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Judge Jackson Rewrites U.S. History as First Black Woman on the Supreme Court

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “This is a special day for Black communities and for all Americans and marks the start of a new era for the judicial branch of the United States,” said Spencer Overton, the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. “We are celebrating this joyful moment with Judge Jackson and reflecting on the significant impact she will have on our nation over the next several decades.”
The post Judge Jackson Rewrites U.S. History as First Black Woman on the Supreme Court first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

April 7, 2022

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

[This post contains video, click to play]

On April 7, 2022, at 2:17 p.m. EDT, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson entered the history books, becoming the first Black woman elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court.

After arduous and volatile hearings last month, the Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed Jackson by a 53-47 vote.

“This is a special day for Black communities and for all Americans and marks the start of a new era for the judicial branch of the United States,” said Spencer Overton, the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

“We are celebrating this joyful moment with Judge Jackson and reflecting on the significant impact she will have on our nation over the next several decades.”

Vice President Kamala Harris announced the final vote, tapping the podium with her gavel which signaled the making of history.

All 50 Democrats in the U.S. Senate voted in favor of Jackson, while Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans to cast ballots approving President Joe Biden’s nominee.

Though unquestionably supporting Jackson, D.C. Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton expressed a bittersweet reality.

“This is historic,” Norton proclaimed.

“[However], there’s still some emptiness for the District of Columbia. D.C., as with every other SCOTUS nominee in history, [had] no vote on confirmation even though D.C. and its residents are bound by the court’s rulings.”

Following four days of public testimony and a racially charged grilling of Jackson by Republicans that began on March 21, Senate Judiciary members deadlocked 11-11 on April 4 to move the nomination out of committee.

However, Jackson’s nomination moved forward based on Senate rules and a Democrat majority in the upper chamber.

On Thursday, members again engaged in a debate over confirmation, but Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer cut arguments off before the final vote.

Ironically, Republicans changed the rules for Supreme Court nominees in 2017 to confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch, a pick of former President Donald Trump. That move allowed for a similar majority to vote to limit debate.

“It will be a joyous day,” Schumer declared.

The White House said since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, President Biden had sought a candidate with “exceptional credentials, unimpeachable character, and unwavering dedication to the rule of law.”

“And the President sought an individual who is committed to equal justice under the law and who understands the profound impact that the Supreme Court’s decisions have on the lives of the American people,” a senior official stated.

“That is why the President nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson,” the official insisted.

Born in Washington, D.C., Jackson grew up in Miami, Florida.

According to the White House, during a 2017 lecture, Jackson traced her love of the law back to sitting next to her father in their apartment as he tackled his law school homework.

A speech and debate star, Jackson earned election as “mayor” of Palmetto Junior High and student body president of Miami Palmetto Senior High School.

“But like many Black women, Judge Jackson still faced naysayers,” senior White House officials wrote.

“When Judge Jackson told her high school guidance counselor, she wanted to attend Harvard, the guidance counselor warned that Judge Jackson should not set her sights so high.”

Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, then attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated cum laude and was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.

In 2021, Jackson earned confirmation on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She also served on the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and President Barack Obama nominated Jackson as district court judge in 2012.

Jackson also served as vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, clerked for Justice Breyer, and worked as a federal public defender. She’s the first former federal public defender to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Ketanji Brown Jackson is an outstanding jurist and person,” the Fraternal Order of Police wrote. “Brilliant, fair, and a true and real person. She will be an immense credit to the court and our country.”

Supreme Court lawyer Neal Katyal said by all accounts, Jackson possesses the qualities essential in a Supreme Court justice.

Obama declared that Jackson “has a demonstrated record of excellence.”

“I believe, based upon her work as a trial judge when I served on the Court of Appeals, that she will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan,” Obama stated.

The post Judge Jackson Rewrites U.S. History as First Black Woman on the Supreme Court first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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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

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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.

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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.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

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