Rep. Terri Sewell Champions Voting Rights and Civil Rights Legacy
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
Black Women Shaping Voting Rights in Key U.S. States
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
Congress Condemns Bomb Threats Against HBCUs in Resolution
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
VP Harris Honors Selma March, Renews Voting Rights Call
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
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Historic Supreme Court Nominee
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
VP Kamala Harris Criticized for Europe War Remarks
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
Obama Condemns Russia’s Invasion, Urges Global Unity
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,
Why a Black Woman on the Supreme Court Matters for Justice
By Madiba Dennie, a counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice One Black woman won’t quickly right the ship of a 6-3 court unmoored from principle, but dissenting opinions have influenced the court and Congress to pursue changes to laws. The Supreme Court has made thousands of decisions over hundreds of years that have shaped the lives of millions of people. And, astonishingly, at no point in the court’s multicentury history has any Black woman had a say in making any of the decisions we have had to abide by. Until now. For the first time, a Black
Amazon & Hampton University Launch Robotics Degree Program
Courtesy of Hampton University To help expand the diversity of the talent that will shape the future of robotics, Amazon has invested in a number of academic engagements with colleges and universities, including a new collaboration with Hampton University. At Hampton University, a historically black college and university (HBCU) based in Hampton, Virginia known for its cutting-edge STEM research, Amazon Robotics is funding the establishment of a robotics degree program. By investing in developing Hampton’s robotics program, Amazon supports building expansive learning opportunities for faculty and students by offering cloud-based robotics research, infrastructure improvements, and STEM-based activities to increase the
JSU Students Join FedEx-HBCU Ambassador Program Launch
By Jackson State University The world’s largest express transportation company, today announced the launch of the FedEx-HBCU Student Ambassador Program with select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Jackson State University (JSU) student Jay’La Manor, a junior business major from Las Vegas, Nevada, and Ezra Snell II, a sophomore sociology major from Clinton, Mississippi, will represent the institution in the inaugural cohort. FedEx leaders, school presidents, and select student program participants will participate in a special ceremonial presentation during the ringing of The Closing Bell® at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today at 4 p.m. ET commemorating the launch of the program and a nationwide celebration of Black
