From Chinese to Italians and beyond, maligning a culture via its foods is a longtime American habit
Read full article: From Chinese to Italians and beyond, maligning a culture via its foods is a longtime American habitIt’s a practice that’s about as American as apple pie — accusing immigrant and minority communities of engaging in bizarre or disgusting behaviors when it comes to what and how they eat and drink.
City to uplift diversity with new African American Advisory Board announced at Juneteenth commemoration
Read full article: City to uplift diversity with new African American Advisory Board announced at Juneteenth commemorationJacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan named 11 people to sit on the inaugural Mayoral Advisory Board for African Americans.
Trump promised big plans to flip Black and Latino voters. Many Republicans are waiting to see them
Read full article: Trump promised big plans to flip Black and Latino voters. Many Republicans are waiting to see themDonald Trump has promised big plans for recruiting voters in Black, Latino and Asian communities.
San Francisco apologizes to Black residents for decades of racist policies
Read full article: San Francisco apologizes to Black residents for decades of racist policiesSupervisors in San Francisco have formally apologized to African Americans and their descendants for the city’s role in perpetuating racism and discrimination.
Schools say dress codes promote discipline. But many Black students see traces of racism
Read full article: Schools say dress codes promote discipline. But many Black students see traces of racismFor as long as schools have policed hairstyles as part of their dress codes, some students have seen the rules as attempts to deny their cultural and religious identities.
Empowered Legacies: Trailblazing Black women who shaped history
Read full article: Empowered Legacies: Trailblazing Black women who shaped historyBlack History Month is a time to remember the struggles and achievements of African Americans. It’s also an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the diverse narratives that have played a pivotal role in history.
What does Watch Night mean for Black Americans today? It dates back to the Emancipation Proclamation
Read full article: What does Watch Night mean for Black Americans today? It dates back to the Emancipation ProclamationThe tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, during the Civil War.
Kwanzaa: 7 essential facts to illuminate the celebration
Read full article: Kwanzaa: 7 essential facts to illuminate the celebrationStarting from the day after Christmas and ending on New Year’s Day, Kwanzaa is a seven-day observance that encourages African Americans, and others, to embrace and remember African cultures and unity.
Families of Dollar General shooting victims file lawsuit, lawyers cite lack of security presence
Read full article: Families of Dollar General shooting victims file lawsuit, lawyers cite lack of security presenceLawyers for the families of three Black residents killed in a racially motivated shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General store have filed a lawsuit.
National Cathedral replaces windows honoring Confederacy with stained-glass homage to racial justice
Read full article: National Cathedral replaces windows honoring Confederacy with stained-glass homage to racial justiceThe landmark Washington National Cathedral has unveiled new stained-glass windows with a theme of racial justice.
Supporters of reparations for Black residents urge San Francisco to push forward
Read full article: Supporters of reparations for Black residents urge San Francisco to push forwardMore than 200 people rallied outside San Francisco's City Hall to urge supervisors to act on reparations for Black residents.
Norman Studios Silent Film Museum opens in Jacksonville
Read full article: Norman Studios Silent Film Museum opens in JacksonvilleThe River City was once the winter film capital of the world and a major contributor of silent films. Norman Studios, located in Arlington, was among the first studios in the nation to produce films starring African Americans in positive roles.
Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justice
Read full article: Alabama riverfront brawl videos spark a cultural moment about race, solidarity and justiceBystanders who trained their smartphone cameras on an Alabama riverfront dock, as several white boaters pummeled a Black riverboat co-captain, couldn’t have known the footage would elicit a national conversation about racial solidarity.
Harris says Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis are 'propaganda'
Read full article: Harris says Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis are 'propaganda'Vice President Kamala Harris swiped at new standards for teaching Black history in Florida during a trip to Jacksonville on Friday.
Black History Standards Approved Amid Criticism
Read full article: Black History Standards Approved Amid CriticismThe State Board of Education on Wednesday approved new academic standards for instruction about African American history, after numerous teachers from across Florida objected to the changes and asked the board to put the proposal on hold.
Celebrating Black history: The unknown facts about Juneteenth
Read full article: Celebrating Black history: The unknown facts about JuneteenthJuneteenth is all about celebrating Black culture, history, and life, bringing people together to honor all those who came before us and fought for the rights and privileges we hold today.
Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery
Read full article: Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slaveryAmericans across the country are observing the relatively new Juneteenth federal holiday with festivals, parades, cookouts and other gatherings.
NAACP issues travel advisory for Florida, says state is ‘openly hostile’ toward Black, LGBTQ people under Gov. DeSantis
Read full article: NAACP issues travel advisory for Florida, says state is ‘openly hostile’ toward Black, LGBTQ people under Gov. DeSantisThe NAACP on Saturday issued a formal travel advisory for Florida saying that the state is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Black Californians hope state reparations don't become another broken promise
Read full article: Black Californians hope state reparations don't become another broken promiseCalifornia’s first-in-the-nation Black reparations task force is nearing the end of its historic work with a hefty list of recommendations for lawmakers to consider turning into action.
California reparations panel OKs state apology, payments
Read full article: California reparations panel OKs state apology, paymentsCalifornia’s historic reparations task force has voted to approve recommendations for possible payments to Black residents and a formal apology for the state’s role in perpetuating discriminatory policies.
Report finds democracy for Black Americans is under attack
Read full article: Report finds democracy for Black Americans is under attackA new report from the National Urban League is citing what the civil rights and urban advocacy group says are some of the top threats to democracy for Black Americans.
US adds a healthy 236,000 jobs despite Fed's rate hikes
Read full article: US adds a healthy 236,000 jobs despite Fed's rate hikesAmerica’s employers added a solid 236,000 jobs in March, suggesting that the economy remains on solid footing despite the nine interest rate hikes the Federal Reserve has imposed over the past year in its drive to tame inflation.
Church members want overgrown African American cemetery in Spring Park cleaned up
Read full article: Church members want overgrown African American cemetery in Spring Park cleaned upChurch members say they simply want some guidance from the city of Jacksonville on how to move forward with cleaning up and gaining access to the gravesites.
Florida drops sections on BLM movement, reparations from AP African American studies course
Read full article: Florida drops sections on BLM movement, reparations from AP African American studies courseThe College Board, which oversees AP classes, released curriculum materials Wednesday for the expansion of an African American studies course to hundreds of additional high schools in the next academic year.
Black representation in Alabama tested before Supreme Court
Read full article: Black representation in Alabama tested before Supreme CourtCongressional districts that a federal court panel said were unconstitutional because they dilute representation for Black voters in Alabama are nevertheless being used for the November election after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed them.
A community nearly 100 years old in Jacksonville is getting a new designation
Read full article: A community nearly 100 years old in Jacksonville is getting a new designationDurkeeville is the first African American community to get a historic designation. The community is just west of I-95 and includes the Myrtle Avenue area.
TELL US: How are you celebrating Juneteenth also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day?
Read full article: TELL US: How are you celebrating Juneteenth also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day?With Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday last year, many people are now celebrating the significance of the day.
HBCU medical schools to tackle organ transplant disparities
Read full article: HBCU medical schools to tackle organ transplant disparitiesA coalition including the four medical schools at the nation's historically Black colleges and universities has announced a new initiative aimed at increasing the number of Black Americans registered as organ donors and combating disparities among transplant recipients.
Jacksonville group criticizing city for not including more African Americans in Bicentennial celebration planning
Read full article: Jacksonville group criticizing city for not including more African Americans in Bicentennial celebration planningJacksonville’s celebration of its 200th birthday this June has many remembering important events that shaped our city.
The Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center gets an upgrade
Read full article: The Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center gets an upgradeIf you haven’t been to the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center in some years, Covid or not, know that it has changed a lot. If you have never been, you’re missing out. The museum focuses on sharing 450 years of history of St. Augustine. It’s the history of African Americans and a number of other cultures told in an inclusive manner. While many assume the story begins with slavery, that assumption would be incorrect. Rance returned to the museum for the first time in 5 years and came away amazed with what the team has done. www.lincolnvillemuseum.org
California reparations plan advances movement, advocates say
Read full article: California reparations plan advances movement, advocates sayCalifornia took a big step this week toward becoming the first U.S. state to make some form of restitution a reality by tackling the divisive issue of which Black residents should be eligible to receive reparations for the atrocity and injustices of slavery and racism.
2020 census: Jacksonville sees large increase in African American population
Read full article: 2020 census: Jacksonville sees large increase in African American populationMore African Americans are moving to Jacksonville from larger cities, according to an Associated Press report on the 2020 census.
Biden risks progressives, Blacks with pivot to the center
Read full article: Biden risks progressives, Blacks with pivot to the centerPresident Joe Biden is signaling an election year shift to the center to help protect fragile Democratic majorities in Congress, even as key voices across his party’s sprawling political coalition threaten revolt.
Black History told through acting, music and dance
Read full article: Black History told through acting, music and danceThe Journey is a production full of acting, dancing, singing and other artistic phenomenons gracing the stage to depict the historical journey of African Americans. The production commences in the Motherland, Africa and travels through time and concludes in the current state of America. Smoothly transitioning through periods of time the audience is sure to be moved by the riveting performances, inspired by the motivation, and filled with knowledge of ancestral past. www.ypacjax.com
McConnell: Black people vote at similar rates to 'Americans'
Read full article: McConnell: Black people vote at similar rates to 'Americans'Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is drawing criticism for comments he made shortly before the GOP blocked a federal elections bill, when he said that “African American” voters cast ballots at similar rates to “Americans.”.
Black lawmakers to sue to block Michigan redistricting maps
Read full article: Black lawmakers to sue to block Michigan redistricting mapsCurrent and former Black state lawmakers in Detroit have announced a pending lawsuit to block Michigan’s newly drawn congressional and legislative districts, contending they illegally dilute the voting strength of African Americans.
Court upholds death sentence for church shooter Dylann Roof
Read full article: Court upholds death sentence for church shooter Dylann RoofA federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and death sentence of a man on federal death row for the racist slayings of nine members of a Black South Carolina congregation.
‘Safer Together’ report finds many African Americans distrust Jacksonville police
Read full article: ‘Safer Together’ report finds many African Americans distrust Jacksonville policeAfter months of meetings, conversations and surveys, a consultant hired by the city presented a 52-page report Wednesday on policing in Jacksonville.
Florida Black Expo hosts pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Jacksonville
Read full article: Florida Black Expo hosts pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic in JacksonvilleSunday’s clinic on West Beaver Street was hosted by the Florida Black Expo as a push to get African Americans and low-income residents vaccinated.
Biden to America after Floyd verdict: 'We can't stop here'
Read full article: Biden to America after Floyd verdict: 'We can't stop here'President Joe Biden says the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.
Biden to America after Floyd verdict: 'We can't stop here'
Read full article: Biden to America after Floyd verdict: 'We can't stop here'President Joe Biden says the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.
House panel votes to advance bill on slavery reparations
Read full article: House panel votes to advance bill on slavery reparationsA House panel has advanced a decades-long effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves, approving legislation Wednesday night that would create a commission to study the issue.
Biden works to balance civil rights and criminal justice
Read full article: Biden works to balance civil rights and criminal justicePresident Joe Biden’s difficult balancing act on policing was put on vivid display over the course of a few hours as he tries to navigate criminal justice and civil rights.
Biden works to balance civil rights and criminal justice
Read full article: Biden works to balance civil rights and criminal justicePresident Joe Biden’s difficult balancing act on policing was put on vivid display over the course of a few hours Tuesday as he tries to navigate criminal justice and civil rights.
At Clemson, unmarked slave graves highlight plantation past
Read full article: At Clemson, unmarked slave graves highlight plantation pastStudents at Clemson University who found an unkempt graveyard on campus last year sparked the discovery of more than 600 unmarked graves most likely belonging to enslaved Black people, sharecroppers and convicted laborers.
Vietnam veterans gather at memorial for African American service members
Read full article: Vietnam veterans gather at memorial for African American service membersJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On National Vietnam War Veterans Day, Americans come together to commemorate the service and sacrifices made by the nearly 3 million service members who served in Vietnam. The war wall in Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood pays tribute to African American service members, including those who fought in Vietnam. Racism was still existing in boot camp and even in Vietnam,” Vietnam veteran Hallie Williams-Bey. He said he believes we need to use Vietnam War Veterans Day as more than a salute to the sacrifices made. In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation, designating March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Health panel expands lung cancer screening for more smokers
Read full article: Health panel expands lung cancer screening for more smokersLung cancer is the nations top cancer killer, causing more than 135,000 deaths each year. Lung cancer is the nation’s top cancer killer, causing more than 135,000 deaths each year. Local cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Dale Mueller of Memorial Hospital described the lung cancer screening during an interview Wednesday on The Morning Show“It’s simply a CT scan. AdOne recent study found just 14% of people eligible for lung cancer screening under the prior guidelines had actually gotten it. There are other people who do not meet the current criteria who could be eligible for a lung cancer screening.
AP-NORC poll: 1 in 5 in US lost someone close in pandemic
Read full article: AP-NORC poll: 1 in 5 in US lost someone close in pandemicIn a Feb. 25-March 1, 2021 poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about 1 in 5 Americans say they lost a relative or close friend to the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – About 1 in 5 Americans say they lost a relative or close friend to the coronavirus, highlighting the division between heartache and hope as the country itches to get back to normal a year into the pandemic. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research illustrates how the stage is set for a two-tiered recovery. The AP-NORC poll found about 30% of African Americans, like Parks, and Hispanics know a relative or close friend who died from the virus, compared with 15% of white people. AdThe poll found two-thirds of Americans say their fellow citizens nationwide haven’t taken the pandemic seriously enough.
The Latest: Japan to tighten border control against variants
Read full article: The Latest: Japan to tighten border control against variantsJapan has confirmed 345 cases of the more contagious new variants, mostly the kind first found in Britain, the health ministry said. ___WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has removed remaining coronavirus restrictions on the city of Auckland after containing a small outbreak. Ad___WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is planning to announce during his prime-time address Thursday night that he’ll deploy 4,000 additional U.S. troops to support coronavirus vaccination efforts. Thursday’s announcement from the Department of Corrections comes a year after suspending visits at prisons because of the coronavirus pandemic. John Bel Edwards has loosened his COVID-19 restrictions.
These farmers are trying to make farming more accessible for Black people
Read full article: These farmers are trying to make farming more accessible for Black peopleThere is a saying for African Americans wanting their chance at the American dream with their own land and home. Fast forward to 2021: According to 2012 Census of Agriculture, African Americans make up less than 2% of all farmers in the United States. The 1920s, just decades after the end of slavery, there were 900,000 black farmersAccording to the 2012 Agriculture Census there were only 44,629 black farmers in the United States, only 1.4% of the 3.2 million farmers in the country. “Tradition and historically, because the decline has been huge from black farmers in the ’70s and ’80s to now, from starting the late to early 2000s its been a huge declineThere’s also been a history of discrimination against black farmers. So for the many African Americans that are no longer in farming, this family hopes they will be apart of the resurgence.
Biden backs studying reparations as Congress considers bill
Read full article: Biden backs studying reparations as Congress considers billPresident Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with labor leaders in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, in Washington. Biden backs the idea of studying the issue, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday, though she stopped short of saying he would sign the bill if it clears Congress. Even with Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House, passing a reparations bill could prove difficult. Most Black Americans favored reparations, 74%, compared with 15% of white Americans. AdRep. Burgess Owens, a first-term Republican from Utah, argued against a reparations commission.
News4Jax’s Jenese Harris reconnects with lost lineage through DNA technology
Read full article: News4Jax’s Jenese Harris reconnects with lost lineage through DNA technologyFast-forward hundreds of years, African Americans can now find out where their maternal ancestors came from before slavery through DNA testing by African Ancestry. “The community created African Ancestry. “We sequence the DNA to examine the individual genetic profile,” said Dr. Rick Kittles, co-founder and scientific director of African Ancestry. (Jenese Harris)After swabbing my jaw and waiting for the results, I have the answer: I share a maternal genetic ancestry with Fulani people living in Nigeria. “I’m excited about your results, Jenese, because I also share maternal genetic ancestry with Fulani people in Nigeria,” Paige said.
904Ward CEO on advancing equality: We need solutions ‘that are not Band-Aids’
Read full article: 904Ward CEO on advancing equality: We need solutions ‘that are not Band-Aids’JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville group aiming to advance racial equity in Duval County released 75 years of research Friday that shows more African Americans are getting help from local resources but many remain in poverty. “It’s time for us to take some action to make some systemic changes,” said Kimberly Allen, CEO of 904ward. That declined from 72,237 in 2010, but the 2018 total still remained the higher than the white population (61,622), Asian population (4,654) and the Hispanic/Latino population (15,824). Of the data, 97% of Black respondents either somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed. A total of 52% of white respondents either somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Black hospital faces vaccine mistrust from unlikely source
Read full article: Black hospital faces vaccine mistrust from unlikely sourceDr. Rita McGuire, an obstetrician and infection control specialist at Roseland Community Hospital talks Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, with staff members about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. "It’s not something that I trust right now,’’ says Bland, 50, who worries about how quickly the COVID-19 vaccines were developed. Many holdouts come from the mostly Black, working class neighborhoods surrounding the hospital, areas hard hit by the virus yet plagued with vaccine reluctance. She acknowledged "centuries of medical injustice’’ against Black Americans but said COVID-19 vaccines resulted from years of solid research. Many workers ‘’have not forgotten about those studies where they used us as experiments,’’ McGuire said, including the infamous Tuskegee research on Black patients with syphilis.
US jobless claims fall slightly to 793,000 with layoffs high
Read full article: US jobless claims fall slightly to 793,000 with layoffs highBefore the virus erupted in the United States in March, weekly applications for jobless aid had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession. The job market had shown tentative improvement last summer but then slowed through the fall and in the past two months has essentially stalled. Nearly 10 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic. Unlike the previous expiration of extended unemployment aid, which occurred on Dec. 26, the cut-off would be phased in between March 14 and April 11. “Additional fiscal stimulus and broader vaccine diffusion will eventually allow the labor market to heal,” Oxford Economics said in a note Thursday.
Sights and sounds of Ax Handle Saturday etched in witness’s mind
Read full article: Sights and sounds of Ax Handle Saturday etched in witness’s mindThis photograph provided by Alton Yates shows a mob of men, some wielding ax handles and other implements against peaceful protesters, on Ax Handle Saturday. “Not a single member of one group came into contact with a single member of the opposite group,” he said. But national publication LIFE magazine had already published proof of the violence that happened on the day that came to be known as Ax Handle Saturday: a photo of Charlie Griffin in a bloodied shirt with a gash above his eye. In 1960, the mayor told one story of Ax Handle Saturday. February is Black History Month, and News4Jax is celebrating Black culture by highlighting stories in the community.
Jacksonville NAACP president outlines vaccine rollout concerns in letter to mayor
Read full article: Jacksonville NAACP president outlines vaccine rollout concerns in letter to mayorJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP sent a letter to Mayor Lenny Curry, outlining the civil rights group’s concerns about COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Isaiah Rumlin, president of the NAACP’s Jacksonville branch, writes in the letter, dated Jan. 22, that the group is not confident in the city’s vaccine rollout in the African American community. Expand the number of vaccination and testing sites to ensure that communities of color in the city are adequately covered. READ: Letter to mayor from NAACP Jacksonville BranchCain also said he encourages people in the African Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine. “The City of Jacksonville does have the capacity to implement mass vaccinations as we have demonstrated through our multiple COVID-19 testing sites throughout the City.
Jacksonville clinical research center encourages more African Americans to enroll in COVID-19 vaccine trials
Read full article: Jacksonville clinical research center encourages more African Americans to enroll in COVID-19 vaccine trialsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As more people continue to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, there are growing concerns that many African Americans across the United States don’t want to get the vaccine because they don’t trust it. But despite that, many doctors across the United States are dealing with African American patients who say they won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine because they don’t trust it. Doctors say the distrust comes from remembering the events in Tuskegee, Alabama, where, for 40 years, untreated syphilis was secretly tested on African Americans. “Since then, we’ve been very focused on making sure that studies are set up to maximize the benefits of people to participate.”COVID-19 has been shown to disproportionately affect African Americans, which is why the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research is urging more African Americans to enroll in clinical trials for the Novavax vaccine. Cain says it’s up to doctors to explain to patients how the vaccine works on a level their patients can fully understand.
Hank Aaron, civil rights leaders get vaccinated in Georgia
Read full article: Hank Aaron, civil rights leaders get vaccinated in GeorgiaBaseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron waits to receive his COVID-19 vaccination on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Aaron and others received their vaccinations in an effort to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated for Black Americans who might be hesitant to do so. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)ATLANTA – Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan got vaccinated against COVID-19 in Georgia on Tuesday, hoping to send a message to Black Americans that the shots are safe. Getting vaccinated “makes me feel wonderful," Aaron told The Associated Press.
Jacksonville forum seeks to improve economic opportunity for African Americans
Read full article: Jacksonville forum seeks to improve economic opportunity for African AmericansJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The JAX Chamber Foundation is launching a forum designed to improve economic opportunity for African Americans in Jacksonville, according to a news release Wednesday. The Lewis and White Business League is named after A.L. Lewis and Dr. Eartha White -- two African American business leaders in Jacksonville who are both charter members of the National Negro Business League, which was founded in 1900 by Booker T. Washington to advance the economic conditions of African Americans. “This is one step in the Chamber’s efforts to ensure that everyone in our community has the opportunity to succeed.”The Lewis and White Business League said it will include connections to business and educational advancement, quarterly meetings with guest speakers and networking and mentoring opportunities. The first of the league’s events are being planned for the first quarter of 2021.
More US churches are committing to racism-linked reparations
Read full article: More US churches are committing to racism-linked reparations(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)NEW YORK – The Episcopal Diocese of Texas acknowledges that its first bishop in 1859 was a slaveholder. Some major denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, have not embraced reparations as official policy. The Episcopal Church has been the most active major denomination thus far, and others, including the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, are urging congregations to consider similar steps. This will include scholarships for students attending seminaries or historically Black colleges and assistance for historic Black churches. But Dietsche expects some funds will help congregations launch their own reparations initiatives, particularly if their churches had historical involvement in slavery.
Utah senator blocks national museums for Latinos, women
Read full article: Utah senator blocks national museums for Latinos, womenWASHINGTON – A lone senator from Utah has singlehandedly blocked the bipartisan approval of two new national museums to honor American Latinos and women, arguing that “last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation.”Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected Thursday to the creation of the two proposed Smithsonian museums, stalling two projects that have been in the making for decades and enjoy broad bipartisan support. Senate approval would have sent the legislation approving the Latino museum to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Senate was attempting to pass the measures by voice vote, which requires every senator's consent. Lee said he sees an exception for museums dedicated to American Indians and African Americans that already sit on the National Mall. “We have been systematically excluded, not because this senator said so but because the Smithsonian itself said so,” Menendez said.
US lawmakers unveil anti-slavery constitutional amendment
Read full article: US lawmakers unveil anti-slavery constitutional amendmentFILE - This Nov. 29, 2011, file photo shows the signature of president Abraham Lincoln on a rare, restored copy of the 13th Amendment that ended slavery, in Chicago. As ratified, the original amendment has permitted exploitation of labor by convicted felons for over 155 years since the abolition of slavery. Constitutional amendments are rare and require approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate, as well as ratification by three-quarters of state legislatures. In Merkley’s Oregon, voters in 2002 approved the elimination of constitutional language that prohibited Black Americans from living in the state unless they were enslaved. The prevalence of prison labor has been largely accepted as a means for promoting rehabilitation, teaching trade skills and reducing idleness among prisoners.
Harris becomes first Black woman, South Asian VP-elect
Read full article: Harris becomes first Black woman, South Asian VP-elect“I want us to be committed to the idea that representation is exciting and it’s worthy of celebration and also that we have millions of Black women who deserve a fair shot.”Harris is the second Black woman elected to the Senate. “That’s the kind of policy that also happens when you have voices like ours at the table,” said Jayapal, who in 2016 was the first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House. Harris' mother raised her daughters with the understanding the world would see them as Black women, Harris has said, and that is how she describes herself today. She attended Howard University, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first sorority created by and for Black women. Her victory could usher more Black women and people of color into politics.
Retired Jacksonville bishop reflects on 71 years of voting: ‘I see the great possibilities’
Read full article: Retired Jacksonville bishop reflects on 71 years of voting: ‘I see the great possibilities’JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Bishop Rudolph McKissick Sr. isn’t new to voting. And when all of us, as people, would have that mentality of voting because we could vote, it did make a difference,” McKissick said. Now, 71 years later, the 93-year-old pastor emeritus at Bethel Baptist Institutional Church said voting is a top priority. But remember, the one thing they did, they worked together for one another and not against one another.”He said while times may be challenging, it is important that young voters understand their power. “They can make a great difference now because it has been proven that a president has come out from us,” McKissick said.
In South, most Black Senate candidates since Reconstruction
Read full article: In South, most Black Senate candidates since ReconstructionDemocratic U.S. Senate candidate Jaime Harrison speaks at a campaign rally on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)COLUMBIA, S.C. – In the battle for control of the U.S. Senate this year, the Deep South is fielding more Black candidates than it has since Reconstruction. Mike Espy and Adrian Perkins, meanwhile, are launching spirited bids for the Senate in Mississippi and Louisiana, respectively. The Senate currently has three Black members: Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina and Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California. “The more competitive races are, and Black candidates win those competitive races, it diminishes this worry that Black candidates can’t win,” Abrams recently told The Associated Press. In Mississippi, Espy is trying for a second time to become the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction with his challenge to Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith.
Letters, texts, caravans, parades: Advocates mobilize voters
Read full article: Letters, texts, caravans, parades: Advocates mobilize votersVoters have been ushered to the polls by fleets of minivans, with bicycle parades and on horseback in Indian Country. Often unable to knock on doors or chat in person because of virus concerns, advocates have had to adapt. A recent video on social media showed voters in Philadelphia dancing joyfully as they waited, alongside members of the Resistance Revival Chorus. Some voters are wary of catching the virus by voting in person, but they're also concerned about the mail-in option. Like Gehman in New Mexico, Radha Pyati in Philadelphia has devoted untold hours to writing letters as part of Vote Forward.
‘Walk the Vote’ & ‘Party at the Polls’ events encourage early voting
Read full article: ‘Walk the Vote’ & ‘Party at the Polls’ events encourage early votingJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of #WalkTheVote Parades across the county took place Saturday to encourage early in-person voting, including two events in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. It’s part of a nationwide initiative to encourage voters to join in by practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and voting early ahead of Election Day. Rapper Common from Chicago was in Jacksonville for a “Party at the Polls” event to encourage the community to get out and vote. Walk the Vote is being held in more than 18 cities in a number of swing states to encourage in-person, early voting ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. All counties in Florida have now opened their early voting periods, and most counties continue early voting through next Saturday while Nassau and Duval counties remain open on the Sunday before Election Day, as well.
Black immigrants find camaraderie, divide amid protests
Read full article: Black immigrants find camaraderie, divide amid protestsBut amid the camaraderie younger Black immigrants like her feel with African Americans, they also see a generational divide in their communities. But these have largely been over tactics, said David Canton, a professor of African American history at the University of Florida. During some of their chats, older immigrants tell him they came to America to work and provide a better life for their children, not to protest about race. In fact, one of the co-founders of the original network of Black Lives Matter was Opal Tometi, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. "We are all one community across the diaspora, whether you are a Black American, raised on the African continent or you’re from elsewhere.”
Group seeks to combat misleading information online
Read full article: Group seeks to combat misleading information online(AP Photo/Russ Bynum)RIO RANCHO, N.M. – A group of U.S. Black scholars, activists and writers has launched a new project they say will combat misleading information online around voting, reparations and immigration, supporters announced Friday. The newly formed National Black Cultural Information Trust seeks to counter fake social media accounts and Twitter trolls that often discourage Black voters from participating in elections or seek to turn Black voters against other communities of color. The effort isn't meant to silence groups that are behind any hashtag but counter “bad actors” who are using the hashtags to disseminate false information, Aiwuyor said. The founders also took issue with the National Black Cultural Information Trust on Twitter after the announcement that the project would monitor the #ADOS hashtag for xenophobic comments and false information. But also to measure the plunder of the ADOS community from 1619 to today.”Members of the National Black Cultural Information Trust plan to monitor social media posts and flag those spreading misleading and fake stories.
'Driving While Black' shows history of US Black motorists
Read full article: 'Driving While Black' shows history of US Black motoristsNorton shows "Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights" by Gretchen Sorin. Norton via AP)ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A new film examines the history of African Americans driving on the road from the Great Depression to the height of the Civil Rights movement. “Driving While Black,” which airs this week on most PBS stations in the U.S., shows how the automobile liberated African Americans to move around the country while still navigating segregation and violence. The free movement opened the window to migration across the land and away from Jim Crow, ushering in the modern Civil Rights Movement. The new HBO dramatic series, “Lovecraft Country,” centers around a young African American veteran who travels across the segregated 1950s U.S. in search of his missing father.
JPMorgan puts $30B toward fixing banking's 'systemic racism'
Read full article: JPMorgan puts $30B toward fixing banking's 'systemic racism'CHARLOTTE, N.C. – JPMorgan Chase said Thursday it will extend billions in loans to Black and Latino homebuyers and small business owners in an expanded effort toward fixing what the bank calls “systemic racism” in the country’s economic system. “Systemic racism is a tragic part of America’s history,” said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in a statement. Citigroup announced last month it is committing $1 billion toward closing “the racial wealth gap” in the United States, including $550 million toward homeownership programs for racial minorities. He noted that there’s a 30% gap between Black and white homeownership, amounting to about 4.5 million households. JPMorgan was one of 27 major New York-based companies that joined a program to recruit 100,000 workers from the city's low-income, predominately Black, Latino and Asian communities over the next 10 years.
Biden makes push for voters on National Black Voter Day
Read full article: Biden makes push for voters on National Black Voter DayHarris will speak about what's at stake for Black Americans in November and urge voters to register and make a plan to vote. National Black Voter Day was created this year as a collaborative effort by the National Urban League, BET and a number of civil rights organizations. Black Americans have also been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, suffering high rates of deaths and unemployment from its economic fallout. Biden’s campaign, along with several other organizations marking the first National Black Voter Day, are channeling resources behind that effort. But Brown said the final days will be key toward connecting with some Black voters who feel Biden needs to do more to earn their vote.
Rosa Parks' home displayed in Italy as US race tensions rise
Read full article: Rosa Parks' home displayed in Italy as US race tensions riseFILE - This Dec. 12, 2017 file photo shows the rebuilt house of the civil rights activist Rosa Parks in Berlin, Germany. In 2018, Brown University announced it would feature the house as part of a planned exhibition on the civil rights movement organized by its Center for Slavery and Justice. Earlier this year, Mendoza approached the Naples-based Morra Greco Foundation, where he had worked for a year in the 1990s. But now, “instead of being rejected by the walls of the royal palace, it’s embraced and protected by these walls,” he said. “Potentially thanks to the showing of the house in this way, America will allow the house to have a home.”___Winfield reported from Rome.
2 retired Jacksonville police officers reflect on Ax Handle Saturday
Read full article: 2 retired Jacksonville police officers reflect on Ax Handle SaturdayJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A group of white men, wielding ax handles and bats, attacked young Black youths staging a sit-in on Aug. 27, 1960, at a segregated lunch counter in downtown Jacksonville. Sixty years later, a retired Jacksonville police chief still remembers what it felt like to know he and other Black officers were not able to help protect those victims. “I became a little frustrated by it,” said retired Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Charles Scriven. He said Black police officers were essentially hired to be a buffer between white police officers and the Black community. But the Black officers were told not to deviate from their jurisdiction, which was only in area filled with mostly Black residents.
GOP convention showcases rising stars, dark warnings
Read full article: GOP convention showcases rising stars, dark warningsAs Trump faces pressure to expand his appeal beyond his loyal supporters, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senates sole Black Republican, and former U.N. Scrambling to find a message that sticks, Trumps team tried out multiple themes and tactics over the course of the night. The opening night of the four-day convention reflected the rising urgency fueling Trumps push to reshape a presidential contest that he is losing, at least for now, with Election Day just 10 weeks away. In a tweet Monday night, Biden told supporters to stay focused.The emphasis on diversity at Trump's convention was an acknowledgement that he must expand his coalition beyond his largely white base. The fact that the Republicans gathered at all stood in contrast to the Democrats, who held an all-virtual convention last week.
St. Augustine passes motion to move Confederate monument
Read full article: St. Augustine passes motion to move Confederate monumentST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Commissioners in St. Augustine on Monday night voted in favor of relocating a Confederate monument in the Plaza de la Constitucion in Downtown St. Augustine. City Manager John Regan had reviewed proposals to relocate the monument and recommended the site at the fish camp, which was offered by the property’s owner, Randy Ringhaver. Other St. Augustine residents who spoke publicly commended the commission on its decision to move the monument. A request to move the monument to the National Cemetery adjacent to the National Guard Headquarters was denied by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. In 2018, a committee came up with a compromise and added plaques at the foot of the monument to put the memorial in the context of slavery.
Sheriff Williams addresses diversity of JSO during budget hearing
Read full article: Sheriff Williams addresses diversity of JSO during budget hearingJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council is looking at how much money it should give the Sheriff’s Office. Thursday was the first day of budget hearings as the council looks at how to spend taxpayer dollars this year. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office makes up the largest portion of the budget. Sheriff Mike Williams on Thursday talked to the council about his plans. He was questioned about the increase and the Sheriff’s Office itself.