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Black Millennial Political Convention Scheduled in Washington

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The Black Millennial Political Convention is the only place where Black millennial voices and concerns are a priority,” said Lea Webb, the convention’s co-chair and award-winning activist who was the first and youngest African American representative on the Binghamton (N.Y.) City Council.

Published

5 years ago

April 19, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

An estimated 62 million Millennials – adults ages 20 to 35 in 2016 – were voting-age U.S. citizens in the nation’s electorate in 2016.

Millennials comprised 27 percent of the voting-eligible population, just below Baby Boomers – ages 52 to 70 – who made up 31 percent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

African-American millennials are 14 percent of the total millennial population in the U.S. and 25 percent of the total black population and it’s expected that by next year Black millennials buying power could exceed $200 billion.

With those and other statistics serving as a distant backdrop, organizers are preparing for the Black Millennial Political Convention, a nonpartisan and nonprofit convening of millennials of African descent from across the country and the diaspora to advance racial equity, increase black political power, and expand civic engagement.

A regional convention was held earlier this year in Tennessee.

The national convention, which takes place from May 30 to June 2 in Washington, D.C., will operate along three primary guiding principles:

Pipeline-Planting seeds: Creating succession plans to identify, develop and propel transformational leaders (local, regional, statewide, and national).
Policy-Institute policies: Addressing the needs and concerns of the African American Community.
Power to the People – Elevating Our Power: Leveraging our intersectionality for social impact to empower community, activate advocacy and create systemic change.

“The Black Millennial Political Convention is the only place where Black millennial voices and concerns are a priority,” said Lea Webb, the convention’s co-chair and award-winning activist who was the first and youngest African American representative on the Binghamton (N.Y.) City Council.

“We provide a chance for Black Millennials nationwide to convene upon the nation’s capital for a unique and essential opportunity to learn about implementing our policy priorities in their own communities and to network with like-minded, civically active peers,” Webb said.

The biggest challenge facing Black millennials is achieving equity, Webb said.

“The title and theme of our convention this year is Equity Now. Black Millennials are thriving as leaders in politics, business, education and all other industries,” Webb said.

“However, we must continue to fight for equitable access to resources and seats at decision-making tables,” she said.

Waikinya Clanton, a Steering Committee member of the Black Millennial Political Convention, said the upcoming convention is the one space curated for and by the brightest, young political minds in the country.

Speaking only in her capacity as a Steering Committee member, Clanton, who is also the national executive for the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women and an ambassador of the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, said the convention also is the space by which crafting of the Black Millennial agenda is created and communicated.

“We are not only, training and activating young people around their political issues, but we are helping these leaders understand how to build and deploy black political power,” Clanton said.

“The belief that issues impacting Black Millennials are monolithic is the biggest problem we, as a group of people face. Our generation is complex and curious but also, committed and concerned about the things that not only impact us, individually, but also our community as a whole,” she said.

Both Webb and Clanton said this year’s convention should prove valuable for all.

“This year we have added a presidential forum and a Millennial March on Washington plus a rally and we will also have a dynamic host of speakers and panelists and we will end with our Black Millennial Gala and Awards Ceremony,” said Webb, who noted that among the more prominent speakers this year are Brittany Packnett, Symone Sanders, and Andrew Gillum.

Clanton said there will be a “full concentrated effort on the building of Black people, Black community, Black wealth and the furthering of Black excellence.”

“We have invited political leaders from both political parties, subject matter and industry experts and a host of other talent. It will be the one place for any leader looking to learn about what’s important to Black Millennials,” Clanton said.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.