News Stories

Here’s the good news: Enrollment at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) has never been higher, with the trend showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Now, here’s the, um, not so good news, at least for traditionalists: As that spike in students bolsters the bottom lines for schools which may not have been on the firmest of financial footings, it has also been threatening to change the typical racial makeup of HBCU students.

“In many cases, African-American students have ceased being a majority at HBCUs,” according to a new report from Diverse Issues in Higher Education published last week. “At some, they are a small minority among a White majority.”

The report did not single out schools in particular that apparently fell under that category, but a closer look at recent statistics showed an increasing number of white people have been enrolling as undergraduates at HBCUs over the years.

“Additionally,” the report said, “graduate, professional and online programs at HBCUs tend to draw non-Black students at higher rates.”

The percentage of white students at HBCUs stood at 17 percent, according to a report last year from Pew Research Center. That figure was up from 13 percent in 1980. Data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics confirm the steady rise in white students enrolling in HBCUs from 1976 through 2004. That could be the reason, at least in part, why HBCUs saw record growth in 2017.

However, coinciding with that rise in white students at HBCUs was the “lower shares of blacks attending these institutions,” according to Pew:

“As desegregation, rising incomes and increased access to financial aid resulted in more college options for blacks, the share of blacks attending HBCUs began to shrink,” Pew found. “By fall 1980, 17% of black students enrolled in degree-granting institutions were enrolled at an HBCU. By 2000, that share had declined to 13%, and it stood at 9% in 2015.”

For those aforementioned traditionalists, the surge of white student enrollment can be seen as a gift as well as a curse, metaphorically speaking. Adding more students, either white or of any ethnic background, is important to fend of an apparent existential crisis for many HBCUs that has forced some to shut down and others to ponder a new way forward, according to a professor at The King’s College in New York City.

“The reality is that if HBCUs — with the exception of maybe the top five or six — do not diversify, they’re all going to die,” Anthony Bradley, who has written about HBCUs, told Time in 2014. “While they may continue in their mission in respect to providing opportunities to African-Americans on paper, in reality they’re simply going to have to become more like any university in the country.”

Source: https://newsone.com

Once upon a time, ESPN made history with Jemele Hill and Michael Smith as the first all-Black anchor team on “SportsCenter” in February 2017. However, after Hill called out Donald Trump as a white supremacist, ESPN has not been supporting the anchor. Her hosting duties at “SportsCenter” (Smith left in March) ended and she was writing for ESPN’s Undefeated website. Now, her time at ESPN is reportedly over.

According to SportingNews.com, “The former ‘SportsCenter’ anchor will accept a buyout of the remainder of her contract with the network, said sources. Hill’s deal with ESPN still has at least two years to run and she stands to walk away with millions of dollars from ESPN parent Disney while she pursues other career opportunities, sources said.”

Yep, millions of dollars, and she deserves every penny.

This is no shock considering Jimmy Pitaro, the new president of ESPN, said he didn’t want any of the commentators to have political opinions, implying he will be kowtowing to whatever the NFL wants. Pitaro told The Washington Post on August 17, “I’ve spent a lot of time with league executives. The relationship is incredibly important to us. That programming cuts across everything we’re doing on the studio side, on the original content side. And we’ve made that very clear to the NFL.”

He also said, “If you ask me is there a false narrative out there, I will tell you ESPN being a political organization is false. I will tell you I have been very, very clear with employees here that it is not our jobs to cover politics, purely.”

Either way, Jemele Hill is going to be great. We are sure she has big things in the future.

Source: https://newsone.com

Eid-al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice”, is a two-day Islamic holiday celebrated around the world. Beginning Monday and ending Tuesday, Muslims traditionally give praise for when Allah appeared to Ibrahim in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, as a sign of his faith.

During the festival, Muslims gather in their best garb to eat traditional food, exchange gifts and pray. Check out some of the beautiful images from Eid-al-Adha across the globe.

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Source: https://newsone.com

Voting has long been a passionate subject for Michelle Obama. A new video sheds light on exactly why the former first lady is a strong crusader for voting rights—and why she is encouraging people to exercise their power at the polls.

Obama shared a powerful story about watching her father vote as a child in the clip, which is part of her “When We All Vote” campaign, an initiative that she co-chairs in an effort to spur voter registration ahead of the midterm elections. Before “When We All Vote” hits the road for a week of action from Sept. 22-29, the ex-FLOTUS had another Black excellence moment that she hopes will inspire people to head to the ballot box in November.

Her story underscored her father’s passion and dedication for voting despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“I grew up in a household where voting was something you did all the time,” Obama said in the video. “And my father, who had multiple sclerosis, I remember going to the polling place with him and how much effort it took for him to park his car, to get his crutches, to walk into the church basement in our local neighborhood where he voted. And to stand there, holding himself up, making sure he cast his ballot. I remember my father doing this exercise every single election.”

Seeing her dad vote made Obama think about what a “special responsibility” it was — a right that African-American groups fought for during the civil rights era. The clip makes clear that voting was not only a right for Obama, but a rite of passage. She encourages voting in the presidential election and at the local level.

Source: https://newsone.com

African-American leaders sent condolences to the family of Sen. John McCain, who leaves a mixed legacy with the Black community.

McCain succumbed on Saturday to his battle against brain cancer. The lawmaker and Vietnam War hero, who ran twice for U.S. president, died at his home in Arizona at age 81.

“Today we not only lost a war hero and savvy politician but a man that always put true American values before himself. He was often open to dialogue and conversation about some of this country’s most controversial issues, and he will forever be remembered for his fighting spirit,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said. “We send our condolences to the McCain family and the constituents he proudly served in Arizona for 33 years.”

President Barack Obama, who ran for president in 2008 against McCain, tweeted this message:

The Congressional Black Caucus had this to say:

Many recalled that McCain defended Obama on the campaign trail in 2008, when he shut down a birther who raised doubts about Obama’s birthplace and religion. He’ll be remembered as one of the few Republicans who openly criticized President Donald Trump for calling Haiti and African nations “shithole countries.” Democrats also cheered the dramatic moment on the Senate floor in 2017 when McCain, while battling cancer, gave the thumbs-down on the GOP vote to permanently repeal Obamacare.

There was another side to McCain that brings balance to his legacy. McCain was indifferent to his Black constituents in Arizona, according to Politico.

McCain “has pretty well zero relationship with the African-American community that I know of,” Oscar Tillman, the former Arizona NAACP head, told Politico in 2008. “I don’t recall him ever attending any function with the NAACP. Each year we send them an invitation [to an annual banquet], and each year they say no.”

The senator was also a staunch opponent of the national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Even after President Ronald Reagan finally decided to approve the bill for MLK Day, McCain voted against it.

He later regretted his opposition to celebrating the civil rights leaders, and he apologized for his support in 2000 for keeping the Confederate flag flying atop the South Carolina statehouse.

Source: https://newsone.com

Yesterday, the French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, went viral after banning Serena Williams‘ catsuit from the French Open. Everyone has been blasting the 60-year-old and now Nike has responded.

Nike responded on Twitter with a photo of Serena with text that read, “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers. #justdoit” See below:

Giudicelli said in an interview with Tennis Magazine’s 500th edition, “I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.”

Twitter is obviously outraged by the decision, which is clearly racism and sexism. Click here for the reactions.

Considering the serious backlash, it would be no surprise if the French Open decides to “reverse” their ban. Saying Williams doesn’t have respect for the game is asinine and insulting. Serena Williams is the winner of 23 Major singles titles at the French Open. The reason why the French Open sells tickets is partly because of Serena’s presence. No one has more respect for the game than Serena.

Put some respect on her name, Mr. Giudicelli.

Source: https://newsone.com

Pursuing higher learning can cost a lot. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, however, have succeeded at staying below the national average when it comes to tuition.

The typical cost of attending a private university was $34,740 for the 2017-18 academic year, according to College Data. Costs added up to $9,970 for state residents at public colleges and $25,620 for out-of-state residents attending public universities this last year. Spelman College, a private liberal arts university in Atlanta and the most expensive HBCU according to Student Loan Hero, costs $28,181 for both in-state and out-of-state students for the 2017-18 year. Public HBCU Cheney University of Pennsylvania costs $18,386 for out-of-state students.

Public schools have lower costs than private universities, however, out-of-state students will see higher attendance fees than those who are in-state. Still, there are more than 100 HBCUs that are educating students at an affordable fee.

Private and public schools have been able to control costs in the face of a number of odds. For example, HBCUs typically receive smaller endowments than historically white institutions, according to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The most affordable schools have been ranked by Student Loan Hero. Here are the five most affordable public HBCUs:

1. Elizabeth City State University: Elizabeth City, North Carolina

In-state tuition and fees: $4,986

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $18,130

Total undergraduate enrollment: 1,310

2. Fayetteville State University: Fayetteville, North Carolina

In-state tuition and fees: $5,183

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $16,791

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,393

3. University of the Virgin Islands: Virgin Islands

In-state tuition and fees: $5,235

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $14,496

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,112

4. Harris-Stowe State University: Saint Louis, Missouri

In-state tuition and fees: $5,340

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $9,973

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,442

5. Albany State University: Albany, Georgia

In-state tuition and fees: $5,675

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $16,136

Undergraduate enrollment: 6,262

Source: https://newsone.com

On April 25, Sadaria Davis, 15, was last seen leaving her West Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago. On May 11, Davis’ body was found several blocks away, according to the Chicago Sun Times. She is one of four girls and women who have gone missing in Chicago since mid-March, but she is the only one whose body has been found.

Now, Davis’ family has spoken out for the first time. They held a vigil where her daughter was found and asked the public for help,ABC 7 reported.

“The last time I saw my daughter she was sitting on the foot of my bed talking to me,” her mother, Nicole Sargeant, said. “I cant’ sleep. I can’t eat. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is my baby because I know she didn’t deserve what you did to her.”

Davis’ cousin Luwana Johnson appealed to the public for help.

“Anybody who has any type of information please come forward and share that information,” Johnson said. “We want to put Sadaria to rest. We want to know what happened.”

On social media, there were reports that Davis’ fingers were cut off and some of her organs were removed. However, the Chicago Police Department told NewsOne it “cannot confirm those details and the cause of death is unknown.”

As of Sunday, “the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has still not been able to determine how she died.”

There are fears of a serial kidnapper in this area of Chicago. On March 16, Anna Stanislawczyk, 18, went missing and has not been seen since. On May 25, Shantieya Smith, 26, went missing and has not been seen since. On June 5, 15-year-old Victoria Garrett also vanished.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by these tragedies. Anyone with information about Davis’ death has been asked to call Chicago detectives at 312-744-8266.

Source: https://newsone.com

“Ford Motor Company’s partnership with us in the Ford First Gen program brings a comprehensive, innovative and collaborative approach that exemplifies an important part of ‘the Spelman Promise’ – ensuring that every Spelmanite graduates with a competitive edge,” says Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College.

In an effort to increase the representation of Black first-generation college students at Spelman College, the institution has teamed up with Ford Motor Company for the creation of a new initiative, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported.

Dubbed Ford First Gen, the program is designed to help aspiring college students overcome socio-economic barriers that prevent them from furthering their education, the news outlet writes. Through the initiative, participants will be able to take advantage of services and resources that will ensure their personal, academic, and professional success; including being mentored by students who are in their junior year at Spelman. After going through the program, students will have the opportunity to mentor those who are following in their footsteps. Mentors will be awarded $10,000 towards their tuition.

Under the program, there will be seminars hosted that are related to career development and goal setting, trips that will give participants the opportunity to interact with individuals who are making moves in industries that they aspire to pursue careers in, and students will also be aligned with summer internships to build upon their professional experiences.

Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College, is excited about the partnership with Ford Motor Company and believes that the program will be nothing short of impactful. “Ford Motor Company’s partnership with us in the Ford First Gen program brings a comprehensive, innovative and collaborative approach that exemplifies an important part of ‘the Spelman Promise’ – ensuring that every Spelmanite graduates with a competitive edge,” she said in a statement, according to the news outlet. Ford is looking forward to helping students of color overcome barriers to education. “Ford First Gen is a unique approach to helping break down barriers to success that are sometimes faced by first-generation students,” Pamela Alexander, Director of Community Development at Ford Motor Company Fund told Diverse Issues in Higher Education. “We are very excited about the opportunity we have to impact students’ lives through the mentorship, education and cultural experiences that Ford First Gen will offer, and given Spelman’s rich legacy of success, we could not ask for a better partner for this program.”

Source: https://newsone.com

Journalism pioneer Alice Allison Dunnigan will be honored posthumously by the Newseum in Washington, D.C. According to the New York Times, the institution plans on installing a statue to honor Dunnigan, who was the first Black woman to receive press credentials to cover the White House.

Dunnigan—a journalist, civil rights activist, and author—took the helm of the Associated Negro Press Washington Bureau 71 years ago. She spent over a decade penning pieces for various publications and many of her pieces were featured in African-American newspapers that were distributed nationally. During WWII Dunnigan served as a typist for the government. She broke many barriers for Black women in journalism, becoming the first African-American woman to not only provide coverage on the White House but the State Department and the Supreme Court as well.

After her days as a journalist, she worked with presidential committees to create programs for youth and people of color. In 1974—nine years before her death—she released an autobiography about her life and experiences as a woman of color in the media industry titled A Black Woman’s Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House. Dunnigan—a National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame inductee—has received 50 awards for her contributions to journalism throughout her career.

The Newseum believes that it’s time for her unsung story to be brought to the forefront. “Alice was such a barrier breaker for women and people of color, we were happy to have the opportunity to embrace her here at the museum,” Carrie Christoffersen, curator and vice president of exhibits at the Newseum, told the news outlet.

The 6-foot bronze statue—which is being created by Lexington, Kentucky-based artist Amanda Matthews—will be on display at the museum from September 21 through December 16 and then it will be moved to the West Kentucky African-American Heritage Center in the town where Dunnigan was born and raised.

Source: https://newsone.com

AHoward University student and two of her siblings are taking their talents to the 2020 Olympics. Senior Latroya Pina and her sister and brother Jayla and Troy have been selected to be on the Cape Verde National Swim Team during the Summer Olympics which is slated to take place in Tokyo, Japan, the Sun Chronicle reported.

Pina has been racking up several accolades at Howard for her swimming skills, the news outlet writes. She came out victorious in the women’s 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley against Marymount during the 2017-2018 season. The honors went beyond the swimming pool for Pina. She made the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner’s All-Academic Team and the 2018 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Spring President’s Honor Roll List. Although having the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games is a huge honor for Pina and her siblings, she says their accomplishment isn’t “far-fetched.” “We’re not just swimming for our colleges or schools, but for a nation so we want to do our best,” she told the Sun Chronicle. Pina also added that she’s proud to be representing Cape Verde. “Cape Verde is trying to make swimming a big sport now, so it’s our responsibility to represent our country. People in Cape Verde and all the Cape Verdeans in the U.S. will be looking up to us.”

Howard’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach Nicholas Askew is excited for Pina and her siblings. “To represent your country at the Olympic level is every swimmer’s dream,” he said in a statement, according to HU Bison. “We are excited for Latroya and have no doubt, she will make Howard University and Cape Verde very proud.”

The siblings are slated to compete in the Confederation Africaine de Natation Championship Meet in Algeria next month

A venture capitalist firm is aiming to level the playing field for Black women when it comes to securing funding for their business ventures. Backstage Capital recently announced that it will invest $36 million in the entrepreneurial endeavors of African American women, Business Insider reported.

The firm unveiled the plan for the fund at the United State of Women 2018 Summit in Los Angeles, the news outlet writes. Through the initiative, Backstage Capital plans to invest in nearly 20 companies over the next three years. Arlan Hamilton, the founder and managing partner of the firm, says that the statistics surrounding Black women securing venture capital are alarming and it needs to be changed. “I think the figures speak for themselves: less than .2% of all early-stage venture funding goes to Black women, while we make up approximately 8% of the U.S. population and are one of the fastest growing entrepreneur segments in the country,” she told Tech Crunch. She also believes that its unfair Black women have had to “accept scraps” when trying to get financial backing for their business endeavors.

According to Business Insider, the first group of entrepreneurs will be awarded this year.

Many Black entrepreneurs are launching initiatives to help their fellow Black business owners thrive. Marceau Michel—creator of Black Founders Matter—is aiming to raise $10 million for visionaries of color in the tech industry. “By raising awareness, using our supporters as walking billboards and reaching our community, I believe we can raise more than enough funds to shake up venture funding as it pertains to people of color and make them pay attention to our resourcefulness and resilience,” said Marceau.

Source: https://newsone.com

Even in supposed defeat, LaVar Ball is winning.

The face of the world’s newest professional basketball league has been raked across the coals for what critics have described as sparse attendance at the games that feature lower tier talent in the Junior Basketball Association’s (JBA) inaugural season. But after just about three weeks’ worth of games, online metrics show that there was a much higher interest in the JBA than critics care to admit, no matter who was running the league.

With all of its games streamed on Facebook, the JBA has averaged “between 100,000 and 200,000 views” for each contest, according to a report published in the Undefeated on Friday. When Ball’s son and star player, LaMelo, plays, his “games have closer to 800,000.”

Source: Alius Koroliovas / Getty

Those enviable analytics could end up helping to disprove the naysayers who have gleefully predicted the demise of the JBA – and LaVar Ball – since the day it was announced. Those statistics could also pave the way for “views of more than a million per game” and “potential Fortune 500 advertisers,” Ball’s JBA co-founder Alan Foster said. If that were to become a reality, the longevity and overall sustainability of the league would be all but solidified.

While it’s tough to accurately translate those views into immediate dollars, Facebook’s continued relationship with Ball – don’t forget he has a successful reality show in its third season streamed and documenting his family life – shows LaVar’s brand has an audience the social network trusts to reliably bring in a dedicated viewership, something that is far from a guarantee in digital media.

And before you go dismissing shows on Facebook as inconsequential, the uber-successful, all-world soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly negotiating a deal for his own reality show to stream on the social site. If it goes through, he could make an eye-popping $10 billion for just 13 episodes, according to CNBC.

Now, of course that doesn’t mean LaVar will ever see that kind of money from Facebook (or does it?). But given that payday for Ronaldo, it’s pretty safe to assume Ball’s compensation from Facebook alone will reach, if not break, the seven-figure mark.

That’s not including revenue from his Big Baller Brand sports apparel company and other professional ventures and business dealings that the public may not know about. (Never mind the fact that Ball has created a viable alternative to college basketball – which has repeatedly been likened to slave labor – that actually pays its players on their quest to ultimately compete in the NBA or other professional leagues around the world.)

Not bad for a guy who’s been branded by critics as a loudmouth helicopter dad who jeopardized the basketball careers and overall livelihood of his children while trading barbs with the president, who supposedly negotiated the jail release of son LiAngelo for trying to steal a Louis Vuitton belt.

The death of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was fatally stabbed in the neck in Oakland last month, could have been stopped, lawyers for the slain teen’s family said Friday (Aug. 17).

Wilson’s death at a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station on July 22 has sparked outcry, and John Lee Cowell was charged with the murder. The killing happened just days after two other female passengers faced a similar threat from Cowell, attorneys said in a claim filed against BART last week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. One of the women was physically touched by Cowell, who slid his hand across her neck to suggest he would slice her throat open, at the Civic Center BART Station in San Francisco. Another woman saw the man reveal a knife on a train in a separate incident, lawyers said.

The women weren’t able to get help from BART workers during the incidents — events that may not have been followed by Wilson’s death if transit agency personnel had heeded warnings, attorneys said.

“Nia’s death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds that nobody could do anything about,” said Robert Arns, a lawyer for Wilson’s family. “There’s a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART, and just about everybody who rides BART knows that.”

Wilson’s killing was a “simple case of cause and effect,” attorneys also said. If Cowell was taken into police custody and BART personnel did more to protect riders, Wilson may have never been harmed, they added.

Grief-stricken family members represented by the attorneys were teary-eyed on Friday. Wilson’s sisters, Letifah and Tashiya Wilson, both saw their sister take her last breath on the BART station platform that day. Letifah Wilson was also stabbed in the neck but survived.

The family should get “just” compensation, with a dollar amount that would likely be decided on by a jury, according to the suit. Attorneys, on behalf of the family, also want “transparency when it comes to criminal activity on BART property” and “a new system to prevent fare evaders.”

BART tried to defend themselves against the family’s and attorney’s statements, saying that “safety” was a “top priority.” The agency is investigating the threats outlined in the claim, Anna Duckworth, an agency spokeswoman, said.

Source: https://newsone.com

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower, a Michigan cop tased an unarmed Black man while he was holding his two-month old baby. The video of the incident has gone viral and now the police have released a statement.

Police showed up to a home in Westland, Michigan where people were having a barbecue on Friday night, according ABC 7 in Detroit.

“We were just barbecuing, and we saw the cops come up,” said one eyewitness and neighbor who recorded the footage. “They came up and asked us who was fighting. We were like, ‘You got the wrong house.’”

Ray Brown, the man who was tased, got agitated with the police coming on his property and demanding answers for something no one knew anything about, according to other witnesses. Audio from the video indicated that an officer told Brown he was going to be arrested and to “get the baby out of here” as police tried to take the baby from him.

Brown responded defiantly:

“That’s my child. He can be exactly where he’s at. Give me my child. Give me my child.”

“I had to catch the baby. I was in the street talking with the cops. I had to come over,” Nichole Skidmore, the mother to two-month-old Christopher, told ABC 7. “The taser is on this side of him, and the baby is over here. As soon as they start tasing him the baby flew out of his hands and I had to grab him, or he would have fell.”

Brown was ultimately arrested and was placed in custody.

In a statement, police claimed officers went to Brown’s house because of a “report that a male subject had physically assaulted a female and that he had damaged her vehicle.”

The statement about the unconfirmed assault continued:

“Westland Police Officers made contact with the man involved in the incident. It was determined that the man was going to be arrested for the assault, the damaged property and also for a number of outstanding arrest warrants.”

However, police were denying tasing Brown even though it’s on video.

“The video shows that during the deployment the child was also in the hands of the mother,” the statement continued. “The child was not injured during the arrest. The child was examined by the Westland EMT and turned over to the mother.”

The statement also indicated that the “investigation is only in the beginning phase.”

The video clearly showed Brown being tased with his baby; eyewitnesses were screaming in the moment he was tased while holding the baby; the child’s mother said the baby flew out of Brown’s hands while he was being tased; yet the cops still managed to spit out this statement?

Make America great again.

Source: https://newsone.com

New York has become the first state to create a commission that could stop racially biased prosecutions, but the timing of it also raised questions about whether it was just politics as usual.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a bill Monday to create the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct, a board of officials which would investigate alleged misconduct by the Empire State’s 62 county district attorney’s offices, the Albany Times Union reported.

“Our criminal justice system must fairly convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent. When any prosecutor consciously disregards that fundamental duty, communities suffer and lose faith in the system, and they must have a forum to be heard and seek justice,” Cuomo stated.

New York has a long history of wrongful convictions and prosecutorial misconduct, with 267 exonerations since 1987 alone, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. African-American inmates accounted for 52 percent of those who were exonerated, and more than 60 percent of the cases involved “official misconduct.”

What motivated the Democratic governor to champion the bill, ignoring criticism from state prosecutors and threats of legal action? Could it have been the “Cynthia Effect?” That could explain why Cuomo, who was first elected in 2011, finally addressed this issue.

Cynthia Nixon is by all measures a long shot to unseat Cuomo, but the actress-turned-politician has inspired progressives who the governor needs to ensure that he’s reelected in November. To shore up his base ahead of the primary next month, Cuomo has made several policy shifts to the left. They include his support of legalizing recreational marijuana, which he once dubbed a “gateway drug,” according to the Atlantic.

Cuomo’s vow to investigate prosecutors and law enforcement agencies is a policy that’s needed nationwide, as scores of innocent Black people across the nation languish behind bars.

Nationally, African Americans are only 13 percent of the population but constitute 47 percent of innocent defendants who are wrongfully convicted of crimes and later exonerated, according to a 2017 National Registry of Exonerations study.

In New York, “Brooklyn is ground central,” the organization said. Prosecutors have exonerated 24 people in the borough since 2014 based on the work of a Conviction Review Unit started by former District Attorney Kenneth Thompson.

Source: https://newsone.com

President Donald Trump’s animosity toward the late Sen. John McCain was on full display Monday when he sent a shout out to his favorite Black athletes instead of joining his fellow politicians in sending warm condolences.

See Also: Jim Brown Continues To Remind Us He’s In The Sunken Place: ‘I Am Not Going To Denigrate My Flag’

Trump tweeted fist bumps early in the morning to golfer Tiger Woods and football legend Jim Brown, thanking them for their loyalty.

A reporter on Sunday asked Woods, a longtime friend and golf buddy of Trump’s, how he would respond to people who find his relationship with Trump unusual, Yahoo Sports reported.

“Well, he’s the President of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office,” Woods replied.

Jim Brown has been on Trump’s side in the president’s dispute with Black NFL players who have been kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality.

Meanwhile, other political leaders have been paying tribute to McCain. He succumbed on Saturday to his battle against brain cancer. The lawmaker and Vietnam War hero, who ran twice for U.S. president, died at his home in Arizona at age 81.

McCain openly criticized Trump on several occasions and voted against the president’s plan to repeal Obamacare. Trump, who apparently continues to hold a grudge, rejected a statement drafted by his staff that praised McCain for his heroism, the Washington Post reported.

Instead, Trump chose to tweet a generic condolence post on Saturday night shortly after McCain’s death was announced.

That stands in sharp contrast to former President Barack Obama, who was McCain’s rival for the presidency in 2008. Obama tweeted a statement that honored the senator’s life and sacrifices to the nation.

“Few of us have been tested the way John once was or required to show the kind of courage that he did,” the statement said in part.

Even France’s President Emmanuel Macron had more to say to honor McCain than the current American President.

“John McCain was a true American hero. He devoted his entire life to his country. His voice will be missed. Our respectful thoughts go to his beloved ones,” Macron tweeted.

Source: https://newsone.com

More African-American celebrities have raised their voices in support of women. Stephen Curry, Ava DuVernay and Sterling K. Brown are among the list of famous folks who made public demands for an end to the gender pay gap coinciding with Women’s Equality Day on Sunday (Aug. 26).

Curry, who has been on a winning streak with the Golden State Warriors, penned a powerful essay arguing for equal salaries in The Players’ Tribune. The NBA star was inspired by his chef and author wife Ayesha Curry and two daughters, Ryan, 3, and Riley, 6.

“I want our girls to grow up knowing that there are no boundaries that can be placed on their futures, period,” Curry said. “I want them to grow up in a world where their gender does not feel like a rulebook for what they should think, or be, or do. And I want them to grow up believing that they can dream big, and strive for careers where they’ll be treated fairly.”

Curry continued, “And of course: paid equally. And I think it’s important that we all come together to figure out how we can make that possible, as soon as possible. Not just as “fathers of daughters,” or for those sorts of reasons. And not just on Women’s Equality Day. Every day — that’s when we need to be working to close the pay gap in this country. Because every day is when the pay gap is affecting women. And every day is when the pay gap is sending the wrong message to women about who they are, and how they’re valued, and what they can or cannot become.”

DuVernay and Brown joined thousands who signed a letter to call for equality in pay. Wanda Sykes, Don Cheadle and Aisha Tyler also co-signed the letter, The Wrap reported.

“It’s time for the Entertainment Industry to take a hard look at its pay and compensation practices above and below the line to make sure all productions meet the legal — and moral — requirement to pay fairly without discrimination,” the letter, which will be delivered to the heads of major studios, networks and production companies, said.

The entertainment industry has long been plagued by a wage bias: gender segregation and stereotyping have contributed to a salary disparity for women of “hundreds or even thousands of dollars per week less than [their] counterparts in comparable male-dominated crafts,” said a January study released by Working IDEAL, a workplace consultant company specializing in pay equity and diversity assessments.

Shonda Rhimes, who has lent her voice to the Times’ Up movement against sexual harassment, also stood up for women’s equality.

We all know Tiger Woods isn’t invited to Wakanda, but his latest comments just sucked him down to the sunken place.

See Also: President Donald Trump’s Voter Fraud Claims Could Lead To More Voter Suppression

Yesterday, Woods played at the Northern Trust tournament in New Jersey and was asked about his relationship with Trump. Woods said, “Well, I’ve known Donald for a number of years. We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.”

The reporter followed up on how he explains his bromance with Trump to people of color and immigrants who are threatened by his racist policies, and Woods said, “Well, he’s the President of the United States. You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”

The irony of Woods’ comment is that Trump does not respect the presidency. Everyday he debases the White House with scandals, corruption, sex industry stars, lies and horrendous policies. Nonetheless, Woods sunken place comments made Trump tingle, and he wrote on Twitter, “The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn’t want to say. Tiger wouldn’t play the game – he is very smart. More importantly, he is playing great golf again!”

 

Actually, Woods is not playing great golf again, he finished 40th at the tournament. Just like Trump isn’t making America great again. When history is written, he’ll be considered the worst president of all time.