L to F: Dr. Yolanda Paige, President of Stillman College, John Haywood III, Sharon Harrison, Weaver-Bolden Librarian, George Haywood, and Marti Ball, Library staff member
Two brothers, George and John Haywood, recently visited the Weaver Bolden Library in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The library is named for their maternal grandfather, George Weaver, who was the first Black doctor in Tuscaloosa, who operated the Stillman Hospital for Black people.
This was their first visit to Alabama, although they often heard stories about the family’s ancestral home at the dinner table when they were growing up. At his death, Weaver left his collection of books to establish a library for Black people on the west side of Tuscaloosa. Librarian Ruth Bolden, resigned from her job with the school system to establish the library in the 1940’s, which later became a part of the Tuscaloosa Public Library system.
The brother’s mother was Marie Weaver Haywood, who taught at Lincoln School in Marion and Stillman College in Tuscaloosa before marrying and moving to the Washington D. C. area. When she was teaching at the Lincoln School, their mother taught Coretta Scott (King) in the eighth grade.
John Haywood III (78) spent additional days visiting civil rights movement sites in Greene, Sumter, Dallas, Hale and Montgomery counties.
In a monumental move to address the underrepresentation of Black physicians in the United States, Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a $600 million donation to the endowments of four historically Black medical schools. Officials said the donation is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, which aims to advance racial wealth equity and address systemic underinvestment in Black institutions and communities. Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine will each receive $175 million, while Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science will receive $75 million. Additionally, Bloomberg said $5 million in seed funding will support creating a new historically Black medical school in New Orleans, the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine.
The historic investment will more than double the endowments of three medical schools, significantly boosting their financial stability and capacity to educate future Black physicians.
A recent study highlighted the need for such support, revealing that only 5.7% of U.S. physicians identify as Black or African American. This is despite Black Americans comprising 13% of the population. According to research, treating black patients by black doctors results in better health outcomes and more frequent medical care. For instance, Black patients are 34% more likely to receive preventative care if they see Black doctors. The four historically Black medical schools receiving funding reportedly graduate around half of all Black doctors in the U.S. but have been traditionally underfunded due to systemic inequities, including lower federal and state support. Since the early 1900s, discriminatory practices and the impacts of the Flexner Report have led to the closure of 10 Black medical schools in the United States. The financial boost from Bloomberg Philanthropies should have a transformative impact.
Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, Democratic presidential candidate, and founder of Bloomberg LP, will formally announce the donation at the National Medical Association’s annual convention. “This gift will empower new generations of Black doctors to create a healthier and more equitable future for our country,” Bloomberg said.
In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies granted $100 million to these same medical schools to reduce the debt load of enrolled students facing severe financial burdens exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president of Morehouse School of Medicine, noted that the 2020 gift relieved an average of $100,000 in debt for each student, significantly enhancing the school’s ability to fundraiser and support its students. Denise Smith, deputy director of higher education policy and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, emphasized the importance of such philanthropic gifts. She pointed to MacKenzie Scott’s donations to HBCUs in 2020 and 2021 as pivotal in sparking increased support from other large donors. “Donations that have followed are the type of momentum and support that institutions need in this moment,” Smith told the Associated Press.
Dr. Yolanda Lawson, president of the National Medical Association, expressed relief upon hearing about Bloomberg’s gift, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down affirmative action and attacks on programs promoting inclusion and equity.
“This opportunity and this investment affect not only just those four institutions but our country’s health and future,” Lawson asserted.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Shutting down the destructive rhetoric of the 34-times convicted and twice-impeached former President Donald Trump’s legal defense, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that the GOP presidential nominee presented “no meaningful evidence” of political targeting by the Biden administration. Chutkan dismissed Trump’s allegations that the White House or the Justice Department pursued him out of political animus or his refusal to accept the 2020 election results as “baseless.” In her comprehensive 16-page opinion, Judge Chutkan dismantled Trump’s attempt to dismiss his Washington, D.C., criminal case, which charges him with orchestrating conspiracies to subvert the 2020 election. Chutkan asserted that Trump’s claims of political pressure from President Joe Biden were “unsubstantiated” and relied on flimsy, inaccurately described evidence. “The charges describe a sweeping attempt to manipulate and deceive government authorities to undermine the lawful 2020 election results,” Chutkan wrote. She further determined that, based on anonymously sourced articles, Trump’s assertions failed to demonstrate any directive from Biden or the White House influencing the prosecution. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung responded defiantly, stating, “The Crazy Kamala Harris — Crooked Joe Biden Witch Hunts against President Trump have imploded just like their failed campaign.” Cheung said that Trump’s team would continue to combat the charges vigorously. The ruling marks Chutkan’s first major decision since the case resumed in her courtroom following an eight-month hiatus to address disputes over presidential immunity. The judge has set deadlines for court filings next week and a hearing on August 16 to discuss the case’s timeline. Trump’s wildly inaccurate claims hinged on reports from The Washington Post and The New York Times about internal Justice Department deliberations and Biden’s frustration with the investigation’s pace. However, Chutkan found no evidence of politically motivated actions. “There is no indication that President Biden ever communicated any such directives to the Attorney General or the Justice Department,” Chutkan stated. Additionally, Chutkan rejected Trump’s argument that the prosecution in the election case was retaliatory after his not-guilty plea in a separate classified information case. She clarified that accepting such a claim would create a loophole for defendants to derail cases against them by merely pleading not guilty and publicly criticizing the prosecution. The ruling emerges amid the broader political context of the 2024 presidential race, where the Supreme Court has become a focal issue. Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee, has emphasized the conservative court’s impact on issues such as abortion and affirmative action. Biden’s three-prong proposal to reform the Supreme Court issued a week ago, which includes imposing term limits for justices and establishing a binding code of conduct, has gained Harris’s support. The proposal addresses the declining public confidence in the court, exacerbated by recent decisions, including granting Trump some criminal immunity for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election results. Harris’s stance on reproductive rights and Supreme Court reform is expected to be a central theme in the November election. Incidentally, prominent media personality Charlamagne Tha God has voiced severe concerns about the Supreme Court’s legitimacy, predicting a potential constitutional crisis if Trump loses and then challenges the election results. “The Supreme Court is no longer a legitimate institution,” he asserted. “When you look at the recent rulings — abolishing Roe v. Wade, granting presidential immunity for crimes, allowing elected officials to take bribes — it’s clear the Court is compromised.” Charlamagne continued: “To be 100 percent clear, I absolutely believe that come November, if he loses, Donald Trump is going to challenge the results of the election, and I think the Supreme Court would overturn the results. I don’t know why we would expect them to do the right thing.”
Panel of Black female journalists question Donald Trump at NABJ convention
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Donald Trump’s controversial appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago may have been even more of a disaster than most had anticipated. The nasty vitriol the twice-impeached former president immediately brought should only heighten calls for the hierarchy of NABJ to resign. The disgraceful event began with tension as well-respected ABC News journalist Rachel Scott asked Trump about his past racist comments and why Black voters should trust him. “First of all, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner,” Trump responded. His statement was met with audible gasps from the audience, setting a combative tone for the 34-minute discussion that followed a nearly hour-long delay. During the discussion, Trump, among his many rant-filled and off the rail’s diatribes, questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial identity, asking, “Is she Indian or is she Black?” He falsely claimed that Harris, who has long identified as Black and attended a historically Black university, previously identified as Indian before “all of a sudden” becoming Black. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Trump’s comments as “repulsive” and “insulting,” asserting that “no one has any right to tell someone who they are.” The 34 times convicted felon and former president also reiterated his openness to pardoning January 6 rioters, stating, “If they’re innocent, I would pardon them.” When Scott drew attention to their convictions, Trump dissembled by asserting falsely that pro-Palestinian protesters had attacked the Capitol last week, confusing it with the recent protests at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station. Throughout the panel discussion, which included Scott, FOX News personality and Trump apologist Harris Faulkner, and Kadia Goba from Semafor, Trump continued to clash with the audience and the panelists. He labeled Scott “nasty” for her questions, prompting shouts of “false” and boos from the crowd. Trump also addressed his running mate, J.D. Vance, downplaying the significance of a running mate following Vance’s controversial remarks about childless women. Toward the event’s conclusion, Trump declared his intentions to “close the border” and lower energy prices and interest rates if re-elected. “I want people to come into our country, but they have to be vetted, and they have to be checked,” he told the crowd. He also doubled down on his insult to African Americans by stating that illegal immigrants were taking “Black jobs,” to which the audience again hissed and booed. The aftermath of the event has led to significant fallout within the NABJ. Karen Attiah, a Washington Post columnist and co-chair of the convention, resigned in protest over the decision to invite Trump. In her resignation announcement on X (formerly Twitter), Attiah expressed disappointment over not being consulted about the decision. Prominent members of the journalism community also voiced their disapproval. Jim Trotter, a sportswriter for The Athletic and NABJ’s 2023 Journalist of the Year, called the decision “difficult to put into words.” CBS Sports analyst Ashley Nicole Moss, journalist-turned-publicist Dave Jordan, and media strategist April Reign joined the chorus of criticism. Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist and political pundit, and former NABJ journalist of the year Ernest Owens highlighted the irony of inviting Trump, given his history of attacking Black journalists and efforts to undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. “Shame on you NABJ,” Owens tweeted. “A disgrace. Defund and divest.” The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) also condemned the invitation, with NNPA National Chair Bobby Henry and President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis denouncing the decision as harmful and contrary to NABJ’s values of inclusion and solidarity. “They invited him to disrespect a Black woman and did nothing to protect or back her up,” journalist and author David Dennis Jr. tweeted. “The single most disgraceful thing I’ve ever seen at NABJ.” Harris communication’s director Michael Tyler also denounced Trump’s hostile engagement with NABJ. “The hostility Donald Trump showed on stage today is the same hostility he has shown throughout his life, throughout his term in office, and throughout his campaign for president as he seeks to regain power and inflict his harmful Project 2025 agenda on the American people,” Tyler stated. “Trump lobbed personal attacks and insults at Black journalists the same way he did throughout his presidency – while he failed Black families and left the entire country digging out of the ditch, he left us in. Donald Trump has already proven he cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us. “Today’s tirade is simply a taste of the chaos and division that has been a hallmark of Trump’s MAGA rallies this entire campaign.”
Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris and her Vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
By Hazel Trice Edney
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris, now the official Democratic nominee for President of the United States, has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate, establishing the full ticket to run against former President Donald Trump and Sen. J. D. Vance (R-Ohio) in the Nov. 5 election. Harris and Walz, president of the Democratic Governors Association, appeared together in the coveted battleground commonwealth of Pennsylvania Tuesday evening before a blitz through other swing states. Democrats will then head for a Chicago convention August 19-22, where they will be celebrated. Harris will become the first Black woman and first Indian American to win the presidential nomination of a major political party. She is the daughter of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father. This, no doubt, will begin a hard-fought race against Trump and Vance, both of whom have proven to be candidates willing to say just about anything – including attack Harris’ race and gender – with hopes to win far right voters and Trump’s base supporters. However, those tactics could easily backfire, given Walz’ background. Harris’ choice of Walz, elected governor of Minnesota in 2018, will no doubt resonate with Black and progressive voters across the nation largely due to his sensitivity to key issues. On May 25th this year, Walz issued a proclamation, declaring a George Floyd Remembrance Day. Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, by police officer Derek Chauvin who callously knelt on his neck. “George Floyd’s murder ignited a global movement, accentuating the systemic racism that Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color have endured for centuries,” Walz stated in the proclamation. “We must continue to do everything in our power to deconstruct systemic racism and inequities in our state ….” Until now, Walz, a former high school social studies teacher, football coach, and retired sergeant major in the Army National Guard, has been relatively unknown on a national stage. Recently his description of Trump-Vance as “weird” has caught hold on social media and beyond. Having run in a largely Republican district, Walz spent six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected Minnesota governor in 2018, largely due to votes from the suburbs of Minneapolis, according to the New York Times. He was re-elected in 2022. Walz, 60, has led on other issues important to the Black community, including a $15-an-hour minimum wage. the organizing of unions, workers’ rights and free breakfast and lunch for school children. The Walz selection was applauded by former President Barack Obama, said to have advised Harris as she decided between the vice-presidential candidates. “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner – and made it clear exactly what she stands for,” said a statement from Barack and Michelle Obama. “Governor Walz doesn’t just have the experience to be vice president, he has the values and the integrity to make us proud. As governor, Tim helped families and businesses recover from the pandemic, established paid family leave, guaranteed the right to an abortion, and put common sense gun safety measures in place to keep communities safe. “Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect – not all that surprising considering the fact that he served in the National Guard for 24 years and worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach before being elected to Congress. Like Vice President Harris, Governor Walz believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president, ready on day one. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim and Gwen, their family, and our country.” The entry of Vice President Harris, a graduate of Howard University, an HBCU, into the race since President Joe Biden decided not to run, has – in just a few weeks – infused powerful new life and excitement into the race, initially between Biden and Trump. The choice of her vice-presidential running mate was her first major decision. The murder of George Floyd by now convicted and imprisoned former police officer Derek Chauvin at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic quickly became an iconic symbol of long-standing injustices by police in the Black community. In the Black community, much vetting will now take place of Tim Walz. But he is already getting wide applause that might help Harris’ election which will not happen without vast Black support. “Gov. Walz shows what our communities can look like when we lead with empathy. He is a labor champion who will take pro-worker values with him to the White House. Together with Kamala Harris, they will defend our freedoms — to care for our families, to have a voice on the job, to thrive. We look forward mobilizing the full strength of our union to ensure that this dynamic ticket wins on November 5,” said Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), in a statement. “Tim Walz personifies what public service is all about: Doing for others and never leaving anyone behind. He learned these values while serving in the National Guard, and he lived them as a teacher and football coach in Mankato, Minnesota. He has always been the first to lend a helping hand in his community, and today, this is how he governs – empowering worker voices and defending those who have made public service a career,” Saunders continues. “As governor, he took on billion-dollar corporations to ban private prisons in Minnesota, keeping profit motives out of the justice system while protecting the jobs of AFSCME corrections officers. He went on to pass legislation guaranteeing free breakfast and lunch for young students statewide, giving AFSCME school employees the tools they need to keep kids energized and ready to learn. Walz did all this for Minnesota’s communities while getting state workers a historic contract with across-the-board raises.”
At press time on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced 43,244 farmers would receive payment for past discrimination by USDA farm credit agencies, under the $2.1 Billion allocated in Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act.
74% of the 58,000 applications submitted were adjudicated to receive funding between $5,000 and $500,000. About half of the applicants, attempted to farm by seeking a USDA loan, but were turned down or discouraged from receiving and filling out a loan application. After they were turned down, they were unable to farm. These applicants will receive between $3,500 and $6,000, as a consolation payment for their discrimination.
The other half of the applicants, who have or had a farming or ranching operation, are receiving between $10,000 and $500,000 of assistance, with an average of nearly $82,000. The approval letters and checks will be mailed this week and should arrive by August 6, 2024.
The official Biden-Harris Administration press release on the 22007 process, is posted on the website 22007apply.gov, which provides more information on the evaluation process. After August 6, 2024, the award information will also be on this website.
On the zoom call on Wednesday, Secretary Vilsack noted that $1.99 Billion of the funds in Section 22007 had been spent to make the awards.
Awards were made in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and territories. The most applications submitted and approved came from Mississippi and Alabama.
Other states of the South, including Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas were among the top ten states receiving approvals. The states of Oklahoma and California, rounded out the top ten states for participation in this program.
Secretary Vilsack noted that these payments for past discrimination, prior to January 1, 2021, would be taxable events for the farmers receiving them. Federal and state income taxes will be owed on the discrimination payments provided.
The Rural Coalition commended the Biden-Harris Administration for getting these decisions made and checks sent out, ahead of the timetable that they set for late August – early September.
The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF which was a cooperating organization, doing outreach and application assistance, said it was glad that the decisions had been made but reserved final judgement to see how many of its members were awarded payments and the size of those payments.
Mrs. Ida Bonner awarded the Coretta Scott King Freedom Award by Elder Spiver Gordon; Spiver Gordon presents plaque to Bill Edwards; Spiver Gordon presents plaque to Mr. Tony Clayton District Attorney of Port Allen, LA; Mr. Morris Hardy awarded the Dr. MLK Jr. Freedom Award by Elder Spiver Gordon.
On Sunday evening, in the William M. Branch Courthouse, about 100 people from Greene County celebrated the 55th anniversary of the Special Election in 1969, when Black people were elected to control the County Commission and School Board in the county. Greene County was the first county in Alabama where Black people were able to control the county government.
The U. S. Supreme Court ordered the 1969 Special Election, because local white officials had deliberately left the mostly Black candidates of the National Democratic Party of Alabama (NDPA) off the November 1968 ballot. The decision was made in US Supreme Court case no. 647, Hadnott vs. Amos, 394 US 358 (1969).
In the election of November 1970, Judge William M. Branch was elected the first Black Probate Judge in Alabama and America. Thomas Gilmore was elected Sheriff and over the next few years, Blacks were elected to all political positions in the county.
The program was sponsored by the Alabama Civil Rights Freedom Movement under the direction of Spiver W. Gordon, President. Gordon has been celebrating Freedom Day in Greene County for many years to remind people of the importance of using their voting rights to push for more justice, equity and progress in the county.
The theme of the program was ‘Rejoicing about the Past – Causality in looking to the Future”. There were two main speakers: Bill Edwards, who now lives in Oregon, but was active with NDPA, Miles College, FOGCE Federal Credit Union and Community Service Programs of West Alabama in the 1965-1985; and Tony Clayton, District Attorney of West Baton Rouge, Iberville. and Pointe Coupee Parishes in Louisiana.
After a spirited devotional, Mayor Latasha Johnson of Eutaw, Alabama, gave greetings and keys to the city to the two guest speakers. Lorenzo French, Chair of the Democratic Executive Committee, in his occasion for the meeting, lamented that most of the Black elected officials in Greene County were not present for Freedom Day. “Where are the Probate Judge, Circuit Clerk, Revenue Commissioner, Sheriff, Mayors and Council members of Union, Forkland and Boligee?” asked French.
Several persons gave special commendations for Bill Edwards in his work as Director of Community Service Programs of West Alabama. District 1 Commissioner, Garria Spencer, who was chair of the CSP-WA Board lauded Bill’s work with the anti-poverty agency. Ms. Sandra Fair who worked with Bill thanked him. Judge John H. England thanked Bill for his work in building new houses and replacing the shotgun shacks in Belchers and Barr’s Quarters in Tuscaloosa.
Rev. Wendell Paris spoke on the importance of voting in all elections, especially the election coming up on November 5, 2024. John Cashin, son of his namesake from Huntsville, Alabama, who headed the NDPA and was instrumental in the lawsuit that created the special election on July 29, 1969, spoke on the importance of the NDPA, as a grassroots response to the racist regular Democratic Party of Alabama, which was controlled by George Wallace.
Three speakers commented on looking to the future, including Rev. Kenneth Popleon of Plaquemine, Louisiana; Arthur Crawford, Probate Judge of Hale County and Carol P. Zippert, former school board chair. Zippert asked, “Where are the youth leaders, people between 18 – 40 years old, today? We must reach out to them. Fifty-five years ago, Judge Branch, Gilmore and most of the other leaders were young people under 30. It is frightening that this whole generation is missing.”
Spiver Gordon introduced Tony Clayton, the District Attorney of three parishes in Louisiana. Clayton said he owed his election to places like Greene County which rose up for Black people and electing Black people to office in the1960’s, when it wasn’t easy. He said Jesse Jackson, Obama and now Kamala Harris owe their political future to what Greene County people did fifty-five years ago.
After the speaking, Spiver Gordon presented awards to many of the speakers, participants and ‘foot-soldiers’ of Greene County-who contributed their time, skills and money to the civil rights movement in the Alabama Black Belt.
Forced to live in overcrowded camps in appalling hygienic conditions, skin diseases are running rampant among the displaced, health officials have said. Her mother is hopeless. “At first there was a pimple on her face, then a week ago it began to spread in her stomach, hands and face,” said Shaima Marshoud, sitting next to her little daughter in a cinder block structure they’d settled in among the tents. “It hurts her and raises her temperature at night, and it has no cure, and if there is a cure, we cannot buy it.” “The minimum necessities of life, such as cleaning materials and water, are not available. If available, they are sold at a ridiculous price, we cannot afford it. We have been unemployed for ten months.” Doctors are wrestling with more than 103,000 cases of lice and scabies and 65,000 cases of skin rashes, according to the World Health Organization. The distribution of humanitarian supplies, including soap, shampoo and medicines, has slowed to a trickle, UN officials say, because Israeli military operations and the lawlessness it has induced make it too dangerous for relief trucks to move. A steady stream of miserable children and worried parents flowed into the dermatology office at Nasser Hospital in central Gaza. Nassim Basala, a dermatologist at Nasser Hospital, said they get 300 to 500 people a day coming in with skin diseases. After the most recent Israeli evacuation orders, more people have crowded into agricultural fields outside the city of Khan Younis, where insects are rife in the summer. Epidemic proportions Scabies and lice are at epidemic proportions, he said, but other fungal, bacterial and viral infections and parasites are also running wild. With the flood of patients, even simple cases can because dangerous. For example, Basala said, impetigo is a simple bacterial infection treatable with creams. He said creams and ointments were in short supply at the hospital. Children are the most affected. But adults suffer as well. More than 1.8 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, often moving multiple times over the past months to get away from Israeli ground assaults or bombardment. The vast majority are now crowded into a 50-square-kilometer area (20 square miles) of dunes and fields on the coast with almost no sewage system and little water. In a report released Tuesday (Jul. 30), the United Nations Development Programme said Gaza’s two pre-war landfills were unreachable amid the fighting and it had set up 10 temporary sites. But officials said there were more than 140 informal dumping sites that have cropped up. Some of them are giant pools of human waste and garbage.
Trump supporters storm nation’s Capital on January 6, 2021
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In a series of alarming rallies, former President Donald Trump has made his intentions clear, signaling plans that many critics describe as dictatorial. At Turning Point Action’s Believers Summit, Trump urged Christian voters to turn out for the 2024 election with an unprecedented promise: “Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. … You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.” With these words, Trump moved beyond veiled rhetoric, outlining a vision for America that directly threatens democratic principles. Trump’s campaign has highlighted Agenda 47 as its official policy platform for the 2024 presidential election. This agenda, closely aligned with Project 2025, proposes sweeping changes to U.S. governance that align with authoritarian ideals. Both plans, shaped by Trump loyalists, aim to reshape the government and civil society under what can only be described as a fascist framework, asserting their mission is to rescue the country from radical leftist influences. Project 2025 envisions ending the administrative state by placing the entire federal bureaucracy under direct presidential control, a “Unitary Executive” approach often seen as a pathway to autocracy. Similarly, Agenda 47 aims to dismantle the so-called “deep state” by firing thousands of civil servants and replacing them with loyalists, referred to as “patriots who love America.” According to Trump, this restructuring would make federal bureaucrats and politicians accountable to the American people. However, the plans fail to explain how the people would actually hold these officials accountable, raising fears of unchecked presidential power. Authoritarian leaders have long used propaganda to manipulate public opinion, and experts suggest that Trump’s rhetoric follows this playbook. By framing checks and balances as “corrupt obstacles to the popular will,” Trump seeks to justify their dismantling, creating an illusion of serving the public while concentrating power in the executive branch. Despite ongoing controversies, including the police murder of Sonya Massey, Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric of providing “federal qualified immunity” to all officers. This stance aligns with his earlier declarations that police should have the authority to shoot perceived criminals on sight, a policy that could lead to increased instances of unchecked police violence. Adding to the controversy is Trump’s own legal history. He has received 34 felonies convictions, a judge found him guilty of committing significant business fraud, and a civil jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting a writer. Many have noted that these convictions and allegations paint a troubling picture of a leader advocating for policies that could undermine democratic norms and the rule of law. As the 2024 election approaches, Trump’s statements and policy proposals have raised alarms about the future of American democracy. His calls for Christians to vote as if it’s the last time, combined with plans for sweeping governmental changes, suggest a vision of America that could lead to authoritarian rule. “When Vice President Harris says this election is about freedom she means it,” the Kamala Harris campaign said in a statement. “Our democracy is under assault by criminal Donald Trump.” Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Trump’s rhetoric “terrifying.” “We cannot let this be the case,” she asserted.
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
President Joe Biden has called for a sweeping overhaul of the Supreme Court and a constitutional amendment to limit presidential power, signaling his intent to tackle deep-seated issues within the American judiciary. In a compelling ‘op-ed’ published this week, Biden underscored the need for reforms to restore public trust and integrity in the nation’s highest court, at a speech at the LBJ Library in Texas.
“I served as a U.S. senator for 36 years, including as chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee,” the president wrote. “I have overseen more Supreme Court nominations as a senator, vice president, and president than anyone living today.” Biden, who earlier this month stepped aside and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the next president, said he maintains great respect for America’s institutions and separation of powers. “What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms. We now stand in a breach,” Biden stated. The president’s most striking proposal is a constitutional amendment to ensure former presidents are not immune from federal criminal indictments, trials, convictions, or sentencing. “We are a nation of laws — not of kings or dictators,” Biden remarked. His assertion comes in direct response to a recent Supreme Court ruling that shields certain presidential actions from prosecution, a decision that has provided a lifeline to former President Donald Trump amid his ongoing legal battles. Biden further advocated for imposing term limits on Supreme Court justices, suggesting 18-year terms to prevent any single presidency from exerting multigenerational influence over the judiciary. “Term limits would help ensure that the court’s membership changes with some regularity and reduce the chance that any single presidency radically alters the makeup of the court for generations to come,” he insisted. Biden also called on Congress to enforce stringent ethics requirements on Supreme Court justices, akin to those governing other federal judges. Criticizing the current voluntary ethics code as insufficient and self-enforced, he argued for robust regulations concerning gifts, political activities, and financial dealings. “This is common sense,” he wrote. “The court’s current voluntary ethics code is weak and self-enforced.” Biden is scheduled to elaborate on these proposals in a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, as part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the Civil Rights Act. The event, initially slated for mid-July, was postponed following an alleged assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Last week, from the Oval Office, Biden addressed the nation, explaining his decision to end his re-election campaign and outlining his plans for his remaining time in office, including his call for Supreme Court reform. Reports had previously revealed that Biden had already communicated his ambitious reform agenda to Congress, marking a significant departure from his previous reluctance to endorse substantial changes to the court. The shift follows recent controversies involving Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and contentious rulings by the conservative majority on pivotal issues like abortion rights. Justice Elena Kagan has also recently advocated for a more robust code of ethics for the Supreme Court, emphasizing the need for enforceable mechanisms to uphold judicial accountability. Despite the presidential push for these reforms, passing such legislation through a divided Congress remains a formidable challenge. Senate Democrats, including Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, have expressed strong support for Biden’s proposals but acknowledge the political hurdles ahead. Harris has endorsed Biden’s call, stressing the necessity of restoring public confidence in the court and ensuring that no individual is above the law. “Our democracy depends on the integrity of our institutions,” Biden stated. “This is not just about reforming the Supreme Court—it’s about safeguarding the future of our nation. We must act now to ensure justice and fairness for all Americans.”
