Historic hearing takes turn into familiar territory on race and crime, experts say
By Janelle Griffith Some senators’ questioning of Ketanji Brown Jackson is an attempt to portray her as “soft on crime,” legal experts said. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings may have been historic, in that she is the first Black woman nominated for the Supreme Court. But they have not been without precedent, at least with regard to questions on crime and race that she faced from some Republican senators, such as Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who have tried to portray her as “soft on crime.” Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, who is president and director-counsel emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and
TSU to Expand Its Online Digital, STEM Literacy Program Across Africa; Four New Countries Show Interest
By Emmanuel Freeman Tennessee State University is continuing to bridge the digital divide through a dual enrollment partnership for underserved students in Africa. The university is expanding the program to include four new countries on the continent that have expressed interest. TSU officials say Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia want to join Liberia and South Africa, where students are taking online courses in coding and creating concepts taught by TSU professors. The program is part of a STEM literacy partnership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church that gives students digital resources to develop their technology skills. All participating students receive an
Ketanji Brown Jackson: Highlights from Day 2 of a tense Supreme Court hearing
By Sahil Kapur Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared Tuesday for what may end up being the most important day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, taking questions from senators during a marathon session before the Judiciary Committee. The questioning began with Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and ranking member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, with 30 minutes allotted to each of the panel’s 22 members. The last two senators will pose their questions Wednesday morning. Cruz asked Jackson about the book “Antiracist Baby” by Ibram Kendi — and whether she believes “babies are racist.” “I do not believe any child should be made
Alabama’s only Black member of Congress welcomes a fight over her voting rights bill
By Donna M. Owens In August, Rep. Terri Sewell stood at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in her hometown, Selma, Alabama, to tout H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Sewell, Alabama’s only Black member of Congress and the delegation’s only Democrat, had high hopes after she introduced the legislation named in honor of her late mentor and friend. The House voted soon afterward to pass the bill, but it stalled in the Senate last year. In January, a modified measure called the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act failed to clear the chamber. “We’re
3 Black women oversee voting access for more than 37 million Americans
By Randi Richardson California Secretary of State Shirley Weber knows all too well how the race for voting rights is an intergenerational marathon. She’s the proud daughter of sharecroppers and is the first Black person to hold the position in California after Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated her at the end of 2020. She told NBC BLK that descending from a family who couldn’t vote and becoming the state’s chief elections officer is a full circle experience for her family. She said her grandparents were essentially barred from voting. Her parents never registered to vote in Arkansas out of fear for their
Adams, Hill, Scott, and HBCU Caucus Celebrate Passage of Resolution Condemning Bomb Threats
By Sam Spencer Today, Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Congressman French Hill (R-AR-02), Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), and the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus celebrated the passage of H. Con. Res. 70, a resolution condemning threats of violence against historically Black colleges and universities (“HBCUs”) and reaffirming support for HBCUs and their students. “I’m proud of the House for passing H. Con. Res. 70, a resolution that condemns the despicable, cowardly bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities on multiple days this year,” said Congresswoman Alma Adams, founder and cochair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. “These threats were
Kamala Harris marks ‘Bloody Sunday’ anniversary in Selma
By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press Vice President Kamala Harris visited Selma, Alabama, on Sunday to commemorate a defining moment in the fight for equal voting rights, even as congressional efforts to restore the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act have faltered. Under a blazing blue sky, Harris linked arms with rank-and-file activists from the civil rights movement and led thousands across the bridge where, on March 7, 1965, white state troopers attacked Black voting rights marchers attempting to cross. The images of violence at the Edmund Pettus Bridge — originally named for a Confederate general — shocked the nation and helped galvanize
Black Women Leaders Weigh in on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s SCOTUS Nomination
By Glenda C. Carr On February 25, 2022, President Joe Biden made history when he nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court of the United States. Nominated to serve as the fifth woman and first African American woman on the Supreme Court in the history of the United States, Judge Jackson will serve the nation with distinction. This is a historic moment in the court’s progress toward diversity. Judge Jackson brings a lifelong commitment to equality, opportunity, and fairness. President Biden said he wanted a justice with “character” and someone who is “courteous to the folks before them and treating
Kamala Harris Mocked after Echoing Concern for Ukraine-Russia Tensions
By Kalyn Womack Vice President Kamala Harris is facing heat for her comments following the annual Munich Security Conference, reported the New York Post. While trying to emphasize that the tensions at the Ukraine-Russian directly threaten Europe, after “70 years of peace,” right-leaning reporters and Twitter users accused Harris of being unprepared. Vice President Harris was sent to Germany to echo President Biden’s concern about a Russian invasion of Ukraine to European allies, reported the Associated Press. Upon the vice president’s return from Germany, she met with reporters in Washington to stress the severity of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Kamala Harris via Press Conference: “We’re talking about the potential for war in
Barack Obama Releases Statement On Russian Invasion of Ukraine
By Murjani Rawls As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, former U.S. Presidents such as George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter have spoken up about their concerns and condemned the events that have transpired. According to The Hill, former president Barack Obama has joined voices of the international community stating Russia’s attack is a “violation of international law” and the “basic principles of human decency” in a statement he released. “People of conscience around the world need to loudly and clearly condemn Russia’s actions and offer support for the Ukrainian people. And every American, regardless of party, should support President Biden’s efforts, in coordination with our closest allies,