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Slaughter Appointed to African American Mayors Association’s Business Council
LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — Kimberly Slaughter, HNTB Corporation transit/rail practice leader and senior vice president, has been appointed by the African American Mayors Association to the group’s Business Council. According to the AAMA website, the Business Council allows mayors and corporate representatives to share best practices to tackle problems, share research, policy analysis, market trends, create jobs and strengthen communities.
By Sentinel News Service
Kimberly Slaughter, HNTB Corporation transit/rail practice leader and senior vice president, has been appointed by the African American Mayors Association to the group’s Business Council.
According to the AAMA website, the Business Council allows mayors and corporate representatives to share best practices to tackle problems, share research, policy analysis, market trends, create jobs and strengthen communities.
“I’m pleased to enhance my involvement with the African American Mayors Association in my new role on the Business Council,” Slaughter said. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to help advise and empower local leaders for the benefit of their citizens.”
According to AAMA, Business Council partners may submit resolutions to be considered by the Board of Trustees. With all the challenges our communities face today, it’s up to mayors, working hand-in-hand with the business community, to find solutions. Business Council members provide unique insight and powerful solutions that the public sector could not develop alone.
In her national role with HNTB, Slaughter is responsible for collaborating with the firm’s regional, division and office leadership on strategic planning and implementation, industry representation, business development, service delivery and client satisfaction.
Throughout her three-decade career, Slaughter has been appointed to several professional association boards and committee leadership positions. She currently serves as the American Public Transportation Association’s chair of the Planning Policy and Program Development Committee and is on APTA’s board of directors. She also is a graduate of the prestigious Leadership APTA program. In addition, she is the first vice president of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, Chicago chapter and serves on the national organizing committee for the annual Women Who Move the Nation breakfast. She is a member of WTS International and was named 2012 Woman of the Year by its Houston chapter. Most recently, Slaughter joined the March of Dimes board in Chicago to support prenatal care across Illinois.
Slaughter holds a Master of Science in community and regional planning and a Bachelor of Arts in government from the University of Texas at Austin.
HNTB is currently involved with many of the nation’s most high-profile transit programs, including Los Angeles METRO Sepulveda Pass Alternative Assessment; Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II; Sound Transit’s West Seattle-Ballard Link Extension; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Quality Assurance, Internal Compliance Oversight and Systems GPC; Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority GPC and Engineering On-call Contracts; Chicago Transit Authority’s Wilson Station; the Los Angeles Metro Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor; and the Charlotte Area Transit System’s LYNX Blue Line Light Rail Extension in North Carolina.
This article originally appeared in The Los Angeles Sentinel.
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Carolyn’s Kids Foundation Honors Graduates
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Each 8th-grade student received a $100 gift card to go towards their high school fees. Additionally, two high school seniors received the CKF HBCU-Jackson State Bound Scholarship. Jamari White and Kevin Barber Jr. both received $1000 each. Two $500 scholarships were awarded to mothers who are continuing their postsecondary education.
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On Sunday, June 5, 2022, the Carolyn’s Kids Foundation honored 140, 8th-grade students across Chicagoland areas. Hosted at Visions Events Chicago at 11901 S. Loomis, parents, students, and schoolteachers participated in the 6th Annual CKF Scholarship Luncheon.

HBCU Bound Scholars-Jackson State University
Carolyn Griffin Palmer, CKF-CEO, Kevin Barber Jr., Jamari White, and Brendolyn Hart-Glover, President of the Jackson State University Chicago Alumni Chapter
HBCU Bound Scholars-Jackson State University
Carolyn Griffin Palmer, CKF-CEO, Kevin Barber Jr., Jamari White, and Brendolyn Hart-Glover, President of the Jackson State University Chicago Alumni Chapter
Each 8th-grade student received a $100 gift card to go towards their high school fees. Additionally, two high school seniors received the CKF HBCU-Jackson State Bound Scholarship. Jamari White and Kevin Barber Jr. both received $1000 each. Two $500 scholarships were awarded to mothers who are continuing their postsecondary education.
Carolyn’s Kids Foundation has awarded over $50,000 in the past 5 years, and this year $17,000 was distributed to the Class of 2022. To support the Carolyn’s Kids Foundation and learn more, please visit their website: www.ckfchicago.org and follow them on FB @ckfchicago.
The post Carolyn’s Kids Foundation Honors Graduates appeared first on Chicago Defender.
The post Carolyn’s Kids Foundation Honors Graduates first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Justice Department Announces Investigation of the Louisiana State Police
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Every American, regardless of race, has the right to constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information provided to us, we find significant justification to investigate whether Louisiana State Police engages in excessive force and engages in racially discriminatory policing against Black residents and other people of color.”
The post Justice Department Announces Investigation of the Louisiana State Police first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Louisiana State Police (LSP) to assess whether the law enforcement agency uses excessive force and whether it engages in racially discriminatory policing.
According to a news release, the investigation will include a comprehensive review of LSP policies, training, supervision, and force investigations, as well as LSP’s systems of accountability, including misconduct complaint intake, investigation, review, disposition, and discipline.
“Protecting the civil rights of all Americans and building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve are among the Justice Department’s most important responsibilities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the release.
“This investigation, like all of our pattern or practice investigations, will seek to promote the transparency, accountability, and public trust that is essential to public safety.”
The DOJ said it’s conducting the investigation pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law.
The statute allows the DOJ to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation, and law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Officials called the investigation separate from any federal criminal investigation of LSP troopers.
Before the announcement, DOJ officials informed Governor John Bel Edwards, Colonel Lamar Davis, and Deputy General Counsel Gail Holland of the investigation.
According to the news release, each pledged to cooperate with the investigation.
As part of the investigation, DOJ officials will reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with LSP.
The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana are conducting the investigation jointly.
“Every American, regardless of race, has the right to constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information provided to us, we find significant justification to investigate whether Louisiana State Police engages in excessive force and engages in racially discriminatory policing against Black residents and other people of color.”
Clarke continued:
“The Justice Department stands ready to use every tool in our arsenal to confront allegations of misconduct and to ensure legitimacy during encounters with law enforcement.”
The DOJ ask that anyone with relevant information to contact them via email at Community.Louisiana@usdoj.gov or by phone at (202) 353-0684.
Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at civilrights.justice.gov.
The post Justice Department Announces Investigation of the Louisiana State Police first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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PRESS ROOM: 81 Grassroots Organizations Awarded a Total of $750,000 in Grants through Industry’s ‘Make Golf Your Thing’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The grant program is part of the industry’s broader commitment to making the sport more inclusive for all. Last month, a new Make Golf Your Thing search directory was launched for consumers, consisting of more than 8,400 registered golf programs and organizations across the U.S.
The post PRESS ROOM: 81 Grassroots Organizations Awarded a Total of $750,000 in Grants through Industry’s ‘Make Golf Your Thing’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – 81 grassroots golf organizations will receive a total of $750,000 in funding to further their efforts to engage underrepresented populations of the sport. These groups (*full list below) are being awarded with a grant through Make Golf Your Thing, the industry’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in making the sport more welcome for all.
Initially introduced in 2021 (by the Make Golf Your Thing youth & adult player development work group), the grant program to date has provided 155 grants to 111 unique grassroots organizations, totaling more than $1 million overall (May 2021: 43 grants totaling $150,000; Jan. 2022: 31 grants totaling $150,000).
The program was established to support organizations dedicated to increasing participation among golf’s underrepresented populations (i.e., Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous communities, as well as women, LGBTQI+ individuals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities).
“When the game comes together and pools every resource to grow and broaden the reach of the game, only great things can happen,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA and executive sponsor of the youth & adult player development work group for Make Golf Your Thing.
“This unifying movement is helping to make a difference in communities across America and advance the game in ways none of us can do alone.”
“Access to golf in a business context is a pathway to opportunity,” said Anna Alvarez Boyd, co-founder of FairWays to Leadership (one of the 81 grant recipients).
“Our group’s mission is to increase diversity in business and in golf by teaching college students from diverse backgrounds the skills they need to become effective leaders. The financial commitment of the grant program to organizations like ours will only further golf’s collective efforts to bring new and diverse audiences into our sport.”
The grant program is part of the industry’s broader commitment to making the sport more inclusive for all. Last month, a new Make Golf Your Thing search directory was launched for consumers, consisting of more than 8,400 registered golf programs and organizations across the U.S.
The directory allows individuals to search for programs and events using filters such as location, age, ability, gender, etc., giving new and diverse audiences an opportunity to become more engaged in the sport through programs in their own community.
Formally launched in May 2021, Make Golf Your Thing is the industry’s movement to make golf accessible to individuals from all backgrounds.
Led by six cross-industry work groups, the initiative is specifically focused on: education & skill development, talent acquisition, procurement, human resources, youth & adult player development, and marketing/communications.
Funding for the grant program is being administered by the American Golf Industry Coalition, a partnership among golf’s leading organizations to promote and advocate for the collective interests of the sport.
Financial support for the program is led by a contingent of industry supporters committed to making the sport more welcoming and inclusive for all.
About Make Golf Your Thing
A multi-faceted, multi-year movement, Make Golf Your Thing is a collaborative effort across the industry to invite more people to golf from all backgrounds.
Six cross-industry work groups are committed to making the sport more diverse, equitable and inclusive, with a specific focus on: education & skill development, talent acquisition, procurement, human resources, youth & adult player development, and marketing/communications. For more, www.makegolfyourthing.org.
About the American Golf Industry Coalition
The American Golf Industry Coalition advocates on behalf of golf’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; environmental and sustainability initiatives; contributions to the economy (local and national); health and wellness benefits, as well as charitable giving.
The organization unites the golf industry in pursuit of goals designed to enhance the vitality and diversity of both the business and recreational levels of the sport. The American Golf Industry Coalition is a division of the World Golf Foundation.
To learn more, visit www.golfcoalition.org.
Grassroots Organization | City/Town | State |
A Perfect Swing Foundation Inc. | Charlotte | NC |
Adaptive Golfers | North Myrtle Beach | SC |
Annika Foundation | Orlando | FL |
Be Counted On Foundation | Gahanna | OH |
Black College Golf Coaches Association | Vestavia | AL |
Button Hole | Providence | RI |
Cameron Champ Foundation | Citrus Heights | CA |
CitySwing Foundation | Washington | D.C. |
County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation | Alhambra | CA |
DC on the Green | McKinney | AL |
Edu-Sports Academy | Willingboro | NJ |
El Dorado High School Golf Team | El Paso | TX |
Excel Youth Academy | Lawrenceville | GA |
FabNewport, Inc | Newport | RI |
FairWays to Leadership, Inc. | Orlando | FL |
First Tee – Central Florida | Orlando | FL |
First Tee – Central Mississippi | Flowood | MS |
First Tee – Greater Charleston | Mt. Pleasant | SC |
First Tee – Greater Richmond | Richmond | VA |
First Tee – Greater Sacramento (Sacramento Area Youth Golf Association) | Sacramento | CA |
First Tee – Greater Trenton | Trenton | NJ |
First Tee – Greater Tyler | Bullard | TX |
First Tee – Greater Washington, DC | Washington | D.C. |
First Tee – Greater Wichita | Wichita | KS |
First Tee – Indiana | Indianapolis | IN |
First Tee – Jersey Shore | Point Pleasant | NJ |
First Tee – North Florida (Rising Leaders of North Florida, Inc.) | St. Augustine | FL |
First Tee – Omaha (Hogan’s Junior Golf Heroes) | Omaha | NE |
First Tee – Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | PA |
First Tee – Southeastern New Mexico | Roswell | NM |
First Tee – Tennessee | Knoxville | TN |
First Tee – Triangle | Raleigh | NC |
First Tee – Tulsa (Youth Development of Tulsa) | Tulsa | OK |
First Tee – West Michigan (Lake Michigan Junior Golf Association) | Kentwood | MI |
Fore Life Inc. | Lauderhill | FL |
Fore the Ladies | Sylvania | OH |
Future Successors | Atlanta | GA |
Gator Junior Golf Association | Gainesville | FL |
Girls Golf of America, Inc. | Greensboro | NC |
Golf. My Future. My Game. | Washington | D.C. |
Greater Cleveland Junior Golf Scholarship Fund | Bedford | OH |
Harris Park Midtown Sports & Activity Center | Kansas City | MO |
Hi-Tee Junior Little League Golf Program | Renton | WA |
Hit It Straight Golf Academy | Homewood | IL |
I AM a Golfer Foundation | Dallas | TX |
iGolf4VETS, Inc. | Riverview | FL |
Inland Golf Academy | Riverside | CA |
Inner City Youth Golfers’ Inc. | Palm Beach Gardens | FL |
Inspiring Greatness In You | Covington | GA |
Jackson Park Golf Association | Chicago | IL |
Ladies of Futurity, Inc | West Palm Beach | FL |
Latina Golfers Association Foundation | Los Angeles | CA |
Little Linksters | Sorrento | FL |
Matrix Human Services | Detroit | MI |
Michigan Women’s Golf Association | Detroit | MI |
Midnight Golf Program | Bingham Farms | MI |
Milwaukee Area Youth Golf Academy, Inc. | Glendale | WI |
Moore-Myers Children’s Fund | Jacksonville | FL |
My Vision Golf | Fayetteville | GA |
New Jersey Golf Foundation Inc. | Bedminster | NJ |
Next 18 | Fox Point | WI |
Northern Texas PGA Foundation – Fairway to Success | Dallas | TX |
One Hundred Black Men, Inc. | New York | NY |
Par Excellence Youth Development | Huntsville | AL |
Range Fore Hope Foundation | Blythewood | SC |
Rose Hill Schools | Rose Hill | KS |
Southern California Golf Association – Junior Golf Foundation | Studio City | CA |
Southern Area Youth Program, Inc. | Los Angeles | CA |
Special Olympics Connecticut | Hamden | CT |
SwingPals, Inc. | Durham | NC |
Ted Rhodes Foundation, Inc. | Chicago | IL |
The Caddie & Leadership Academy | Kenosha | WI |
The Darby Foundation | Lafayette | LA |
The Glove Foundation | Mobile | AL |
The Honors Junior Golf Program | Corona | CA |
The Pinkney Foundation | Pittsburg | CA |
Upstate-Carolina Adaptive Golf | Greenville | SC |
Western States Junior Golf Association | Las Vegas | NV |
Women Golfers Give Back | Plymouth Meeting | PA |
Women in Golf Foundation, Inc. | Ellenwood | GA |
The post PRESS ROOM: 81 Grassroots Organizations Awarded a Total of $750,000 in Grants through Industry’s ‘Make Golf Your Thing’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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