The Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • Newswire : Former NAACP President Ben Jealous facing uphill climb to become first Black Governor of Maryland

     

    By Hazel Trice Edney

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – Despite defeating six candidates to become the Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland, former NAACP president, Benjamin Todd Jealous, is still viewed as the underdog in his race against popular incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. “He’s got an uphill sled race,” says political scientist Dr. Wilmer Leon, also a radio talk show host. “Because the state of Maryland, by most statistics, is doing well. And Hogan has never proven himself to be a blind Republican ideologue. He’s more of a moderate Republican than he is an extreme right wing Republican. So, with that, it’s easier for Democrats to vote for him.”In somewhat of an upset, Jealous beat back six other candidates in the June 28 primary, including Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, viewed as the Democratic establishment candidate. Despite this sentiment, Jealous says his “rainbow” type supporters and association with people from all walks of life is the strategy that he believes will continue to carry him to a win Nov. 6. “The strength of this campaign, like my life, begins in Black churches in the civil rights community and gains power through the connection of those communities with the broader progressive community. That’s been the arc of my life and that’s the arc of this campaign,” he said in a recent interview with the Trice Edney News Wire. “We will win in November the same way we won June 28. We will win by traveling to every corner of the state making the case to voters in every county about how we can move forward together, about how we can make sure every school is fully funded, how we can finally get health care costs truly under control, how we can make colleges and public universities truly affordable again and how we can find the money to do it is in large part by ending mass incarceration.” Jealous said, “The issues at the core of this campaign are not partisan issues. Treating the opioid addiction crisis is a health crisis. It’s a people issue. Funding education is a people issue. And then the student debt crisis is a people issue. Those are not partisan issues and people recognize that.” Though some say he is an outsider until recently, his roots run deep in Maryland, Virginia, D.C. and across the nation for that matter. Jealous is former executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation and former president/CEO of the national NAACP. But when describing his grassroots political training, he is clear about his roots. “I started off in the Rainbow Coalition. I started off as a 15-year-old precinct captain for the Rev. Jesse Jackson,” he recalls. “The strategy of that campaign is what empowered L. Doug Wilder to win the governorship in Virginia a year later. And the same strategies that worked for Wilder in Virginia and David Dinkins in New York and Harold Washington in Chicago are right at the core of this campaign.” He continues, “What we all learned in that campaign is how they won their campaigns. That’s how we won our primary and how we will win in November. We’ll build a coalition of working families across every line…There’s nothing more important to any working family than assuring that they get to move forward again.” Like Jackson, Wilder and Dinkins, Jealous is poised to also make history. If he pulls it off, he would become the first Black governor of Maryland and the fifth Black governor in the U. S. According to recent polls, the issues may not be enough. Though Maryland is heavily Democratic, Hogan reportedly has a 68 percent approval rating across party lines. Therefore, Jealous is going to have to pull out all stops, says Leon.“In the eyes of some, the NAACP is not as relevant as it used to be. Plus, Hogan is not a Trump Republican,” Leon said. “So, I think you’re going to have a lot of people going to the voting booth saying if it’s not broke don’t fix it.” However, Leon said, Jealous could win because Maryland is in fact a Democratic state. “Turn out. Turn out. Turn out” will be the key, he says. “Plus, he needs to find a way to better explain how he’s going to implement some of the policies he’s articulating because one of the knocks against him is he’s promised a lot of things and he hasn’t explained how he’s going to pay for them.” Grassroots debaters in a local barber shop recently resolved that Jealous is the most popular candidate among Black voters, but, due to apathy, the voters he will need in a close race may not come out on Election Day. This means Jealous will need his best strategies, including his broadest rainbow, plus campaign boosts from some heavy hitters. His running mate is former Maryland Democratic Party Chair Susan Turnbull, who is running for lieutenant governor. In June, former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was largely credited for helping to drum up votes. Sanders has not given a full endorsement of Jealous, but has not been shy about pushing him. “I’m proud to be here because Ben is not going to be one of those leaders who is going to be nibbling around the edges, but understands we have got to transform the economic and political life of this country,” said Sen. Sanders to a cheering crowd as Jealous stood by his side June 18 just before his primary election, the Associated Press reported. Jealous is taking all the help he can get. “Bernie is a good friend. He’s a great ally to this campaign. And he has shown the Democratic Party that the people want real solutions to the pain that our families are feeling,” Jealous said. “Who runs our states matters because the road to taking back our country runs all through our states. I’m focused on making Maryland a model for how we move forward on education, health care and the economy no matter what happens in Donald Trump’s Washington.”

  • Newswire : Sarah Sanders can’t guarantee Trump hasn’t used N-word

    By: Associated Press

    Washington, D. C., August 14, 2018: White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she cannot guarantee that President Donald Trump has never used a racial slur. Sanders said, “I haven’t been in every single room,” when asked if she can say with certainty that Trump has never used the N-word, but she added that Trump has been a high-profile businessman for decades and the allegations are only just now being made.

    Ex-Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman has alleged she has heard Trump on tape using the slur. Trump said Monday on Twitter that he doesn’t “have that word in my vocabulary, and never had.” Sanders says she “can’t guarantee” Trump has never used the word, but calls Manigault Newman’s claims “salacious and ridiculous.” Sanders told reporters that Manigault Newman has “shown a complete lack of integrity” with her criticism of Trump in her new book, adding that Trump’s tweets referring to Manigault Newman as “crazed” and a “dog” reflect his “frustration” with her comments. Manigault Newman has responded that Trump has “absolutely no respect” for women or African-Americans. Sanders says Trump hired Manigault Newman as an assistant to the president because he “wanted to give her a chance.” She was a contestant on his reality show “The Apprentice” and a former campaign aide. Manigault Newman has been releasing audio recordings of private White House conversations as part of her book roll-out tour. She was fired in December. © Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

  • Newswire : Annual NAACP Convention closes with a Call to Vote

    By Lauren Poteat (NNPA Newswire Washington Correspondent)

    Thousands of people from across the country gathered in San Antonio, Texas for the 109th Annual NAACP Convention. The daring theme of this year’s convention (“Stop Hate, Vote”) was right on target, given that the 2018 midterm elections are just a few months away.

    Panels and breakout sessions also focused on social justice and civil rights in the Trump Era, conversations that NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson deemed “highly necessary.” “As we begin to look at the critical landscape—with the increase in intolerance and hatred—we realize that the 2016 elections resulted in a new level of boldness for racists to display their racism,” Johnson said. “The only way to counter that is to vote…Vote on the midterm elections, so that we can hold elected officials accountable and make sure that they implement positive change.” The convention also included a diverse career fair, educational seminars, workshops on public policy, and a special hip-hop summit. Johnson also spoke about the importance of millennials and their community and political engagement. “Millennials should understand that their role in democracy is the same as everyone else’s,” Johnson said. “We are African Americans first and we owe it to our communities to use all of the tools necessary to better impact our society.” Championing this effort, NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell shared his own ideas during his annual convention address. “In this new era of xenophobia, neo-Nazism, White nationalism, and current efforts to take our nation back to a darker and more dangerous time, I have come to San Antonio, Texas to say to the NAACP and our allies, ‘the time has come to defeat hate.’” Russell continued: “We call on voters, especially millennials of color, to stand against the face of bigotry and divisiveness.” Acknowledging that nearly 63 million Americans voted for the current president and that Black voter turnout declined, Russell still expressed hope for the future. “Our hope is to vote out the hate and we need everyone to vote,” Russell said. The NAACP also honored Willie Brown, San Francisco’s first Black mayor, with the “Spingarn Medal,” the organization’s most prestigious award; the award was in recognition of his years of civil rights work and dedication to the betterment of the Black community. Former President Bill Clinton presented the award to Brown and paid tribute to the civil rights activist. Brown said that the Spingarn Medal represented his dedication to public service and the community. Dozens of millennials attended this year’s convention, much to the pleasure of former NAACP President and current National Newspaper Publishers Association President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. “The NAACP is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago,” Dr. Chavis said. “The potential that the organization has with these millennials is even greater. The NAACP literally has the opportunity to embrace these young lives and thus be embraced, to create an even better, bolder organization for the lives of all people.”

  • Newswire: Two parties declare victory in Zimbabwe’s Presidential poll

    Riot police breaking up press conference of Nelson Chamisa

    Aug. 6, 2018 (GIN) – “Let us look forward with hope and love. Let bygones be bygones… Let us turn over a new leaf and renew ourselves.” Those were the hopeful words of Emmerson Mnangagwa as he settled into the chair of former president Robert Mugabe last December. Mr. Mugabe was not present, having been removed in a “soft coup” by members of his own party. Now, some six months later, Mr Mnangagwa has been elected to the top job, fair and square according to the nation’s electoral commission, but his soldiers appear not to have gotten the word. Streets in the capital city Harare were battlegrounds with tanks speeding through, guns firing at citizens running for cover and spilt blood staining the ground. Vote tallies were not announced in the days following nationwide polls, opening the way for opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa, reviewing his own tallies, to declare he had clearly won the election and that the official results were “unverified and fake.” A spokesman for Chamisa addressed a press conference: “I make a difference between the president-elect and the president-declared,” said Nkululeko Sibanda, “because we do know that President Chamisa won this election.” No details have been announced on the suit being prepared to challenge the election outcome. Mnangagwa’s victory was endorsed by the African Union and SADC, the Southern African Development Community, South Africa and Zambia, but international observers and human rights groups filed separate assessments of the election’s fairness. The British government said it was deeply concerned by the post-election violence and the “disproportionate response from the security forces.” Amnesty International said more than 60 people were arbitrarily arrested in a “vicious campaign of torture, intimidation and suppression of dissenting voices.” On Monday, 22 members of Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) appeared in court facing charges of inciting violence and causing malicious damage to the ruling ZANU-PF party offices. They must return for bail hearings because it was no little time for the judge to hear their cases. Mnangagwa has said the army’s use of violence in Harare would be investigated independently, although he also suggested he understood the use of military force, saying that police were overwhelmed by opposition protesters. Inauguration of the new president is slated for August 12.

  • Newswire : Black women NASA pioneers nominated for Congressional Medals

    HuffPost BlackVoices

    Katherine Johnson, NASA pioneer

    The Congressional Gold Medal is considered one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, celebrating individuals and groups who have made invaluable contributions to American history and culture. http://huffp.st/IiVw4TJ.The honor—which is given to trailblazers who have contributed to shaping American history—is one of the most prestigious awards distributed in the U.S., the news outlet writes. The decision to honor the women was made by a group of 44 political leaders including California Senator Kamala Harris, Delaware Senator Chris Coons and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. “These women were barrier breakers, and their immeasurable contributions to NASA and our nation have cemented their place in history,” said Harris in a statement, according to the news outlet. “I’m proud to help recognize their achievements as they continue to serve as a beacon for Black women both young and old, across the country.” Senator Coons added that their accomplishments remained hidden for far too long and that it’s not only important for them to be recognized for the indelible mark that they left in the STEM industry, but it’s essential for their stories to be brought to the forefront so they can serve as inspiration for the young women following in their footsteps. Several organizations dedicated to the advancement of women and people of color across different industries backed the bill. The organizations include Girl Scouts of the USA, the United Negro College Fund, the National Association of Mathematicians and others. The honors are continuing to roll in for the trailblazers who broke both gender and racial barriers in STEM. In June, West Virginia State University announced the creation of a bronze statue in Katherine Johnson’s honor as well as the launch of a scholarship fund named after her.

  • Newswire : Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and the NNPA call for Congress to address disparities in Federal ad spending

    By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor

     

    Longtime D.C. delegate Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton said that she would work with the NNPA and the NAHP to pressure Congress to demand greater federal adverting spending with minority-owned publishers. This photo was taken during a congressional panel discussion on judicial diversity on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA)

    Eleanor Holmes Norton

    In a blistering response to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that revealed federal agencies spend very little advertising dollars with minority-owned businesses, D.C. Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton said that she would work with minority publishers to press her colleagues in Congress “to demand greater spending on minority-owned outlets…to reach minority audiences that most traditional outlets do not.” Holmes Norton said that she requested the GAO report to learn more about the disparities in federal advertising contracts. “[The GAO report] showed, as we expected, that the federal government has a long way to go to ensure equal opportunities for minority-owned news outlets,” Holmes Norton said. “As the nation’s largest advertiser, the federal government has an obligation to provide advertising opportunities to news outlets and media companies owned or published by people of color.” The 41-page report issued, last week, revealed that over the past five fiscal years, federal government agencies spent $5 billion in advertising, but just $327 million of that went to minority-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses netted just $51 million—about $10 million per year over the five years covered in the new report. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association President (NNPA), thanked Holmes Norton for her support. The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 Black-owned media companies and newspapers that reach 20 million readers, combined, in print and online, every week. More than two years ago, Holmes Norton joined members of the NNPA and the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) for a press conference on Capitol Hill, to demand the report, which was issued last week. Dorothy Leavell, the chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Crusader newspapers in Chicago and Gary, Ind., called the results of the report shameful. Leavell added that she would call for legislation to address the disparities; she also said that she plans on requesting meetings with members of Congress to further explore the matter. In an interview, last week, Dr. Chavis called on Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus “to forcefully raise their voices of discontent and reaffirmation of the demands for equity, for justice, for fairness and end to this kind of systemic refusal to treat African American-owned and Latino-owned businesses along with others in a just, fair and equitable manner.” Dr. Chavis added that the report exposed the consequences of systemic racial discrimination in both Republican and Democratic administrations when it comes to federal advertising spending. Dr. Chavis continued: “It’s time for all of us to respond and to act. There should be legislation introduced in Congress immediately to rectify this gross systemic inequity This article was originally published at BlackPressUSA.com.

  • Newswire : Deadline nears for public comment on 2020 Census controversies

    By Khalil Abdullah

    Before the public comment period on the 2020 Census closes at 11:59 pm on August 7, civil rights organizations continue to amplify the clarion call to Americans to denounce the inclusion of a “citizenship question” on the final census form – a question as to whether respondents are U.S. citizens.

    Jeri Green, Senior Advisor for the 2020 Census, National Urban League (NUL), said the citizenship question was “untested, unjust, and unconstitutional,” and should be opposed by all Americans. Conducted every 10 years, the constitutionally mandated census is “the nation’s largest and complex peacetime activity,” explained Terri Ann Lowenthal, former Staff Director of the House Census and Population Subcommittee, and currently Policy Advisor, Leadership Conference Education Fund (LCEF). For example, Green, a former Census Bureau employee, contends that the Census Bureau’s typical “what’s in it for you?” messaging to the Black community must change. “A different narrative is needed to motivate the Black population to participate in the 2020 Census.” Green said The National Urban League, in concert with other organizations, is “developing strategies to ensure that African Americans understand that political power and representation are at stake, and that we cannot afford to lose an inch of political ground by ignoring the Census.” She reminded attendant media that “Black America” comprises immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as those African Americans who, with predictable regularity, are still undercounted and have been so since the first 1790 census. Panelists repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Census Bureau getting the count right because mistakes have monetary and social repercussions lasting through the decade and beyond. The estimated annual $600 to $675 billion draw-down of federal funds, based on and allocated to states, counties, and cities using census data, would expand to over six trillion dollars until next decennial count in 2030. More difficult to quantify and qualify over that span is the impact of the loss of a family’s home, food insecurity, or lack of access to medical care. Yes, Green said, African Americans, as do many Americans across ethnic lines, benefit from federally programs based on Census data, among them the Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Health Center Programs (Community, Migrant, Homeless, Public Housing); and Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP). “But for many African Americans residing in urban communities,” she argued, “state and local funding has become a one-way ticket out of their communities, out of affordable housing, and out of health-care coverage — bye-bye Obama Care.” With the near universal specter of urban gentrification across America in mind, Green said, “The neighborhood school funded by state and local funding 10 years ago, has been razed and a new multi-million-dollar condominium complex sits in its place today. Simply put, many African Americans are not better off than they were 10 years ago. “But, wherever you might live — even if displaced, federal funding allocations, based on Census data, still support services vital to our communities, and well-being.” One of the NUL’s concerns about the 2020 Census is the practice of prison-based gerrymandering. Prisoners are still to be counted as residents of the communities where they are incarcerated rather than as members of communities where they live, this despite an outpouring of public comment for the Census Bureau to end the practice. Green said NUL president, Marc Morial, considers this type of gerrymandering predatory because the per capita funds that should follow each prisoner into his or her community – revenue that would benefit the hospitals, housing, schools, and transportation infrastructure therein — is being diverted. In his view, African-American communities are continuously and unjustly losing to others revenue that should rightly be theirs. However, loss or diversion of funding is but one consequence of an undercount. John C. Yang, president and executive director of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice reiterated that census data are the basis for drawing congressional districts. Less well known, he explained, that data also trigger a provision of the Voting Rights Act. Census data are the driving factors in determining when ballots are required to be printed in an additional language, based upon the percentage of an ethnic group’s population who do not speak English as their primary language. It was Census data in 2010, for example, that recorded the growth of the Chinese American population in Harris County, Texas, the home of Houston. Thus, for the first time in that jurisdiction – and mandated by law — election materials and ballots also were printed in Chinese. Education and ballot access likely will continue to be a core issue for newly minted Asian Americans. Yang said that, due to recent immigration, “one in four Asian Americans have never participated in the census” and that when all the ethnic groups comprising the Asian American community are totaled, “60 percent are immigrants.” Initiatives that depress Census participation – like the citizenship question — could negatively affect the future political voice of Asian Americans. Taking umbrage and aim at the intention of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to include the citizenship question on the Census form, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of LCEF, called the Ross initiative misguided and politically motivated. Comments and e-mail exchanges between and among administration officials are being made public due to Freedom of Information Act requests. Those materials are bearing out her assertions, according a judge who is ruling in one of the raft of law of lawsuits challenging Secretary Ross’s goal. Panelists ceded that some issues plaguing the 2020 count are not of Census Bureau’s own making, including leadership vacancies as a result the administration’s inaction, or the chronic shortfall in funding. Gupta said determining funding levels for the census will be a leading issue for Congress in its upcoming calendar. But the addition of the question in the current political environment — one highly charged with acrimonious debate — would subvert the objective of the census itself, which is to count all persons living on U.S. soil, not just citizens. Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund believes that there is already evidence that it will depress the response rates from the Latino community. Immigrants, though “legal” or documented, often have relatives or acquaintances who share “mixed status” households. , Thus, whether one’s personal immigrant status is secure, others within the same familial or social orbit – whose status may be unresolved – might well decline to respond, fearing deportation or possible incarceration. Among Asian Americans, residual paranoia about responding to the census is more than partly due to the indelible memory of the U.S government’s use of census data to identify and imprison Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Yang, though convinced there now are “much stronger privacy laws in place” to sufficiently protect the confidentiality of census data, also opposes adding the citizenship question. Lowenthal and Vargas stressed that the public should and can weigh in, before August 7, on any proposed census methodology. Such concerns might include the robustness of cybersecurity protections, or the Bureau’s over-reliance on Internet responses as opposed to increasing the number of door-to-door enumerators, particularly to cover rural areas and other hard to count communities. “Time is of the essence,” said Gupta. Lowenthal said that public comments have carried weight with the Census Bureau’s professional staff. She cited past examples, such as the revision of racial categories to provide more options for the increasingly ethnically diverse American demographic. But apparently, the weight thus far on behalf of ending prison-based gerrymandering has been insufficient. Green said Morial and the NUL will continue to fight on numerous fronts. Public comments should be submitted to: http://www.censuscounts.org.

  • Newswire : Michelle Obama joins voter registration drive for the midterms

    By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor)

     

    Former First Lady Michelle Obama has joined a number of actors, musicians and professional athletes to encourage people to register and vote. In this photo, First Lady Michelle Obama thanks U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees for their service and dedication at the Jefferson Auditorium, USDA on Friday, May 3, 2013. (Bob Nichols/USDA/Wikimedia Commons)

    Michelle Obama Former First Lady Michelle Obama is featured in a video along with celebrities Tom Hanks, Janelle Monáe, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Lin-Manuel Miranda to encourage people to register and vote.

    In less than 100 days, the midterm elections that will either expand President Trump’s power or greatly restrict it, will take place on November 6. There has been much talk about the likelihood of a “blue wave” that could give Democrats the gavel and investigative power in Congress over the next two years of Trump’s presidency. The underlying urgency of Michelle Obama’s message is an unspoken aspect of her new registration effort. The name of the new effort, “When We All Vote,” is also an indication that the former first lady is well aware of the fact that higher voter turnout usually leads to Democratic victories at the polls. The effort is also a challenge registered voters to participate in elections “both big and small.” Though the effort is billed as “non-partisan,” the sense of urgency about the country’s direction under President Trump’s leadership is an unavoidable backdrop. Several live events are also expected as part of the effort between now and election day. Former President Barack Obama is expected to hit the campaign trail to assist Democrats who are looking to take back the House and Senate in 2019. On July 31, the former President announced that he is endorsing 81 Democratic candidates on the ballot this November. There is a record number of women on the ballot this year. Many of the endorsements former President Obama has focused on were candidates who worked in his administration, like Colin Allred, Lauren Underwood and Richard Cordray. The Obamas have been relatively quiet since departing the White House in early 2017, but that is likely to change. The former president and the former first lady’s launch of “When We All Vote” is likely to be only the first of several post White House efforts they will participate in. “I’m confident that, together, they’ll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity that’s broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law,” Obama wrote in his endorsement statement.

  • Newswire : Tuskegee University’s dynamic ‘Pitcher-Catcher Duo’ participate in MLB’s All-Star Futures Game

    By Daja E. Henry and Ila Wilborn (NNPA DTU Journalism Fellows)

    Christian Marshall (left) and Elgin Woodside are baseball teammates at Tuskegee University. Marshall and Woodside participated in the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

    (Christian Marshall)

    Over 38,000 people watched from the stands Sunday in Washington D.C.’s Nationals Park as Tuskegee University pitcher Christian Marshall stepped up to the plate to throw the ceremonial first pitch of the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

    Elgin Woodside, a catcher for Tuskegee’s baseball team, assisted. Although the two were not yet prospects for the “Majors,” they both have a stake in the future of baseball. “Growing up as kids, playing baseball, everyone has that dream of going to the [pros],” Marshall said, as he explained the feeling of pitching in a game with Minor League Baseball’s top prospects. Woodside added: “Even though we never thought that moment would come to us, whenever we got in the moment, it didn’t feel like we were out of place. It felt like we were meant to be there, and all our hard work was paying off and God just gave us our blessing.” As a part of the Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week, the 2018 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game is meant to shine a spotlight on budding baseball stars. At the 20-year mark, the exhibition game “features the top Minor League prospects competing in a nine-inning contest as part of All-Star Sunday,” according to the league’s official website. Marshall and Woodside are pitcher and catcher of Tuskegee University’s SIAC baseball team. The two bonded over baseball, however, long before they entered Tuskegee, in their hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana; both participated in the New Orleans MLB Urban Youth Academy. “A lot of kids [in New Orleans] don’t get the opportunities we got,” Marshall said. From 2005 up until June 2018, Louisiana was deemed the incarceration capital of the world. According to EdWeek, the state ranks 46th in K-12 achievement. Orleans Parish itself was named the most murderous county in 2017. Marshall and Woodside were determined not to become a part of those statistics. The two are beginning their senior year at Tuskegee, both studying mechanical engineering. Marshall is interning this summer, testing parts for NASA in Pasadena, Calif. Woodside is assessing aerodynamics at Lockheed Martin in Stamford, Conn. The two student athletes do not have much idle time. “In the fall, even though we’re not in season, we’re still practicing,” Marshall said as he described their daily schedules that begin with workouts as early as 5 A.M. The rigorous coursework and hectic baseball schedules keep the two utilizing the creative work ethic they acquired back home at the MLB Youth Academy. Though they have a lot on their plate, there is a driving force pushing them to reach for further success. “Whenever you get tired, you’ve got to have something in the back of your mind that you can tap into,” Woodside said. “The things that I’m doing, it’s a reflection of me, but it’s also a reflection of something bigger.” Woodside explained how he is building a future that will make his entire and future family proud. Marshall and Woodside exist in a rare intersection for young, Black men. As of 2017, the MLB reported 7.7 percent African American or African Canadian players. According to 2010 Census data, African American men made up just 3 percent of scientists and engineers working in the field. Their very existence in this intersection is a statement of triumph over the lack of access to vital resources that often plagues young Blacks. While many African Americans get into basketball and football, it’s just not as easy to get into baseball. The lack of equipment, facilities and role models make it difficult for young, Black men to expose themselves to the sport. While in football and basketball, children can just pick up a ball and practice, baseball requires highly, specialized equipment like gloves, bats and balls, which puts children from low-income families at a disadvantage. Exposure is the main factor that separates Marshall and Woodside from their counterparts. Marshall’s mother exposed him to baseball around six years-old. Woodside’s father put him into tee-ball at three years-old. While participating in the Urban Youth Academy, they both gained a baseball role model in Eddie Davis, a Black resident of New Orleans, who played minor league baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ system. Both expressed a level of difficulty finding mentors in engineering, as well. At times, they feel as if they are under a microscope. However, they remain humble, consistent and determined to overcome those obstacles. “Knowledge is power. If you can get more knowledge and just learn how things operate, then I feel like that’ll be the key to overcoming any type of adversity there is at your workplace or in your life,” Marshall said. Their mechanical engineering playbook includes asking a lot of questions, staying engaged and setting up lunch meetings to learn from people, who are in the positions they want to be in. Tuskegee has been instrumental in creating a networking pipeline and served as a beneficial aspect of Woodside’s life, since he first began attending the university. “It just felt like everybody was one big family,” Woodside said. With just under 3,000 students enrolled in 2017, Tuskegee has the opportunity to provide its students with a close-knit atmosphere. “It [isn’t] a big school, so you know you’re going to make connections that can last a lifetime,” Woodside said. The teammates rely on their lifetime connection to help win games. “The closeness that we have is like unspoken communication,” Marshall said. “Every game that I’ve pitched really well, he’s been the one catching for me the whole time.” Woodside expressed equal admiration for Marshall. “If it wasn’t for Christian Marshall, Elgin Woodside would not be the person that he is today,” Woodside said. “Christian was always there to pick me up.” “When I’m on the mound and he’s on the plate, especially when we catch our groove, it feels like we’re unstoppable…almost.” Marshall said as he explained the natural chemistry that is critical in the makings of a great team. Marshall continued: “We made the most of what we had at Tuskegee and I feel we made a major impact because of the mentality we brought into the program.”

  • Newswire: Safeway calls police on Black woman giving food to the homeless after mistaking her for a shoplifter

    By Tanasia Kenney, Atlanta Black Star

     

    Erika Martin says Safeway employees accused her of theft as she was trying to feed the homeless. (KBCW / video screenshot) –

    Feeding the homeless is now among the list of arbitrary activities Black folks can’t do without someone calling the cops on them.Sunnyvale, Calif. resident Erica Martin said her altruistic efforts were squashed earlier this month when she and her family visited a Safeway grocery store in Mountain View, WPIX reported. Martin said she enjoys donating food and supplies to the homeless and said she and her family were waiting for a homeless man who frequents the store’s parking lot. “That day I decided to give him dog food for his dog,” she said. Before she knew it, Martin said her car was surrounded by police. It turns out Safeway employees had dialed 911, thinking she was a shoplifter. According to the station, workers reportedly thought she was conspiring with a Black man and reported a group of Black kids were stealing items and bringing them to her car. “[The officer] was like ‘well, we were called here because you fit the description of someone taking items out of Safeway and bringing it back to your car’” recalled Martin, who says she never stepped foot inside the store. Martin said what may have sparked the confusion was that her son approached the deli earlier to see if they were giving away cookie samples. She said her son grew frightened and upset when he saw officers approach their car. “He was like crying because he thought they were there to arrest him,” Martin said. Martin’s sister managed to film the encounter and shared it on Facebook, recounting the details of the shocking incident. “Right here at Safeway in Mountain View someone called the police on Erika. She was in her car the whole time,” she wrote. “Crazy. You’ve got four cops here for one Black person. Absolutely nuts.” Officers said Martin and her family remained calm as they investigated the situation. It was clear Safeway employees had made a mistake. Martin said a Safeway manager apologized for the incident and said corporate would call her. They never did. “I blame the Safeway employees and for them to do something like that to me is just hurtful and shameful,” she told the station. “I am not going back to that Safeway ever.” A spokesman for the grocery chain said they’re investigating the matter.