National News - Page 59

Akron, Ohio, sets downtown curfew, cancels fireworks in wake of Jayland Walker protests

By David K. Li and Safia Samee Ali  Officials on Monday set a 9 p.m. curfew for downtown Akron, Ohio, and canceled a fireworks show in the wake of protests over the police killing of Black motorist Jayland Walker. Mayor Dan Horrigan said the action was necessary due to the threat of violence and property damage in the northeast Ohio city’s downtown district. Police on Sunday released officers‘ body camera footage of the June 27 shooting, and Horrigan praised protesters for their initial “peaceful” demonstration that “did not escalate to violence and destruction.” “However, as night fell and others began to join, the

Ketanji Brown Jackson to be sworn in as first Black woman on the Supreme Court

By Ximena Bustillo Ketanji Brown Jackson will be sworn in Thursday at noon as the 116th Supreme Court justice and the first Black woman to serve on the high court. Biden nominated Jackson in February, fulfilling a campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, but we’ve made it! We’ve made it — all of us,” Jackson said in remarks at a White House event the day after the Senate vote. “I

Black women in the South have been bracing for Roe’s fall for decades

By Char Adams and Bracey Harris Tight restrictions on abortion have already placed the procedure out of reach for many Black women in America — obstacles that will grow even more daunting if the landmark Roe v. Wade is overturned. Across the Black Belt — the Southern states where the echoes of slavery reverberate in legislation that perpetuates political and social inequities — women have long confronted overwhelming costs and logistical obstacles in seeking reproductive health care. Earlier this week a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion signaled the end of abortion rights nationally, which would leave an already marginalized group,

Black Americans living abroad reflect on Juneteenth

As the United States marks only the second federally recognized Juneteenth, Black Americans living overseas have embraced the holiday as a day of reflection and an opportunity to educate people in their host countries on Black history. President Joe Biden moved quickly last year to federally recognize the day Black Americans have been celebrating since the last enslaved people were told they were free in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. In Liberia, Saqar Ahhah Ahershu, 45, from Jersey City, N.J., is organizing the country’s first “Journey Home Festival.” “Because this is part

Juneteenth was finally recognized as a federal holiday. Then came commercialization.

By Michelle Garcia “Companies that are having these picnics for their employees and feeding them fried chicken and watermelon — who made that call?” Torrina Harris of Galveston, Texas, quipped. Juneteenth may be the country’s newest federal holiday, but for many Black Americans, June 19 has long been associated with homegrown community celebrations, if not at least understood as a day to symbolize freedom.  “For Black folks, there has been a long tradition of commemorating Juneteenth,” said Amara Enyia, policy and research coordinator at Movement for Black Lives. But now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, complete with offices and schools closing

VP Kamala Harris Calls Out Republican-led States In D.C. Pride Event Speech

By Murjani Rawls States like Florida and Texas have passed laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community in the classroom or with medical procedures. Vice President Kamala Harris used her speech at a pride event in Washington D.C. Friday to denounce those actions, as reported by The Hill. Texas Governor Greg Abbott made it legal for the state to investigate parents of transgender children to be investigated for child abuse if they sought gender-affirming care. (It has since been temporarily blocked) Florida Gov. Ron Desantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law which does not allow topics like sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. Tennesee, Alabama, and Georgia have passed their

The UNCF’s Month-Long Initiative “HBCU Bound” Partners With Michelle Obama’s College Signing Day

By Sammy Approved The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) launched their month-long initiative titled “HBCU Bound,” in celebration of high school graduates heading to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in conjunction with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s ongoing “College Signing Day” campaign. “HBCU Bound” is a nationwide student advocacy and recruitment initiative in collaboration with UNCF’s National Alumni Council (NAC) to support students committing to attend HBCUs including UNCF’s 37 member institutions. The widely celebrated campaign has partnered with several visionary Black luminaries and change agents who are advocating for equitable education and utilizing their platforms to advance educational enrichment. The initiative has

How one Black leader sees trademarking Juneteenth as protection of Black culture

By Claretta Bellamy There was a wave of anger from Black Twitter users last month when Walmart released its Juneteenth-themed ice cream, with a flavor created by the New York-based company Balchem. Spotting a trademark symbol for Juneteenth on the product’s label, many on social media criticized both companies for trying to capitalize off Black culture. But what got missed in the uproar was a simple fact: Someone else had claimed the term before any of the major companies could. That person was Mario Bowler Sr., an assistant director at his alma mater, Lincoln University, a historically Black university in

Black Leaders React To Biden’s Policing Executive Order

By Bruce C.T. Wright President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order in an effort to bring some semblance of meaningful reform to policing in America. The signing at the White House coincided with the two-year anniversary of the horrific police murder of George Floyd. The executive order comes as the U.S. Senate has allowed legislation in Floyd’s name to languish for nearly a year in a time span that has seen police killings, particularly of Black people, continue to go unpunished with apparent impunity. Specifically, Biden is signing the executive order “to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will

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