#NNPA BlackPress
Early-voting window set to open for City Council District races
NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — Early voting for runoff elections for Memphis City Council District 1 and District 7 is now underway. Meanwhile, Shelby County Election Commission officials are scrambling to get more voters added to their roll while local advocacy groups are pushing to get more voters to the polls.
By Erica R. Williams
Early voting for runoff elections for Memphis City Council District 1 and District 7 is now underway.
Meanwhile, Shelby County Election Commission officials are scrambling to get more voters added to their roll while local advocacy groups are pushing to get more voters to the polls.
Early voting extends through November 9. Election Day is November 14. Residents who were not already registered to vote had until October 15 to sign up in time to for the runoffs.
In the District 1 race is incumbent Sherman Greer and opponent Rhonda Logan, a community activist. Incumbent, Berlin Boyd is hoping to beat out Shelby County educator Michalyn Easter-Thomas in the race for District 7.
On the heels of the municipal election, Shelby County Election Commission Administrator Linda Phillips said workers have had a busy week certifying the results from the previous election, while prepping for the upcoming one.
“The problem with runoffs is that you have to usually do two things simultaneously that are normally done at once,” Phillips said. “For instance, we had to change addresses for voters who voted at one precinct during the October 3 election and then changed their addresses shortly after.”
Phillips said there have been more than 168 address changes.
Amid the time crutch, the commission received flak from members of the Shelby County Young Democrats, who claimed precinct location information was being withheld.
“It disenfranchises voters when they do not know where or when to vote. It suppresses voter turnout,” Shelby County Young Democrats President Alexander Boulton said in an official press release Tuesday morning.
“But overall, the lack of information from the SCEC about when/where to exercise our civic duty hurts the democratic process we rely on to choose our representatives.”
Shortly after the backlash, the Election Commission listed the six early voting polling locations on its website. Phillips said she was unaware of the complaint from the Shelby County Young Dems and that she released the information once it was finalized.
“I can’t put out early voting locations until the commission finalizes it. As soon they decided, we released them. I don’t think many organizations understand how the process really goes.”
More than 95,000 people voted in the past election, but only a small fraction is expected to make it to the polls for runoffs. In 2015 only 5 percent of voters came back out to cast their ballots.
Organizers such as those from Up the Vote 901 have been registering voters leading up to the runoffs. Sijuwola Crawford, a lead organizer for the organization, acknowledged that getting people back to the polls is difficult. He said Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) could be the remedy.
“That’s why IRV is important and advantageous because people don’t have to come back out 30 days after the general election,” Crawford said. “But regardless of what I think, the majority of voters have supported it.”
Last year nearly 63 percent of Memphians reaffirmed their support for IRV, which was first approved in 2008. Despite the support, the system that would require voters to select and rank multiple choices for single-member city council district seats has not been implemented.
Tennessee Election Coordinator Mark Goins has said that IRV does not comply with state law and that it could not be implemented just yet.
Despite having to revisit the polls for a second time, officials and organizers are urging residents to exercise their voting rights during runoffs.
“I know it’s not ideal to come out again, but I urge people to turn out to vote,” Phillips said. “Your local elected officials are much more important than who’s running for President.
The six early voting sites are:
- Shelby County Office Building (157 Poplar Ave)
- Bellevue Baptist Church (2000 Appling Rd.)
- Bellevue Frayser (3759 N. Watkins)
- Berclair Church of Christ (4536 Summer Ave)
- Dave Wells Community Center (915 Chelsea Ave)
- Raleigh United Methodist Church (3295 Powers Rd.)
This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender
#NNPA BlackPress
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.
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.
#NNPA BlackPress
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.
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.
#NNPA BlackPress
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.
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.
-
Community2 weeks ago
Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 3 – 6, 2024
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
-
Community2 weeks ago
Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame
-
Community2 weeks ago
Richmond Nonprofit Helps Ex-Felons Get Back on Their Feet
-
Community2 weeks ago
RPAL to Rename Technology Center for Retired Police Captain Arthur Lee Johnson