Saturday, September 23, 2017

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Announces 2017 HBCU All-Stars


The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) announced its 2017 HBCU All-Stars at the Annual Summit hosted at the White House on Monday, September 18, 2017. The 62 All-Stars are undergraduate, graduate, and professional students recognized for their outstanding accomplishments.

The All-Stars are appointed for one year to serve as ambassadors of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. The All-Stars provide outreach opportunities and communications to their fellow students about the value of education and the Initiative as a networking resource. Selected from a wide-range of applicants, the All-Stars came highly recommended from HBCU administrators and proved impressive beyond their resumes, transcripts and thorough applications.

“As a proud HBCU graduate, I am personally thrilled to congratulate this year’s impressive class of HBCU All-Stars,” said Omarosa Manigault, Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison.

The 2017 All-Stars and HBCUs are....

Adams, Briona: Lincoln University of Missouri, Jefferson City, Missouri
Alexander, Nicholas: Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
Anderson, Tiaara: Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas
Banks, Rogi: Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Barnes, Randall: Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia
Batiste, Aaron: Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, Missouri
Baugh, Erin: Albany State University, Albany, Georgia
Baynard, LeShawn: Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia
Bazemore, Fransheria: Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
Bell, Dontae: Howard University, Washington, D.C.
Bryant, Ervin: Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
Butts, Alton: Morris College, Sumter, South Carolina
Cooper, Imani: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida
Dorsey, Monica: Texas College, Tyler, Texas
Downs, Charlein: Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware
Dudley, Coleton: Langston College, Langston, Oklahoma
Eliis, Ekaya: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida
Estiverne, Tasja: Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina
Evans, Kaliah: Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania
Fairley, Jeffery: Hinds Community College, Utica Campus, Utica, Mississippi
Gibson, William: Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Goodlin, Denzel: North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina
Hall-Debnam, Taylor: Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia
Hemphill, Lea: Southern University Agricultural & Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Hill, Ta'Mara: Wiley College, Marshall, Texas
Jackson, Adriiana: Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana
Johnson, Zoe: University of Maryland--Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland
Kanu, Samuel: Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
King Jr., David: Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama
Knight, Nikolai: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Lain, Yo'Sha: Southern University Agricultural & Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Lofton, Geremiah: Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas
Long, Brandon: North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, North Carolina
Mackell, Aaron: Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
McCullough, Terrianna: Voorhees College, Denmark, South Carolina
McMichael, Shani: Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina
Mixon, Lakeisha: Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland
Mokaya, Hillary: Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina
Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi, Chidera: Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia
Parker, Derrick: Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia
Powell, Shanell: Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland
Powell-Childress, Karmeen: Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi
Price, Arianne: Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama
Redmond, Bryan: Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana
Relf, Jacarri: Lane College, Jackson, Tennessee
Richards, Omari: South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina
Richardson, Terrell: Livingston College, Salisbury, North Carolina
Rodgers, Keonia: North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, North Carolina
Rolax, Ryan: Miles College, Fairfield, Alabama
Rosario, Rachel: Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee
Sanders, Jajuan: Oakwood University, Huntsville, Alabama
Stevens, Elijah: Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida
Tyson, Khiala: Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee
Vineyard, Brianna: Bluefield State College, Bluefield, West Virginia
Washington, Alexandria: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida
Watson, Ato: Florida Memorial University, Miami, Florida
White, Dajanay: Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida
Williams, Ba'Sheerah: Rust College, Hollysprings, Mississippi
Williams, Deonna: Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia
Williams, Jaime: Grambling State University, Grambling, Louisiana
Williams-Toomer, Passion: St. Phillip's College, San Antonio, Texas
Willie-Bonglo, Mamei: University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. 

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary 

From The G-Man applauds and congratulates the students on their accomplishment. Keep up the great work!

Governor Cuomo Tours Hurricane Maria Damage in Puerto Rico


This video was published on YouTube on September 22.

Governor Cuomo traveled to Puerto Rico today with key emergency response officials along with specialists critical to helping Puerto Rico repair its devastated power structure.

Source: NYGovCuomo

Friday, September 22, 2017

John McCain Just Effectively Killed the Republican Party’s Latest Health-Care Bill


The senator said he can’t support Graham-Cassidy despite the fact that his best friend wrote it.

By Gideon Resnick

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) announced his opposition to the Graham-Cassidy legislation on Friday, likely killing the bill’s chances of passing in the Senate.

“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” McCain said in a statement. “I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it. Without a full CBO score, which won’t be available by the end of the month, we won’t have reliable answers to any of those questions.”

McCain acknowledged that it was a tough decision for him given his personal relationship with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the bill’s co-authors. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Daily Beast 

Trump Announces Seventh Wave of United States Attorney Nominations


Today President Donald Trump announced his seventh wave of United States Attorney nominations. The United States Attorney serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer within his or her Federal judicial district. These ­­­­four candidates share the President’s vision for “Making America Safe Again.” Accordingly, the President today announced his intent to nominate these individuals to serve as the United States Attorney for their respective jurisdictions.  

If confirmed, Erin Nealy Cox of Texas will serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.  Ms. Nealy Cox is currently a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co in the cybersecurity and risk practice.  She also serves on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings, a large retailer on the NYSE.  From 1999 to 2008, Ms. Nealy Cox served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, where she prosecuted cyber crimes, white collar crimes, and general crimes.  In 2004 and 2005, she served at Main Justice as chief of staff and senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy.  Ms. Nealy Cox also previously worked at Stroz Friedberg, a cybersecurity and investigations consulting firm.  Ms. Nealy Cox clerked for the Honorable Henry A. Politz, when he served as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Honorable Barefoot Sanders, United States District Judge in the Northern District of Texas.  She received a B.B.A in finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. 

If confirmed, Duane A. Kees of Arkansas will serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.  Mr. Kees is currently an ethics and compliance director with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., where he focuses on corporate investigations.  Mr. Kees served in the U.S Army JAG Corps for eight years.  During his time on active duty, he prosecuted and defended a variety of complex cases and earned two Bronze Stars and a Meritorious Service Medal. He is currently a Major in the Arkansas National Guard.  He previously was a partner at the Asa Hutchinson Law Group, LLC.  He received his B.A. from the University of Arkansas and his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. 

If confirmed, Matthew D. Krueger of Wisconsin will serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  Mr. Krueger is currently an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and has worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2013.  Mr. Krueger previously worked as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP in Washington, D.C.  He also served as a Bristow Fellow in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Solicitor General.  He clerked for the Honorable Paul V. Niemeyer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  Mr. Krueger received his B.S., with honors, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Law Review. 

If confirmed, Christina E. Nolan of Vermont will serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont.  Since 2010, Ms. Nolan has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Vermont, where she has prosecuted a variety of criminal cases, including complex drug trafficking offenses, money laundering, firearms offenses, violent crime, and crimes against children.  Ms. Nolan previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.   From 2005 to 2009, Ms. Nolan worked as a litigation associate at Goodwin Procter LLP, in Boston, where she concentrated her practice in white collar criminal defense.  Ms. Nolan clerked for The Honorable F. Dennis Saylor IV, of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.  A native Vermonter, Ms. Nolan graduated with departmental honors from the University of Vermont, summa cum laude, with B.A.s in political science and history.  She received a J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School.  

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary

Bronx Organizations to Launch Relief Drive for Puerto Rico and Mexico



What You Should Know
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District

You should know that here in Bronx County they are several organizations that are coordinating a humanitarian relief effort to collect and sends aid to the victims in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria and the victims of the Earthquake in Mexico.

As we all know the Island of Puerto Rico has been hit by two hurricanes in the last two weeks. Hurricanes Irma and Maria have wreaked havoc on the island, leaving much destruction, floods and thousands of families helpless and with urgent needs for help.

On the other hand, our brothers and sisters in Mexico have been visited by a tremendous earthquake of 7.1 on the Richter scale.

This earthquake in Mexico has destroyed thousands of homes and buildings causing the loss of life of hundreds of people and hundreds of others hospitalized homeless and without shelter.

It is for this reasons that, The New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, the Christian Community Benevolent Association, Radio Vision Cristiana Internacional, and Radio Cantico Nuevo, have organized this humanitarian relief effort, and they have been supported by elected officials such as Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr, Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., Assemblymen Marcos Crespo, Luis Sepulveda, and Councilman Rafael Salamanca.

We must all answer the call at this time when Puerto Rico and Mexico need our help.  Water, canned foods, medicines, pampers, infant formula, first aid articles, batteries and flashlights, and other aids will be received at this humanitarian relief effort.

I am Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz and this is what you should know.

Douglas Brinkley on the Trump Presidency

 

Mr. Brinkley is a Rice University history professor. 

Source: C-SPAN 

Bob Bauer on President Trump's Voter Fraud Commission


Bob Bauer, former co-chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, talks about President Trump’s voter fraud commission and efforts to improve the integrity of federal elections.

Source: C-SPAN 

Janet Napolitano on the Trump Administration's Immigration Policy

 

Napolitano, the former Homeland Security Secretary, is among the speakers at the Brookings Institution forum. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

SUNY SA President's Statement on Title IX Guidance Repeal

 
 U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos


Marc Cohen, President and Trustee of the Student Assembly of the State University of New York (SUNY SA), issued the following statement: 

“Any policy that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of survivors must be condemned. So too should any actions taken against accused parties before due process has been fully executed. We must ensure that this administration recognizes both sides, acts in accordance with our constitution, and ensures a safe and just environment for all.

“The Student Assembly reaffirms its support for the It's On Us Campaign and will continue to endorse efforts geared toward enhancing safety on our campuses and justice for all.”  

Editor's Note: Click here for information on Title IX Guidance Repeal. 

Source: SUNY SA

'Flashback Friday': The Story Behind 'A Change Is Gonna Come'


This video was published on YouTube on December 24, 2014. 

Source: CBS News

Saving Our Youth: Surviving on the Inside, by Ice-T

 
This video was published on YouTube on February 18, 2015, and contains profanity.

Ice gives advice to those on the inside fitting with the theme of community.

Through his music, his books and his lecture tours at colleges including Harvard, Princeton and Stanford, Ice-T has become a cultural icon recognized the world over.
 
Born in New Jersey, Ice-T quickly learned the art of survival. As an only child whose parents died when he was very young, Ice-T became involved in Los Angeles gangs before spending four years in the army. His first break came when the producers of the film “Breakin’” asked him to rap in the movie. He went on to become rap music’s original gangster, writing songs like “Six in the Mornin’” and “New Jack Hustler.” 

Source: TEDx Talks

Fred Hampton: 'You Can't Kill the Revolution'


This video was published on YouTube on May 15, 2014. 

This is a collection of clips featuring Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Chicago Black Panther Party. Hampton was gunned down by police while sleeping in his bed on December 4, 1969.

Ex-FBI Director Comey Delivers Remarks At Howard University


Former FBI Director James Comey delivers the 150th Opening Convocation address to the Howard University class of 2021 in Washington, D.C. 

Source: NBC News

Oval Office Chat: Governors Rossello and Mapp




President Trump spoke yesterday with Governor Rossello of Puerto Rico and with Governor Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands to express support as both territories respond to and recover from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The President thanked the Governors for their leadership in preparing the residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for these catastrophic events. 

The President also received an assessment of the damage caused by Hurricane Maria and pledged continued help from his Administration for the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Both Governors expressed their continued appreciation for the hard work and rapid support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The President confirmed that the Federal Government has been actively preparing its response to Hurricane Maria even as it continues to support the States of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and all the communities affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 
 
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary 

SPLC Tells Supreme Court: President Trump's Muslim Ban is an Unconstitutional Violation of Religious Freedom


This report was originally published on September 18, 2017.

The SPLC joined other civil rights organizations and members of the clergy today in telling the U.S. Supreme Court that President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban is an unconstitutional violation of religious freedom.

“Long before Donald Trump became president, he made his hostility toward immigrants, refugees and Muslims abundantly clear,” said SPLC Deputy Legal Director Naomi Tsu. “As president, his Muslim ban blatantly discriminates against travelers to the United States on the basis of religion—a violation of the First Amendment. It also encourages a climate of harassment that allows people to be singled out for their religion, language, skin color or dress. A policy that so brazenly violates our nation’s fundamental principles cannot stand.” 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center

Black Detectives in New York Were Bypassed for Promotions, Panel Finds

 
By Benjamin Mueller

In one of New York City’s most powerful police divisions, there was an obscure unit filled almost exclusively by black detectives.

The “rap unit,” as it was referred to internally, had a peripheral role in a division otherwise focused on recruiting Muslim informants and building terrorism cases. Detectives went undercover at hip-hop concerts, protected artists from scammers and stickup men and warned venues of potential feuds.

Inside the Intelligence Division, which was largely led by white commanders, the “rap unit” was known to stall careers: Black detectives there did not get promoted for years, no matter how sterling their recommendations, according to a complaint filed by three black detectives with a federal labor agency.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Times (via The Empire Report) 

Defendant in Cornell University Racial Incident Apologizes for His Role

 

ITHACA, N.Y. -- A Cornell University student, accused in a racist attack on a black student, has apologized for his role.

John Greenwood, 19, said he regretted using "completely unacceptable language" in a verbal argument Friday. Greenwood's lawyer denies he was involved in any physical fight.

Greenwood was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree aggravated harassment, both misdemeanors. Police said he is responsible for a possibly racially-motivated assault in the Collegetown neighborhood of Ithaca early Friday morning.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: syracuse.com (via The Empire Report) 

New York Militia Gives Inside Look at its Operation During D.C. Demonstrations


An NBC News I-Team Investigation

By Sarah Wallace

Saturday was filled with tension for members of New York's Light Foot Militia.

Nearly two dozen men and women in the militia were up at the break of dawn that day, decked out in fatigues and sipping on coffee before taking orders from commander George Curbelo and mobilizing with military precision in the National Mall in Washington D.C. 

"Staggered columns please," Curbelo barked as they headed into the giant green space. 

They didn't have weapons, but the Light Foot Militia was on hand to keep the peace and defend free speech along with the nearly 200 other militia members from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that converged on the nation's capitol at a pro-Trump demonstration billed as the Mother of All Rallies. And they allowed the I-Team’s Sarah Wallace to be the only reporter embedded with their teams.

Click here for video.

Transgender Students Kicked Off South Glens Falls School Bus



By Bethany Bump

SOUTH GLENS FALLS, NY — Two students who identify as male were kicked off a South Glens Falls school bus Wednesday because they refused to sit with girls, school officials said Thursday.

The incident, captured on video and shared on social media, took place on the afterschool activity bus around 3:40 p.m. when the bus driver asked boys to sit on one side and girls to sit on the other. After students had taken their seats, the driver asked two transgender students to sit with the girls.

"The students politely refused and remained in their seats, with every right to do so," the school district said in a statement released Thursday.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: timesunion.com (via The Empire Report) 

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Congressional Black Caucus Town Hall on Civil Rights


The town hall focused on civil rights in the wake of several policy reversals by the Trump administration's Justice Department. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Study: Hiring Racism is as Bad as it Was in 1989

Warning: Explicit term for a woman's body part included

This video was published on YouTube on September 20, 2017.
The Dr Boyce Watkins Channel is an all-black news and commentary channel that features a number of African American thinkers, commentators and speakers. The views of each video are not necessarily representative of those of Dr Boyce Watkins himself. 

Source: Boyce Watkins

Trailblazers in Black History: Charity Adams Earley


Although born in South Carolina in 1918, Charity Adams Earley made history in Fort Des Moines, Iowa when she became one of the first black female officers of the Women’s Army Corps. She later became the first black woman to be commissioned by the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Source: The Huffington Post

In Memoriam: Bernie Casey and Lillian Ross

 Football Star Turned Actor, Poet and Painter, Dies at 78

By Mike Barnes

Actor Bernie Casey, who appeared in such films as Boxcar Bertha, Never Say Never Again and Revenge of the Nerds after a career as a standout NFL wide receiver, has died. He was 78. 

Casey, who also starred in Cleopatra Jones and several other blaxploitation movies of the 1970s, died Tuesday after a brief illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his representative told The Hollywood Reporter.

In the Warner Bros. drama Brothers (1977), Casey distinguished himself by portraying a thinly veiled version of George Jackson, a member of the Black Panther Party who was killed in what officials described as an escape attempt from San Quentin in 1971. His writings had inspired oppressed people around the world, and Bob Dylan recorded a song as a tribute to Jackson in 1971.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter 


 Lillian Ross, Acclaimed Reporter for The New Yorker, Dies at 99
 
By Michael T. Kaufman

Lillian Ross, who became known as the consummate fly-on-the-wall reporter in more than six decades at The New Yorker, whether writing about Ernest Hemingway, Hollywood or a busload of Indiana high school seniors on a class trip to New York, died on Wednesday in Manhattan. She was 99.

Her longtime editor, Susan Morrison, said the death, at Lenox Hill Hospital, was caused by a stroke.
Ms. Ross preached unobtrusive reporting and practiced what she preached. She outlined her credo in the preface to her book “Reporting” (1964): “Your attention at all times should be on your subject, not on you. Do not call attention to yourself.”

But late in life her writing took a surprising turn from third person to first. In 1998 she published “Here but Not Here: A Love Story,” describing her 50-year love affair with William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker, who was married to someone else and who, if anything, had even been more compulsively guarded about his private life than Ms. Ross. Former associates at the magazine accused her of betrayal.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Times 

Black Women Lead the Charge at Congressional Conference

WASHINGTON — As thousands gather in the nation’s capital for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations’ Annual Legislative Conference at the Washington Convention Center, leaders say the message and motto is simple: And Still I Rise.

While political leaders, experts, and the ‘who’s who’ in media, entertainment, politics come together to network (and party), it is also a time for serious conversations on issues affecting communities of color.

On Wednesday, black women led the discussion on criminal justice, voting rights, and job creation. At the highly anticipated Black Women’s Roundtable policy forum discussion, political leaders, activists, and experts discussed results from the Power of the Sister Vote Poll conducted by the roundtable and Essence Magazine.