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The Great March on Galveston

NNPA NEWSWIRE — News of the arrest of Donald Neely spread like wildfire, after a couple of shocking photos appeared on social media showing two White, uniformed Galveston Mounted Patrol Officers escorting Neely, who is Black, down the middle of 23rd Street in Galveston like a runaway slave; handcuffing him with his hands behind his back and leading him by rope down the street like a captured animal as they rode their individual horses down the street.

Published

7 years ago

August 20, 2019

Oakland Post

Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump addresses media at historic Jack Johnson Park in Galveston, Texas. Photo Credit: Jeffrey L. Boney

Attorney Benjamin Crump Threatens to Bring National Civil Rights and Mental Health Advocates to Galveston if Sept. 15 Deadline Not Met to Release Body Camera Footage

By Jeffrey L. Boney, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Back on August 3rd, Donald Neely was arrested by Galveston police after he allegedly committed the crime of criminal trespassing at a commercial property located at 306 22nd Street, and after allegedly being warned not to do trespass on the property several times before.

It was not the arrest of Neely that caused a stir, it was the way in which he was detained that has caught the attention of people across the country, including many civil rights activists and attorneys. This action caught the immediate attention of several witnesses, who took the pictures and shared them on social media.

News of the arrest spread like wildfire, after a couple of shocking photos appeared on social media showing two White, uniformed Galveston Mounted Patrol Officers escorting Neely, who is Black, down the middle of 23rd Street in Galveston like a runaway slave; handcuffing him with his hands behind his back and leading him by rope down the street like a captured animal as they rode their individual horses down the street.

Neely, 43, suffers from mental illness.

According to Neely’s family, he has suffered from mental illness for over a decade and had been homeless based off their last known interaction. The family had not seen him in roughly four years, but saw the disrespectful and dehumanizing photos of him circulating online.

According to a statement released by the Galveston Police Department, they state that “when a police car was not immediately available, he (Neely) was escorted by mounted police officers about four blocks to a nearby staging area.”

National civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump held a major press conference on August 12th, calling on the Galveston Police Department to release the body camera footage of the incident to be able to determine whether Neely’s civil rights may have been violated.

“This isn’t 1819. This is 2019, Galveston, Texas,” said Crump. “The Galveston Police Department should have no problem releasing the body cam video, so we can see with our own eyes the content of the character of these two officers; based off of how they talked to and how they treated this unarmed Black citizen who suffered from mental illness.”

Nearly 170 years ago, the federal government passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which gave individuals known as “slave catchers” the legal mandate to go anywhere in the country to locate and prosecute runaway slaves and return them to their slave masters.

These slave catchers were usually individual citizens who were paid to catch runaway slaves, and some were members of local law enforcement. Nevertheless, the majority of these slave catchers were known to ride horses, as well as use ropes and chains to secure the runaway slaves, making them walk behind or beside their horses until they reached their destination.

Fast forward to 2019, and we see that the slave catcher model has reared its ugly head once again; this time in Galveston.

One of the people who received a copy of the picture and shared it on social media, is a former Galveston resident named Erin Toberman, who is White and whose father was a police captain.

At the press conference, Toberman spoke to reporters and made some strong and salient points about the incident.

“I’m a White woman and I have nothing but respect for law enforcement and I know how hard their job can be, because my father was a police Captain,” said Toberman. “Members of law enforcement have always told me that if I see something, I should say something. Well, I saw something and I said something, but now I’m being told that I shouldn’t have saw anything or said anything. That isn’t right.”

Crump said that once Galveston Police Department releases the video and they can determine the content of the character of the officers involved to be in line with what the police department is saying, they will leave, but until then they do not plan on leaving the city.

“We are not going anywhere,” said Crump. “As a matter of fact, if you don’t release the video in 30 days, we are going to invite other civil rights advocates, mental health advocates and human rights advocates, and we will have a great march on Galveston. We are going to march down the same street that you dragged Donald Neely down by rope.”

State Senator Borris L. Miles released a statement regarding the Galveston Police Department Mounted Patrol incident, stating:

“I condemn Officer P. Brosch and A. Smith for their actions during this arrest and for unnecessarily subjecting Mr. Neely to that public humiliation. I applaud Galveston Police Chief Vernon Hale for his swift response and apology to Mr. Neely. I ask him to consider disciplinary actions against those two officers and to institute department-wide sensitivity training to ensure that officers, present and future understand why this was wrong, why it was inhumane and why it was downright racist.”

Crump set the deadline date to release the video for September 15. In the meantime, both the Texas Rangers and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the controversial arrest. In expressing their seriousness about the release of the video, Crump led attendees in a chant to demand its release, chanting, “Say No Mo’…Release the Video.”

According to the Galveston Police Department, the body cameras were functional and were live during the encounter with Neely, so now it boils down to the actual release of the footage.

Galveston Police Chief Vernon Hale and Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell, both made statements expressing their belief that the officers may have used poor judgment regarding the incident and the officer’s handling of Neely.

“Although this is a best practice in certain scenarios, I don’t think it was the best practice at this point in time,” said Chief Hale.

Chief Hale has stated that his department has ended the use of this practice effective immediately. However, this is not good enough for Neely’s family, his attorneys and for many community advocates who have been riveted by this incident.

Time will tell if the Galveston Police Department will comply with Crump’s demands and inquiring minds want to know what exactly they will hear and see once the footage is released.

Jeffrey Boney is a political analyst and frequent contributor for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com and the associate editor for the Houston Forward Times newspaper. Jeffrey is an award-winning journalist, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur and business development strategist. Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @realtalkjunkies.

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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

2 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

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

admin

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.

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2 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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