#NNPA BlackPress

Jimmie C. Gardner, Exonerated After 27 Years in Prison, Forms Foundation for Social Justice

THE AFRO — After serving 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Gardner’s conviction was overturned – one of more than 140 cases in which the state relied on falsified forensic evidence testimony by the chief serologist to secure a conviction.

Published

4 months ago

November 18, 2025

admin

By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com

In 1990, Jimmie C. Gardner, now 59, was a member of the Chicago Cubs Minor League team in Charleston, W.Va., pursuing his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball. But after two elderly White women falsely accused him of sexual assault and robbery, he was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 110 years in prison.

After serving 27 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Gardner’s conviction was overturned – one of more than 140 cases in which the state relied on falsified forensic evidence testimony by the chief serologist to secure a conviction.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, while overturning the conviction, said Gardner’s conviction was “not only a total miscarriage of justice,” but that he “had been held in legal purgatory for 27 years.”

In 2023, the Dawson, Ga., native found himself again accused, arrested and put on house arrest for 17 months before being exonerated after a witness retracted her statement.

Gardner said his faith in God and the support of his family and friends have made him stronger, convincing him that he needed to do something to help others who have undergone or continue to face similar experiences of injustice.

“I was given a second chance twice and I’m grateful, but I never allowed it to make me bitter,” he said. “Being in prison for so long taught me patience and I realized that I had to forgive those who knowingly sought my conviction. That wasn’t easy, but I knew that anger, like cancer, would only rot and destroy me from within if I allowed it.”

Today, Gardner is a highly sought after motivational speaker who shares his testimony in prisons, at churches, and at business meetings across the U.S. He has also formed a non-profit, Gardner House LLC, as a means of providing support and resources to others wrongfully trapped within the prison industrial complex.

“I knew that I had to sound the alarm because it’s clear to me that America does not want Black men to succeed,” he said. “I see it as an attack on Blackness and we need to be more aware so we can fight the evil forces that seek our demise. The success we achieved during the Civil Rights Movement now stands in jeopardy and it’s not by chance but by design.”

Gardner said he has been fortunate to have the financial resources and other means of support to finally overcome the injustice he faced. But others are less fortunate.

History illustrates the inordinate examples of injustice faced by Blacks

Black men are disproportionately affected by false accusations and wrongful convictions in the U.S. justice system, facing higher rates of police misconduct, racial bias in charging and sentencing, and wrongful convictions for drug crimes and murder compared to their White counterparts.

Historical examples, like the Scottsboro Boys and the case of Ronnie Long, illustrate the devastating impact of racial bias, which can be exacerbated by factors such as faulty eyewitness identifications, prosecutorial misconduct and inadequate legal representation.

A report by the National Registry of Exonerations found that Black individuals are about seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes than White people.

Jimmie C. Gardner (left), a former Chicago Cubs Minor League standout, has established a foundation to support those who, like him, were wrongfully convicted and eventually exonerated. Gardner, pictured with his wife, federal Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, spent 27 years behind bars because of false testimony. (Photo courtesy Jimmie C. Gardner)

Gardner said he hopes his foundation will support efforts led by organizations like the Innocence Project (http://www.onnocenceproject.org) that have helped to free or exonerate people since 1992, nearly 60 percent of whom are Black.

“It cost me more than $1 million to gain my release,” he said. “I think a lot of it had to do with my family, specifically my wife, the Honorable Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner being the chief U.S. district judge for the Middle District of Georgia, and my sister-in-law, former Georgia Congresswoman Stacey Abrams, who continues to fight against voter suppression.

“But I’m still here – we’re still here. And no matter how far you fall, you can always get back up. Blacks stand on the shoulders of our ancestors who achieved greatness despite the odds against them. It’s my duty to give back and to lend a hand for the next generation.”

admin

Posts by admin

Up Next

IN MEMORIAM: Cassandra Griffen, Renowned Documentary Photographer, Dies at 75

Don't Miss

Plant Based Diets Reduce High Blood Pressure, Prostate Cancer, Heart Disease, and More

admin

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

6 days ago

February 27, 2026

admin

Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,