#NNPA BlackPress
Senators Booker and Harris Lead Roundtable Discussion on Issues Concerning African Americans
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Only journalists of color received an invitation to the event, which included remarks from Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and several others. The senators said they wanted to open the floor to issues that pertain mostly to African Americans.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
When asked what challenges she and fellow Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) faced as Black candidates during their 2019 run for president, Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) urged everyone in the room to close their eyes.
“Then, imagine the boy next door and think of a four-letter word phrase that would define mine and Cory’s campaign,” Harris said.
“You don’t have it. It doesn’t exist. So, we had to consistently explain who we are as people, and our character.”
It seemed quite the metaphor for a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 11.
Led by Sens. Harris and Booker, the frank one-hour conversation tackled everything from voter suppression to the coronavirus.
Only journalists of color received an invitation to the event, which included remarks from Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and several others.
The senators said they wanted to open the floor to issues that pertain mostly to African Americans.
Kaine, who has openly championed the Black Press of America, said he was pleased that the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) was among the news organizations represented.
The NNPA is a trade organization of the more than 220 African-American owned newspapers and media companies in the United States.
Harris said the gathering was important, particularly since just 7.5 percent of American journalists are Black, and that was evident as she hit the campaign trail last year.
“I wish more Blacks were covering me,” Harris continued.
She noted that while campaigning for president, White journalists proved unfamiliar with her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority or the Divine 9. Another White reporter asked her why she chose to attend Howard University, a historically Black college and university.
“Howard University is referred to as the Mecca,” Harris stated.
Schumer said voting rights and protections are among the primary issues facing the country, particularly African Americans.
“One of the three worst decisions of this Supreme Court was Shelby County vs. Holder, which eliminated a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Schumer noted. “That’s because [Chief Justice] John Roberts said there’s no longer any racism.”
Because of the rising crisis that is the coronavirus, the senators each said they’re working diligently to ensure that Blacks and all Americans receive necessary relief.
“Coronavirus is the news that’s driving the country and the world,” Schumer proclaimed. “I’m very worried that the president’s incompetence and lack of focus are hurting us. He seems more focused on the Stock Market than the supermarket, to quote Stacey Abrams.”
Schumer added that he hopes that President Trump refrains from attaching fighting the coronavirus to his campaign, thus minimizing the seriousness of the disease by making it a political issue.
“He needs to put people before corporations and take appropriate steps,” Schumer stated. He outlined part of a proposal that he’s working on with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
“Speaker Pelosi and I have called for, and the House will pass, paid sick leave for workers impacted by quarantine orders and not just those who can’t work, but if schools are closed, it will apply.”
Schumer continued.
“Enhanced unemployment and do it quickly and do it fast. Food security, both in terms of SNAP and for many kids, their best meal is at school. So, we have to figure out a way to get those lunches and breakfast delivered to people’s homes if the kids are not going to school.
“We also have to have protection for frontline workers, and tests and the administration of tests shouldn’t cost anything. Doctors shouldn’t be allowed to charge a fee. This is a very important issue.”
Each of the senators stressed that universal health care is needed in the United States.
They promised to work toward such a plan if Democrats can take back the Senate while maintaining control of the House this fall.
Schumer, Booker, Harris, and the rest of their colleagues noted the importance of getting their message to journalists of color.
“This is a time where having a free press is more important than ever before,” Booker said.
“I can’t stress the importance of Black journalists and Black journalism,” Harris stated.
“Had Ida B. Wells not been present with her voice and her willingness to speak on the issues of the day, the issues of lynching in America would not have taken on the dialogue it absolutely deserved. She started that discussion in a real way.
“JET Magazine. Had Emmett Till’s mother not trusted Simeon Booker to appropriately tell her story and treat that photograph with dignity, the story of Emmett Till would not have taken on the importance that it did.”
#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.
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