The Greene County Democrat

Author: greenecodemocratcom

  • Newswire : Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil free from ICE custody in Louisiana

    Source: Anadolu / Getty

    By: Tiffany Hamilton, NewsOne

    After spending over three months in federal immigration detention, Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is finally a free man after being released on Friday  following a federal judge’s ruling that his continued detention was unconstitutional and unsupported by the facts. 
    The decision marks a significant development in a case that has drawn national scrutiny over the Trump administration’s targeting of student protesters and its use of immigration enforcement to silence dissent, especially in relation to the humanitarian crisis and genocide happening in Gaza.
    Judge Michael Farbiarz of the U.S. District Court in New Jersey ordered Khalil’s release on bail from the Jena-LaSalle Immigration Detention Center in rural Louisiana, stating that he is not a flight risk or a threat to public safety.
    “Khalil is not a flight risk, and the evidence that has been presented to me at least, is that he is not a danger to the community, period, full stop,” Farbiarz said from the bench.
    Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and lawful U.S. permanent resident, was arrested on March 8 in front of his Manhattan apartment. Though he had not been arrested or charged for a crime, he was one of the first arrestees in Trump’s immigration crackdown targeting student activists. Following the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia, he had emerged as a prominent spokesperson and negotiator for the student-led movement, a position that his attorneys argue made him a political target.
    “The court concluded there’s no reason he should continue to be detained given the serious harms that are happening, the chill that is happening to his speech and other people’s speech as a result of his detention,” one of his attorneys, Baher Azmy, told CNN.
    The Trump administration had asserted that Khalil should be expelled because of his activism, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio entering a two-page memo as evidence stating that he found that Khalil’s presence in the U.S. “would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.”
    Judge Farbiarz, however, found that the facts proved otherwise, ruling that the Secretary of State’s assertion was not a valid basis for ongoing detention. 
    “It’s overwhelmingly unlikely, I found, that a lawful permanent resident would be detained on the remaining available charge” of failing to accurately fill out an immigration application,” the judge said during Friday’s hearing. 
    Mahmoud Khalil had been accused of providing incomplete information on his green card application, an allegation his lawyers strongly disputed. Despite an earlier ruling allowing the government to pursue that charge, the court found Friday that continued detention was not warranted.
    “There is at least something to the underlying claim that there is an effort to use the immigration charge here to punish the petitioner,” Farbiarz noted. “And of course, that would be unconstitutional.”
    Emerging from the Louisiana detention center Friday evening, Khalil—wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf—raised his fists and smiled broadly as he greeted supporters and legal counsel.
    “Although justice prevailed, it’s long, very long overdue, and this shouldn’t have taken three months,” Khalil told reporters. “The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here. Whether you are a U.S. citizen, an immigrant, or just a person on this land, doesn’t mean that you are less of a human.”
    Khalil’s detention had taken place more than 1,000 miles from his wife, Noor Abdalla, and their newborn son, whom, until Friday, he had not yet met. Speaking on the decision via statement, she shared that the ruling has allowed her to finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing Khalil will be reunited with his family.
    “After more than three months, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and know that Mahmoud is on his way home to me and Deen, who never should have been separated from his father,” Noor Abdalla said in a statement. “We know this ruling does not begin to address the injustices the Trump administration has brought upon our family, and so many others the government is trying to silence for speaking out against Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians,” she added. “But today we are celebrating Mahmoud coming back to New York to be reunited with our little family, and the community that has supported us since the day he was unjustly taken for speaking out for Palestinian freedom.”
    During Friday’s hearing, Khalil’s legal team argued that the case represented “extraordinary circumstances” and was part of a broader pattern of using immigration enforcement to suppress free speech.
    “I’m aware, of my 20 years of representing immigrants, of no other case where the government announced the day that it detained someone that they were detaining them in order to send a message that their arrest would be the first of many, that they were going after student protesters,” Khalil’s attorney Alina Das argued before the court. Despite the administration’s request to temporarily block the release, Judge Farbiarz denied the motion.
    Now free, Khalil expressed gratitude while also emphasizing that others remain unjustly held. “There are still many immigrants inside who are in a place where they shouldn’t have been,” he said.
    While Mahmoud Khalil’s release is a significant victory for due process and the First Amendment, his case remains ongoing in immigration court, and his legal team is preparing to continue challenging the government’s underlying deportation efforts in the weeks ahead.

  • Newswire : Black Americans face unequal burden as U.S. inches closer to war

    By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

    As the United States edges closer to possible military action against Iran, history signals a familiar reality for Black Americans: disproportionate risk, unequal support, and a long legacy of being asked to sacrifice more while receiving less. From World War I through Iraq and Afghanistan, Black servicemembers have routinely been overrepresented in combat roles and underrepresented in decision-making positions.
    Today, although Black Americans make up just over 13% of the U.S. population, they account for nearly 19% of active-duty Army personnel. “When the U.S. goes to war, Black Americans, whether as civilians, enlisted personnel, or military families, often carry a disproportionate share of the burden,” Liscah R. Isaboke, Esq., Managing Partner at Isaboke Law Firm, PLLC, told Black Press USA.
    “Historically, Black service members have been overrepresented in frontline and high-risk roles while underrepresented in officer ranks,” Isaboke said. “This exposure results not only in increased physical danger, but also long-term disparities in access to VA benefits, career advancement, and mental health care upon return.” That overrepresentation is linked to greater economic inequality. 

    Recruitment data shows the military draws heavily from low-income communities, and Black Americans—more likely to face systemic barriers to college and employment—are disproportionately represented among enlistees seeking stability, education, or opportunity. Once enlisted, they are less likely to be promoted into leadership roles, often due to bias in evaluation and selection processes.

    According to the VA’s National Health Study, 21.9% of deployed Black veterans screened positive for PTSD, compared to 14.1% of white veterans. Studies have shown that Black veterans are less likely to receive long-term, culturally competent mental health care and face more barriers to follow-up treatment. Military justice records also reveal that Black service members are more likely to face court-martial than their white counterparts.

    “Black Americans have historically been overrepresented in the U.S. military while being under-protected both at home and abroad,” Cazoshay Marie, a disability advocate, artist, and writer, wrote in an email to Black Press USA. “From the disproportionate impact of PTSD and other invisible war wounds among Black veterans to the lack of adequate support upon returning home, the psychological and socioeconomic costs of war weigh heavily.” “Increased military spending often coincides with the defunding of essential programs—education, healthcare, and community infrastructure—which are lifelines in our communities,” Marie said.
    Those federal divestments have long-term consequences. During the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s estimated that the U.S. spent over $6 trillion on military operations, interest payments, and veteran care. As those expenses ballooned, domestic programs—including housing subsidies, public education investment, and job training—faced cutbacks. Black Americans, already on the receiving end of wealth gaps and institutional neglect, felt those losses acutely.
    In their February 2024 essay “The Race Gap That Shapes American Views of War,” published in Foreign Affairs, Naima Green-Riley of Princeton University and Andrew Leber of Tulane University wrote that Black Americans have consistently been less likely than white Americans to support U.S. wars abroad. The authors cited not only political and moral skepticism but also a deeply rooted sense that these wars are carried out in the name of democracy while offering little tangible benefit to Black communities. “Black Americans are more inclined to ask: Is this war just? Will our people gain anything from it? And what are we sacrificing for a country that so often withholds justice at home?” Green-Riley and Leber wrote.

    The article pointed to cultural responses, including KRS-One’s 2008 track “Our Soldiers,” which critiques the Iraq War and opens with a siren that initially evokes U.S. policing. The song’s hook, “Frontline of the political war,” highlights a dual consciousness: the experience of fighting abroad while being targeted and marginalized at home. “As a historian of public health and policy, I can say that when the U.S. goes to war, Black Americans often shoulder a disproportionate share of both the burden and the consequences—on the battlefield and at home,”
    Dr. Zachary W. Schulz, of the Department of History at Auburn University, told Black Press USA. “Historically, military service has been a double-edged sword for Black Americans,” Schulz said. “From the Civil War through Iraq and Afghanistan, Black soldiers have fought for freedoms abroad they were denied at home. Military service offered mobility, education, and sometimes even a pathway to civil rights advocacy—as in the case of the Double V campaign during WWII—but it also exposed Black personnel to racism within the ranks, limited advancement opportunities, and post-service disparities in veteran care.”
    “Civilians are also deeply affected,” Schulz said. “Wars often fuel economic shifts and labor demands that open up jobs for Black workers—only to see those gains reversed when the war ends. Wartime policing and surveillance disproportionately target Black communities, and anti-war protest movements led by Black activists—think Muhammad Ali or Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Beyond Vietnam’ speech—have historically met with state suppression and public backlash.” “The impact is layered,” Schulz added. “Black Americans are overrepresented among the fighters, under-resourced in the aftermath, and frequently erased from the national narrative of sacrifice.” “We must tell the full truth,” Isaboke concluded. “Black Americans have always shown up for this country, even when this country has not always shown up for them, especially in times of war.”

  • No Kings Rally held in Selma

    Part of the No Kings Rally in Selma

    Special to the Democrat by John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    On Saturday, June 14, a multi-racial group of over one hundred people gathered on the west side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma for a ‘No Kings’ Rally to protest the actions of the Trump Administration that harm low- and moderate-income people and help the richest people in our nation. The rally was sponsored by the Save Ourselves Movement for Justice and Democracy (SOS), Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC), and Indivisible.
    The Selma Rally was one of 13 events held in Alabama and among 2,100 held nationwide which involved 5 million people protesting Trump. This was the largest protest of an American President in history. It was held on the same day as Trump’s birthday parade in Washington D. C.
    The focus of the rallies was opposition to Trump’s immigration and deportation policies; the budget cuts in his reconciliation bill on Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP (Food Stamp and Nutrition Programs), Education, Social Security, and other programs; as well as his attacks on Democracy, Voting Rights and the Rule of Law. Another criticism is Trump’s effort to cut the social safety for vulnerable people to give massive tax cuts to the top one percent of people, multi-millionaires and billionaires in our country.
    Former State Senator Hank Sanders of Selma was the moderator of the No Kings Rally and said that the Selma site was chosen by the sponsors of the rally because of its historical significance to the enactment of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the continuance of Democracy in the United States. ”We have no room for a dictator or a self-proclaimed king in America,” he said.
    Isabella Compas of the Alabama Council for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ), who said she was a child of immigrants, spoke against the actions of the Trump Administration and ICE for rounding up undocumented people from farms, working places, churches, and schools who have committed no crimes. She said that families were separated, and people were sent to detention centers in deplorable conditions. Many have been deported without due process or the chance to get legal assistance. Trump is hurting the economy by taking workers out of the fields, processing plants, hotels and construction sites where they are working to support their families without providing replacement workers.
    Martha Morgan, a retired University of Alabama law professor reported on the many legal challenges to the Trump Administration’s illegal and un-constitional actions. She reported that there are trackers on the Internet monitoring all of the legal actions against Trump. There have been 220 lawsuits so far, 73 have been successful at the initial level. Many are under appeal to appellate courts, and most may eventually reach the Supreme Court, which although aligned 6-3 with conservative members has decided some cases against Trump.
    Another speaker was Annie Pearl Avery, a veteran SNCC civil rights worker, who march across the bridge on Bloody Sunday in 1965. She said, “We cannot give up fighting or Trump will set us back to before the Civil Rights Movement.”
    Faya Rose Toure spoke at the rally holding some Confederate flags that the Daughters of the Confederacy had placed at public places. Faya Rose said she goes around pulling up the flags. “The Confederate flag is a symbol of defiance against the government. Trump would li8ke to take us back to slavery and Jim Crow. We are here today because we cannot allow him to take us back.”
    John Zippert with SOS and the Greene County Health System Board of Directors spoke on the implications of the Trump Medicaid and Medicare budget cuts which will eliminate health care coverage for 15 million people and lead to the closure of many more rural hospitals.
    Azali Fortier, a sophomore at Spellman College and native of Selma, spoke of the concerns of young people facing budget cuts in education for Pell Grants, scholarship, research grants and the banning of books about Black studies. “ We are also worried about the budget cuts on the safety net programs and the attacks on democracy,” she said.
    Charles Flaherty of Marion, Alabama, said this was his first protest rally in fifty years, about the same basic democratic rights, but it will not be my last.
    Near the end of the rally, Hank Sanders asked people at the rally to say where they were from and why they came. For half of the people, including some young people, said this was the first public political rally they had ever participated in. There were several Federal workers who were dismissed and others who were fearful of losing their jobs, under Trump’s directives. Several veterans in the group expressed that they were having problems with securing health care and other benefits from the Veterans Administration
    At the end of the rally, the sponsors urged the attendees to call and write their Senators and Congresspersons about their concerns about budget cuts and attacks on democracy. People were urged to write letters to the editor of their local newspapers. The people were also urged to talk to their neighbors and friends about attending the next rally against Trump to make it even larger and more impactful.
    The next rally in this series is scheduled for July 17, 2025, the “Good Trouble Lives On” to commemorate the work of the late congressman and Civil Rights leader, John Lewis, on the date of his death. The Transformational Justice Coalition will be the national sponsor. More information will be available on their website and the NoKIngs.org website as well.

  • Board approves personnel adjustments for FY 2025

    Greene County School System continues student uniform policy

    The Greene County Board of Education met in regular session, Friday June 13, 2025. The meeting date was adjusted so board members could attend the annual Alabama Association of School Boards Summer Conference, scheduled the week of June 15.
    As part of his report to the board, Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones stated that the Greene County School System would continue its uniform policy for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. He explained that a survey had been sent on May 23, 2025, to school parents to get their input on whether the system should continue or abolish the student uniform requirement. Jones noted that, to date, there were less than 10% responses to the survey. The superintendent acknowledged that the surveys were designed for online responses, therefore, other approaches for responding to the survey may be needed. “Until more information is gathered, the board’s uniform policy will remain in effect,” he said.
    Superintendent Jones also reported that the ACAP reading scores for 3rd graders were received and 11 scholars did not make passing scores. These scholars are currently in summer school and will be eligible to take the reading test again. He noted that all the 8th graders at 
Robert Brown Middle School will advance to the Greene County High School.
    Jones said that although the school system’s report card grade has not been released yet, he did have information indicating that the 11th grade scholars improved on the ACT exam.
    The board approved the following personnel items recommended by the superintendent.
    * Recall Shana Lucy, 3rd grade teacher, Eutaw Primary School.
    * Rescind non-renewal of Dawn Cook, 6th grade teacher at Robert Brown Middle School.
    * Resignations: Dawn Cook, 6th grade teacher – Robert Brown Middle School; Dorothy Jones, School Nurse.
    Employment of Roshonda Clark – Second grade teacher at Eutaw Primary School for the 2025 – 2026 school year.
    Employment of Shalanda Collins – LPN for the system for the 2025 – 2026 school year.
    * Voluntary transfer of Talicia Williams from 6th grade Math TEAMS teacher at Robert Brown Middle School to 7th – 8th grade Math TEAMS teacher at Robert Brown Middle School, effective 2025 – 2025 school year.
    * Voluntary transfer of Robin Campbell from 1st grade teacher at Eutaw Primary School to Kindergarten teacher at Eutaw Primary school, effective 2025 – 2026 school year.
    * Summer feeding CNP workers for Eutaw Primary School at a rate of $19.00 per hour for managers and $17.00 per hour for cooks for six hours per day for four days a week, June 2 – 30, 2025. (Eutaw Primary School will used as a satellite kitchen.);Youlonda Coleman, Manager; Mary Hill, Cook; Loria Henderson, Cook.
    Additional Service Contracts 2025 – 2026 for the following employees at Robert Brown Middle School: (Separate Contract): Henry Miles – Head Football, Assistant Basketball (Girls/Boys); Tavaris Lacy – Assistant Football, Head Basketball (Girls/Boys); Felicia Smith – Cheerleader Sponsor.
    Participation/attendance in the Black Belt STEM Institute Program for implementation of the program at Robert Brown Middle School for the following teacher: (Funding Source: UWA Black Belt STEM Institute): Talicia Williams.
    School Resource Officers for Summer Learning Program at a rate of $15.00 per hour: Eutaw Primary School – Elston Carpenter; Robert Brown Middle School – Jim Knox; Greene County High School – Sidney Carpenter; Alternate as needed – Steve Davis.
    Additional Service Contracts 2025 – 2026 for the following employees at Greene County High School: (Separate Contract):Corey Cockrell – Head Varsity Football; Torethia Mitchell – Head Volleyball; Patricia Maiden – Assistant Volleyball; Tracey Hunter – Head Flag Football; Kiren Greene – Band Director; Paula Calligan-Leftwich – Dance Coach; Drenda Morton – Cheerleader Sponsor; Janice Jeames-Askew – Athletic Director.
    Stipend in the amount of $500 for Marilyn Knott, Counselor at Eutaw Primary School to give the ACAP Supplemental Reading Assessment during the week of June 23 – 27, 2025.
    Stipend in the amount of $100 for Carolyn Daniels, Special Education teacher at Eutaw Primary School to give the ACAP Supplemental Reading Assessment during the week of June 23 – 27, 2025.
    Bus Drivers to transport students to Stillman College for the Blackbelt Scholars STEM program that runs from June 23 – July 18, 2025: (Funding Source: Black Belt Scholars): Teresa Hill; Marilyn Finch.
    Transportation personnel for Summer Learning Program at rate of $25 for morning route and $25 for afternoon route for the equivalent of $50 per day: Arleen Jackson – Bus Aide.
    Transportation personnel for Summer Learning Program at rate of $50 for morning route and $50 for afternoon route for the equivalent of $100 per day: (Bus Drivers): Eddie Coats; George Pippen; Carla Russell; Gerald Holloway; Jerdin Grays; Natasha Lewis; Ayanna Crawford; Marcus Steele; James Gaines (SUB); Johnny Pelt (SUB).
    TEAMS Contracts 2025 – 26 for the following: Funding: ALSDE – Dutchess Jones – GCHS, Math (1 Year Contract); Krystal Flantroy – GCHS, Science (1 Year Contract); Lorissa Holder – GCHS, Science(1 Year Contract) Nashondra Ruffin – RBMS. Science (1 Year Contract); Talicia Williams – RBMS, Math (1 Year Contract); Kaneeda Coleman – GCHS, Math (Year 4, Expires June 30, 2027).
    The board approved the following administrative items.
    Amended contract between Greene County Board of Education and Educate to Excellence. *Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Wallace Community College Selma/Demopolis to establish a Dual Enrollment for Dual Credit program, which enables eligible high school students to enroll in college-level courses through the College to dually earn credits for a high school diploma and a postsecondary educational credential.
    Service agreement between Greene County Board of Education and SchoolDog Solutions to participate in the SchoolDog Pilot Program (Funding Source: SDE).
    Quote from Tennessee Valley Metal to replace/repair awning at Robert Brown Middle in the amount of $43,687.
    FY 2025 Budget Amendments.
    Quote from Forefront Education to purchase required software approved by ALSDE for the Fractional Reasoning Screener that is to be given to 4th and 5th grade students in the amount of $2,280.
    Quote from M & H Construction to replace the flooring in front office of Robert Brown Middle School in the amount of $11,500.
    Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
    Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
    Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Quitt Consulting to provide speech-language therapy services in the system for the 2025-2026 school year.
    Elevator Project at Robert Brown Middle School, contingent upon review and formal approval by the Department of Construction Management.
    CSFO Marquita Lennon presented the following financial snapshot ending May 31, 2025.
    Operating Reserve: 7.47 months combined general fund reserve; 7.53 months cash reserve. All bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund Bank Balance totaled $7,945,266.66, (reconciles to the Summary Cash Report); Accounts Payable Check Register totaled $342,782.30; Payroll Register totaled $928,488.68 – (total gross pay, to include employer match items). Combined Ending Fund Balance: $8,012,836.21. Local revenue sources: Property taxes – $50,357.05; Sales taxes – $93,776.64; Other taxes – $7,901.32; Total – $152,038.01.
    CSFO Lennon also presented budget amendments for Fiscal year 2025, including carryovers from the previous year, for which the system is allowed two years to expend.
    Attorney Hank Sanders reported that although some bingo facilities have resumed operations in Greene County, contracts for community disbursements have not been worked out. Sanders also stated that Historical Horse Racing and Simulcasting is regulated by the Greene County Racing Commission, not the sheriff’s office.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Newswire : Juneteenth 2025: Chavis urges America to confront the enduring legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

    Cover of book on the Transatlantic Slave Trade

    New York, NY – As the nation marks Juneteenth—commemorating June 19, 1865, when federal troops enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas—Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. calls for a deeper reckoning with the global and generational impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

    Chavis, a renowned civil rights leader, former executive director of the Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. an accomplished journalist and author and senior national correspondent for Black Press USA.

    The book features a powerful foreword by hip-hop legend Chuck D and is endorsed by NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas.


    A Legacy That Still Shapes Lives:

    Environmental Racism: Dr. Chavis coined the term “environmental racism” in the early 1980s. His 1986 study, Toxic Waste and Race, revealed how hazardous waste sites disproportionately impact communities of color—leading to widespread health disparities and environmental injustice.
    Mass Incarceration, Inequality, and Systemic Racism: “The chains of slavery may have been broken,” Chuck D writes, “but the shackles of systemic racism are still very much intact.” The book links modern injustices—from police brutality to education gaps—directly to slavery’s legacy.
    Global Repercussions: The transatlantic slave trade left marks not only on American soil but around the globe, influencing foreign policy, economic disparity, and racial inequality from the U.S. to the Caribbean and beyond.
    Modern-Day Consequences: From gentrification and poverty to voter suppression and underfunded schools, Black communities continue to face barriers rooted in this centuries-old system of oppression.

    “Too many still refuse to connect the dots between slavery and today’s racial injustices,” said Dr. Chavis. “This book is a wake-up call—a demand for awareness and a call to action.”
    A Must-Read for a Nation in Reflection:

    The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Overcoming the 500-Year Legacy is a timely, urgent, and unapologetic look at how the horrors of the past continue to shape present-day realities. It honors the resilience of Black people while demanding America finally reckon with truth and justice.

    The book is available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel and your local book store.

  • Newswire : For the first time in its 116-year history, the NAACP won’t invite the sitting President to their Annual Convention

    By Lauren Burke, NNPA Correspondent


    Citing Trump’s “attacking our democracy,” the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will not invite President Donald Trump to its national convention this year. The decision marks the first time that America’s oldest civil rights organization will exclude a sitting president at its convention. In a statement on the evening of June 16, the reasons were made clear.
    “Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights. He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections; he has illegally turned the military on our communities, and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government,” the statement from the NAACP read in part.
    The NAACP’s statement referred to President Trump’s recent decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles after protests against ICE detentions and abductions sent fear through parts of the Los Angeles community. The White House responded to the NAACP’s June 16 statement. “The NAACP isn’t advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe. This is the same vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported in the resounding reelection of President Trump,” stated White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a written statement. Since he took office in January 2025 for his second term in The White House there has been a clear anti-Black policy focus pushed by the Trump Administration. Trump and members of his cabinet have constantly attacked diversity and inclusion since taking office.
    The Trump Administration has also fired without cause several Black officials in top roles such as General CQ Brown, who was Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Dr. Carla Hayden, who served as the Librarian of Congress.  It was reported in early April that books on racism, civil rights and the Black experience have been removed from the library at the U.S. Military Academy in Annapolis. The reason was the stated policy by the Trump Administration against “diversity” and “inclusion.”
    “For 116 years, the NAACP has invited the sitting president of the United States to address the NAACP National Convention — regardless of their political party. There is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending our convention — from Harry Truman to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and beyond. We’re nonpartisan and always welcome those who believe in democracy and the Constitution,” the organization led by Derrick Johnson, also stated. Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush addressed racism during their speeches to the NAACP. The organization’s annual convention is one of the largest gatherings of Black leadership in the U.S. each year.

  • Newswire : As housing costs go up, HUD proposes a 51% budget cut

    Center for Responsible Lending

    By Charlene Crowell


     

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – According to the National Association of Home Builders, nearly 75 percent of families – 100.6 million households – cannot afford a median priced new home in 2025. With a price tag of $459,826 and an accompanying 30-year mortgage rate of about 6.5 percent, it’s no surprise that both families and government are challenged like never before when it comes to securing affordable housing.
     
    For much of Black America, affording a home is even harder due to pernicious and persistent income and wealth inequality. A February analysis of Census Bureau data by Lending Tree found that:
     
    Black households earned a median income of $56,490 in 2023– 33 percent less than the $84,630 earned by white households;
    Black Americans hold 3.4 percent of the nation’s wealth, although they make up 13.7 percent of the population, while white Americans hold 84.2 percent of national wealth, while making up 58.4 percent of the population; and
    Black workers earned a median of $962 weekly in the third quarter of 2024, versus $1,184 among white workers.
    Despite these disturbing figures, the proposed fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would walk away from affordable housing concerns. The proposed budget reductions will eliminate long-standing programs and further reduce HUD staffing, while giving states block grants to craft their own versions of programs and funding priorities.
     
    “President Trump’s bold budget proposes a reimagining of how the federal government addresses affordable housing and community development,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner in a written statement. “Importantly, it furthers our mission-minded approach at HUD of taking inventory of our programs and processes to address the size and scope of the federal government, which has become too bloated and bureaucratic to efficiently function.”
     
    Where the administration envisions “requiring states and localities to have skin in the game,” this proposal sidesteps large concerns that would affect every state: the capacity, expertise, and additional funding to design, deliver, and sustain affordable housing services.  HUD programs funded this year at $89.1 billion, would drop to $43.5 billion in FY 2026.
     
     Popular programs slated for elimination include:
    Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – $3.3 billion in formula grants to over 1,200 state and local governments for a wide range of community and economic development activities.
    HOME Investment Partnerships Program – another $1.25 billion formula grant that provides state and local governments with funding to expand local housing; and 

    Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) – $56 million in competitive grants to public and private fair housing organizations to advocate against single family neighborhoods and promote equity policies. 
    As recently reported by Bloomberg News, an internal report estimates that HUD will have lost the majority of legal managers at its field offices, including half of the managing attorneys in its Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle offices, by September 30. Other planned HUD staff reductions will eliminate 75 percent of its managers in Boston, and all of its managers in Denver. Many remaining staff would be asked to relocate – at their own expense – to avoid future staff reductions.
     
    Housing stakeholders strongly oppose these cuts.
     
    For example, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has been an affordable housing advocacy organization for 50 years. This nonprofit, nonpartisan group draws upon the knowledge and expertise of the nation’s state Housing Finance Agencies and their more than 350 affiliate members who together partner to provide affordable housing.
     
    “Overall, the changes proposed in the FY26 budget envision a dramatic reduction in federal support for affordable housing and a major restructuring of how the remaining federal assistance is delivered,” wrote Robert Henson, NCSHA’s Senior Housing Policy Specialist. “In total, the budget requests $43.5 billion in discretionary budget authority for HUD in FY26, as compared to $89.1 billion in FY25, representing a 51 percent decrease year over year.” 
     
    The DC-based Urban Institute expressed similar concerns about the so-called “skinny budget” proposal. 
     
    “Because states, unlike the federal government, must balance their budgets each year, major shifts in federal housing development funding would hinder states’ abilities to continue funding programs and projects, including efforts to increase affordable housing,” wrote the Urban Institute’s Kathryn Reynolds, its Principal Policy Associate and Gabriella Garriga, Research Analyst.
     
    With Congress yet to decide the fate of FY 2026 agency budgets, there is still time for communities, advocates, and others to stand up in support of affordable housing. A strong showing of broad and diverse support for housing and urban development is needed now like never before.
     
    As California Congresswoman Maxine Waters recently said, “At a time when homelessness is surging, with over 771,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, President Trump is proposing the wholesale destruction of our federal housing safety net… Housing costs are going up, not down and this budget will ensure that homelessness goes up as well.” 
     
    Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org”

  • Newswire : Israel and Iran! will there be U.S. involvement?

    Israeli and Iranian flags

    By April Ryan, NNPA White House Correspondent

    President Trump has not conferred with Congress on his plans regarding possible next moves in the Israel-Iran conflict. Meanwhile, Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has introduced a bill narrowing President Trump’s war powers as the Middle East strikes escalate.
    Yesterday, the 47th president cut short his trip to Canada for the G-7 Summit, blaming the Middle East warring for his abbreviated appearance. The president also convened his national security team to meet in the Situation Room at the White House and told those who lived in Tehran to evacuate immediately. There are videos on social media showing the long car lines leaving the city as strikes between Israel and Iran continue.
    Black Press USA reached a White House senior staffer who said they could not discuss this national security issue. However, this morning, the White House issued this release stating:
    President Trump Has Always Been Clear: Iran Cannot Have a Nuclear Weapon

    President Donald J. Trump has never wavered in his stance that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon — a pledge he has made repeatedly, both in office and on the campaign trail. Within the email statement to the press, the White House cites a long list of stories to support his statement.

    Since taking office, President Trump has clearly stated no fewer than 15 times that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon:

    “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple — you don’t have to go to too deep into it. They just can’t have a nuclear weapon.” (6/17/25)
    “I want to see no nuclear weapon in Iran, and we’re well on our way to making sure that happens.” (6/16/25)
    “You can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon.” (6/14/25)
    “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. We’re not going to allow that.” (6/11/25)

    Black Press USA will continue to update you on the situation.

  • County approves City’s use of Activity Center for Municipal Election; approves agreement for storm shelter in District 5

    The Greene County Commission met in regular session Monday, June 9, 2025 with all Commissioners present, except for Commissioner Corey Cockrell. The Commission approved the request from the City of Eutaw to use the County’s Activity Center for its August Municipal Election, scheduled for August 26, 2025. The Activity Center will be the polling site for the City’s District 2 voters. In a previous meeting, the Commission approved the city’s request for use of its voting machines.
    The Commission also acted on the following:
    Approved minutes of previous meeting.
    Approved Finance Report and Payment of Claims as of May 31, 2025.
    * Approved the 2025-2026 Blue Cross Blue Shield contract, noting it is the same as the previous year.
    * Approved the appointment of Commissioner Allen Turner, Jr. to the Association of County Commissioner of Alabama (ACCA) Legislative Committee.
    * Approved the agreement with Johnny Archibald allowing the county to build a Storm Shelter on his property located in District 5. The county had to abandon consideration of the SCORE property in Boligee to build the Storm Shelter due to its location in the flood plain.
    * Approved the CDBG grant and the 10% match of $50,000 to be paid out of ALDOT 3R funds, (Alabama Department of Transportation resources for Resurfacing, Restoration and Rehabilitation.
    * Approved the recommendation from the County Engineer to participate in the West Alabama Regional Safety Management Plan.
    * Approved the request from the Society of Folk Arts & Culture to have access to restrooms in county courthouse during Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, August 23 and 24, 2025.
    Tabled executive session, expressing condolences for family of County Attorney Mark Parnell at loss of his wife.
    The CFO’s report as of May 31, 2025, included the following. Accounts Payable totaled $1,353,134.31; Payroll Transfer totaled $423,987.23; Fiduciary totaled $69,614.78; Electronic Claims paid totaled $73,056.90. Citizen Trust Bank unrestricted funds – $1,683,181.46; restricted funds – $4,828,545.95. Merchant & Farmers Bank unrestricted funds – $1,223,883.46 (bingo funds); restricted funds – $2,884,356.18; CD’s & Investments totaled $1,899,895.11.

  • 61st anniversary of “Bloody Tuesday” in Tuscaloosa celebrates and honors the footsoldiers who made that day happen and seeks a direction to go forward

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    On Sunday afternoon there was a commemoration of “Bloody Tuesday” at the First African Baptist Church in downtown Tuscaloosa. The same church, where 500 Black protestors were gathered on June 9, 1964, to follow pastor, Rev. T. Y. Rogers, in a non-violent march to the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse, to protest the segregated facilities including separate bathrooms and water fountains, in the county’s central public building.
    The marchers were turned back by local law enforcement and deputized local segregationists. The marchers were then beaten and tear-gassed in the church, which also sustained significant physical damage. It was the greatest assault on a Black church during the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement. More people were assaulted and injured than in the attack on marchers on “Bloody Sunday”, eight months later in Selma, Alabama.
    Bloody Tuesday was a turning point in the civil rights movement in Tuscaloosa. Rev. T. Y. Rogers, a native of Sumter County and an assistant to Dr. Martin Luther King, continued to organize and rally people to desegregate facilities and services in Tuscaloosa, which was home to the University of Alabama and the state headquarters of the Klu Klux Klan, at that time.
    Dr. Ramsey O’Daniel, current Chairperson of the Tuscaloosa Bloody Tuesday Committee gave a welcome to the 200 people assembled for the commemoration. The Bloody Sunday Mass Choir sang enthusiastically throughout the program.
    Ulysses Lavender, Bloody Tuesday Committee leader gave the occasion for the program. He stressed the theme of “Celebrating a Turning Point and Where do we go from here”. He praised the people who came to the church to march and protest. He said only a small number, mostly young people at the time, are still living. “These footsolders sacrificed for all of us, now we must finish the job they started to reach full equality and justice for all people.”
    Dr. John M. Giggie, Professor of History at the University of Alabama, who wrote the book, Bloody Tuesday: The Fight for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa, published by Oxford University Press in 2024, which is the definitive book on this incident in civil rights history, spoke next on the program. Dr. Giggie is also a member of the Bloody Tuesday Committee and spent ten years researching and interviewing footsolders, in writing his book, which was published last year.
    Dr. Giggie reported on his book tour since last year’s 60th celebration of Bloody Tuesday. He said the questions he is most asked at presentations are 1. Why people do not know about ‘Bloody Tuesday’ in Tuscaloosa; 2. Why Dr. King did not return to Tuscaloosa, after Bloody Tuesday, and 3. What can people do and what are people doing to continue the legacy of Bloody Tuesday.
    Giggie said that people do not know as much about Bloody Tuesday as they do about Bloody Sunday in Selma because the press coverage was suppressed by local civic leadership and news sources. They said that there was a riot by Black people in Tuscaloosa which was handled locally. The press also shifted its civil rights attention to the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer and the murder of 3 civil rights workers – Chaney, Goodwin and Schwerner – in Neshoba County, Miss.
    He says based on his studies that Dr. King did not return to Tuscaloosa, after Bloody Tuesday, “Because Tuscaloosa had all that it needed to sustain a movement. It had a trusted leader in Rev. T. Y. Rogers, backed by local religious leaders, courageous footsoldiers and women who were working in fundraising. It also had the support of young people including high school students and Stillman College students. Tuscaloosa had what it needed, Dr. King could turn his attention to other communities.
    In answer to the last questions, Giggle said that the Bloody Tuesday Committee has made progress in getting support from Tuscaloosa officials to recognize the lack of accountability by their predecessors. The city has named streets for footsoldiers like Maxie Thomas. It is also building a park to honor Rev. Linton who was a church leader backing Rev. T. Y. Rogers. The committee has also brought footsoldiers and the hidden history of Bloody Sunday to the schools of Tuscaloosa. Dr. Giggie in concluding his remarks said “ Ask the civil rights veteran and footsoldiers how you can help and what you should do now to further the movement in Tuscaloosa.
    Two other guest speakers, Rev. Vernon Swift, Pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church and Rev. David E. Gray, Pastor of Mount Buelah Baptist Church and Director of Whatley Health Services, gave remarks related to the biblical passage concerning God’s transferring the mantle of leadership from Moses to Joshua. They spoke on the importance of people taking the leadership that the footsoldiers gave six decades ago and making the continuing social changes needed in Tuscaloosa today, under the guidance of God.
    Ms. Irene Byrd, herself a footsoldier from 1964, recognized the footsoldiers in the audience, who she asked to stand. About a dozen people stood up to be recognized. Ms. Byrd said, “We don’t know the names of all the people who were in the church that day, known and unknown, those who came with shoes and those who were barefoot, those who were fashionably dressed and those who were in raggedy clothes, ready to go to jail.” She thanked everyone for coming and invited all to join the Blood Tuesday Committee. Ms. Ruby Simon also recognized the sponsors of the meeting.
    In his closing remarks, Dr. Ransey O’Daniel said there were only a few people left who were in the church on June 9, 2025, but we all must be footsoldiers for the changes needed in our city, state, nation and society going forward.
    Persons interested in joining the Bloody Tuesday Committee, can send the yearly $20 membership fee to: Bloody Tuesday Committee, c/o Van-Hoose and Steele Funeral Home, 2615 Stillman Blvd., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.