#NNPA BlackPress
From Marva with Love: Clydric Gales
NNPA NEWSWIRE — On From Marva with Love I interviewed a young man, Clydric Gales, from Louisiana. Clydric was raised by his father and maternal grandmother. His mother went to prison when he was four years old, and he was not allowed to visit her. His father was the very opposite. He was hard working and a deacon at his church. Neither of his parents completed high school, but always had dreams and aspirations for Clydric completing college and becoming successful.

Marva Sneed
By Marva Sneed, Texas Metro News Writer
On From Marva with LoveI interviewed a young man, Clydric Gales, from Louisiana. Clydric was raised by his father and maternal grandmother. His mother went to prison when he was four years old, and he was not allowed to visit her. His father was the very opposite. He was hard working and a deacon at his church. Neither of his parents completed high school, but always had dreams and aspirations for Clydric completing college and becoming successful. He graduated high school in May 2011. This journey for Clydric is not over. Clydric shared more of his story.
MS: Why at 14 or 15 years old did you feel like it was up to you to provide a better life for you and your family?
GS: As a kid there was always food on the table. I wanted what the other kids had. I was a well-mannered, nice kid at home, and had to be the complete opposite in the streets. So, I began to involve myself in a lot of criminal activity and going down the wrong path headed for destruction.
MS: When you graduated you had a plan. What was your plan?
CG: I was accepted into Grambling State University ready to start in January 2012. My grandmother died unexpectedly in October 10, 2011. This was very devastating, and I had no idea how I was going to take care of myself. I went to the army in 2012 and trained at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. At the end of basic training, I decided that this isn’t what I wanted to do with my life and was discharged in May 2012. I began that August of 2012 at Grambling State University, but I was forced to drop out in 2014 due to lack of money. I was right back in the streets forced to do whatever necessary to survive. I was arrested in 2015. Luckily, I was given a break and a second chance at life with only one month in jail and a year of probation.
Clydric got back on track after moving to Dallas. He read “Revolution Suicide” by Huey P. Newton. This was his motivation to start an organization The Black Power Association, and he gave back to his community. Clydric now attends Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas and he is a senior with a 3.0 GPA striving for excellence.
Clydric will be studying in South Africa – Cape Town at C.I.E.E. Global Institute, and he needs sponsors. PayPal-Gales.clydric@philander.edu or CASH app. $ClydricG to sponsor.
Tune in to From Marva with Love. BlogTalkRadio.com Fridays 11am.-1pm. On next week’s show my guest will be, Tre Bradley Owner/Founder of WE Health Global and Author of ‘The F.A.C.T.S. of Love.
#NNPA BlackPress
Brittney Griner Sentenced to More than 9 years in Russian Prison
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The lawyers of WNBA star Brittney Griner, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a written statement following the verdict announcement that the court ignored all the evidence they presented and that they will appeal the decision. “We are very disappointed by the verdict. As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality,” Attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a statement.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
WNBA Superstar Brittney Griner has been sentenced to more than 9 years in a Russian prison following her conviction on drug charges.
Her lawyers called the verdict a disappointment and vowed to appeal.
The lawyers of WNBA star Brittney Griner, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a written statement following the verdict announcement that the court ignored all the evidence they presented and that they will appeal the decision.
“We are very disappointed by the verdict. As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality,” Attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a statement.
“The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea. This contradicts the existing legal practice.
“Taking into account the amount of the substance (not to mention the defects of the expertise) and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal,” they added.
Russian officials contended that Griner committed the crime on purpose. They also levied a fine totaling about $16,400 American dollars on the basketball star.
Authorities arrested Griner on Feb. 17 at an airport in Moscow after finding less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.
She has been detained since then.
Recently, American officials revealed that the Biden-Harris administration had offered notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the release of Griner and Paul Whelan.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” President Biden said.
“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
#NNPA BlackPress
Report: Human Rights Violations in Prisons Throughout Southern United States Cause Disparate and Lasting Harm in Black Communities
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The U.S. has long failed to live up to its international human rights treaty obligations on eliminating racial discrimination, perhaps more so in the area of mass incarceration and prison conditions than in any other context,” said Lisa Borden, Senior Policy Counsel, International Advocacy at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

NNPA Newswire
NEW YORK – The Southern Prisons Coalition, a group of civil and human rights organizations, submitted a new report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on the devastating consequences of incarceration on Black people throughout the southern United States.
With the long-term goal of eliminating all forms of racial discrimination in the criminal legal system, including the carceral system, the report describes the widespread, disparate harms resulting from the arrests, harsh prison sentences, and incarceration on Black communities.
The report also cites the devastating impacts of solitary confinement, prison labor, the school to prison pipeline, and incarceration of parents on Black families.
On August 8, 2022, the UN will review the United States’ compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination for the first time since 2014.
Among the ongoing stark racial disparities throughout prisons in the southern United States, Black people are five times more likely to be incarcerated in state prisons.
In states like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, where Black communities comprise 38% of the total population, Black individuals account for as much as 67% of the total incarcerated population.
While incarcerated, Black people are more than eight times more likely to be placed in solitary confinement, and they are 10 times more likely to be held there for exceedingly long periods of time.
By submitting the report to the United Nations, the Southern Prisons Coalition hopes to solicit concrete recommendations from the UN Committee as well as commitments from the United States delegation about their plans to address systemic issues in the United States prison system, particularly in the South.
According to the report, several states in the United States have also failed to meet several of the UN’s Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of incarcerated people, including:
- Work should help to prepare incarcerated people for their release from prison, including life and job skills;
- Safety measures and labor protections for incarcerated workers should be the same as those that cover workers who are not incarcerated;
- Incarcerated workers should receive equitable pay, be able to send money home to their families, and have a portion of their wages set aside to be given to them upon release.
“The U.S. has long failed to live up to its international human rights treaty obligations on eliminating racial discrimination, perhaps more so in the area of mass incarceration and prison conditions than in any other context,” said Lisa Borden, Senior Policy Counsel, International Advocacy at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“We hope the Committee will help to shine a light on these very dark truths and prompt the U.S. to take its obligation to make significant improvements more seriously.”
“The abuses of forced labor are inextricably tied to racial discrimination in our nation,” said Jamila Johnson, Deputy Director at the Promise of Justice Initiative.
“In Louisiana, for instance, people are still sent into the fields to labor by hand in dangerously high heat indexes, for little to no compensation, and with brutal enforcement reminiscent of slavery and the era of ‘convict leasing’.”
“This report reveals the suffering of Black people in southern U.S. prisons, whose stories of marginalization and discrimination echo the racial subjugation of slavery and convict leasing during our country’s most shameful past,” said Antonio L. Ingram II, Assistant Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund.
“Despite widespread knowledge of the longstanding racial inequalities in the criminal legal and carceral systems, the United States continues to allow egregious human rights violations to persist for Black incarcerated people in violation of international law. This report serves as a sobering reminder of how far we need to go.”
Read the full report here.
#NNPA BlackPress
Celebrate your birthday with 10 free items
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Is your birthday coming up, and you’re not sure how to celebrate? Beat the summer heat by grabbing free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, or a daiquiri at WhoDaq Daquiris “The Daiquiri Shoppe.” Not in the mood for sweets? Head over to Jersey Mike’s or McDonald’s. Check out the rest of these Top 10 places giving out free items on your special day.

By Angelina Liu, Entertainment Editor of The Trendsetter / Texas Metro News
Is your birthday coming up, and you’re not sure how to celebrate? Beat the summer heat by grabbing free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, or a daiquiri at WhoDaq Daquiris “The Daiquiri Shoppe.” Not in the mood for sweets? Head over to Jersey Mike’s or McDonald’s. Check out the rest of these Top 10 places giving out free items on your special day.
1. Chocolate Secrets
At Chocolate Secrets, located at 3926 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219, you can celebrate your birthday by getting one free piece of candy under their candy cases.
2. WhoDaq Daquiris “The Daiquiri Shoppe”
Head to WhoDaq Daquiris “The Daiquiri Shoppe”, located at 684 W Pioneer Pkwy Suite 100, Grand Prairie, Texas 75051, to claim a free small personal daiquiri on your birthday. Quench your thirst with signature flavors such as “Strawberry Shortcake” or “Bahama Mama.”
3. Sephora
Sign up for a free, Beauty Insider account and receive your choice of 250 bonus points, Laura Mercier, Amika or Tatcha sets on your birthday. The choice of powders, lipsticks and skincare is bound to make you look fabulous for your special day.
4. Starbucks
Need a quick pick-me-up on your birthday? Starbucks has it covered! Join the Starbucks Rewards Program seven days prior to your birthday and make one purchase. Starbucks will then email you a coupon for a free food or beverage item two days before your birthday. The birthday reward qualifies for anything on the menu, including any size handcrafted drink or food item.
5. Jersey Mike’s
In the mood for a sub? Head over to Jersey Mike’s and receive a free sub and drink. Make sure to sign up for the Jersey Mike’s Subs Email Club prior to your birthday to receive this reward. Nothing tastes quite like melted cheese and meat in between a toasted baguette, along with an icy cold drink.
6. The Cheesecake Factory
Celebrating with friends? Tell your server it’s your birthday and receive a free treat as well as a song. It may be mildly embarrassing, but hey, it’s free!
7. Culver’s
Need something cold and sweet to beat the Texas heat? Head to Culver’s for a free sundae when you sign up for their rewards program. The sweet creaminess will surely not disappoint.
8. IHOP
Want to indulge in a sweet breakfast before birthday festivities? Join the International Bank of Pancakes rewards program to receive a free stack of pancakes on your birthday. Pair your pancakes with a choice of chocolate chips, syrup, fresh fruit or a dollop of whipped cream.
9. McDonald’s
Need a snack before embarking on your next birthday adventure? Download the McDonald’s app and join MyMcDonald’s Rewards to receive free large fries. Mmm, the taste and smell of fresh, perfectly salted french fries.
10. Smoothie King
Want to celebrate your birthday with a healthier option? Enjoy a birthday smoothie at Smoothie King. Download the Smoothie King app to receive this offer.
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