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Virginia’s First Black House Speaker and Marcus Garvey are Pardoned by President Biden on His Last Day in Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In 1994, Scott was arrested during his third year in law school and sentenced for a nonviolent drug offense – he was a money mule for two people he hardly knew. But he was prosecuted as part of a “conspiracy” and sentenced to ten years in prison. But upon his release eight years later, he ran a business, took the bar exam and passed on the first try, was hired by one of the leading law firms in Virginia. In January 2024, in an incredible career turnaround, Scott was elected Speaker of the Virginia House in 2024.

Published

5 months ago

January 20, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

With less than 30 hours left in his presidency, President Biden has pardoned five people. One of the pardon’s includes Virginia’s first Black Speaker of the House of the Delegates, Don Scott.

In 1994, Scott was arrested during his third year in law school and sentenced for a nonviolent drug offense – he was a money mule for two people he hardly knew. But he was prosecuted as part of a “conspiracy” and sentenced to ten years in prison. But upon his release eight years later, he ran a business, took the bar exam and passed on the first try, was hired by one of the leading law firms in Virginia. In January 2024, in an incredible career turnaround, Scott was elected Speaker of the Virginia House in 2024.

The turn of events was outlined in the statement from The White House.

“Since his release, he has practiced as an attorney and was elected to the Virginia legislature in 2019. In 2024, he became the first Black Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. Mr. Scott is a U.S. Navy veteran who donated his kidney to his next-door neighbor in 2021. His supporters have highlighted his dedication to public service, his remorse and redemption, and his tireless commitment to improving the lives of those around him,” the statement from President Biden read.

“The most important thing, I think, for me is as I talk to young men and women who’ve been involved and been in the justice system or something like that, and I just try to let them know, like, your life is not over. You get to still be the captain of your own story. You get to be the captain of your own ship, the master of your story. And no matter what you’ve gone through, you can overcome anything,” Speaker Scott told Black Virginia News during an interview podcast hours after the Biden White House made the news official on the morning of January 19.

Speaker Scott’s pardon was one of three requested by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.). (The two Virginia lawmakers are not related). President Biden also announced the pardon of Kemba Smith of Richmond, Va., also prosecuted as a “conspirator” in a drug ring as the result of the actions of her boyfriend, and Michelle West.

In another significant announcement and a nod to history, Biden posthumously granted a pardon to Marcus Garvey.

Garvey created the Black Star Line, the first Black-owned shipping line and method of international travel. Garvey also founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, which celebrated African history. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described Mr. Garvey as “the first man of color in the history of the United States to lead and develop a mass movement.” Garvey died in 1940.

The lengthy penalty for a nonviolent drug offense visited on Don Scott and Smith were common during the punitive “war on drugs” era that began in the 1980s and accelerated in the 1990s after the passage of the 1994 Clinton Crime Bill. The U.S. continues to lead the world in the rate of incarceration at an estimated annual cost of $80 billion.

Biden has set a record for commutations with over 2,000.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the owner of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and speaks on Crisis Comms on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”