justice

Jay-Z, Team ROC demand DOJ investigate racism, corruption in Kansas Police Department

Hip-hop pioneer Jay-Z and Team ROC, the social justice side of his entertainment company, have demanded the U.S. Department of Justice probe the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department for systemic misconduct. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, joined in writing an open letter to the Justice Department stating that there’s no excuse to justify the department’s silence. The letter asserted that “there is enough evidence of systemic police misconduct in the department that a pattern of practice investigation is necessary to review allegations of wrongdoing and discrimination.” The nonprofit Midwest Innocence Project has joined Team ROC in the call for an investigation. “The DOJ’s continued inaction tells targeted minority communities held hostage to the whims of the carceral state that justice does not exist for them, that their lives do not matter,” the organization wrote in the letter addressed to Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. Alex Shapiro, Team ROC’s lawyer, said incidents they’ve uncovered include a former Kansas City detective whom federal authorities investigated in 2021 over allegations of exploiting Black women for sex and framing individuals for crimes they did not commit. Shapiro noted that FBI records dating to the 1990s found numerous allegations of civil rights violations. About 200 Kansas City police officers were accused of misconduct and excessive force complaints over the years. “They kept hitting our desk over and over again, and we knew we had to get involved,” Shapiro told reporters. In its letter to the Justice Department, Team ROC noted that “we’ve seen the cover-up unfold right before our eyes. And yet here we are having to plead with you to ensure the Justice Department allows the U.S. Attorney’s Office to do the right thing. “Because after years of denial and avoidance by the U.S. Attorney’s office, your department, and despite the lives that have been broken and ruined by their criminal actions and your inaction, there’s still time for you, as a leader in the department, to lift this city and these people up and out of the hell that has been their constant companion.”

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Defendants in Ahmaud Arbery case say slavery-era law enabled them to shoot

By: Stacy M. Brown In Georgia, defense attorneys are making the case that the three white men involved in killing Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, were justified by a Civil War-era law instituted to catch runaway slaves. Travis McMichael, 35, his father, Gregory McMichael, 65, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, 52, plans to defend their actions by claiming they were making a citizens’ arrest that went awry only after Arbery resisted. When the trio killed Arbery on February 23, 2020, Georgia law allowed almost anyone to arrest another citizen if “they had reasonable and probable grounds of suspicion” that a suspect had committed a felony. The state overturned the statute after Arbery’s murder. Lawmakers introduced and passed the original code in 1863 to capture slaves who had escaped from plantations in the South. “They are going to use this law because it wasn’t repealed until after Ahmaud Arbery was killed by the McMichael family, and I am not sure we’re going to have the justice that we should,” said Shirley James, publisher of the Savannah Tribune in Georgia. James said Georgia also employs the Stand-Your-Ground law that allows citizens to use deadly force when confronted with life-or-death situations. “The thing that happens a lot, even with George Floyd and a lot of our African Americans who have been unjustly murdered, the victim becomes the criminal,” James remarked. “They are looking at Arbery’s life and he’s deceased and can’t defend himself.” She added that very few people of color are among the 1,000 prospective jurors, and Glynn County, where the trial will occur, counts as a mostly white area. “I don’t think in that county that you will find the kind of objectivity that you need,” James demurred. “When you think of the mindset of the things going on now with people so free to speak out in reference to their discriminatory attitudes, they have about us …” Recent reports suggest that many U.S. states still have laws that allow for citizens to make arrests. Chris Slobogin, a law professor at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University, told Reuters News Service that citizen’s

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Martin Luther King III and wife talk voting rights, abolishing filibuster

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia In 1963, more than 250,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., for jobs and freedom with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nearly 60 years later, Martin Luther King III helped lead a massive march on the nation’s capital. This time the objective focused on voting rights. “John Lewis told us that the most powerful nonviolent tool we have is voting rights,” King told the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) during an exclusive interview broadcast over the social media channels of the Black Press of America. The NNPA is the trade association that represents the Black Press of America. “We are in a battle to protect our most sacred right,” King continued. The oldest son of the late civil rights leader called the more than 400 voter suppression bills in GOP-led states a reaction to the massive voter turnout in Georgia and other places that helped Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress and the White House. King and his wife, Arndrea, said part of their mission is to register new voters and fight suppression laws. “The 400 pieces of legislation introduced since January are a reaction to the massive voter turnout, we saw last year and is a preparation for 2022,” said Arndrea King, a national merit scholar who studied psychology at Emory University. “If people come out and make themselves heard and press for federal protection, for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we can stop this,” Arndrea King insisted. In addition to the August 28 march, the King family set a goal of registering 2 million new voters ahead of 2022. The couple insisted that the Black Press of America remains the most prominent and trusted vehicle. The King family and other civil rights activists have gotten out vital messaging using the Black Press. “All of us greatly appreciate the Black Press because none of what we are doing, none of what my father did, and so many others would be known without the Black Press,” Martin Luther King III asserted. “The Black Press is so important. We

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"In my mind, there is no way to understand the development of the world's economic and political system post-1800 C.E. without a solid and sophisticated understanding of the transatlantic slave trade," stated John Rosinbum, a Texas-based high school teacher. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Day of Remembrance

“It is important to recognize the International Decade for People of African Descent as an international corrective to combat the systematic indoctrination of the lie of African inferiority,” said Dr. Kevin Cokley, the director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis. “Passing H.R. 40 would count as the most significant legislative achievement to impact the victims of the transatlantic slave trade.”

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Former cop makes deathbed confession in role of Malcolm X’s murder

Malcolm X’s family is asking for the reopening of his murder investigation after the deathbed confession of a former New York police officer who claims he, the NYPD and the FBI were involved in the assassination. The letter was released to the public on the anniversary of Malcolm X’s death. The letter, which was written

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NNPA Salutes Attorney Benjamin Crump and The Crump Law Firm in Memory and Honor of the Family of George Floyd

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Benjamin Crump has earned recognition as a freedom fighting lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to defend the life and legacy of African Americans harmed by police violence and racially motivated acts. He currently represents the families of Ahmad Arberry, George Floyd and other Black men and women unjustly victimized by law enforcement.

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Ziggy Marley Will Receive the Black Press 2020 Global Icon Award and Make a Virtual Appearance at the 2020 NNPA Convention

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Ziggy Marley, the oldest son of the Reggae Icon Bob Marley, recently appeared on a livestream interview with the Black Press that was reached more than 1.7 million people around the world. The socially conscious singer is being honored for his outstanding achievements in the international entertainment industry and for representing the best of the love of all humanity in the cause of freedom, justice, peace and equality.

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Ben Crump Heralded as Black America’s Attorney General

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Most recently, Crump has represented three of the most high-profile cases in America today in his representation of the families of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia, and Breonna Taylor, gunned down in her bed by Louisville police in Kentucky. But his role in the movement stretches back more than a decade and includes the cases of Michael Brown and Tamir Rice, as well as Corey Jones, Pamela Turner, Botham Jean, Stephon Clark and others.

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October 16, 2023, HOUSTON, TX – Congressional Candidate Amanda Edwards has raised over $1 million in less than 4 months, a substantial sum that helps bolster the frontrunner status of the former At-Large Houston City Council Member in her bid for U.S. Congress. Edwards raised over $433,000 in Q3 of 2023. This strong Q3 report expands on a successful Q2 where Edwards announced just 11 days after declaring her candidacy that she had raised over $600,000. With over $829,000 in cash-on-hand at the end of the September 30th financial reporting period, Edwards proves again that she is the clear frontrunner in the race. “I am beyond grateful for the strong outpouring of support that will help me to win this race and serve the incredible people of the 18th Congressional District,” said Edwards. “We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s trajectory, and we need to send servant leaders to Congress who can deliver the results the community deserves. The strong support from our supporters will help us to cultivate an 18th Congressional District where everyone in it can thrive.” Edwards said. “Amanda understands the challenges that the hard-working folks of the 18th Congressional District face because she has never lost sight of who she is or where she comes from; she was born and raised right here in the 18th Congressional District of Houston,” said Kathryn McNiel, spokesperson for Edwards’ campaign. Edwards has been endorsed by Higher Heights PAC, Collective PAC, Krimson PAC, and the Brady PAC. She has also been supported by Beto O’Rourke, among many others. About Amanda: Amanda is a native Houstonian, attorney and former At-Large Houston City Council Member. Amanda is a graduate of Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD. Edwards earned a B.A. from Emory University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Edwards practiced law at Vinson & Elkins LLP and Bracewell LLP before entering public service. Edwards is a life-long member of St. Monica Catholic Church in Acres Homes. For more information, please visit www.edwardsforhouston.com

As September 13th rolls around, we extend our warmest birthday wishes to the creative powerhouse, Tyler Perry, a man whose indomitable spirit and groundbreaking work have left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. With his multifaceted talents as an actor, playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director, Tyler Perry has not only entertained but also inspired audiences worldwide, particularly within the African-American community, where his influence and role have been nothing short of powerful. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1969, Tyler Perry’s journey to stardom was a path riddled with adversity. Raised in a turbulent household, he found refuge in writing, using it as a therapeutic outlet. This period of introspection gave rise to one of his most iconic creations, Madea, a vivacious, no-nonsense grandmother who would later become a beloved figure in Perry’s works, offering a unique blend of humor and profound life lessons. Despite facing numerous challenges, including rejection and financial struggles, Perry’s determination and unwavering belief in his abilities propelled him forward. In 1992, he staged his first play, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” which, although met with limited success, was a pivotal moment in his career. Unfazed by initial setbacks, Perry continued to hone his craft, and by 1998, he had successfully produced a string of stage plays that showcased his storytelling prowess.

Calling all teenage student-athletes! If you have dreams of playing college soccer and wish to represent an HBCU, the HBCU ID Camp is your golden opportunity. From 8 am to 5 pm on November 11-12, Houston Sports Park will transform into a hub for aspiring male and female soccer players. Coaches from HBCUs across the nation will be present to evaluate, scout, and offer valuable feedback. Moreover, they might even spot the next soccer prodigy to join their collegiate soccer programs. This camp is not just about honing your soccer skills but also a chance to connect with the HBCU soccer community. You’ll learn the ins and outs of what it takes to excel on the field and in the classroom, which is crucial for a college athlete. The HBCU ID Camp is an excellent platform to network with coaches, learn from experienced athletes, and take the first steps toward your college soccer journey. To secure your spot at this incredible event, don’t forget to register [here](insert registration link). Space is limited to 120 participants, so make sure to reserve your place before it’s too late. It’s time to turn your dreams of playing college soccer into a reality.

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