Greene County Democrat

Category: Community

  • 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.

  • Felecia Lucky to depart 
Black Belt Community Foundation

    Felecia Lucky  and Christopher Spencer

    Board unanimously appoints Chief Community Engagement Officer 
Christopher Spencer as new CEO and President

    (June 10, 2025) SELMA, AL— Black Belt Community Foundation today announced founding Chief Executive Officer and President Felecia Lucky plans to step down from her role, effective September 30, 2025.

    The board has unanimously appointed Black Belt native Christopher Spencer, the foundation’s Chief Community Engagement Officer, to succeed Lucky.

    Lucky, who has led the foundation throughout its entire 21-year history, is leaving to become President and CEO at the F.B. Heron Foundation.

    “Felecia has been a visionary leader and a tireless champion for the Black Belt,” said Kennard Randolph, chairman of the foundation’s board. “Over the past two-plus decades, she has put our community at the front and center — making sure every decision is made with the input and guidance of the people of the Black Belt. She has built an extraordinary organization and we wish her nothing but the best as she moves into this next chapter.”

    Under Lucky’s leadership, BBCF has become a powerful force for change in one of the nation’s most economically challenged regions through strategic investments and innovative community-led initiatives.

    During her tenure, BBCF has deployed nearly $100 million into the Black Belt through partnerships with more than 200 regional nonprofit organizations throughout the Black Belt and with the guidance of 150 Community Associates.

    The foundation has also formed partnerships with some of the nation’s leading philanthropic and academic institutions — including the Ford Foundation; Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation; F.B. Heron Foundation; Alabama Power Foundation; the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; NOVO Foundation; The Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation; Black Voters Matter Fund; The Educational Foundation of America; Wellspring Philanthropic Fund; Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; The Daniel Foundation of Alabama; The Regions Foundation; Protective Life Foundation; Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation; U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities; Trust for Civic Life; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama; HOPE Enterprise Corporation/HOPE Credit Union; Office of Head Start; the Alabama State Council on the Arts; the University of Alabama; the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Auburn University; and Tuskegee University.

    “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve BBCF and the Black Belt. Together, we’ve built something special,” Lucky said. “The decision to leave is a difficult and emotional one, yet I feel this new opportunity is my next calling. Heron shares our commitment to supporting communities in shaping their own future. That’s exactly what we’ve done in the Black Belt and it will be an honor to continue this work at a national level.”

    Spencer, a native of Bellamy, began working with BBCF more than 20 years ago as a Community Associate and has spent his adult life serving his country and his community. He was awarded the prestigious Gen. Douglas McArthur Leadership Award as an Army officer during Operation Desert Storm and is Pastor of the St. Matthew-Weston Missionary Baptist Church of Boligee.

    Before joining BBCF, he worked in education at the Sumter County Board of Education and as Director for Resource Development for Community Engagement at the University of Alabama. He previously served as Vice Chairman of the Sumter County Commission and was recently appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey as a Trustee for Alabama State University.

    He’ll assume his new role with BBCF on October 1, 2025.

    “The strength of this organization is its people. I don’t know of another community foundation that works the way we work — guided by the voice of the people in our community,” Spencer said. “Felecia and our board have built and nurtured this culture. As I move into this role, we’re going to continue to nurture the seed that’s been planted so we can continue to support and empower the Black Belt.”

    About Black Belt Community Foundation
    Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) serves 12 counties of the Alabama Black Belt — dedicated to improving the quality of life in the region through education, the arts, economic development, housing, health and wellness and community engagement. Since its founding, BBCF has awarded millions in grants and scholarships to support local initiatives and empower future leaders.

  • Newswire : NIH dismantling draws fierce rebuke from within

    By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

    The Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are drawing sharp criticism from scientists, civil rights advocates, and health equity researchers who warn that the reductions are disproportionately harming African Americans and other historically marginalized communities.

    The newly released Bethesda Declaration—signed by more than 2,300 NIH staff, Nobel laureates, and public health leaders—calls out politically motivated funding terminations and staff layoffs that have jeopardized decades of life-saving research. Signatories accuse NIH leadership of abandoning its core mission to enhance health and reduce illness in favor of partisan interference. “NIH has stigmatized and abruptly cut off funding for research mislabeled ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI),’” the declaration states. “Achieving your stated goal to ‘solve the American chronic disease crisis’ requires research addressing the social and structural drivers of health disparities.”

    A particularly striking example came in May when NIH canceled a $9 million UCSF clinical trial studying the effects of guaranteed income on 300 low-income Black young adults in the Bay Area. The study had been offering $500 per month to participants to assess how economic stability could improve health and life outcomes. Its abrupt termination undermined both the research and the trust built with community participants, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle.

    Researchers and NIH employees decried the move. “Ending a $5 million research study when it is 80% complete does not save $1 million—it wastes $4 million,” the declaration warns. More importantly, they note, it leaves vulnerable populations without the benefit of critical scientific findings directly relevant to their lives. The effects extend far beyond California. An analysis by Stat News revealed that the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities suffered funding cuts of approximately 30%—a far deeper reduction than experienced by most NIH branches. The institute is responsible for investigating conditions disproportionately affecting African Americans and other communities of color, such as hypertension, diabetes, maternal mortality, and mental health disparities.

    “Broad participation in biomedical research is critical,” NIH staff wrote in the declaration. “Due to misunderstanding of its workforce diversity programs, NIH terminated top-scoring grants to scientists from underrepresented backgrounds, while maintaining poorer-scoring grants from standard pathways.” These actions have not only halted progress in understanding and addressing racial health disparities but also disrupted the careers of many researchers committed to equity-based science.
    The declaration outlines that since January 20, 2025, the NIH has canceled 2,100 grants totaling $9.5 billion and contracts worth an additional $2.6 billion. Many of these terminated programs focused on COVID-19 and long COVID—conditions that have disproportionately impacted Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. Others addressed the health effects of climate change, gender identity, and sexual health—fields closely tied to the experiences of marginalized groups.
    The signers also warn that NIH staffing and infrastructure cuts have slowed research, jeopardized clinical trials, and undermined public trust. Layoffs targeting essential personnel, they say, have made the agency less efficient, less transparent, and more politically vulnerable. Freeman Hrabowski, President Emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and at least 21 Nobel laureates—including Dr. Drew Weissman and Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi—are among the high-profile backers of the Bethesda Declaration.
    “Each day that NIH continues to disrupt research, your ability to deliver on this duty narrows,” the signers warn NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who has come under scrutiny for allowing political considerations to override peer review, academic freedom and ethical obligations to study participants.
    The harms of these policies are not theoretical; they are real. They are already unfolding—cutting short vital research on chronic illness, mental health, and economic justice, and widening disparities in communities that have long faced the worst outcomes and the least investment. “We, the undersigned, stand united with these courageous and selfless public servants,” the declaration concludes. “Together, we stand up for science.”

  • Newswire : The Travel Bans Chilling Impact

    By April Ryan, NNPA White House Correspondent

    “Another shameful moment for our nation’s foreign policy” is what ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Greg Meeks calls President Trump’s latest travel ban on 12 countries. President Trump reinstated his first-term travel ban based on national security concerns. Beginning June 9, 2025, at 12:01, citizens of the designated countries are banned from entering the United States.
    The entry bans citizens from the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

    The 12 countries on the travel ban list comprise seven African nations and one Caribbean nation. This ban will impact commerce and possibly diplomatic relations with these countries. Congressman Meeks says, “Trump’s travel ban is discriminatory from the ground up, and ultimately self-defeating—it even betrays our Afghan allies who supported U.S. troops over our twenty-year war and were waiting for their visas to enter the United States.”
    President Trump also signed a ban on international students attending Harvard University, a school he has been battling with over issues such as antisemitism on campus and discrimination against white, Asian, male, and straight individuals. The Trump administration is also concerned with China’s foreign influence and perceived woke ideology. Chioma Chookwoo of American Oversight says, “A quarter of Harvard’s student population is international.” Harvard has challenged these actions in court and won a preliminary injunction to halt the denial of student visas.
    The latest travel ban has far-reaching implications for higher education in the United States. North Carolina Democratic Congresswoman Alma Adams told Black Press USA, “Nationwide, we have more than 1 million international students who contribute $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year.” In Adam’s home district, she says the University of North Carolina at Charlotte” has 2,000 international students from nearly 100 countries.” The congresswoman, who also is a member of the House Committee on Education, says, “These students are coming to our country to better their education and consistently give more than they receive.”
    “Between this latest travel ban, the freeze on student visa processing, and other chilling actions to deter international students, the Trump administration is creating a self-inflicted brain drain that further damages our economy and undermines U.S. influence and soft power,” offered Meeks.