Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • Obama says Trump ‘unfit’ for presidency

    By Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer

    President Obama

    Washington (CNN) President Barack Obama offered one of his sharpest denunciations of Donald Trump to date Tuesday, declaring the Republican nominee entirely unfit to serve as president and lambasting Republicans for sticking by their nominee.

    The strong rebuke in the White House East Room came after Trump’s criticism of the family of a slain Muslim US soldier, along with comments that displayed apparent confusion related to the Russian incursion into Ukraine.

    “The Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president,” Obama said at a White House news conference with the Prime Minister of Singapore. “He keeps on proving it.”

    The Trump campaign responded by going after the Democratic nominee as well as the President. “Hillary Clinton has proven herself unfit to serve in any government office,” a Trump statement said, listing a number of policy concerns. “Obama-Clinton have single-handedly destabilized the Middle East, handed Iraq, Libya and Syria to ISIS, and allowed our personnel to be slaughtered at Benghazi.”

    Later Trump in an interview with WJLA said of Obama: “He’s a terrible president. He’ll probably go down as the worst president in the history of our country. He’s been a total disaster.”

    Obama on Tuesday described his feelings about Trump as unprecedented, recalling disagreements with previous GOP presidential nominees Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney — but never an outright sense they were unfit to serve.

    “The notion that he would attack a Gold Star family that made such extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country, the fact that he doesn’t appear to have basic knowledge of critical issues in Europe, the Middle East, in Asia, means that he’s woefully unprepared to do this job,” Obama said.

    Speaking alongside Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the White House East Room, Obama said there are now weekly episodes in which even Republican party leaders distance themselves from Trump. “There has to be a point at which you say, ‘Enough,’ ” Obama said.

     

    Obama goes after Trump’s party

     

    Obama placed responsibility for Trump’s statements squarely on his fellow Republicans, many of whom denounced his statements on the slain soldier’s family but didn’t withdraw their support.

    “What does this say about your party that this is your standard-bearer?” Obama asked of GOP leaders. “This isn’t a situation where you have an episodic gaffe. This is daily and weekly where they are distancing themselves from statements he’s making. There has to be a point at which you say, ‘This is not somebody I can support for president of the United States, even if he purports to be a member of my party.’ ”

    Obama said that denunciations from Republicans of Trump’s remarks “ring hollow” without an accompanying withdrawal of support. “I don’t doubt their sincerity. I don’t doubt they were outraged by some of the statements that Mr. Trump and his supporters made about the Khan family,” Obama said. “But there has to come a point in which you say, ‘Somebody who makes those kinds of statements doesn’t have the judgment, the temperament, the understanding to occupy the most powerful position in the world.’ ”

    Trump and the family of the slain soldier have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute over Muslims in America and the nature of patriotic sacrifice.

    After Khizir Khan, who lost his son in a suicide bombing in Iraq, declared at last week’s Democratic National Convention that Trump had “sacrificed nothing,” the Republican nominee claimed he’d been “viciously attacked” and questioned why Khan’s wife, Ghazala, didn’t make her own remarks.

    Criticism from Trump’s own party came swiftly, including in a lengthy statement from McCain, whom Trump previously derided for having been taken captive in the Vietnam War. But he and other top GOP leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, made little indication they would withdraw support for the Republican candidate.

    Trump has also taken flak for appearing unaware that Russian forces had annexed Crimea in early 2014, saying on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that President Vladimir Putin is “not going into Ukraine.” Later, he argued that the people of Crimea “would rather be with Russia than where they were” — an argument that Putin himself has made in justifying his annexation of the disputed Ukrainian territory.

  • Black Lives Matter playing a prominent role at Democratic convention, which nominates Hillary Clinton, as first woman

    Black Lives Matter playing a prominent role at Democratic convention, which nominates Hillary Clinton, as first woman

    By: Michael A. Memoli, Los Angeles Times

    Mothers of the Movement
    PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 26: Mothers of the Movement (L-R) Maria Hamilton, mother of Dontre Hamilton; Annette Nance-Holt, mother of Blair Holt; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Geneva Reed-Veal, mother of Sandra Bland; Lucia McBath, mother of Jordan Davis; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; and Cleopatra Pendleton-Cowley, mother of Hadiya Pendleton; Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Mike Brown and Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant; and Lezley McSpadden, Mother of Mike Brown deliver remarks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An estimated 50,000 people are expected in Philadelphia, including hundreds of protesters and members of the media. The four-day Democratic National Convention kicked off July 25. (Photo by Paul Morigi/WireImage)

     

    Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Secretary Hillary Clinton speaks during an event in Philadelphia
    Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (R) speaks during an event with former Attorney General Eric Holder and the anti-gun violence group Mothers of the Movement at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., April 20, 2016. Clinton is joined by Nicole Bell, fiance to Sean Bell, (L), and Tanya Brown-Dickerson, mother of Brandon Tate-Brown, both of whom were killed by police. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller

    On Tuesday night, July 26, 2016, Hillary Clinton was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States, the first woman nominated by a major party for the presidency.

    A night Hillary Clinton’s campaign designed to showcase her many years of involvement in social justice causes hit an emotional high point Tuesday with an appearance by a group of women whose sons or daughters were victims of gun violence or encounters with law enforcement.

    The Mothers of the Movement, as the eight women call themselves, provided one of the starkest contrasts between the two party conventions.

    Republican nominee Donald Trump focused repeatedly on “law and order,” and his convention featured repeated calls of “blue lives matter.” The Democrats put a spotlight on the complex issues of urban violence, easy access to guns and the accusation that systemic racism has warped the criminal justice system.

    In their remarks, the mothers portrayed Clinton as an ally in their movement.

    “I didn’t want this spotlight,” said Sybrina Fulton, whose 17-year-old son, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by a Neighborhood Watch member in an act that sparked a national debate over Florida’s stand-your-ground law, which allows use of lethal force in some circumstances.

    She praised Clinton for having compassion and understanding to support grieving mothers, courage to fight for gun safety legislation, and a plan to repair the divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

    “This is not about being politically correct. This is about saving our children,” she said.

    “Hillary Clinton isn’t afraid to say ‘black lives matter,’” said Lucia McBath. “She doesn’t build walls around her heart. Not only did she listen to our problems, she invited us to become part of the solution.”

    McBath’s 17-year-old son, Jordan Davis, was shot by Michael Dunn in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2012, after an argument over whether Davis and his friends were playing music too loudly. Dunn, a white software developer, ultimately was found guilty of first-degree murder.

    The decision to invite the mothers provided a way for Clinton’s campaign to associate itself with the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that featured less politically charged personalities than some of its youthful champions.

    Still, the mothers’ appearance has caused controversy. The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police said its members were “shocked and saddened” that widows of fallen police officers were not included in the lineup.

    Democrats responded that there was no conflict between honoring the majority of police officers while putting a spotlight on victims of police misconduct.

    Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said from the podium that “black lives matter,” but also talked about his brother who served as a police officer.  “There is no tension between protecting those who valiantly risk their lives to serve … and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly by police,” Holder said.

    Presenting the mothers on the same night that Bill Clinton spoke was also a way to potentially associate him with the movement’s goals and defuse a point of tension within the Democratic coalition.

    The former president has clashed publicly with Black Lives Matters protesters at a couple of campaign events after they challenged him over the anti-crime bill he signed in 1994, which they blame for the sharp increase in incarceration rates of young black men.

    Experts have argued over how much impact the Clinton-era crime law had on incarceration, noting that much of the increase took place years before the law passed.

    But the law has become a potent symbol, and the tension over it has made some Democrats worry that younger black voters might not turn out to cast ballots for her in November at the high levels that the Democrats need for victory.

    While Hillary Clinton has embraced some of the causes championed by Black Lives Matter and has tried to break with the legacy of the 1990s on criminal justice issues, neither she nor the movement have fully embraced each other.

    The relationship she has forged with the mothers has played a significant role in her effort to communicate her criminal justice policies.

    Two weeks ago, she appeared at a historically black church in Philadelphia with one of the women, Tanya Brown-Dickerson. Clinton spoke at the church in the aftermath of the deaths of two more black men in policed-involved shootings and the lethal rampage directed at Dallas police officers patrolling a Black Lives Matter demonstration.

    “People are crying out for criminal justice reform,” Clinton said at the church. “Families are being torn apart by excessive incarceration. Young people are being threatened and humiliated by racial profiling.”

     

  • Michael Jordan speaks out on deadly police shootings of Black men

    By Frederick H. Lowe

     

    Michael-Jordan

    Michael Jordan

          Saying he can no longer remain silent in the wake of deadly shootings of unarmed Black men by police and the shooting deaths of police officers, NBA great Michael Jordan, who is also owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, announced on Monday that he has donated a total of $2 million to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the Institute for Community –Police Relations for the purpose of building trust and promoting best practices in community policing.

    “To support that effort, I am making contributions of $1 million each to two organizations, the International  Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established  institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, ” Jordan said. “My donation to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, will support its ongoing work in support of reforms that will build trust and respect between communities and law enforcement. Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem, I hope the resources will help both organizations make a positive difference.”

    “I am so pleased and honored that Michael Jordan will be making this donation to LDF in support of our policing reform efforts,” said Sherriyln Ifill, president and director counsel of LDF, which was founded by Thurgood Marshall.

    “It is an act of true leadership that Mr. Jordan has chosen to use his stature to highlight the importance to all Americans and by taking a personal stance in support of organizations directly engaged in addressing this crisis in our nation. We are grateful for this support, which will allow to deepen our engagement on the issue of policing reform at this critical time in our country.”

    Although Jordan, a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, donates money to various projects, he rarely speaks out on issues, but he said he was moved by the spate of deadly police shootings of unarmed black men and the deadly shootings of police.

    “As a proud American, a father who lost his dad in a senseless act of violence, and a back man. I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well,” Jordan said.

     

     

  • Omarosa Manigault named Trump’s Director of African-American Outreach

    Written By Charise Frazier

    Omirosa Manigualt and Donald Trump

    Omarosa Manigualt with Donald Trump at the convention

    Former Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault breathed new life into her career by announcing her title as Donald Trump’s campaign director of African-American outreach on live television.

    Manigault, a longtime supporter of the presumptive GOP nominee, and former Vice Chair of the National Diversity Coalition For Trump, solidified her position during a Monday interview with MSNBC‘s Craig Melvin.
    Melvin pressed Manigault on the recent polling in Ohio and her home state of Pennsylvania, where Trump’s support from African-Americans stands at an astounding zero percent. “I just spent an amazing weekend with African-Americans for Trump, about 300 of them,” she said.
    “I’m just wondering who they called because those numbers would be flawed according to the people who have come out to support, had an amazing faith-based service yet with African-Americans who support Donald Trump, had an amazing reception yesterday evening with African-Americans who support Trump,” she continued. “So I look at the data, but my reality is that I’m surrounded by people who to want see Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, who are African-American.”
    Well, the numbers don’t lie and if Manigault has any chance of sustaining success in her position, she now knows where she can start.
    Manigault pivoted to touting Trump’s economic prowess as a principle for his readiness to lead the country. Though the controversy with Trump University’s multiple lawsuits stands as a stain on Trump’s economic record, and considering the questionable tactics he’s taken with his personal finances (filing for bankruptcy, refusing to make his tax returns public when prompted), Manigault still believes her candidate has “an incredible vision for this country.”

  • Hillary Clinton goes on attack against Donald Trump in NAACP speech

    BY LISA L. COLANGELO
    NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

    Hillary Clinton addresses NAACP

    Hillary Clinton
    addresses NAACP

    Hillary Clinton made it clear Monday she isn’t about to let the GOP cast Donald Trump in a softer light at the Republican National Convention.

    During an emotional speech before the NAACP’s national conference in Ohio, Clinton painted her likely Republican opponent as a President Obama-hating, white supremacist sympathizer who was once investigated for refusing to rent apartments to African-Americans.
    “He might say otherwise if he were here, but of course he declined your invitation,” Clinton told members of the historic civil rights group. “So all we can go on is what he has said and done in the past.”
    Her comments come as Republicans are expected to launch a wave of attacks against her as part of the first day of the convention’s theme: “Keep America Safe Again.”
    Clinton, who is poised to receive the Democratic nomination for President next week, kicked off an aggressive campaign to register 3 million new voters in the coming weeks.
    “This man is the nominee of the party of Lincoln and we are watching it become the party of Trump,” she said to cheers. “That is not just a huge loss to our democracy, it is a threat to our democracy. … Donald Trump cannot become President of the United States.”
    Her voter registration campaign will include 500 events at diverse locations including minor league baseball games, college campuses and hair salons.
    “Your votes count more than ever,” Clinton told the crowd.
    Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference, tried to head off GOP criticism by lauding Clinton’s service as Secretary of State.
    “She strengthened national security, championed human rights and opportunities for women and girls across the world,” Dukes said. “She was instrumental in restoring American standing in the world.”

  • Black Lives Matter is not a hate group

    July By B19, 20BJ. Richard Cohen is president
    of the Southern Poverty Law Center

    IF
    HUNTS POINT, BRONX, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2016/07/17: On the second anniversary of the death of Eric Garner by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, the Black Lives Matter community organized the Stop The Violence Rally, March and Healing Circle in the South Bronx to remember Eric Garner and other victims of police brutality with a peaceful demonstration around the neighborhood culminating the march at the 41th Precinct where participants held a moment of silence followed by chanting “I CAN’T BREATHE” 11 times as Eric Garner did before his tragic death by an illegal choke-hold. (Photo by Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

     

    Each year, the Southern Poverty Law Center, of which I am the president, compiles and publishes a census of domestic hate groups. Our list, which is cited extensively by journalists, academics and government officials alike, provides an important barometer—not the only one, of course—to help us understand the state of hate and extremism in America.

    In recent weeks, we’ve received a number of requests to name Black Lives Matter a hate group, particularly in the wake of the murders of eight police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Numerous conservative commentators have joined the chorus. There is even a Change.org petition calling for the hate group label.
    In our view, these critics fundamentally misunderstand the nature of hate groups and the BLM movement.
    Generally speaking, hate groups are, by our definition, those that vilify entire groups of people based on immutable characteristics such as race or ethnicity. Federal law takes a similar approach.
    While it’s no surprise, given our country’s history, that most domestic hate groups hold white supremacist views, there are a number of black organizations on our hate group list as well.
    A prime example is the New Black Panther Party (NBPP), whose leaders are known for anti-Semitic and anti-white tirades. Its late chairman, Khalid Abdul Muhammad, famously remarked: “There are no good crackers, and if you find one, kill him before he changes.” Bobby Seale, a founding member of the original Black Panther Party, has called the NBPP a “black racist hate group.”
    We have heard nothing remotely comparable to the NBPP’s bigotry from the founders and most prominent leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement and nothing at all to suggest that the bulk of the demonstrators hold supremacist or black separatist views. Thousands of white people across America—indeed, people of all races—have marched in solidarity with African Americans during BLM marches, as is clear from the group’s website. The movement’s leaders also have condemned violence.
    There’s no doubt that some protesters who claim the mantle of Black Lives Matter have said offensive things, like the chant “pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon” that was heard at one rally. But before we condemn the entire movement for the words of a few, we should ask ourselves whether we would also condemn the entire Republican Party for the racist words of its presumptive nominee—or for the racist rhetoric of many other politicians in the party over the course of years.
    Many of its harshest critics claim that Black Lives Matter’s very name is anti-white, hence the oft-repeated rejoinder “all lives matter.” This notion misses the point entirely. Black lives matter because they have been marginalized throughout our country’s history and because white lives have always mattered more in our society. As BLM puts it, the movement stands for “the simple proposition that ‘black lives also matter.’”
    The backlash to BLM, in some ways, reflects a broad sense of unease among white people who worry about the cultural changes in the country and feel they are falling behind in a country that is rapidly growing more diverse in a globalizing world. We consistently see this phenomenon in surveys showing that large numbers of white people believe racial discrimination against them is as pervasive, or more so, than it is against African Americans.
    It’s the same dynamic that researchers at Harvard Business School described in a recent study: White people tend to see racism as a zero-sum game, meaning that gains for African Americans come at their expense. Black people see it differently. From their point of view, the rights pie can get bigger for everyone.
    Black Lives Matter is not a hate group. But the perception that it is racist illustrates the problem. Our society as a whole still does not accept that racial injustice remains pervasive. And, unfortunately, the fact that white people tend to see race as a zero-sum game may actually impede progress

  • 8,000 people open accounts at Citizens Trust Bank in Atlanta, with branches in Alabama

    By: Taryn Finley Black Voices Associate Editor, The Huffington Post

     

    citizens_trust_bank-500x263

     Atlanta executive staff of Citizens Trust Bank

    In the weeks following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, more and more influencers, like Solange and Killer Mike, have started to #BankBlack and have transferred their money into Black-owned banks.

    Now, a historic black bank in Atlanta has seen a spike in business. In just five days, 8,000 people have submitted applications to join Citizen’s Trust Bank, according to 11 Alive. Citizens Trust also has branches in Birmingham and Eutaw, Alabama.
    “It’s a tremendous propel forward for the bank and the future of the bank and bringing new relevance to a bank that’s been here for 95 years. And, it’s a statement about what the next 95 years will look like,” Jay Bailey, chairman of the bank’s Next Generation Advisory Board, told the local outlet.
    The bank’s CEO and president, Cynthia N. Day, thanked Killer Mike on Twitter  for urging people to collectively put $100 million in Atlanta’s only black bank just days before the increase in business.
    Executive Vice President Fredrick Daniels said the bank, which was founded in 1921, has survived despite several economic hardships. Now, he said Citizen’s Trust is looking to grow and get more black people to keep their money in their communities.
    “Citizen’s Trust provides a financial foundation for our community and that really helps us to put in place the businesses that we wanna see that we don’t see in our communities,” Daniels told 11 Alive.
    With $328.8 million in deposits as of the end of 2015, Bailey said Citizen’s Trust’s goal is to make history by becoming the first black-owned billion dollar bank in the country. Bailey noted that while protesting racial inequality is important, a perhaps more noticeable change comes when black people invest back into their communities.
    “I’ve been telling people that it’s time to come home,” he said. “Rallies are great and they’re necessary. Protesting is great and it’s necessary but what will sustain and grow from here is our dollar and galvanizing our dollar.”
    The United States had 23 black-owned banks, credit unions or savings and loan associations as of March 31, according to the Federal Reserve.

  • Celebrate ‘Nelson Mandela International Day’ with service and volunteerism

     

    Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela's wife speak with students

    Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela’s wife speaks
    with students

    Jul 11, 2016 (GIN) – “Nelson Mandela International Day” – formalized by the U.N. General Assembly in November 2009 – recalls the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom on his birthday – July 18. It comes as Americans reflect on a wrenching week of race-related violence and the undeniable evidence of the persistence of intolerance that Mandela devoted his life to oppose.
    The Nelson Mandela Foundation promotes acts of service to humanity on that day in his honor.
    In December 2015, the General Assembly extended the scope of Nelson Mandela International Day to raise awareness about persons in detention and to call for humane treatment of the incarcerated.
    In South Africa, the 7th annual Bikers for Mandela Day will take the call for service to remote areas.
    “We have crossed over 12 000 kilometers since the inception of this initiative in 2010 and assisted over 20 charitable organizations through Bikers for Mandela day.  We look forward to paying tribute to Madiba’s unwavering legacy once again.  We believe that every small action of goodwill leads to a larger movement in the right direction,” said organizer Zelda la Grange, formerly Madiba’s personal secretary.
    In 2015, UN staff volunteers in New York, partnered with GreenThumb, East New York Farms, and the UN Food Garden, to plant seedlings, pull weeds, and water plant beds in community gardens across the city.
    In Geneva, the Permanent Mission of South Africa and Serve the City Geneva have mobilized volunteers to help the poor and marginalized in the city.
    Mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, speaking to students this month at the Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School in Tembisa, said: “Mandela Day gives us a way to energize our collective commitment, and it helps to know you are not doing this alone – there are millions of us. This helps build the movement of doing something good for someone else, selflessly caring for others, and remind ourselves that we belong to a global, human family.”
    Also in South Africa, RACE (against time), a song against racism written and co-produced by Katlego Maboe, David Harmse and Ntokozo Mkhize will raise money for Anti-Racism Network South Africa (ARNSA).
    Developed by The Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada Foundations, it takes a thoughtful look at the roots of racism. Maboe explains the title of the single: “There is a deliberate play on words. The issue of race is a matter of urgency for all of us and we all stand to lose and suffer the consequences if we don’t solve the problem in time.”
    For more about the single, go to http://www.mitracks.fm/preorder/race-against-time

  • Five facts you need to know about the Buffalo Soldiers

     

    The Buffalo Soldiers

    The Buffalos Soldiers National Museum will celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers in Houston Texas from July 28 – July 30. For more information, visit http://www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com. Here are the five facts about the Buffalo Soldiers:
    1. In 1866, through an act of Congress, legislation was adopted to create six all African-American Army units. The units were identified as the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st Infantry regiments. The four infantry regiments were later reorganized to form the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments.

    2. These fighting men represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army. The recruits came from varied backgrounds including former slaves and veterans from service in the Civil War.

    3. The nickname Buffalo Soldiers began with Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect for the fierce fighting ability of the 10th U.S. Cavalry.

    4. Over time, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African-American soldiers serving in the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry and the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry Regiments.

    5. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to the harshest and most desolate posts. Specific duties included subduing Mexican revolutionaries, outlaws, rustlers and warring Native Americans. Additional administrative duties included exploring and mapping the Southwest and establishing outposts for future towns.

    The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum relies on supporters to keep its doors open. Two ways the community can help include:

    1.Become a member. Museum membership ranges from $35 for students and seniors to $50,000 for its highest level of corporate membership. The most popular membership is $45 for individuals, which includes unlimited free museum admission for one year, discounts on gift store merchandise and museum rentals, invitations to special events and a quarterly newsletter subscription.

    2. Buy a brick. The museum’s “Leave-A-Legacy…Buy-A-Brick” Paver Program allows donors to create a lasting memory by purchasing a one-of-a-kind engraved brick permanently displayed on the museum’s Soldiers Plaza. Bricks start at $175 and can honor a veteran, promote a business, surprise a friend, cheer an alma mater or commemorate a special date or event. For information, call 713-942-8920.

  • National Newspaper Publishers Association calls for appointment of a Special Federal Prosecutor on Racially Motivated Police Killings

     

    NNPALogo

    Washington, D.C. — Today, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the nation’s largest trade association of African American-owned newspapers and media companies, issued an urgent call and demand that President Barack H. Obama and U.S Attorney General Loretta Lynch appoint a Special Federal Prosecutor in the wake of the police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.  The NNPA also expresses sincere condolences to the families of the police officers who were unjustly killed in Dallas, Texas.
    “The killings of African Americans in Louisiana and Minnesota during the past week represent an escalating national pattern  of fatal police  killings that appear to be racially motivated.  These incidents are not isolated local tragedies, but are the terrible growing manifestations of a deadly national system of racism in the criminal justice system that needs to be effectively challenged and changed,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., the president and CEO of the NNPA. “There are, today, too many African American families and communities that continue to endure police brutality and violence across the United States. This is a national crisis that demands immediate federal intervention to both investigate and to prosecute police officers, who continue to commit these wanton racially motivated killings.”
    Chavis continued: “We, therefore, demand that a Special Federal Prosecutor be immediately appointed by the United States Department of Justice. To date, unfortunately, local investigations and prosecutions have been ineffective and have not insured equal justice. The Special Federal Prosecutor has to be independent and impartial. We have heard from many of our NNPA member publishers throughout the nation who all expressed profound disgust and moral outrage about these brutalities. We will not be silent in the face of these continued injustices. We demand action by the federal government now.”
    The reform of the criminal justice system in America requires more intellectual honesty in the national dialogue about race, inequality and injustice.  The NNPA will engage and participate in this dialogue as the movement for reform and social change unfolds.
    The NNPA represents 209 African American owned newspapers based in 32 states and known as the “Voice of Black America” that reaches 20.l million readers per week with national offices located in Washington, D.C. Please visit http://www.NNPA.org to learn more about the NNPA and go to http://www.BlackPressUSA.com to check out news and commentary about the Black community.