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Congressional Black Caucus Elects Executive Committee for the 117th Congress

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Fifty years of making a seat at the table and building a pipeline for those to come, and 50 years as the ‘Conscience of the Congress,'” said Congresswoman Bass, adding, “On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee for the 117th Congress.”

Published

3 years ago

December 16, 2020

Oakland Post

The announcement came as the CBC embarks on its 50th anniversary as the voice of Black America in Congress.

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

U.S. rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) will chair the Congressional Black Caucus for the 117th Congress.

The announcement came as the CBC embarks on its 50th anniversary as the voice of Black America in Congress.

Along with Congresswoman Beatty, the CBC announced a new executive committee that begins in January.

Rep. Steven Horsford, who represents Nevada’s 4th district and currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, Budget Committee, and Natural Resources Committee, will serve as 1st Vice-Chair of the CBC.

Rep. Brenda Lawrence, who represents Michigan’s 14th district and currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee, was tapped as 2nd Vice-Chair.

Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida’s 24th district, who currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Education and Labor Committee, where she chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee, was elected as Secretary of the CBC.

Rep. Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s 4th district and currently serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the House Judiciary Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, will take over as Whip.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents Texas’s 18th district and currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the Budget Committee, will serve as Parliamentarian.

Next year marks 50 years for the CBC, which outgoing Chair Rep. Karen Bass of California called 50 years as a champion for bold, progressive ideas in Congress.

“Fifty years of making a seat at the table and building a pipeline for those to come, and 50 years as the ‘Conscience of the Congress,'” said Congresswoman Bass, adding, “On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee for the 117th Congress.”

In 1971, thirteen Black Members of Congress organized their efforts to help improve Black people’s conditions in America and around the world.

Though small in numbers, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) founders understood their responsibility for the millions of voices they represented, Congresswoman Bass noted.

“That responsibility drove them to speak up and speak out against injustice wherever they found it – from Apartheid in South Africa to voter suppression, economic oppression, racial violence across the country,” she said.

Under the leadership of Chair-elect Beatty, the Caucus will enjoy its largest membership in history, with a record 57 Members forming a body as diverse as the nation.

“After four years under one of the most racist and repressive regimes in modern history, the CBC has an enormous opportunity under the Biden-Harris Administration to restore faith in our democracy and show Black Americans the power of their vote,” Bass said.

“We look forward to the work ahead on behalf of Black America.”

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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

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

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.

Stacy M. Brown

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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

3 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.

Stacy M. Brown

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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.