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OP-ED: Law Enforcement Groups Condemn Irresponsible Statement by New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte on the Impact of a Menthol Cigarette Ban
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Those who purport that possession and use will not be criminal must be reminded that possession and drinking of alcohol during prohibition was not criminal. It was only illegal to manufacture, transport and sell booze but the resulting 13 years of mayhem led to repeal of the law. Marijuana has been decriminalized in New York since the ‘70s, but it didn’t prevent the police from targeting black and brown people for marijuana possession resulting in tens of thousands being arrested over just a few years, hence, “Stop and Frisk.”
New York, NY – The leaders of several influential law enforcement groups joined to condemn comments made last week by Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte who represents Brooklyn’s 42nd Assembly District. Ms. Bichotte made several irresponsible and inaccurate statements that downplayed the impacts that a menthol cigarette ban would have in New York’s communities of color.
During a press conference last week on the steps of City Hall supporting a menthol cigarette ban, Assemblywoman Bichotte stated: “The City Council legislation does not make the purchase or the sale of menthol cigarettes a criminal offense…No one will get arrested if found in possession of menthol cigarettes…No one with possession, even if found with boxes in their car, will get arrested.”
Assemblywoman Bichotte sent the message that New York’s illicit market is open for more business. A menthol ban would fuel the growth of the illicit market and lead to more unnecessary police encounters in our streets. New York City is already home to one of the most policed illicit cigarette markets in the nation. Banning menthol products, which the majority of black tobacco users prefer, would create a new illicit market and fuel more illegal activity. Regardless of where the legislation comes from, it will be police who have to enforce it, and police do not need another reason to engage with communities of color. Good policing is founded on trusting relationships with our communities, and those relationships cannot be forged when police enforce minor infractions like selling menthol products.
The Assemblywoman’s claim that no one will be arrested is just plain false. Giving police officers a reason to detain and engage black smokers to find out where they purchased their menthol cigarettes could lead to encounters that are likely to escalate to the unnecessary use of force and arrests.
The leaders of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, The Grand Council of Guardians, and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives/New Jersey spoke out to challenge the Assemblywoman’s irresponsible remarks:
“As our distinguished assemblywoman no doubt realizes, the selling of menthol or any cigarettes by an unlicensed, unregulated individual is already illegal. The death of Eric Garner while in police custody after his arrest for selling loose cigarettes should have been enough to drive that point home to all of us,” said Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), Executive Director, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP).
Lt. Charles Wilson (Ret.), National Chairperson, National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), said, “To date, there has been no known input about menthol bans from law enforcement experts, and specifically none from members of any of the nearly thirty organizations representing African American and Latino criminal justice practitioners, who are infinitely aware of the devastating impact of adverse law enforcement interaction in communities of color.”
Charles Billups, National Chairperson, The Grand Council of Guardians (GCGNY), stated, “These new laws would provide law enforcement officers with the authority, indeed the responsibility, to stop, interrogate and arrest persons on suspicion of selling or being in possession of untaxed cigarettes for distribution.”
Commissioner Jiles Ship, president, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives/New Jersey (NOBLE), said, “We urge Councilwoman Bichotte and her colleagues to listen to law enforcement experts and reconsider their proposals and the obvious consequences they will have on communities of color, that are now, again, being adversely targeted with a menthol ban.”
Those who purport that possession and use will not be criminal must be reminded that possession and drinking of alcohol during prohibition was not criminal. It was only illegal to manufacture, transport and sell booze but the resulting 13 years of mayhem led to repeal of the law. Marijuana has been decriminalized in New York since the ‘70s, but it didn’t prevent the police from targeting black and brown people for marijuana possession resulting in tens of thousands being arrested over just a few years, hence, “Stop and Frisk.”
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Grand Council of Guardians (GCGNY), National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers (NABLEO), and, of course, the organization I represent, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), have stated countless times that a ban on menthol cigarettes will have unintended consequences, especially for African Americans and other marginalized communities.
We applaud the New York City Council for reconsidering this dangerous measure and we look forward to engaging in productive dialogue to prevent a menthol ban from bringing increased police presence and violent crime to our communities.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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