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Vice President Kamala Harris Joins Annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Honors Legacy of Bloody Sunday

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, spanning several days and culminating on Sunday, served as both a remembrance of the sacrifices made on Bloody Sunday and a call to action for contemporary civil rights challenges. Sunday’s anniversary march, a central event in the jubilee, reenacted the steps of those who faced violence in their pursuit of justice and equality.
The post Vice President Kamala Harris Joins Annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Honors Legacy of Bloody Sunday first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

To help commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris stood alongside activists and community leaders on the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where she used the occasion to mark history and to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East.

“People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act,” the vice president declared to cheers. “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.” On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Israel pulled out of ceasefire discussions because the nation’s leaders said Hamas would not release the names of living hostages.

“Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table,” Harris asserted. “And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal. “Let’s get a ceasefire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families. And let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”

She then turned her attention to the brutal attack on peaceful protesters who were calling for voting rights on March 7, 1965, noting it as a memorable turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. “The challenges we currently face are not unlike the challenges faced by those 600 brave souls 59 years ago,” she said.

Fifty-nine years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders led a nonviolent march from Selma to Montgomery to demand equal voting rights for African Americans. However, as the marchers approached the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Alabama state troopers brandishing billy clubs and tear gas violently disrupted their peaceful procession.

Per the National Archives: “With Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) leading the demonstration and John Lewis, Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), at his side, the marchers were stopped as they were leaving Selma, at the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, by some 150 Alabama state troopers, sheriff’s deputies, and possemen, who ordered the demonstrators to disperse.

“One minute and five seconds after a two-minute warning was announced, the troops advanced, wielding clubs, bullwhips, and tear gas. John Lewis, who suffered a skull fracture, was one of fifty-eight people treated for injuries at the local hospital. Less than one week later, Lewis recounted the attack on the marchers during a federal hearing at which the demonstrators sought protection for a full-scale march to Montgomery.

The televised brutality shocked the nation and propelled the urgent need for federal intervention. Later that year, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, a significant legislative milestone in the ongoing fight for equal access to the ballot.

 

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The annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, spanning several days and culminating on Sunday, served as both a remembrance of the sacrifices made on Bloody Sunday and a call to action for contemporary civil rights challenges. Sunday’s anniversary march, a central event in the jubilee, reenacted the steps of those who faced violence in their pursuit of justice and equality.

During a previous visit to Selma, Harris described the Edmund Pettus Bridge as “hallowed ground,” and emphasized the significance of remembering the sacrifices made by those who fought for the fundamental right to vote.

The White House noted that Harris’s speech would honor the civil rights movement’s legacy and address the contemporary challenges in the ongoing quest for justice. Harris said she wanted to encourage Americans to remain steadfast in defending their fundamental freedoms, particularly in the face of current threats to voting rights nationwide.

The Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee also featured a pre-march public conversation, where National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. and the Rev. Mark Thompson shared insights into the historical struggles of the 1960s. Chavis, a member of the Wilmington 10 and a key figure in the civil rights movement, underscored the enduring nature of the fight for justice. “On the bridge over here, we were beaten down. That was 59 years ago, and we’re still being beaten down,” he declared. He expressed urgency and added, “We have to do something about it. We’re tired of being beat down.”

Chavis reminded those in attendance that, as the nation grapples with contemporary challenges to voting rights and social justice, the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee remains a symbolic and substantive annual event, reminding all Americans of the “historical struggles that paved the way for progress while urging continued vigilance in the face of present-day challenges.”

The post Vice President Kamala Harris Joins Annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, Honors Legacy of Bloody Sunday first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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