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EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr. Visits With a “Strong Bill Cosby”

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Chavis noted that mainstream media’s coverage of the trial lacked facts, and the racially and politically-charged atmosphere inside and around the Pennsylvania courthouse may have deprived Cosby of a fair trial.

Published

5 years ago

October 1, 2019

Oakland Post

Chavis said Cosby is using his time in prison to help others. (Photo: Pool Photo)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

On the first anniversary of his imprisonment, Bill Cosby received a visit from Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the renown civil rights leader and lead-member of the famed political prisoner group known as the Wilmington Ten.

Chavis, who is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade organization that represents the Black Press of America, joined Cosby’s longtime crisis manager Andrew Wyatt for a visit with Cosby.

It was Chavis’ third visit with the fallen icon, who has refused to meet or speak with representatives from any other news organization.

The meeting took place at the request of Cosby, who in 2018, received a 3-to-10-year prison sentence following his conviction on charges of aggravated indecent assault.

“We saw a strong Bill Cosby today,” Chavis said.

During the visit, Chavis said he prayed with Cosby and discussed a range of topics from health and family, to his conviction and the pending appeal.

While Chavis said details of what he and Cosby discussed are personal, the visit reminded him of the near decade he and the other members of the Wilmington Ten spent behind bars.

“The conditions inside all prisons in America are architecturally designed and standardly built to breakdown and suppress the spirit and emotions of those in prison,” Chavis stated.

SCI-Phoenix stands behind what Chavis called internationally outlawed, life-threatening razor-sharp barbed wire fences that are fortified by 20-foot electrified concrete walls.

The jail contains 9-feet-by-5-foot solid steel cages.

Asked why it was important that he visit Cosby, Chavis said the issue is more significant than Cosby.

“The Black Press of America maintains a proud tradition of not only exposing the various injustices that are done to Black America but also it is our tradition to be an advocate for those who have been unjustly labeled as outcasts,” Chavis stated.

During the visit, Wyatt and Cosby both praised the Black Press for its coverage of Cosby’s trials.

“Mr. Cosby said that he appreciates that the Black Press was the only African American media at both trials every single day,” Wyatt stated.

“Mr. Cosby never asked for favors, and he only asked that the media would treat him fairly and look at the facts. Thanks to Dr. Chavis who sent his reporter there, Mr. Cosby remains grateful to the Black Press for its fairness,” Wyatt said.

Chavis has long held an interest in the Cosby case.

As a civil rights activist, Chavis was concerned about numerous unconstitutional rulings by the trial judge in the case.

Further, tactics used by prosecutors during jury selection, opening and closing statements, and throughout the trial proved troublesome for most courtroom observers.

Before the start of the second trial last year, one juror who’d just been selected to serve on the panel told other potential jurors, “We can all go home, he’s guilty.”

That should have disqualified the juror, but the trial Judge Steven T. O’Neill rejected defense arguments to remove him.

Another juror admitted that she was friends and neighbors with the court reporter, who serves as an employee to the judge. O’Neill refused to recuse that juror.

One other juror said he had a “personal relationship” with one of the detectives who investigated Cosby, and he too remained on the panel despite defense objections.

Additionally, Assistant District Attorney Stuart Ryan shouted out in court that he was “tired of this black s..t,” which set the tone for the racially-charged trial.

Ryan’s colleague, Kristen Feden, also lashed out at Cosby’s team during jury selection.

Feden said the Cosby team already had their token black juror.

“They already have their one. What more do they want,” Feden stated within earshot of the judge, lawyers, and media.

Chavis noted that mainstream media’s coverage of the trial lacked facts, and the racially and politically-charged atmosphere inside and around the Pennsylvania courthouse may have deprived Cosby of a fair trial.

Cosby is appealing his 3-to-10-year prison sentence.

He’s currently awaiting a ruling from the state Superior Court, which heard oral arguments from Cosby’s attorneys, prosecutors, and the state attorney general in August.

Meanwhile, Chavis said Cosby is using his time in prison to help others.

“As the Wilmington Ten discovered, Bill Cosby is not serving time. He is making time serve the liberation of the minds and consciousness of his fellow inmates through mentorship, spiritual, personal, and collective development sessions,” Chavis stated.

“His spirit, mind, body, and soul are strong and getting stronger each day. The fact that he is blind has not handicapped him or prevented him from maintaining his integrity, self-worth, value, and intellectual genius.”

When asked what makes Cosby a political prisoner, Chavis said the answer is similar to what caused the Wilmington Ten political prisoners.

“The systematic injustice of his racially-motivated and orchestrated charges, trials, conviction, and imprisonment pending his appeal,” Chavis stated.

“I know this from firsthand experience with the unjust incarceration of the Wilmington Ten political prisoner group in North Carolina during the 1970s,” Chavis continued.

“The Wilmington Ten were officially declared political prisoners by Amnesty International and by the United Nations. The Pennsylvania prison that Bill Cosby is now unjustly imprisoned exemplifies the prisons that are designed to break the spirit of those in there,” Chavis said.

“It is important for Black America to know that mass incarceration is not the end. Bill Cosby is showing that you can promote personal and collaborative transformation inter-generationally,” Chavis said.

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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.