the tournament beginning Jan. 16. It did not provide specifics regarding the injury.

It continues a run of misfortunes for Williams, who last played at Melbourne Park in 2021.

A two-time Australian Open finalist, Williams injured an ankle and knee in that appearance when stumbling awkwardly at the net in a second-round match against Sara Errani.

Her best efforts at Melbourne Park came when she was beaten by her sister Serena Williams in finals in 2003 and 2017.

Now ranked 1,003, Williams said when granted the wild card in December that she was excited to be returning to Melbourne.

“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly,” she said.

The five-time Wimbledon singles champion has struggled with injuries over the past two years and was restricted to playing just four tournaments in the U.S. last August. She did not progress beyond the first round in those events and ended her season when beaten by Alison van Uytvanck at the U.S. Open.

But she started 2023 on a positive note by defeating fellow American Katie Volynets in Auckland. She was then beaten by China’s Zhu Lin in three sets in the second round.