#NNPA BlackPress

Gladys Harrison, Nebraska’s Unconventional Candidate for Congress

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The voice of working-class and middle-class Americans have been drowned out by lobbyists and special interest groups. This, combined with the astronomical cost of health care, the burden of student debt, and the lack of jobs that pay a decent wage have led many Americans to have to work two or even three jobs to make ends meet,” said Gladys Harrison.

Published

7 years ago

November 21, 2019

Oakland Post

Gladys Harrison (Photo: gladys4congress.com)

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

If Gladys Harrison isn’t the most unique candidate to run for Congress out of Nebraska, folks would be hard-pressed to find who is.

Harrison, a Democrat, runs her late mother’s popular Omaha eatery, “Big Mama’s Kitchen.”

She isn’t the least-bit wealthy and doesn’t have health insurance because the required monthly premiums are much too costly.

She has a criminal record – when she was 18, Harrison once worked as a cashier and failed to ring up an item one of her friends checked out at her register. She immediately fessed up to that crime and reportedly spent a weekend in jail.

But, she’s also a walking-talking billboard for the working-class and underserved.

“I’m ready for whatever people want to bring up about the things I’ve done. Many of the problems that I’ve had are a result of being a single black woman trying to raise a family on one paycheck,” Harrison told NNPA Newswire.

“Those same issues that I faced, you know, many folks in America, men and women are facing those same kinds of problems,” she stated.

Harrison said it bothers her that over the last few decades, the American dream has become an unachievable reality for most.

“The voice of working-class and middle-class Americans have been drowned out by lobbyists and special interest groups. This, combined with the astronomical cost of health care, the burden of student debt, and the lack of jobs that pay a decent wage have led many Americans to have to work two or even three jobs to make ends meet,” she stated.

“Most people who run for office are lawyers, people who served in the military, and people who have a lot of money. We don’t have many people in Congress who know what it’s like to struggle to pay the gas bill. We don’t have many who understand the underserved, the working person, the single mom,” Harrison added.

“That’s why I am running.”

Harrison is among four Democrats running to unseat Rep. Don Bacon for the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District.

Kara Eastman, Ann Ashford, and Morgann Freeman are the other Democrats.

Harrison said she’s well-suited to address issues like affordable health insurance for everyone and to push for living wages while making sure tax policy helps the lower and middle classes.

Her platform also includes gun control, education, and criminal justice reform, with which, like all of her other mandates, she’s had personal experience.

“Justice is a huge issue for me. Our unfair and unbalanced justice system has affected my family personally, and it has for generation,” Harrison said. “Justice is not doled out evenly in this country. And if you’re poor and especially if you’re poor and black or brown, the justice systems do a job on you, and I’m not just talking about sentencing,” she stated.

“Prisons have become for-profit corporations. Somebody’s making money from the phone calls that inmates make to their families.”

Harris stated that America once produced some of the greatest minds.

“We had problem solvers, and thinkers and creators and innovators. And that’s not happening anymore, and there’s a variety of reasons,” she stated.

Born and raised in Omaha, Harrison counts as a 4th generation Nebraskan with deep roots in the local community, where legendary human rights activist Malcolm X was born.

As a youth, Harrison spent her summers at Galleghars pool, enjoying treats at the Dippy Donut Shop, and learning valuable skills as a Brownie and Girl Scout.

Harrison attended Omaha public schools, and she’s never been a stranger to the value and reward of hard work – she got her first job at age 14.

Later as a high school senior, Harrison earned election as the Nebraska State President for Future Business Leaders of America.

She worked at U.S. West Communications for 22 years, later becoming a member of the Communications Workers of America, Local 7400, where she served as Steward.

Eventually, she helped her mother achieve a lifelong dream of owning a restaurant, opening Big Mama’s Kitchen and Catering in 2007.

Big Mama’s has since become a fixture in the Omaha community and has also gained national notoriety, appearing on the Food Network, the Travel Channel, Sundance Channel, and the Cooking Channel.

It was just a year ago that Harrison’s mother, Patricia “Big Mama” Barron, passed away in 2018.

Harrison still works at the restaurant with family members.

“They don’t make people like my mother anymore. My mother was one of those people who had been through everything, including destruction, divorce, and disaster,” Harrison noted.

“But she had an uncanny ability to do something about it. In spite of her condition (Barron battled breast cancer), if she wanted to know more about something, she got involved. She taught my sisters and me that same thing.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Opinion: The Right to Vote Should Not Fall Victim to Partisan Battles

Don't Miss

Bloomberg: ‘I apologize!’

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HEREto tune in live.

The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
Trending
City Examines Ways to Reduce Racial Disparities in Construction Projects

He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.