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Social Justice warrior Alice Marie Johnson is dancing free

NNPA NEWSWIRE — ohnson garnered national attention when reality star and business mogul Kim Kardashian West became an advocate for her freedom. On June 6, 2018, President Donald Trump granted her clemency. She had been serving a mandatory life sentence without parole for her involvement in a nonviolent drug case.

Published

7 years ago

June 26, 2019

Oakland Post

By Karanja A. Ajanaku, The New Tri-State Defender
kajanaku@tsdmemphis.com

After 21 years in federal prison, Alice Marie Johnson sprinted across a roadway near where she had been locked up. Waiting were family, friends and social justice warriors.

Nearly a year later, many of those same people (and many others) were in Memphis as Johnson danced – literally – onto a stage in a ballroom at The Peabody Hotel.

Alice Marie Johnson brought praise dance to the religious services where she was imprisoned in Forth Worth, Texas. During a recent celebration at The Peabody, she performed one of the dances. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

Johnson garnered national attention when reality star and business mogul Kim Kardashian West became an advocate for her freedom. On June 6, 2018, President Donald Trump granted her clemency. She had been serving a mandatory life sentence without parole for her involvement in a nonviolent drug case.

It was first and only conviction.

Now an author, Johnson has completed her memoir, “After Life: My Journey from Incarceration to Freedom.” A movie is in the making.

Johnson told her story at the National Civil Rights Museum last Monday. The gathering a few days before at The Peabody was an all-out family – extended family – celebration. As it wrapped up, Johnson talked of her late parents, Raymond and Sallie Mae Boggan.

“My parents, when things were going wrong, one thing we didn’t do – we never lost our praise,” she said. “I dedicated my memoir to them. I hope you will get the book and read – not just my story – but it’s also their story. It’s also my sisters and brothers’ story, my children’s story. Stories of the women and men left behind (in prison). People who have (traveled) on this journey with me.”

Calling her family members “incredible,” Johnson said they stood beside her throughout the ordeal. Her oldest daughter, Tretessa, served as surrogate mother to Johnson’s children.

“They all bonded together and kept our family unit together,” Johnson said. “Without that happening, I just don’t know if I personally would have been able to carry on the way I was able to. It was that assurance of knowing that my family was OK; that they had bonded in love and just looked after each other.”

Tretessa heaped praise on those who supported her family while her mother was in prison.

“When she went to prison, we all went there with her,” she said. “Behind the headlines that you see and all of the press, (prior to) that there was a lot of disappointment, a lot of rejection. A lot of getting our hopes up only to be dashed again.”

After Donald Trump was elected president, Tretessa said some told her there was no way he would free her mother.

“But what those people didn’t know (was) that God doesn’t care about odds. To witness what happened to her is really witnessing a miracle.”

Kardashian West could not make the trip and a video she prepared malfunctioned. A few minutes later, she was on the phone with Johnson, who shared the exchange.

It was one year to the day that Kardashian West had pitched for Johnson’s freedom during a meeting with President Trump in the White House.

Attorney Mike Scholl of Memphis and Brittany Barnett were part of Alice Marie Johnson’s “Dream Team” of lawyers.

Attorney Mike Scholl of Memphis and Brittany Barnett were part of the “Dream Team” of lawyers, along with Jennifer Turner and Shawn Holley, that Johnson in her book wrote “joined forces to rescue me from prison.”

Reflecting, Scholl said, “It just pained me to see such an incredible person such as Alice be locked away in a cage for something like this. It was nonviolent offense…a woman who got accused of a drug conspiracy, where she never saw any drugs, never possessed any drugs, never held any drugs and was sentenced to life in prison because of (the) archaic laws of our nation. I think it’s just a shame.”

Johnson was developed as a voice for people in similar circumstances, Scholl said.

“The reason I think this was her purpose in life is because if you knew all the things that had to occur, and all the things that had to happen for her to be with us tonight, you would be amazed.”

Barnett, said Scholl, had gotten 17 people out of prison already this year. Barnett said she was a bright-eyed law student representing a friend of Johnson’s, when she met Johnson 10-plus years ago.

“As a daughter of an incarcerated mother myself, one of my visions to change the world was to create a program in women’s prison to sustain a relationship between women in prison and their daughters.”

Faith Morris of the National Civil Rights Museum greets Alice Marie Johnson, who also shared her “freedom journey” during a presentation at the museum last Monday (June 3).

After securing a meeting with Chaplain Robert Danage in Fort Worth, Texas at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell prison and gaining his support, Barnett was introduced to “a woman in prison who wrote plays and was putting on a grand production. …”

Barnett said Johnson never gave up in the face of multiple rejections.

“It takes a special kind of grace and dignity to carry a life without parole sentence. …Thank you for continuing to rise up and thanks for continuing to lift us with you.”

Mayor Jim Strickland welcomed Johnson home.

“We need to use tonight as inspiration to make sure the right thing happens from here on forth,” said Strickland. “We’re all humans …not one of us is perfect. …But life is about forgiveness, second chances and lending a helping hand to those who need it when and where you can.

“Reducing recidivism and helping people get back on their feet has been a priority and passion of ours at City Hall since we took office. And it’s cases like Alice’s that serve as constant reminder that we have to take a hard look at our criminal justice system, especially when it comes to nonviolent offenders.”

Mark Holden, senior vice president of Koch Industries and one of Johnson’s social justice associates, told the crowd that the problem is a “two-tiered system” where the rich and guilty get much better treatment than the poor and innocent. …And if you don’t have resources, you are going to get run over.”

What can be done to make it better?

“What we’ve seen the last 10 to 15 years in criminal justice reform is phenomenal but it’s not happening fast enough,” Holden said.

“What we did in the 80s and 90s…being over-punitive and lock people up and throw away the key, that went really fast. We’re still trying to peel that back. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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