Little Known Black History Fact: Frederick Douglass’ 4th Of July Speech

As most of the nation either enjoys vacation after Independence Day, or is heading back to the workplace, it is important to remember that freedom and equality was not always extended to all Americans. Frederick Douglass gave a rousing speech on July 5, 1852 titled “The Meaning Of The Fourth Of July For The Negro” that highlighted that very point.

Douglass and his stance against the practice of slavery has been documented and discussed at length over the years. A prolific orator and activist, the former slave and anti-slavery movement leader was asked to speak at a variety of events during his career. He delivered the aforementioned speech in front of around 600 attendees in Rochester, N.Y. at the Corinthian Hall, which was an event held by the Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

It appears that Douglass was invited to champion the virtues of America’s independence and how it related to the supposed good fortunes of Black Americans. While Douglass did open his speech seemingly in support of the founding fathers, he shifted the tone radically while expressing his strong anti-slavery views.

From the speech:

“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy – a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.”

Historians praise the importance of the speech and while the abolitionist movement supported Douglass and his aims, they were not a movement known for politically charged statements. The speech was made into a booklet and has become required reading in many literature classes.

In recent times, popular figures like James Earl Jones, Danny Glover, Morgan Freeman and countless stage actors have done readings of the speech.

 

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2Xr4NMu
via

Concerts, Fireworks And A Military Parade Mark July Fourth

NEW YORK (AP) — The national holiday to mark America’s birth as a country has been filled with parades, concerts, competitive eating and, of course, fireworks.

Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, New York and other places around the country are holding massive celebrations with big name artists like Jennifer Hudson, Luke Bryan and Carole King.

But Independence Day won’t be free from politics, as President Donald Trump’s plan for a celebration in Washington featuring a display of tanks , fighter jets and a stealth bomber is garnering support from some and protests from others.

Highlights from celebrations around the country:

THE BIGGEST SHOW

The Macy’s fireworks show over the East River in New York City is said to be one of the biggest in the country. As they waited for the fireworks to start, people watched New York Police Department helicopters in a procession along the river.

Carmela Serino, a college student from Queens, said she liked how the crowd in Brooklyn Bridge Park reflected the diversity of the city. People were wearing everything from tank tops to burkas and chatting in Spanish, Japanese, Telugu, and a host of other languages.

Christina Garza, a flight attendant from Maine, agreed.

“With what’s going on with politics these days, it’s so nice to see this. No one’s arguing, no one’s fighting. We’re just gathered on this turf,” she said.

As the sun set, red, white, and blue lights shone from several buildings in Lower Manhattan and along the Brooklyn waterfront.

The fireworks spectacle, plus concert, is broadcast on NBC. Country powerhouses Luke Bryan, Maren Morris and Brad Paisley will perform. Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, Khalid and Derek Hough are also performing.

___

POPPING OFF

Boston is marking Independence Day with a traditional procession, speeches, a Boston Pops concert and fireworks.

Festivities begin Thursday morning at City Hall with a brief speaking program. Marchers will then set off for the Old Granary Burial Ground where Samuel Adams, John Hancock and other prominent colonial leaders are buried.

They’ll also make a stop at the Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence will be read out from a balcony by a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company — just as it was in 1776.

The procession ends at Faneuil Hall where Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore will deliver a speech in a tradition dating to 1773.

The Boston Pops orchestra performs at night with fireworks over the Charles River as a backdrop.

___

HISTORIC CELEBRATION

The nation’s oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration took place in Bristol, Rhode Island. The events began on Flag Day and culminated with a parade on July Fourth that drew tens of thousands. The annual celebration began in the seaside town in 1785.

___

THE NATION’S CAPITAL

A soggy, cheering crowd of spectators listened to President Donald Trump pay tribute to the U.S. military on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial.

 

But protesters also assailed the show, saying it put the president center stage on a holiday traditionally devoted to unity.

Trump’s speech unfolded in occasional rain, and the warplanes and presidential aircraft he had summoned conducted their flyovers as planned, capped by the Navy Blue Angels aerobatics team.

By adding his own, one-hour “Salute to America” production to capital festivities that typically draw hundreds of thousands anyway, Trump became the first president in nearly seven decades to address a crowd at the National Mall on Independence Day.

Earlier in the day, Washington held its traditional Fourth of July parade.

PBS is broadcasting a concert from the West Lawn of the Capitol featuring host John Stamos and performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, Carole King, Vanessa Williams, Colbie Caillat and Lee Brice.

___

NEW CITIZENS

Around the country, more than two dozen naturalization ceremonies will be held to welcome in the newest Americans in places like the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia and George Washington’s home in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Vice President Mike Pence celebrated Independence Day by welcoming 44 immigrants into “the American family” in a naturalization ceremony in the nation’s capital.

Pence said it was “deeply humbling” to stand on “the hallowed ground” of the National Archives in Washington before the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He told the new U.S. citizens, who hail from 26 other countries, that he and President Donald Trump were extending to them “the welcome of the American people.”

“Congratulations to you all,” he said.

___

FOR THE KIDS AND KIDS AT HEART

At Legoland in Winter Haven, Florida, children can help create a giant United States flag out of LEGO bricks on July 4 as part of the Red, White and Boom celebration. Once the sun goes down, special viewing glasses will allow guests to watch “a gazillion bricks explode from the sky” above Lake Eloise during the theme park’s largest fireworks display of the year.

In Orlando, Walt Disney World is hosting a special show called Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky on Thursday night.

___

AMERICA’S BIRTHPLACE

In Philadelphia, the celebrations begin with a parade near Independence Hall and culminate with a concert featuring Meghan Trainor and Jennifer Hudson on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The annual fireworks show blasts off after the concert around the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Police say 33 people protesting treatment of migrants and asylum seekers were cited after briefly interrupting the Salute to America parade in Philadelphia. The protesters, assembled by a group called “Never Again is Now,” were demanding closure of border detention centers and the abolition of the immigration and customs agency.

___

A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOOM

Thousands watched Willimantic’s annual Boom Box Parade in Connecticut. In what’s become an offbeat tradition, participants and spectators carry radios all tuned to the same local station, which provides traditional marching music.

The parade dates to 1986, when the town couldn’t find a marching band for its annual Memorial Day parade. Organizers approached radio station WILI-AM for help. Station officials said it was too late to organize and publicize an event for that holiday, but began planning for July Fourth, and the tradition was born.

___

EXPLODING ROCKETS

Firefighters in South Carolina had to dodge exploding rockets to douse a spectacular fire that destroyed at least two containers of fireworks stored for sale on the Fourth of July.

The blaze early Thursday provided for an impressive, though sparsely attended show as shells and rockets burst through the metal containers, sending colorful showers into the air above the Davey Jones Fireworks and the House of Fireworks stores in Fort Mill.

___

BIG DOGS

In New York City, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo defended their titles to once again win at the annual Nathan’s Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Chestnut ate 71 franks and buns while Sudo chowed down 31. Both fell short of their records but easily took home the trophies.

___

A ‘KEY’ WINNER

A Key West man has won the Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin’ Contest on the subtropical island where the pie originated.

David Johnson plunged face-first into a 9-inch pie smothered with whipped cream during Thursday’s challenge. The rules forbid contestants from using their hands.

He consumed it in 58.2 seconds, besting 24 rivals in the kickoff of the annual Key Lime Festival.

___

A TOXIC FOURTH

Thousands of people were expected on Mississippi’s beaches for the July Fourth holiday even though they can’t go into the water because toxic bacteria are flourishing along the coast.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has warned that polluted Midwest floodwaters have fed an outbreak of cyanobacterium. Popularly known as blue-green algae, it can cause rashes, diarrhea and vomiting.

 

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2JbGdvc
via

‘Queen Sugar’ Season 4, Episode 4: “Not Every Dark Corner Needs Light”

When is Nova (Rutina Wesley) going to get it? Judging by this latest episode of Queen Sugar, not anytime soon, as her controversial book “Blessings and Blood” continues to be a runaway success. In this week’s episode, “Skin Transparent,” the book’s positive New York Times review leads to a six-city speaking tour.

Nova seems to be feeling her new life as a celebrity but is disappointed that her family not only isn’t planning on showing up to any of those book signings, they won’t even return her calls. The only one in her corner is Micah (Nicholas Ashe) but he’s still young. He seems to think telling the family secrets is a good thing and that everyone should get over it.

Spoken by someone who has been a son of privilege his entire life. Yes, he did deal with a traumatic incident with the police, but whenever anything happens to him, his mother or father step right in to deal with it. How could he know yet what it means to have lived things you don’t want the world to know about?

Aunt Vi (Tina Lifford) certainly knows. Jimmy Dale (David Alan Grier) is gone (for now) but his memory lingers. She’s uncharacteristically short with an employee. She rejects any intimacy from Hollywood (Omar Dorsey). She’s had to relive her traumatic first marriage and when Nova comes by the diner seeking – who knows what – Aunt Vi continually turns her away.

Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe)and Charley (Dawn Lyen Gardner) have taken up the activism Nova has seemingly abandoned. Ralph Angel has opened a prisoner re-entry program to give ex-cons jobs. Charley allowed her boo, Romero, (Walter Perez) to open a clinic for undocumented workers under a sanctuary law. But good deeds aside, Charley is still battling with the Landrys.

She meets Frances Boudreaux (Annalee Jefferies) at a garden party. Frances tries her best to flex on Charley, saying she’s read the book, that she knows how Charley operates and the Boudreaux/Landry family will prevail. Charley, being the boss bitch she is, isn’t cowed.

She tells Frances if she could handle big-time professional sports and all that comes with it, she’ll handle the Landrys. She has a point, but the Landrys have a lot of power in the area, which they’re using to make Jacob Boudreaux (Lea Coco) a city councilman.

They’ve strong-armed the person sitting in the seat to force her out and are doing so because they have a lucrative federal highway in the works. Problem is, it will cut through some Black farmers’ lands, including the Bordelons. Frances doesn’t see the problem as Charley will also get paid as a landowner and part of the Landry board. But the loss of land won’t be worth it. This scenario, which invokes real-life eminent domain tactics as a way to acquire land that people won’t sell, has hurt Black farmers. Charley vows to fight. But does she have any allies?

As if that weren’t enough, here comes Davis West (Timon Kyle Durrett) with his no longer secret daughter, Tia. While Micah is fine with getting to know his sister, Charley makes it known she’s not going to become the girl’s surrogate mother. Good for you, Charley.

It seems Darla’s (Bianca Lawson) getting to a happy place with her new love, good enough that he’s buying her record players to show off the superiority of analog music. Darla’s not entirely convinced, but she likes dude. It’s looking good. Until she reads her chapter of Nova’s book, which provides graphic details about her life as Star. She’s the latest to roll up in Nova’s crib and for a minute, I thought Darla might be the one to slap her. Don’t mess with Darla; she’s always been quiet fire.

While Nova laughably explains that she concealed Darla’s identity in the book as if everyone in small ass St. Josephine doesn’t know her story,  Darla tells her she’s lower for exposing family secrets than she could have ever been as an addict. Despite that burn, Darla turns up at Ralph Angel’s house in tears. Man, Bianca Lawson can take a 3-second scene and sear it into your brain. Ralph Angel holds her, just letting her cry. Is it a bad thing to want those two to end up together despite all they’ve been through?

At her book signing, Nova spills yet another family secret. She was 10 years old, fishing with her father, when he ran into a group of white men at a bait store who said some foul things. A few nights later, she saw her daddy burying something in the cane fields. Those white men seemingly disappeared. Hmmm, Prosper (Henry G. Stanton) know anything about this, cause its doubtful Ernest Bordelon (Glynn Turman) killed three men all by himself.

So Nova is now going to jam up someone else with this book?  Chile. This is when Aunt Vi says she don’t know nothing about that mess and if she did, she wouldn’t tell and that Nova needs to figure out that not everybody needs to know everything. We agree.

Nova is surprised by her old love Chantal (Reagan Gomez Preston) at the signing. She’s feeling the new Nova, but Nova curves her until she’s back in her place alone with no one returning her calls. Then she reaches out to ole girl who curves her right on back and advises her to work on herself. Haha. The episode ends with Nova’s increasing sense of isolation and Aunt Vi trying to hide from Hollywood that she’s crying her guts out on the bathroom floor. Everyone is shook by this book and its growing popularity. Who knows what’s coming next?

Sugar babies, how did you feel about this episode and this season so far? Read other recaps from this season HERE. 

PHOTO: Skip Bolen for OWN

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2RQ1ttc
via

Andy Warhol Didn’t Violate Prince Picture Copyright, Judge Rules

Wrongfully Convicted Mississippi Man Who Spent 12 Years In Jail Shot Dead Near His Home

Cedric Willis had every reason to live. In 1994, when he was 19, the Mississippi man was wrongfully convicted in a rape and murder case, though the witness couldn’t even agree on the details of the crime.

Willis would ultimately spend 12 years in jail and like so many other wrongfully convicted men, he’d do some of those years in solitary confinement. After being freed by the Innocence Project in 2006, Willis returned to Mississippi where he was killed just two blocks from his home by an unknown assailant.

People.com reports:

The Innocence Project New Orleans confirms that Cedric Willis, 44, was found dead on June 24, on the street in his Jackson, Mississippi, neighborhood.

In 2006, the Innocence Project New Orleans helped exonerate Willis, who had been working as a motivational speaker before he died.

In 1994, when he was 19, Willis was arrested shortly after the birth of his son, accused of raping a woman during an armed robbery and murdering a man during a separate incident.

Despite initially giving completely contradictory descriptions of the suspect, the victims falsely identified Willis as the perpetrator.

He long professed his innocence, but Willis wouldn’t be freed until 2006, after he was awarded a second trial and a judge cleared him of any wrongdoing.

While in custody, Willis spent four years in solitary confinement.

“Cedric was very shy and very wary,” attorney Emily Maw of Innocence Project New Orleans told the Clarion-Ledger, recalling their first meeting. “He’d come to the point where he didn’t really trust or believe anyone remembered that he was there except his mom and his family.”

“It took a while for him to trust that we were going to stick around and get this done,” she said.

“He was a very low-key guy dealing with an awful lot: the unimaginable wrong and pain he suffered and the difficulty of being a black man in Jackson, Mississippi,” Maw added.

PHOTO: Facebook

 

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2xqRpxn
via

Next Up: Venus Williams Upset By 15-Year-Old Newcomer At Wimbledon [WATCH]

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Coco Gauff grew up admiring the Williams sisters. Picked up a tennis racket as a little girl because of them. And on Monday at Wimbledon, still just 15, Gauff beat one of them.

Gauff, the youngest competitor to qualify at the All England Club in the professional era, showed the poise and power of a much older, much more experienced player, pulling off a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the first round over Venus Williams, who at 39 was the oldest woman in the field.

When it ended, Gauff dropped her racket and put her hands on her head. After a handshake and exchange of words at the net with Williams, Gauff knelt by her sideline chair and tears welled in her eyes. Up in the stands, her father leaped out of his seat.

“Honestly, I don’t really know how to feel. This is the first time I ever cried after a match. Or winning, obviously; I’ve cried after a loss before,” said Gauff, who is based in Florida. “I don’t even know how to explain how I feel.”

This was her third tour-level match; Williams has played more than 1,000. This was Gauff’s first match at Wimbledon, where Williams has played more than 100 and won five titles. By the time Gauff was born in 2004, Williams already had spent time at No. 1 in the rankings and owned four of her seven Grand Slam singles trophies.

“It didn’t really seem real, for a moment,” said Gauff’s father, Corey, between handshakes and slaps on the back and requests for selfies from spectators leaving No. 1 Court. “On the walk to the court, I was walking behind her. She was excited. I was excited. She seemed confident, but I wasn’t sure if it was false confidence or she really was. I just said to her: This match is really magical. Just enjoy it. Your first Wimbledon main draw and you’re on a main court against somebody you looked up to from the beginning.”

It was by far the most anticipated match of Day 1 at the grass-court tournament, but hardly the only upset. Two-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who was No. 1 until a week ago, lost 7-6 (4), 6-2 to Yulia Putinseva, joining two young members of the men’s top-10, No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 7 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, on the way out.

This one, though, was special, potentially the sort of changing-of-the-guard moment that people could remember for years.

Gauff certainly has the mindset of someone who intends to go far.

“I’ve said this before: I want to be the greatest. My dad told me that I could do this when I was 8. Obviously you never believe it. I’m still, like, not 100 percent confident. But, like, you have to just say things. You never know what happens,” she said. “If I went into this match saying, ‘Let’s see how many games I can get against her,’ then I most definitely would not have won. My goal was to play my best. My dream was to win. That’s what happened.”

How far does she think she can fare this fortnight?

“My goal,” she said, her face expressionless, “is to win it.”

Well, then …

Gauff came into the week outside the top 300 but was granted a wild card by the All England Club to enter qualifying. She rolled through those rounds at a nearby site, knocking off the event’s top seed.

But this was a whole other task.

Gauff was sensational and showed zero signs that the moment or the matchup was too daunting for her. It’s the sort of unusual calm and steady way she has progressed through the various levels of youth tennis, including reaching the U.S. Open junior final at 13 and winning the French Open junior title at 14.

The first set was remarkable: Gauff had 10 winners to only two unforced errors, all the while trading powerful groundstrokes at the baseline with Williams, and never facing a break point.

“The sky’s the limit,” Williams said. “It really is.”

Gauff, who is black, idolized Williams and her younger sister, Serena, the first African American women since Althea Gibson in the 1950s to win a Grand Slam singles championship.

Serena has said Gauff reminds her of Venus.

After Monday’s match, Gauff said she thanked Venus “for everything she did.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” said Gauff, who joined the crowd in applauding for Venus as she walked off the court. “And I was just telling her that she’s so inspiring. Like, I always wanted to tell her that. And even though I met her before, I guess now I have the guts to.”

She showed plenty of grit in this match, particularly after getting broken to make it 4-all in the second set. Gauff steadied herself right there, though, breaking right back with a pair of forehand passing shots that drew errant volleys.

And then in the final game, Gauff needed to erase the disappointment of wasting her initial three match points. She did just that, converting her fourth when Venus put a forehand into the net.

Many 15-year-olds might spend an early summer day at the beach or at a mall. This one played a tennis match at Wimbledon against Venus Williams — and won.

“People just kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it’s like: What do you do now?” Gauff said. “I like to shoot really high.”

PHOTO: AP

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2KRyiFy
via

Regardless Of Cost, Trump Wants Tanks In July 4th Celebration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump isn’t taking “no tanks” for an answer on the Fourth of July.

He said Monday that a display of U.S. military tanks will be part of a special event he’s headlining July 4 in Washington — and an Associated Press photographer saw at least two M1A1 Abrams tanks and two Bradley Fighting Vehicles on flatcars in a railyard at the southeastern edge of Washington.

Military police were guarding the vehicles, which were visible to passersby on nearby paths.

A U.S. official told the AP that the military vehicles to be used in the July 4 event were being stored at the railyard.

Trump had wanted a military parade of tanks and other equipment in the District of Columbia after he witnessed a similar parade on Bastille Day in Paris in 2017. That plan eventually was scuttled, partly because of cost, though Trump apparently held on to the idea.

Local officials had also objected because of the damage the heavy armored tanks could do to city streets.

“We’re going to have some tanks stationed outside,” Trump said Monday from the Oval Office, appearing to acknowledge local officials’ earlier concerns. He offered no specifics on where the vehicles would be located.

“You’ve got to be pretty careful with the tanks because the roads have a tendency not to like to carry heavy tanks,” he said. “So we have to put them in certain areas, but we have the brand new Sherman tanks and we have the brand new Abrams tanks.”

Sherman tanks were the tank most widely used by the U.S. during World War II, but they have been out of service for decades. The M1A1 Abrams tank is currently the main U.S. battle tank.

Two M1A1 Abrams tanks and two Bradley Fighting Vehicles will be on display as part of Trump’s “Salute to America” event, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the exhibits have not been made public.

The Abrams tanks weigh more than 60 tons apiece and have been shipped on railroad freight cars, from Fort Stewart, Georgia, the nearest Army base that has them. The White House declined to release more specific information.

Trump recalled his visit earlier this year to a plant in Lima, Ohio, where M1A1 Abrams tanks are refurbished. The plant had been at risk for closure but remained online due to Trump’s investments in defense spending.

“We have some incredible equipment, military equipment on display — brand new,” Trump said. “And we’re very proud of it. You know we’re making a lot of new tanks right now. We’re building a lot of new tanks in Lima, Ohio — our great tank factory that people wanted to close down until I got elected and I stopped it from being closed down, and now it’s a very productive facility.”

Thursday’s events are also expected to include a military demonstration by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and other aircraft.

“We’re going to have a great Fourth of July in Washington, D.C. It’ll be like no other,” Trump said. “It’ll be special and I hope a lot of people come. And it’s going to be about this country and it’s a salute to America.”

“I’m going to say a few words and we’re going to have planes going overhead, the best fighter jets in the world and other planes, too,” he said.

Trump plans to deliver a speech at the Lincoln Memorial during his “Salute to America,” which has been added to the regular schedule of Independence Day events in the nation’s capital. The annual fireworks display will go off closer to the Lincoln Memorial instead of the Washington Monument, as has been the long-standing tradition.

The event is open to the public and free of charge, but a ticket-only area in front of the memorial is being set aside for VIPs, including members of Trump’s family, friends and members of the military, the White House said.

Last year, Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, hosted service members and their families at a picnic on the White House lawn and the president addressed guests from the balcony. No similar event is being planned this year.

Federal lawmakers, local officials and others have voiced concerns that Trump could alter the tone of what traditionally is a nonpartisan celebration of America’s independence from the British by delivering a political speech. Trump formally announced his bid for re-election in June.

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who oversees the National Mall and has helped orchestrate the president’s vision, and other officials have said Trump’s remarks will be patriotic.

___

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor and Associated Press photographer Patrick Semansky in Washington contributed to this report.

PHOTO: AP

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2YqT1mR
via

Joe Biden Defends Civil Rights Record After Harris Attack

CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Biden strongly defended his civil rights record on Friday, pledging to be a “president who stands against racism” and defiantly dismissing any suggestions otherwise.

Speaking to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the white former vice president was working to repair the damage from a blistering attack from California Sen. Kamala Harris, the lone black woman in the 2020 presidential race. During Thursday’s presidential debate , Harris criticized Biden for recently highlighting his decades-old work with segregationist senators and his opposition to public school busing during the 1970s — creating a dramatic and deeply personal breakout moment.

“I heard, and I listened to, and I respect Sen. Harris,” Biden said. “But we all know that 30 seconds to 60 seconds on a campaign debate exchange can’t do justice to a lifetime commitment to civil rights.”

Biden has surged to the top of the Democratic pack arguing that he’s best positioned to defeat President Donald Trump because he can build a broad coalition of support. Appearances such as the one with Jackson — his onetime rival in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary — will signal whether Harris’ attack will chip into his support among African Americans. He acknowledged the critical role of black voters and labor unions on Friday, saying, “Y’all are the ones that brung me to the dance.”

Biden pushed back against some of Harris’ specific criticisms, including her argument that he once opposed busing. He said he was more opposed to federal intervention in busing than the practice itself.

“I never, never, never, ever opposed voluntary busing,” Biden said, adding that he supported federal legislation to “address root causes of segregation in our schools” and that he was always “in favor of using federal authority to overcome state-initiated segregation” — even in bygone days when it wasn’t popular.

But even while defending his own record, Biden still tempted controversy. He said he envisioned a society in which everyone realizes the “kid in the hoodie might be the next poet laureate and not a gangbanger.”

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a 2020 Democratic presidential rival, challenged Biden on his word choice, saying in a tweet that the issue was about more than just a hoodie.

“It’s about a culture that sees a problem with a kid wearing a hoodie in the first place. Our nominee needs to have the language to talk about race in a far more constructive way,” said Booker, who had pushed back against comments made by Biden a week earlier in which he nostalgically referenced the “civility” he maintained during his time in the Senate with two segregationist Democrats in the 1970s despite their vast distance in ideology.

California attorney Tom McInerney signed up to be on Biden’s national finance team but said he notified the campaign this month that he was withdrawing his support. He pointed to what he called repeated missteps, including Biden’s comments on segregationists and the former vice president’s recent reversal on the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing congressional ban on using federal health care money to pay for abortions. His reversal — he now says he opposes the amendment — came after rivals and women’s rights group blasted him for affirming through campaign aides that he still supported the decades-old budget provision.

“I have tremendous respect for the vice president. However, I just became increasingly troubled by his comments,” McInerney said Friday. “It just seems like he wasn’t thinking this through.”

Biden’s campaign offered no immediate comment on McInerney’s withdrawal.

Also during Friday’s event, Biden leaned heavily on being Barack Obama’s vice president, something he didn’t do as much during the debate, when Harris’ relentless criticism often left him flustered and seemingly unsure of what to say.

“My president gets much too little credit for all that he did. He was one of the great presidents of the United States of America, and I’m tired of hearing about what he didn’t do,” Biden said of Obama.

Sylvia Chapman, 60, of Chicago, attended Biden’s speech and said Thursday’s confrontation between Harris and Biden was “just a few minutes of talk.”

“You have to look at the whole picture, not just one chapter out of a book,” said Chapman, who is black and is the president of a union local in Chicago. She said she’s undecided about who to support in 2020, but Biden is among the top of her choices, along with Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Harris.

Patricia Ousley, 69, a black retired state employee from the Chicago suburb of South Holland, cheered loudly when Biden told the crowd Obama doesn’t get the credit he deserves. She says Biden’s experience working alongside Obama is a big reason she may support him in 2020: “I love that.”

___

Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Brian Slodysko contributed from Miami.

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2J0pU4r
via

Little Known Black History Fact: Thomas Dorsey

Thomas A. Dorsey was a thriving blues musician who was struck by tragedy in the thirties, thus inspiring him to focus primarily on religious music. Known as the “Father of Gospel Music,” the Georgia native was born on July 1^st, 1899.

Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in the town of Villa Rica to a minister father and piano teacher mother, who taught him the instrument. Dorsey left home to become a professional session musician, much to the chagrin of his parents. He began studying formally at the Chicago College of Composition and Arrangement in order to obtain union scale wage as a musician in the city.

From that point on, Dorsey found measurable success as a performer and songwriter, and he began penning songs about God and faith in the early ‘20s. In 1924, his knowledge of blues music pushed him to organize a band for Ma Rainey while also continuing to record songs himself.

In August 1932 while away working, Dorsey received horrible news that his wife and child died in childbirth. Wrecked by the news, Dorsey, in interviews, said God led him to the piano where he penned “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” which has become his best-known work. The song has been performed masterfully by the likes of Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin and in modern times by Ledisi for the “Selma” soundtrack. It was said to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite song.

As gospel grew in scope and popularity, in particular the blues-influenced style Dorsey introduced to the masses, he began traveling the nation organizing choirs and teaching chorus arrangements. This inspired Dorsey to establish the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, serving as its president for six decades.

Dorsey was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1982, and he was also the first African-American elected to enter the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In addition, Dorsey is the first African-American inducted to the Gospel Music Association’s Living Hall of Fame. His papers, including his writings, are preserved by Fisk University.

Dorsey passed in 1999.

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2J1RlLn
via

Report: Is Stevie Wonder Having A Health Challenge?

There is some indication that Stevie Wonder may be struggling with his health. Philadelphia radio personality Patti Jackson reports that the 6x year-old-singer is on dialysis and in need of a kidney transplant. We don’t know Jackson’s source, however, singer Melba Moore seemed to confirm that something is happening with Wonder’s health, as she asked for prayers for him via her Instagram account.

Allhiphop.com reported that Moore asked for prayers for Wonder, but refused to say anything specific about his condition. When questioned in the comments, Moore said that the media had reported on his health, but actually, only a few outlets have indicated that anything might be wrong.

Moore repeated that fans should keep Wonder “in prayer” said he was a dear friend and that his family and friends have shared the information, which has not happened as far as we can tell. The only thing we’ve heard lately from the Wonder/Morris camp is that Stevie’s son Kailand Morris is going to be an intern at the fashion house Dior.

I SWEAR STEVIE BETTER BE OK, PROTECT STEVIE WONDER!! pic.twitter.com/gW95zFFnG1

— 𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒂 ︎ (@DangerouseMike) June 30, 2019

 

Hopefully, Wonder is OK but just in case, we’ll say a prayer for him anyway!

PHOTO: AP

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2JhgU9Z
via

‘CBS This Morning’ Ratings Down With Gayle King And New Lineup

Wno Was The Night’s Winner In First Democratic Debate? [VIDEO]

MIAMI (AP) — Ten Democrats railed against a national economy and Republican administration they said exist only for the rich as presidential candidates debated onstage for the first time in the young 2020 season, embracing class warfare as a defining theme in their fight to deny President Donald Trump a second term in office.

Health care and immigration, more than any other issues, led the debate. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, more than anyone else, stood out — on her own at times — in calling for “fundamental change” across the nation’s economy and government to address persistent issues of inequality.

“I think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for? It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top,” Warren declared shortly before raising her hand as one of the only Democrats on stage willing to abolish her own private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan. “Health care is a basic human right and I will fight for basic human rights.”

The debate marked a major step forward in the young 2020 presidential campaign as Democrats seek to break out from the crowded field. The party is straining to elevate a candidate who can take on Trump next year.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who will appear in a second debate featuring another 10 candidates Thursday night, was not mentioned during Wednesday’s faceoff, a civil debate with moments of modest policy clashes and few instances of Democrat-on-Democrat confrontation.

On immigration, the candidates pointed to the searing photos of a drowned Salvadoran father and his toddler daughter at the Rio Grande and blamed Trump and his policies on migrants crossing into America illegally.

Former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro said, “Watching that image of Oscar and his daughter Valeria was heartbreaking. It should also piss us all off.”

Warren spent the evening at center stage, a top-tier candidate whose campaign has gained ground in recent weeks as she has released a near-constant stream of policy proposals. She was flanked by lower-tier candidates including Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who needed big moments to help spark momentum in the crowded field.

Several candidates, including Castro, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland were eager to jab their rivals on issues including health care and immigration.

None of the candidates openly stumbled. Absent the ugly attacks or missteps that marred debates of past elections, the two-hour discussion allowed the Democratic Party to show off its extraordinary diversity. Wednesday’s lineup featured three women, one black man and another man of Mexican heritage. Three candidates spoke Spanish briefly, while Booker, an African American, talked about the violence that left seven people in his own urban neighborhood shot last week alone.

Yet modest differences on health care underscored a much louder internal fight over how aggressive Democrats should be on the nation’s most pressing issues.

On one side: candidates like Warren who are demanding dramatic change that includes embracing liberal policy priorities like free universal health care, debt-free college, a forgiving immigration policy and higher taxes on the rich. On the other: pragmatic-minded Democrats like Biden — and little-known former Maryland Rep. Delaney — who are calling for modest policy solutions that could ultimately attract bipartisan support.

Most of Warren’s rivals Wednesday night, including O’Rourke and Amy Klobuchar, called for universal health care but also favored preserving the private insurance market. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will be in a second debate group Thursday night, has proposed a “Medicare for All” system without private insurance.

“We should be the party that keeps what’s working and fixes what’s broken,” said Delaney, one of the few Democrats on stage who represented his party’s moderate wing. “Why do we have to stand for taking away something from people?”

De Blasio, who joined Warren in raising his hand on health insurance, cast the debate as part of “the battle for the heart and soul of our party.”

Trump, the elephant not in the room, was in the air traveling to Japan for a round of trade talks as Democrats faced the nation for the first time in the 2020 campaign.

Earlier in the day, he confirmed that he would watch the debate from Air Force One. His first tweet of the night: “BORING!”

The Republican president helped unite the Democrats, who joined together in blaming him for the deaths of a migrant father and his toddler daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande.

But the candidates didn’t agree on everything.

Castro assailed fellow Texan O’Rourke for not calling for fully decriminalizing crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

“I just think it’s a mistake, Beto,” he said, adding that O’Rourke would agree with him “if you did your homework on this issue.”

O’Rourke says he doesn’t support fully decriminalizing such border crossings because of fears about smugglers of drugs and people. New Jersey Sen. Booker also sided with Castro, arguing for full decriminalization.

While the candidates have been courting voters in key states for several months already, the vast majority of the nation has yet to pay close attention to the diverse field.

Only 35% of registered Democrats say they’re paying close attention to the campaign, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Two-thirds say they’re paying some or no attention.

___

Peoples reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman and Elana Schor in Washington, Sara Burnett in Chicago, David Bauder in New York, Alexandra Jaffe in Miami and Elana Schor in Washington contributed to this report.

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

from Black America Web https://ift.tt/2REsfEJ
via

Fantasia: “I Cook My Own Food, Clean My Own House And Drive My Own Car” [PHOTO, VIDEO]

Joe Biden Controversy Gives Boost To Cory Booker Campaign [VIDEO]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cory Booker’s supporters have spent months waiting for a moment when the charismatic senator could break through a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates. That opening came when Joe Biden clumsily talked about segregationists, prompting Booker to push back at his 2020 rival to great effect.

The New Jersey senator called on Biden to apologize Wednesday after the former vice president nostalgically referenced the “civility” he maintained during his time in the Senate with two segregationist Democrats in the 1970s despite their vast distance in ideology.

After Biden pushed back, saying Booker should apologize to him because the senator “knows better,” Booker called for the Democratic Party to choose a presidential nominee who can be “sensitive” to the “hurt and pain” caused by Biden noting that the two senators had called him “son” instead of “boy,” a reference to the racist way many whites addressed black men at the time.

Biden called Booker on Wednesday night about the matter, but tension between the two Democrats continued into Thursday. During the call, “Cory shared directly what he said publicly,” Booker spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in a statement. “Cory believes that Vice President Biden should take responsibility for what he said and apologize to those who were hurt.”

Booker clarified Thursday night on MSNBC that he doesn’t want Biden to apologize to him directly, but “to the American people, and having this discussion with all of us.”

The schism between the two candidates, who at times offer a similar emphasis on collaboration with the GOP despite mounting polarization under President Donald Trump, promises to reverberate this weekend in a pivotal early voting state. They are the final two hopefuls set to speak to the South Carolina Democratic Party during its 21-candidate convention on Saturday.

Booker, 50, has languished in the middle tier of candidates in the early months of the race, but some strategists looked to his confidence in taking on Biden, 76, as the beginning of a potential boost.

“Cory’s argument is very poignant, and it is ‘Why should we be spending time teaching any nominee’ — but let’s focus on Joe Biden — ‘what it means to be conscious about race?'” said Quentin James, co-founder of Collective PAC, which boosts African American candidates in federal and statewide offices.

Booker’s campaign message “has been about love” and unity, James added. “That’s fine. But we also want to see a little fight from Cory.”

For Booker and his advisers, however, a willingness to engage in meaningful fights always has been on the agenda. One person close to Booker’s campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal dynamics, said Thursday that Biden crossed a line with his lack of an apology for recalling that the Senate “got things done” even with white supremacists, making this week’s battle an easy one to pick.

Whether the tension continues in South Carolina this weekend remains to be seen. Booker has maintained one of the sprawling Democratic field’s largest footprints in South Carolina, home of the first Southern primary and the first state in which candidates can make their cases before an audience of mostly black primary voters.

Even so, Biden has maintained a foothold in South Carolina that could prove stronger than his lead in national polls, thanks to his appeal to older black voters who connect with him as former President Barack Obama’s No. 2. That both men are selling themselves as bridge builders with a more optimistic message could further complicate Booker’s path to translating his pushback to an advantage over Biden.

“Biden is sort of co-opting his theme,” Audrey Haynes, a political scientist at the University of Georgia, said in a recent interview. “Biden has always been a ‘bring it together’ kind of guy, so he has more money, was VP to a popular black president, and they had a visible bromance that seemed very authentic.”

Biden’s public stumble over addressing his past relationships with segregationist senators offers a road map for Booker to continue to talk about thorny discussions of race as he works to undercut the white former vice president’s claim to be the most electable Democrat against Trump. Still, Booker isn’t the only black candidate who will get that opportunity this weekend: California Sen. Kamala Harris is also scheduled to speak in South Carolina.

Jalen Elrod, first Democratic Party vice chairman in Greenville County, said in a recent interview before joining Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign that Booker may be lagging in support because of Harris’ hard-charging presence and appeal among black women.

As the race moves past next week’s debates, said Elrod, “you’ll get a better sense of where the black community is.”

___

Kinnard reported from Columbia, S.C. Associated Press writer Bill Barrow contributed from Atlanta.

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web http://bit.ly/2WULviC
via

LaVar Ball Banned From ESPN After ‘Sexist’ Comment [WATCH]

LaVar Ball is dealing with #MeToo moment it seems. Ball has caught the ire of ESPN for a “completely inappropriate” comment he made to “First Take” host/moderator Molly Qerim.

So far Ball is refusing to apologize for what he said and therefore, the network has barred him from any future appearances on any of its platforms until he does.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: 

Close

Email

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch quotes an ESPN spokesperson who told him that the network has “no plans moving forward” of ever having Ball as a guest on any of their programs.

The whole issue boils down to what is being described as a sexist comment by Ball to Qerim in response to what she asked him as he was speaking to Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman about the Lakers trading his son, Lonzo, to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis.

Here’s what went down. Qerim said to Ball: “LaVar, can I switch gears with you because I have a question here.”

Ball’s quick come back was: “You can switch gears with me anytime.”

At that point, Qerim paused for a moment, laughed, then moved on to her next question. She returned to the comment at the end of the show.

“If anyone’s calling HR today it’s me,” Qerim said.

This is where we and and it seems, a lot of other folks, don’t agree with with ESPN. Like Ball’s representative, Denise White, it’s hard to see how Ball’s comment could automatically be interpreted as sexual, per se.

“LaVar Ball’s comment to Molly Qerim Rose was completely inappropriate,” ESPN said in a statement to TMZ. “We made him aware of that.”

It comes as no surprise to us that social media users were largely supportive of Ball, saying Qerim opened the door for him to crack his joke at her expense.

Qerim, who is married to ESPN sports analyst Jalen Rose, said she was glad that “ESPN had my back.”

“ESPN was really supportive,” Qerim told TMZ on Tuesday. “All the executives had my back. Much appreciated.”

Do you think what Lavar Ball said was sexist or is this a reach? 

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web http://bit.ly/2KrYkz1
via

Judge Gives R. Kelly Lawyers One Week To Answer In Sex Abuse Lawsuit

CHICAGO (AP) — Attorneys for R. Kelly have one week to respond to a lawsuit alleging sex abuse or face losing the case.

Kelly’s attorneys sought to put the lawsuit on hold while the singer fights sex-related felony charges. Associate Judge Moira Johnson on Wednesday agreed with lawyers for the woman who filed the lawsuit that Kelly needs to file an answer to the litigation.

Johnson gave Kelly’s lawyers until June 26 to respond to the lawsuit in Cook County.

Kelly did not attend Wednesday’s hearing in Chicago.

After the hearing, the attorneys for the woman said they expect the lawsuit will be delayed while the criminal case proceeds. However, they said it was improper for Kelly’s attorneys to seek a delay before acknowledging the lawsuit.

The woman who brought the lawsuit is one of four women Kelly is charged with sexually abusing.

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

 

from Black America Web http://bit.ly/2ZxGQ7J
via

Dwyane Wade Drops Some Parenting Gems And Talks Supporting His Gay Son

‘Queen Sugar’ Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: Something Wicked This Way Comes

This season, Queen Sugar seems to be making up for lost time. The lost time of last season, which was frustratingly slow and off-brand. Characters that were once fleshed out, seemed out of character and the pace of the show’s episodes, while always making Black people look beautiful, were sometimes nothing more than eye candy.

Under new showrunner Anthony Sparks (and supervising producer Cheryl Dunye) the show has so far righted what was becoming an adrift ship. In Episode 2 “I No Longer Imagine” things are moving along at pretty fast clip. Kinda of how a mystery man is moving his way through the South to Louisiana. Kudos to whoever cast David Alan Grier in this role as a superficially charming man whose identity isn’t confirmed until the episode’s end (we all guessed who it was, though) but who conveys a palpable air of menace despite his easygoing facade.

The Bordelons are already dealing with an internal enemy. That would be Nova Bordelon (Rutina Wesley) who is airing out all the family secrets in her new memoir Blessings and Blood. She’s already gotten told off by Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) for the second time, now it’s Charley’s turn. Why can’t anybody give Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner)  a break? Despite going straight to damage control mode, Charley can’t fix this. It’s just too late. The book is on its way and Nova’s already getting the star treatment.

As much as it’s despicable that Nova thinks its OK to out her family’s business, this storyline is a significant one as it deals with a common debate – how much is too much when it comes to ‘your truth’ vs. other people’s right to privacy? Nova is so self-righteous that she’s completely oblivious to the impact that her book will have on the people she says she loves. It’s like she signed them up for a reality TV show that no one wanted to participate in.

We are now in a world where people think its OK to reveal everything without considering the human toll or their own conflicting agendas. When Nova had the audacity to tell Ralph Angel that she’d be happy to explain to Blue (Ethan Hutchinson) about his paternity, it was hard not to be floored by her callousness. Ralph Angel, rightly, told her she’d be seeing Blue again in Neverary.

Did Nova not realize what that revelation could do to a child as sensitive as Blue? Nor did she consider Charley’s feelings about how MIcah (Nicholas L. Ashe) might take finding out just how his mother handled his father’s rape case. Everyone, including the victim, agreed to the terms. In my book, that means a sexual abuse survivor exercised her agency to choose how her violation should be addressed. Not every survivor seeks a #MeToo public spotlight.

Micah is back from a European vacation with a new look – he has locs, at least in the front. Charley is trying, but she’s not sure she likes all the changes she’s seeing. Micah’s apparently become a celebrity influencer, taking selfies when he’s recognized by some of his followers. He still lovin’ Keke (Tanyell Waivers) though and hanging with his activist friends.

But when a white classmate gets out of pocket at a school party, Micah beats his azz. Micah, we didn’t know you had it in you!  Looks like he might have some residual anger from the police abuse he experienced. He goes to Nova to get some sympathy and have his superficial wound treated and the two are as copacetic as ever. Charley’s right – I have a feeling Micah’s going to ride with Nova on this book.

But we can also figure out where Aunt Vi is going to stand. She finally pulls it out of Hollywood that he’s seen and read at least some of the book. But Vi thinks Nova’s just exposing the ancestral secrets of the Bordelon family. That’s until she sees her name in it. Nova, you in trouble, girl.

Despite what we know is going to be some rough times ahead for the Bordelons, some very lovely moments also happen in Episode 2. Ralph Angel and Darla have found some new love interests. Ralph Angel is cozying up to hhis new lawyer friend, Deesha, (Erica Tazel) and Darla’s date with Leo (Bryan Terrell Clark) went REAL well, so well, she was kissing him at her door.

Darla deserves some happiness after all she’s been through and this guy is a cutie who has had some experience with addiction as a recovering alcoholic. Darla wisely waves off anything more than a kiss, but Ralph Angel sees it. They ultimately both share that they might be looking elsewhere but in a very sweet conversation, Ralph Angel and Darla also acknowledge that the flame that burns between them isn’t totally out. They have so much chemistry onscreen.

(It’s interesting that Siriboe is almost always cast with actresses much older than him. Tazel is 42, Lawson is 40. But it works for his character, who like Siriboe, is in his mid-20’s.)

Speaking of Lawson, the woman clearly has found the anti-aging secrets of the universe. Girl, share with us.

It’s sad that after rising above so much, Darla now will have her lowest moments paraded in front of the world. I hope there’s a scene coming up with Fierce Darla, who has broken down a few people in her quiet way. I hope Nova will be one of them.

So yeah, it’s Jimmy Dale, Aunt Vi’s ex, who is here to make some trouble for her now that’s she’s married and happy and successful. As much as it’s good to see Grier sink his teeth into a meaty dramatic role, I’m a little scared of what’s to come.

Couple of notes: Kofi Siriboe just got finer after what looks like an off-season workout regimen bulked him up. Did I mention that last week? He just gets more delicious each episode.

Erica Tazel appeared on several episodes of the supremely underrated streaming-only series The Good Fight on CBS’ All Access and was also on Justified.

Bryan Terrell Clark starred in Hamilton.

This season’s costume designer Ayanna James deserves all the props for dressing Nova this year. She has never looked more beautiful. She’s still foul, though.

What did you think of this week’s episode?

PHOTO: OWN

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

 

from Black America Web http://bit.ly/2XWYrFZ
via

Activists In St. Louis Claim Racism In Prosecutor Criticism

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Some black activists in St. Louis say there’s an unfair racial component to criticism of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner over her hiring of a man who led the investigation of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and who now faces perjury charges.

About a dozen black activists gathered Tuesday outside of a downtown courthouse to defend Gardner and the investigator, William Tisaby, who are both black. Tisaby faces six counts of perjury and one count of tampering with evidence stemming from his investigation of Greitens.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: 

Close

Email

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

 

“The bottom line is this whole episode is racism,” said Zaki Baruti, who heads the St. Louis-based Universal African Peoples Organization. He said the black community needs “someone who’s in our interest and Kim Gardner is that person, and we are not going to allow her to be treated as she’s being treated.”

Gardner, a Democrat, was elected in November 2016 after campaigning to rebuild trust in the criminal justice system at a time when the St. Louis area was still healing from the events in nearby Ferguson, where a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, two years earlier.

She has been at odds with the law enforcement establishment virtually since taking office.

Like many among the new wave of progressive urban prosecutors across the U.S., Gardner has moved away from prosecuting low-level drug crimes. She angered police leaders and the police union last year by creating an “exclusion list” made up of more than two dozen officers who she said were so lacking in credibility that they won’t be permitted as primary witnesses in criminal cases.

In January, Gardner’s criticism of how police investigated a male officer’s alleged Russian roulette-style fatal shooting of a female colleague drew an angry rebuke from police Chief John Hayden. The male officer, Nathaniel Hendren, is awaiting trial on involuntary manslaughter charges.

But the biggest wedge occurred in January 2018, when Gardner sidestepped police and hired Tisaby, a former FBI agent, to investigate Greitens, a Republican who had just admitted to an affair with his St. Louis hairdresser that happened in 2015, a year before he was elected.

Gardner charged Greitens with felony invasion of privacy, accusing him of taking a compromising photo of the woman and threatening to share it if she exposed the affair.

The charge was eventually dropped, but the fallout was significant on both sides: Greitens, facing additional investigations and legislative scrutiny, resigned in June 2018 — his once promising political career in shambles. Tisaby surrendered to authorities on Monday.

Tisaby’s attorney, Jermaine Wooten, said Tuesday that Tisaby is “absolutely, 100 percent innocent.”

Gardner’s reliance on Tisaby and her office’s overall handling of the Greitens case drew strong criticism from Greitens’ attorneys, who asked police to investigate whether Tisaby lied under oath as part of a deposition of the woman.

The indictment alleged that Tisaby denied taking notes during his interview of the hairdresser, although a recording of the interview showed him doing so. The indictment also said that while Tisaby claimed he didn’t receive notes from the prosecutor’s office before interviewing the woman, a document uncovered during grand jury proceedings shows that Gardner provided Tisaby her notes.

The indictment also said Gardner failed to correct false statements and noted that relying on an outside investigator rather than police was “contrary to normal protocol.”

Scott Rosenblum, one of Greitens’ former lawyers, described the prosecution of Greitens as “misguided” and said he “should still be governor.”

Gardner, meanwhile, has raised her own concerns about Greitens’ defense team. She told a judge in April 2018 that attorneys for Greitens threatened to “ruin” her if she didn’t drop the criminal case against him. She said in a statement Tuesday that she told police of the threat in June 2018 and was interviewed by police in October. Greitens’ former attorneys have denied making any threat.

Gardner said she asked about two weeks ago for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate her claims about Greitens’ lawyers threatening her.

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP, questioned why the investigation of Gardner’s allegation is dragging.

“Where can you go where you can threaten a prosecutor while she’s prosecuting a case, and it’s not investigated thoroughly and it’s not taken seriously, especially when you go tell the judge?” Pruitt asked.

Jeff Roorda, business manager of the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, has been a frequent critic of Gardner. In the December issue of a union newsletter, he penned a Dr. Seuss parody entitled, “The Grinch That Stole Justice,” with verses that included, “You’re a disaster, Misses Kim, your heart is dark and vile.”

Roorda said any allegation that the investigation involving Gardner is racially motivated is “absurd.”

“Cops expect people who violate the law to be answerable for their crimes,” Roorda said in an email. “Prosecutors should feel the same way. That’s all that’s going on here.”

HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

 

 

from Black America Web http://bit.ly/2KmlvKY
via

‘RHOA’ Fans Think Porsha And Dennis Are Over: Here’s Why