#NNPA BlackPress
From Solitary Confinement to the Stage Singer Archie Williams Creates a New Life

Archie Williams had a run of bad luck that lasted almost 37 years.
The ex-convict, who was released from a Louisiana prison through the Innocence Project, enrolled in Oakland’s Laney College and then became a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent. Last year, he performed at the Apollo Theater in New York.
Williams, 60, was visiting the campus during the summer when he happened upon the first tour conducted by ‘Restoring Our Communities,’ a program assisting students impacted by incarceration, and ended up enrolling to study piano and voice in the fall.
On Sept. 8, he was in Los Angeles at AGT’s studio for the second time, having made it past the first round singing “Love’s In Need of Love Today,” written by Stevie Wonder.
Wonder was so impressed with Williams’ performance that he is writing a song with and for Williams to perform. To add to his spurt of good luck, Williams has united with a 42-year-old daughter he didn’t know he had.
Williams seems astounded to be working with Wonder, who rose to fame at the age of 12.
Williams also had a music career at age 12, singing R&B at local nightclubs imitating Michael Jackson. But he also had his first brush with the law at that age when he attempted to steal a bicycle in Baton Rouge, La. He learned the roofing trade at 15, but at 18 he was working at a fish market. He broke into the house of his employer and was sentenced to a year in jail after a plea bargain.
Six months after his release, he was arrested again and charged with aggravated burglary, attempted murder and aggravated rape despite having witnesses for his alibi (he was at home asleep). His trial lasted five days and he was quickly sentenced to life plus 80 years.
Louisiana State Prison, commonly called Angola for the plantation that once existed on the land and named for the preponderance of enslaved Africans who were from that nation was notorious for cruelty and harsh conditions both social and physical.
At Angola, Williams avoided trouble by singing in the choir and forming a boxing program.
Six years after his arrival at Angola, Williams learned that a DNA test could prove his innocence. In 1995, after reviewing the court transcript that Williams had saved, the Innocence Project took his case.
DNA evidence was requested in 1996, but the state of Louisiana took 10 years to approve a law allowing prisoners such access. The test of the rape kit in 2009 revealed that Williams’s DNA was not present, but since it didn’t reveal another possible rapist, Williams stayed in prison.
A fingerprint test led to another man who had been imprisoned for rape and had been caught two miles from where Williams’ accuser lived.
Williams was finally released in 2019, after spending 36 years in prison, 22 of them in solitary confinement.
Williams appears to be enjoying his time in California, comfortable with the precautions people are taking in the COVID-19 era. “Everybody’s wearing their mask, they stand their distance and everything. Even in the studio … if I have to pull off my mask to perform, they distance themselves.”
This report was based on stories published by The Peralta Citizen at Laney College and The Advocate.

Archie Williams at Laney College in Oakland, CA after being exonerated in March 2019. Photo by Saskia Hatvany.
#NNPA BlackPress
Mother and Son, United in Purpose: How Regina and Judah Are Changing the Future of Early Childhood Education—Together
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — This Mother’s Day, we honor not just the love between a mother and her child, but the shared dreams, grit, and determination that can make those dreams a reality.

By Stacey Finkel
This Mother’s Day, we honor not just the love between a mother and her child, but the shared dreams, grit, and determination that can make those dreams a reality. Regina, 44, and her son Judah, 18, are proof that purpose has no age limit—and that it’s never too late or too early to answer a calling. Regina knows what perseverance looks like. It took her ten years to earn her first college degree, an Associate Degree in Early Childhood from Ashworth College. Life, as it so often does, had other plans—plans that called her away from school and into the real world. But she never let go of her goals or her belief in the power of education. That steadfast commitment planted a seed not only for herself but for her son. Now, Regina and Judah are both enrolled in a scholarship program at the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC), housed at Delaware State University (DSU) in Wilmington, Delaware’s only Historically Black College and University. This program allows them to study in any early childhood education-related degree program across the entire state of Delaware. Regina attends Wilmington University, where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Education Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. Judah attends DSU and is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. They are shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart—committed to equity, access, and the transformational power of teaching.
There’s something uniquely beautiful about a mother and son learning at the same time, not just in life, but in the classroom. They study together, encourage each other, and even bring their academic lessons to life while working at Chosen Children’s Child Care in Wilmington, where they support the development of the next generation of learners. Their shared experiences, both as students and as educators, deepen their bond and strengthen their shared commitment to the children they serve. But what truly sets their story apart is the community surrounding them. The Early Childhood Innovation Center is more than a scholarship program. It’s a lifeline, a launchpad, and a promise: You can do this. The faculty and staff meet students where they are—whether they’re returning to school after a decade or stepping into college for the first time. Regina and Judah both credit ECIC with giving them the resources, mentorship, and belief they need to succeed. For Black families, and especially Black mothers, the road to higher education can be long and often filled with obstacles. But what Regina and Judah show us is that when one person refuses to give up, they can inspire an entire legacy. Education becomes not just a goal, but a family value passed down. “I used to feel like I was falling behind because it took me so long to finish,” Regina says. “But now I see that every step was preparing me for this moment—alongside my son, showing him and others that no matter how long it takes, you can finish. You just can’t give up.” This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate mothers like Regina, who never stop striving, and sons like Judah, who walk beside them with pride. Let’s celebrate the power of Black institutions like DSU and innovative spaces like the Early Childhood Innovation Center that don’t just educate—they uplift.
#NNPA BlackPress
Trump Abruptly Fires First Carla Hayden: The First Black Woman to Serve as Librarian of Congress
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hayden made history in 2016 as the first woman and first African American to run the Library of Congress. Her firing arrived in the form of an abrupt email in the evening hours.

By Lauren Burke
President Donald Trump abruptly fired the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8. Hayden made history in 2016 as the first woman and first African American to run the Library of Congress. Her firing arrived in the form of an abrupt email in the evening hours. There are fears that President Trump may also target a second prominent Black federal official, Smithsonian Chief Lonnie Bunch, for no other reason than the perceived political bias in a position not known for partisan activity. “Carla, on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the terse communication to Hayden read. The Library of Congress confirmed that Hayden had been informed she was fired by The White House. According to the Associated Press, Hayden “recently faced criticism from a conservative advocacy group aligned with Trump’s political allies. The group, the American Accountability Foundation, accused her and other library officials of promoting children’s books with what it called “radical” themes.”
Since his return to office Trump’s Administration has been focused on removing anyone who may disagree with their policy agenda. Many of the removals have introduced a sense of partisanship that Washington hasn’t seen in certain sectors such as the Library of Congress. “This is yet another example in the disturbing pattern of the President removing dedicated public servants without cause—likely to fill the position with one of his ‘friends’ who is not qualified and does not care about protecting America’s legacy,” wrote House Democrat Rosa DeLauro in a statement on Hayden’s firing. “President Trump’s unjustified decision to fire Dr. Carla Hayden as the Librarian of Congress is deeply troubling and just the latest example of Trump’s assault on the legislative branch of government. It’s also the latest demonstration of his blatant disregard for public servants who dedicate their lives to serving the American people,” wrote U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California in a statement late on May 8.
#NNPA BlackPress
Black America Celebrates African Descent Heritage of Pope Leo XIV
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Pope’s factual anthropological roots are not just symbolic. According to genealogist Jari Honora, his maternal lineage traces directly to the Black community of New Orleans’ 7th Ward, with family ties to Haiti, and census records identifying his ancestors as “Black” or “Mulatto.”

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Black America is taking pride in a truth shaking up the Vatican and resonating through the streets of New Orleans: Pope Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago—has Black and Creole roots. The Pope’s factual anthropological roots are not just symbolic. According to genealogist Jari Honora, his maternal lineage traces directly to the Black community of New Orleans’ 7th Ward, with family ties to Haiti, and census records identifying his ancestors as “Black” or “Mulatto.” “By the Europeans’ own ‘1/8th’ rules, we have a Black Pope,” noted author Elie Mystal declared. “Anyway, Pope’s grandfather is Haitian. We kind of got a Black Pope. ‘End Woke’ is not gonna be happy about this.” Further, New Orleans historian Jari Christopher Honora also speaking to the National Catholic Reporter and Black Catholic Messenger, detailed how the pope’s grandparents married in 1887 at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church on Annette Street in New Orleans before migrating north. His mother, Mildred Martínez, was the first child in the family born in Chicago. “The Holy Father’s ancestors are identified as either Black or Mulatto,” Honora said.
The Chicago Tribune and New York Times also reported on Pope Leo’s mixed-race background and Creole lineage, noting that his election marks a defining moment in the Church’s evolving identity. “As a Black man, a proud son of New Orleans, and the U.S. Congressman representing the very 7th Ward neighborhood where our new Pope’s family hails from, I am bursting with pride today,” said Rep. Troy Carter. “This is history! The first American Pope, with Creole and Haitian roots, rising from the streets of New Orleans to the Vatican. As a Xavier University alum, I know how deeply faith and resilience run in our community. We celebrate this moment—with joy, with prayers, and with pride.” Former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial called Leo XIV’s background “universal,” saying, “Here’s an American whose ministry was in Peru, who has roots in the American South and also ancestry in the American Black community.” Leo XIV is a member of the Augustinian Order, named after the African theologian St. Augustine of Hippo. His election came from a conclave in which two other leading contenders—Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo—were also men of African descent.
But Leo XIV stood apart—not just as the first pope from the U.S. but as one known for his outspokenness on racial justice, immigrant rights, gun reform, and the abolition of the death penalty. TIME Magazine reported that his selection represented a Vatican rebuke of efforts by wealthy Americans and political operatives aligned with Donald Trump to influence the papal outcome. Known in Rome as “The Latin Yankee,” Leo XIV used his verified X account (@drprevost) to amplify criticism of Trump-era immigration policies, often reposting commentary from respected Catholic figures. The New York Post reported that his last post before his election was a retweet of Catholic journalist Rocco Palmo slamming Trump’s alliance with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele over migrant deportations. Back in 2017, the Roman Catholic leader also reposted a message quoting Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich, calling Trump’s refugee bans “a dark hour of US history.”
Though Trump offered lukewarm congratulations from the White House driveway, his far-right allies were quick to lash out. Laura Loomer tweeted, “WOKE MARXIST POPE,” calling Pope Leo “just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican.”But outside the MAGA echo chamber, in Black communities across the globe, the emotion is pride. “The pope is Black,” journalist Clarence Hill Jr. said bluntly. And that means something in the Black neighborhoods of Chicago and the Creole corridors of New Orleans. Many said it means representation, resilience, and the reshaping of history at the highest level of the Catholic Church. “We celebrate this moment—not because it erases the struggles of our past, but because it affirms that our faith, our heritage, and our presence matter,” Rep. Carter said. “This is history, and it belongs to all of us.” The. Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. affirmed, “On behalf of the Black Press of America as the authentic voice of 50 million African Americans and millions more throughout the African diaspora, we join to celebrate Pope Leo XVI, a world leader of African descent who speaks truth to power with courage and grace.”
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 9 – 15, 2025
-
Activism2 weeks ago
AI Is Reshaping Black Healthcare: Promise, Peril, and the Push for Improved Results in California
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 16 – 22, 2025
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Newsom Fights Back as AmeriCorps Shutdown Threatens Vital Services in Black Communities
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Barbara Lee Accepts Victory With “Responsibility, Humility and Love”
-
Activism2 weeks ago
ESSAY: Technology and Medicine, a Primary Care Point of View
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Four Bills Focus on Financial Compensation for Descendants of Enslaved People
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’