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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® South Central Region Hosts over 350 Members during AKA Day Texas

Senator Borris Miles (District 13); Dr. Darlene Breaux, AKA Day Co-Chairman; Kelly P.Hodges, AKA Texas Connection and Social Action Coordinator; DeMetris Sampson, South Central Region, AKA International Connection and Social Action Representative; Joya T. Hayes, South Central Regional Director; Former State Representative, Wilhelmina Ruth Delco, and (far right) Senator Royce West (District 23) Soaring to […]
The post Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® South Central Region Hosts over 350 Members during AKA Day Texas first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

March 15, 2023

Forward Times Staff

Senator Borris Miles (District 13); Dr. Darlene Breaux, AKA Day Co-Chairman; Kelly P.
Hodges, AKA Texas Connection and Social Action Coordinator; DeMetris Sampson, South Central Region, AKA International Connection and Social Action Representative; Joya T. Hayes, South Central Regional Director; Former State Representative, Wilhelmina Ruth Delco, and (far right) Senator Royce West (District 23)

Soaring to Greater Heights of Advocacy in Action!

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, (AKA) Incorporated^®, South Central Region hosted AKA Day at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, March 7^th. Over 350 members of the oldest Greek-letter organization for women were in attendance to advocate for issues impacting their respective communities. “Soaring to Greater Heights of Advocacy in Action!” was the 2023 AKA Day, Texas theme. Hosted by State Representatives, Alma Allen (District 131), Ron Reynolds (District 27), and Jolanda Jones (District 147), members of the prestigious organization hosted a day of advocacy that focused on several legislative priorities: Healthcare, Mental Health, Election Rights, Criminal Justice, Education, and Firearms Safety.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^®, an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. Often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women, AKA has been at the forefront of social justice to promote fairness and equity. AKA stands in the gap to empower our communities and act in the best interests of all people through social advocacy and justice.

In Texas, The South Central Region of AKA, under the leadership of Mrs. Joya T. Hayes, works to improve communities and the world through compassionate service and be present to influence change at all levels and across all industries. South Central is the second largest region out of the ten regions of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^®. The Sensational South Central region includes more than 10,000 service-oriented members with more than 120 undergraduate and graduate chapters located in the four-state area of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas.

“We are excited to convene in Austin for the 88^th Texas Legislative Session. As an organization, we walk the halls of the Texas State Capitol and boldly lead with superiority to impact the quality of life for the communities we serve,”said Joya T. Hayes, South Central Regional Director.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^® had its humble beginnings as the vision of nine college students on Howard University’s campus in 1908. In 1980, the Sorority’s leadership knew there was a need for a formal commitment to impact public policy as it affects African Americans, and the AKA Connection Committee was confirmed as the ninth Standing Committee of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.^®In 2022, the name of the committee was changed to Connection and Social Action Committee. The Connection and Social Action committee identifies and studies national and international issues that impact the quality of life, designs strategies for communication with the membership regarding issues, and mobilizes the membership for action to formulate and recommend position statements to the organization’s President and CEO.

“The Sorority has flourished into a globally impactful organization with 300,000 college-educated members. We have members who lead across the nation in local, state, and federal government. And we are excited to have over 350 members participate this year,” said Kelly P. Hodges, Connection and Social Action Coordinator, Texas.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^® has consistently remained at the forefront of effective advocacy and social change, resulting in social justice reform and equality for all. AKA has several National Advocacy Priorities.

Healthcare

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black mothers are three times as likely to die from birth complications as white and Hispanic mothers. We want you to take action to disrupt this endemic that disproportionately affects them. We SUPPORT HB 12 (Rose) and any other legislation that would extend Medicaid eligibility to new mothers in Texas a year after their child’s delivery, significantly increasing the length of time moms can access critical postpartum health coverage.

Mental Health

Texas has seen a rise in youth mental health challenges, teen suicide, and school violence, including mass shootings. Schools desperately need mental health services to address this growing concern. We call upon the Texas Legislature to SUPPORT SB 113 (Menendez) and HB 98 (Moody) and any legislation to improve access to evidence-based mental health services and mental health professionals within a district or a collaborative network. At the same time, the Legislature should reduce the burden on educators and districts to identify and solve student mental health issues. Additionally, we ask that you SUPPORT legislation for appropriate resources for all persons needing mental health services, particularly in impoverished communities that have historically lacked access to these services.

Election Rights

Texas has seen record-breaking numbers of voters at the polls, and with that has come many challenges with ensuring that all Texans who are eligible to vote should be able to do so without undue interference and barriers. We ask that you VOTE NO to any legislation that attaches criminal liability to innocent mistakes and seeks to enforce practices that would intimidate potential voters with jail time and enormous fines and SUPPORT HB 2480 (Reynolds) that requires notice regarding the potential eligibility to vote of certain persons convicted of a felony. We ask that you SUPPORT laws that would support those who can vote by mail to ensure that directions are clear, along with access and accommodations for the elderly and voters with disabilities.

State & Local Legislative Priorities

Criminal Justice

Across the nation, communities have witnessed incidents of violence and murder being perpetrated, not by criminals, but by a few rogue officers of the law. Our priority is to protect individuals’ constitutional rights while protecting public safety. We ask that you SUPPORT HB 1808 (Jones) and any others that aim to increase police accountability in Texas by requiring peace officers to carry personal liability insurance to cover damages from “any misconduct, including intentional, negligent, or willful acts” while on duty. In addition, we ask you to SUPPORT HB 413 (Thompson), which would institute a “progressive disciplinary matrix” for allegations of police misconduct. Finally, we ask that you SUPPORT any and all legislation that takes an evidence-based approach toward meaningful changes in the criminal justice system while seeking sustainable solutions that benefit all members of society.

Education

A high-quality and well-funded public education system is the foundation to ensuring that our Texas students have access to the instruction and resources they need to become the best and brightest in the nation. However, Texas currently ranks in the bottom 10 in per-pupil spending. Texas is $4,000 behind the national average, and there has not been an increase or any inflationary adjustments in the basic allotment since 2019. With double-digit inflation, this means that school districts must stretch their education dollars to meet the ever-increasing needs of students.

With over $27 billion in additional general revenue and over $13.6 billion in our state’s Rainy-Day Fund, we ask our Texas lawmakers to vote NO to any legislation that calls for vouchers and parental savings accounts that would divert funds from public community schools. We ask you to SUPPORT any legislation that calls to invest in public school students, increase teacher compensation, and prioritize school safety so districts may attract and retain the best in the industry to educate students while ensuring a safe and secure learning environment.

Firearm Safety

Since 2014, Texas has unfortunately witnessed gruesome mass shootings at Fort Hood (2014), the Dallas police shooting (2016), the Sutherland Springs church shooting (2017), Santa Fe High School Shooting (2018), El Paso Walmart Shooting (2019), Midland-Odessa shooting (2019), and the Uvalde school shooting (2022).

Alpha Kappa Alpha is advocating for any legislation that SUPPORTS stricter laws on carrying firearms, specifically assault-style weapons. More needs to be done to strengthen the process for background checks before an individual can purchase a weapon online, in stores, and at gun shows. Therefore, we ask that you SUPPORT HB 996 (Thierry) and all similar legislation. Lastly, AKA advocates for access to gun safety education for parents and students.

Call to Action

With these priorities in mind, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority encourages its members to become familiar with their local representatives (https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home). Members are also encouraged to send emails, make phone calls and schedule in-person visits with elected officials. This call to action is encouraged to ensure the organization’s collective voices are used to influence policy. As the legislature convenes, members of AKA Connection and Social Action committee will monitor legislation and report back to their respective communities. The organization plans to host a post-AKA Day event after the 88^th Legislative Session ends to provide updates on bills and the next steps in regard to legislative priorities.

For more information visit http://www.aka1908.com. Follow the South-Central Region on social media at Facebook: @SouthCentralAKA , Instagram: @southcentralaka, and Twitter: @southcentralAKA

The post Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® South Central Region Hosts over 350 Members during AKA Day Texas appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

The post Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® South Central Region Hosts over 350 Members during AKA Day Texas first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

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New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.