#NNPA BlackPress
Black Press Journalist Appointed to Two National League of Cities Posts
NNPA NEWSWIRE — As a member of NLC’s Community and Economic Development committee, officials said Boney would continue to play a vital role among a diverse group of local leaders in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocating on behalf of America’s municipalities before Congress with the administration and at home.
The post Black Press Journalist Appointed to Two National League of Cities Posts first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire Contributor
Houston Forward Times Associate Editor Jeffrey L. Boney, who serves as Mayor Pro Tem in Missouri City, has received appointments to two crucial national posts.
The award-winning journalist, author, and two-term councilmember earned an appointment to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2022 Community and Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee (CED) and the 2022 Race, Equity and Leadership Council – or REAL.
Re-elected to a one-year term at CED, Boney, who just released his new book, “Don’t Argue With Me! A No-Nonsense Approach to the Issues in the Black Community,” Boney expects to provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities.
NLC President, Mayor Vince Williams of Union City, Georgia, announced the appointment.
“I have been a member of NLC’s Community and Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee for several years, and I am honored to continue working with my colleagues from across the country to make a difference while representing the city of Missouri City at the federal level,” Boney said in a statement.
As a member of NLC’s Community and Economic Development committee, officials said Boney would continue to play a vital role among a diverse group of local leaders in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocating on behalf of America’s municipalities before Congress with the administration and at home.
“NLC’s federal advocacy committees are a key tool for gathering insights directly from the communities that our members serve,” Mayor Williams stated. “I am excited to have Mayor Pro Tem Boney serve on the Community and Economic Development committee again, and I look forward to working with him to fulfill the promise of America’s cities, towns, and villages.”
The entire leadership of this year’s Committee consists of Chair Sharon Weston Broome, mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Vice-Chair Jamie Patino, Councilmember of the city of Union City, California; and Vice-Chair Richard Shaw, Councilmember of the City of Huber Heights, Ohio.
Boney’s new one-year appointment to REAL includes guiding programs among local elected officials from similar communities.
“I am extremely excited and humbled to have been appointed to serve on the Race, Equity, And Leadership Council this year,” Boney remarked. “This incredibly transformative council will allow me the opportunity to focus on issues that are important to me while working with my colleagues on the issues that matter most to cities, towns, and villages across the country.
As a member of NCL’s REAL Council, Boney expects to play a critical role among a diverse group of leaders to encourage collaboration, networking, and developing resources and programs beneficial to communities that share demographics, size, or location that can replicate across the country.
“Our member Councils are the voices of what’s happening on the ground in our communities,” Mayor Williams asserted.
“I am proud to have Mayor Pro Tem Boney join NLC’s REAL Council. “Together with a team of local leaders from around the country, we will work to solve the most pressing challenges facing our communities and help fulfill the promise of America’s cities, towns, and villages.”
The Committee consists of Co-Chairs: Councilmember Janice Zahn, Bellevue, Washington; Councilmember Casey Thomas, Dallas, Texas; Vice-Chairs Mayor Patrick Wojahn, College Park Maryland; and Mayor Steve Patterson, Athens, Ohio.
Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President and CEO of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will serve as the REAL Council’s liaison to the NLC Board of directors.
The post Black Press Journalist Appointed to Two National League of Cities Posts first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
#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
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
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