#NNPA BlackPress

Virginia Democrats Enter the War on Maps After GOP Moves to Kill Black Political Power

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “Democrats are going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. It’s the reason why we see Republicans in full-blown panic right now,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22.

Published

9 months ago

October 24, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

“Democrats are going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. It’s the reason why we see Republicans in full-blown panic right now,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22. Democrats have been strategizing on redistricting strategy with leaders in Democratic states since Republicans in Texas. “We’ve never seen this level of extraordinary gerrymandering attempts take place across the country. Why do you think it’s happening? It’s happening because the Republican ship is sinking. It’s sinking right now because they failed to deliver anything for the American people. Just pay attention to what’s going to happen two weeks from now in Virginia,” Leader Jeffries asserted. With the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will destroy Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, events are moving quickly, and now Democrats in Virginia are set to enter the war on maps and redistricting. In August, Republicans in Texas, led by Donald Trump, changed their maps to target congressional seats held by Black Democrats.

In mid-2025, Trump publicly urged Texas Republicans to focus on a rare mid-decade redistricting of congressional maps. “We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas,” Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box on August 5. Democrats in Illinois, California, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Washington, and Virginia have been in discussions on possible districting to counter Trump-led Republican moves to eliminate congressional seats. Trump’s directive to Republicans in Texas quickly turned into a decision by the Texas GOP to change the congressional maps in a way that would make it much harder for three Black members of Congress to win. They include the congressional seats now held by Reps. Al Green (D-TX-9), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30), and Marc Veasey (D-TX-33). On top of the Republican attempts to control the 2026 elections by eliminating the seats of Black members of Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, controlled by Republican nominees, is set to destroy Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is one of the most powerful protections against racial discrimination in voting. Section 2 prohibits any voting practice or policy that results in the dilution of voting power based on race. Unlike other parts of the law, Section 2 applies nationwide and allows individuals and groups to challenge maps that decrease Black voting power and election rules in court. It has been crucial in ensuring fair representation for Black, Latino, and other minority voters—especially since the Supreme Court weakened Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was designed to prevent racial discrimination before it happened by requiring certain states and localities—mostly in the South with histories of voter suppression—to get federal approval, or “preclearance,” before changing any voting laws or practices. This safeguard ensured that new election rules, district maps, or voting procedures did not weaken minority voting power. But in 2013, the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision ended Section 5’s enforcement by striking down the formula for preclearance, which led to many Black communities becoming once again vulnerable to discriminatory voting practices.

In the 2013 ruling striking Section 5, Republican appointed U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts argued that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act was no longer necessary because the conditions that once justified it—widespread, state-sponsored racial discrimination in voting—had largely disappeared. Roberts maintained that America had changed and no longer needed extraordinary federal intervention in election laws. But actions in Republican controlled southern states proved that Roberts’ argument against Section 5 was wrong.

In North Carolina, in August 2013, the legislature passed House Bill 589, which reduced early voting, eliminated same-day registration, banned out-of-precinct voting, and imposed a strict photo ID requirement. The changes specifically impacted voting rules that Black voters were utilizing. In Alabama, a new photo‐ID law was implemented in 2014 that significantly restricted the types of identification accepted (eliminating options like Social Security cards, birth certificates, EBT cards), soon after the Shelby decision. In Texas, officials immediately moved to enforce a strict voter‐ID law the day of the Shelby decision, which had previously been blocked under pre‐clearance. In Georgia, the passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021 (also known as Senate Bill 202) imposed limits on absentee ballot drop-boxes, changed the timeframe for requesting absentee ballots, increased legislative control over election administration, and made it a crime for third parties to provide food or water to voters waiting in line.

Additionally, in multiple former Section 5 jurisdictions, there were hundreds of polling-place closures after Shelby — for example, one report found 1,688 polling-place closures between 2012 and 2018 in formerly covered areas. But now Democrats appear to be prepared to bring the same energy to the war on maps as Republicans have for years.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

With 200 Supporters in Norfolk Outside, NY Attorney General Letitia James Pleads Not Guilty

Don't Miss

Tish James is Arraigned in Virginia as Black Woman Stand in Support of Her

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HEREto tune in live.

The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
Trending
Salon teaches dads how to style daughters’ hair

He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.