National News - Page 142

Virginia Board Debates Reversing Confederate School Renames

By Elisha Fieldstadt and Maya Brown A Virginia board is considering restoring the names of two schools which were originally named for Confederate generals but changed in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. The Shenandoah County School Board in 2020 voted to change Stonewall Jackson High School to Mountain View High School and Ashby-Lee Elementary School to Honey Run Elementary School. But in the two years since, community members — especially alumni — have expressed opposition to the name changes, school board member Cynthia Walsh told NBC News. More than 4,000 people have signed a petition to change the names back, Vice

BLM Faces Scrutiny Over Financial Misuse and IRS Filings

Black Lives Matter (specifically the Black Lives Matter Global Network) has been scrutinized after its co-founder Patrisse Cullors was called out for its alleged misuse of the donations given to the foundation. Now, the IRS has dropped receipts in the form of tax forms, and it details where a good portion of the money went. The Associated Press exclusively shared the 63-page Form 990 revealing Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. reports took in $90 million last year, investing $32 million in stocks during the breakout of racial justice protests in 2020. Organizers claim that money will be used to further support the movement and

SREB Launches Online Course Sharing for HBCU Student Success

By Rebecca Khelliher To help students across the degree finish line, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has announced an online course-sharing consortium for several public and private historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in five Southern states. SREB is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on improving education at all levels in its 16 member states throughout the South. “I believe deeply in the value of collaboration, particularly among small, largely under-resourced institutions,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, president of Benedict College, a private HBCU in South Carolina and one of the consortium’s

Buffalo Shooting Reflects Deep Legacy of White Terrorism

By Char Adams Some 2,000 Black people were killed from 1865 to 1876, during the Reconstruction era, the result of a widespread effort to use white supremacist terror to maintain economic, political and social control over newly emancipated Black people, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. This reign of terror worked to stamp out any semblance of Black progress after slavery, working hand in hand with oppressive Jim Crow laws that enforced legal segregation throughout the country for decades. A white man is accused of continuing this legacy of white supremacist terror on Saturday when he allegedly traveled to a supermarket

Karine Jean-Pierre Makes History as First Black, LGBTQ Press Sec

By the Associated Press Karine Jean-Pierre held her first briefing as the new White House press secretary on Monday, crediting “barrier-breaking people” who came before her for making it possible for a Black, gay, immigrant woman like herself to rise to one of the most high-profile jobs in American government. “I stand on their shoulders. If it were not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me, I would not be here,” Jean-Pierre said. “But I benefit from their sacrifices. I have learned from their excellence and I am forever grateful to them.” President Joe Biden entrusted Jean-Pierre, 47, and the daughter of

House Action on Women’s Health Protection Act Faces Setback

By Anoa Change An intergenerational group of lawmakers from the House of Representatives took action ahead of a Senate vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act. While some may see this as more political theater, continuing to push for equitable treatment and respect for personal privacy rights is critical at this moment. In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Ayanna Pressley challenged the idea of personal freedoms and civil liberties for the few, as a minority takes away the right to bodily autonomy.  “I cannot stomach one more lecture about the preservation of civil liberties when you seek to deny me

Buffalo Community Resilient After Mass Shooting at Tops Supermarket

By Curtis Bunn Charles Gilbert was only a few blocks away from the Buffalo, New York, supermarket when a white 18-year-old allegedly opened fire and spread terror among the local Black community, killing 10 and injuring three on Saturday. Like countless other Black Buffalo residents, Gilbert, a podcaster, said he is mired in pain, devastation and anger, but he and many in east Buffalo say they are also resolute to come together and forge a stronger community. “We’re hurt, but we’re not broken,” Gilbert said. “We, as a people and a community, will get past this. It will take some time.

Hair Discrimination in Schools: The Urgent Need for the Crown Act

By Janelle Griffith The bill passed the House in March, but it does not have a clear path forward in the Senate. Diamond Campbell, a powerlifter at Bruce High School in Mississippi, was almost disqualified from the state championship April 1. But it wasn’t because of her form. It was because of her hair. “I remember looking back, and on the board, it’ll be green or red. If it’s green, you know, you got it. You can go on and do the next weight,” Campbell, 16, said in a recent interview, recalling the moment she stepped off the platform after completing her

Civil Rights Landmarks To Receive $16.2M In Grants

By Brandee Sanders “The African American Civil Rights grants are critical to helping preserve and interpret a more comprehensive narrative of the people, places, and events associated with the African American Civil Rights movement,” shared NPS Director Chuck Sams. The National Park Service is advancing its efforts to conserve structures that are symbolic of Black resilience and liberation. The agency’s latest initiative is centered on preserving historic spaces that served as backdrops of the civil rights movement. NPS announced it would allocate $16,247,500 to create African American Civil Rights grants. The endowments would be distributed amongst 44 projects across 15 states that

Georgia’s HB 1084 Law Sparks Outrage Among Black Educators

By Curtis Bunn In Georgia, Black educators are disheartened. They are insulted. Most of all, they are mad. A new law, signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, restricts teachers from teaching students about race and racism. According to the text of HB 1084, this includes any discussions that “the United States of America is fundamentally racist,” “any other form of race scapegoating or race stereotyping,” or “espousing personal political beliefs.” The law “prevents divisive concepts and ideologies from invading the classroom” and removes “obscene materials” from school libraries. It does not address, however, how violations would be enforced or what the ramifications

1 … 140 141 142 143 144 … 219
Close

Never Miss A Story

Covering HBCUS
and The African American Community