The Greene County Democrat

Category: Newswire

  • Newswire : Black troops fought on D-Day 

    Edward Carter was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in January 1997 for his heroic actions while serving in World War II. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He is one of seven Black men awarded the Medal of Honor long after WWII ended due to racial discrimination

    Seven Black men were awarded the Medal of Honor
    in WWII long after the conflict was over

    By BlackmansStreetToday

    The Allies recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which was the beginning of the invasion of France to overthrow the Nazi government in Germany. 

    The movies recount the terrorizing experiences of men cut down by gunfire while running to the beach, while also depicting the jubilation of those who survived and were not harmed physically. The big-budget films include
    “The Longest Day,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Big Red One.” 

    But those films are short on the truth and long on lies.The movies ignored the role Black soldiers played in the overthrow Nazi Germany.

    Roughly 2,000 African American troops are believed to have hit the shores of Normandy in various capacities on June 6, 1944. 

    Serving in a U.S. military still segregated by race, they encountered discrimination both in the service and when they came home.

    The troops included the 320th Balloon Battalion, the 582nd Engineer Dump Truck Company, the 385th Quartermaster Truck Company, and the 490th Port Battalion with its 226th, 227th, 228th, and 229th Port Companies.”

    Seven Blacks won the Medal of Honor racial prejudice prevented them from receiving their medals long after WWII had ended.

    By 1945, 432 American service members had received the Medal of Honor for their gallantry in the face of enemy fire during World War II. 

    Not a single Black man among them was recognized.

    It took almost 50 years for the Army to recognize some of the incredible heroics of Black American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who served during the war.

    More than a million Black men wore the uniforms of the United States in World War II, and many of them saw combat.

    In 1993, President Bill Clinton initiated the Army’s review of its World War II records to determine why no Black men received the Medal of Honor. 

    It discovered that a culture of discrimination in the awarding of medals prevented the Army from awarding the medal to a handful of deserving Black heroes. Only one of these vets was alive when the Medals of Honor were officially presented in 1997.

  • Newswire : Supreme Court says ‘no’ to Payday Lenders; ‘yes” to Consumer Protection

    By Charlene Crowell

    
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – A recent 7-2 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court gave consumers a long-sought victory that ended more than a decade of challenges over the constitutionality of the agency created to be the nation’s financial cop on the beat.
     
    The May 16 decision in the case  formally known as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America LTD, ET AL refuted arguments by the billion-dollar payday lending industry that CFPB was unconstitutional because its funding is derived directly from the Federal Reserve instead of Congress’ annual appropriations.
     
    The majority opinion, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, concluded, “The statute that authorizes the Bureau to draw money from the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System to carry out its duties satisfies the Appropriations Clause.”
     
    Two additional concurring opinions underscored this conclusion. Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and its newest member, addressed why legislators created the CFPB.
     
     “As the Court explains, in response to the devastation wrought by the 2008 financial crisis, Congress passed and the President signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act… Drawing on its extensive experience in financial regulation, Congress designed the funding scheme to protect the Bureau from the risk that powerful regulated entities might capture the annual appropriations process,” wrote Justice Jackson.
     
    During the Financial Crisis, millions of Black and Latino borrowers suffered home foreclosures because they were targeted with high-cost, unsustainable mortgage loans, even though many were eligible for other lower-cost loans. But those were not the only predatory financial product foisted upon people of color.
     
    Payday loans that lure financially-strapped consumers with promises of easy cash can still be found in profusion in most urban areas across the country. The payday industry’s billion-dollar profits typically are generated on loans of $350 or less. With high fees that create deepening cycles of re-borrowing, these loans disproportionately affect Black and Latino borrowers who earn $40,000 or less per year, and do not have a college degree. Research by the CFPB   found that payday lenders collect 75 percent of their fees from borrowers who take out more than 10 loans per year.
     
    In the absence of federal regulation, 20 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to cap payday lending interest rates at around 36 percent annual percentage rate (APR), or required other measures to eliminate long-term debt traps for consumers. Further, since 2005, no state has authorized the expansion of traditional storefront payday lending.
     
    But for the remaining states without reasonable rate caps, triple-digit interest on payday loans continues. Many of these states also have large numbers of minority residents. For example, Texas allows payday APRs as high as 662 percent, similar to Missouri (652 percent), Mississippi (572 percent), Wisconsin (537 percent), and Nevada (548 percent).
     
    Against this backdrop, it remains important for CFPB’s work in support of financial fairness to continue. Consumer advocates’ reactions to this key decision were understandably jubilant.
     
    Massachusetts U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, broadly considered the chief strategist for CFPB’s creation during the Obama Administration, said the court decision is a noteworthy development:
     
    “For the last decade, the consumer agency has fought the big banks and predatory lenders that try to cheat hardworking people. As of this week, the CFPB has returned more than $20 billion in ill-gotten funds to American families,” said Warren. “This isn’t the last attack on the CFPB we’ll see from Wall Street, the banks, and their Republican allies.…The CFPB will keep on doing its work to slash junk fees, fight giant banks when they cheat people, and level the playing field for everyone in this country.”    
     
    Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould, Senior Strategist at Faith in Action and Founding member of Faith for Just Lending, said the ruling was as much a moral victory as it was a victory for public policy.
     
    “This Supreme Court decision, which aligns with the moral compass of Proverbs 22:22, has sided with the least of these by protecting the CFPB. This decision is a testament to our shared commitment to not rob the poor because they are poor and to not crush those in need in court,” said the Rev. Dr. Gould.  
     
    And for the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), Nadine Chabrier, Senior Policy and Litigation Counsel at CRL, said this consumer victory should be used as a springboard for even more consumer protection efforts.
     
    “Even with this decision, we must keep fighting to defend our consumer watchdog agency in the courts and in Congress as some industry actors sue and lobby to preserve illegal financial discrimination, billions in unlawful junk fees, and other exploitative behavior,” said Chabrier. “The nonstop crusade to undermine the CFPB goes against the wishes of the American people, who overwhelmingly support the CFPB’s work. The anti-CFPB campaign is an attempt to throw sand in the gears of financial justice and it must be rejected.”
    ###
    Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. 

  • Newswire : Mexican voters elect a woman president

    Claudia Sheinbaum,

    By BlackmansStreetToday

    When she takes office in October, Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president of Mexico.

    The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor, who is Jewish, said Sunday night that her two competitors had called her and congratulated her. 

    “I will become the first woman president of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said with a smile, speaking at a downtown hotel shortly after electoral authorities announced that she held an irreversible lead. She declared, “I didn’t make it alone.”

    Sheinbaum won 60.7 percent of the vote, the National Electoral Institute’s president said. 

    Claudia Sheinbaum is a member of the leftist Morena party, and Xochitl Gálvez, her closest rival, is also a woman. She is a member of the conservative PAN party, which represents a coalition of opposition parties.

    Sunday’s voter poll revealed the largest election turnout in the country’s history. More than 98 million voters are registered to cast a ballot in Mexico, and 1.4 million Mexicans are eligible to vote abroad. More than 20,000 positions were set to be filled, with an estimated 70,000 candidates vying to become senators, mayors, and governors.
     

  • Newswire : The African National Congress will be forced to form a coalition government in South Africa

    Paul Botes/AFP/Getty Imagesters queue outside a polling station in Juju Valley, Polokwane, on May 29, 2024, during South Africa’s general election. 


    Voters queue outside a polling station in Juju Valley, Polokwane, on May 29, 2024, during South Africa’s general election. 

    The African National Congress, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid, making Nelson Mandela its first president and post-apartheid leader, must now form a coalition with another party or parties to govern the country.

    “We can talk to everybody and anybody,” Gwede Mantashe, the ANC chair and current mines and energy minister, told reporters in comments carried by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), dodging a question about who the party was discussing a possible coalition deal with.

    Despite the ANC’s result, President Cyril Ramaphosa could still keep his job, as the former liberation movement was on course to get about twice as many votes as the next party. 

    Vote tallying from Wednesday’s election was entering its final stages on Saturday, with results from 99.53% of polling stations giving the ANC 40.21%. This is a dramatic drop from the 57.5% the ANC received in the last election on May 7, 2014, which was the fifth election under universal suffrage since the end of apartheid.

    The official opposition party, the centrist Democratic Alliance (DA), had about 22% of the vote.

    Behind them were two ANC splinter parties: the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), led by Jacob Zuma, who served as South Africa’s president from 2009 to 2018, captured nearly 15% of the vote, and the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had nearly 10%, data from the country’s electoral commission showed.


    South Africans angry at joblessness, inequality, power shortages, and the lack of clean drinking water have slashed their support for the ANC.

  • Newswire: MLB integrates Negro Leagues stats, elevating long-overlooked stars to Major League Status

     Negro League All-Stars

    By Stacy M. Brown
    NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     

    Major League Baseball (MLB) has taken a historic step to rectify a long-standing oversight by officially incorporating Negro Leagues statistics into its historical record. Starting today, the achievements of approximately 2,300 Negro Leagues players will be recognized alongside those of MLB legends like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

    For decades, Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb were celebrated as the greatest figures in baseball, with Ruth hailed as the best player and Cobb as the premier hitter. However, these narratives often excluded African American athletes whose contributions were underreported or dismissed. This exclusion persisted despite the talents that led to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947 as the first Black player in the modern Major Leagues.

    MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred announced this significant change three years ago, emphasizing the league’s commitment to correcting a historical wrong by elevating the Negro Leagues to “Major League” status. John Thorn, an MLB historian, and the Negro Leagues Statistical Review Committee have been responsible for the meticulous process of officially incorporating Negro Leagues stats into MLB records. The team has been reviewing thousands of box scores and other historical data to integrate the statistics of the seven Negro Leagues into MLB’s database.

    Josh Gibson, a standout in the Negro Leagues, will now lead multiple batting categories. His career batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS surpass those of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. While some of Gibson’s legendary feats, such as the nearly 800 home runs mentioned on his Hall of Fame plaque, will not be included, many of his official stats will now be recognized.

    Thorn hailed the decision as “not only righting a social, cultural, and historical wrong, it’s defining baseball as a game for Americans without exclusion.” He emphasized that baseball is a sport of tradition, but its capacity for profound change is equally significant.
    To honor the Negro Leagues, MLB will host a tribute game on June 20 at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama—the oldest professional baseball park in the U.S. Players will don period uniforms and pay tribute to legendary center fielder Willie Mays, an Alabama native.

    With the integration of these statistics, players like Buck Leonard, Buck O’Neil, Cool Papa Bell, Doc Sykes, Monte Irvin, Leroy Satchel Paige, and Gibson will finally receive their due recognition. Fans will now appreciate the true scope of their talents and achievements.

    Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Josh Gibson and executive director of the Josh Gibson Foundation, expressed the family’s excitement over this acknowledgment. “We always considered him a major league; he just didn’t play in the major leagues,” Sean Gibson told NBC Sports. He is eager to see how his great-grandfather’s stats compare to those of other MLB legends.

    Reflecting on this milestone, he added, “If Josh Gibson was alive right now, he’d be honored. He’ll probably wonder why it took so long. He’ll be happy for all the other baseball players, and more importantly he’ll be excited for his family to carry on his legacy.”
     

  • Newswire : Marian Robinson, the Heart of the Obama Family, remembered fondly at 86

    President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose for photos with former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, her mother Marian Robinson, left, and family friend Kaye Wilson, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

    By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

     

     Marian Robinson, mother to former First Lady Michelle Obama, died on Friday, May 31, at 86. Her loved ones said she leaves behind a void in the hearts of many. As a steadfast figure in the Obama White House, Robinson’s presence extended far beyond familial ties, touching the lives of all who knew her.

    Marian Lois Shields set out on a journey that was characterized by fortitude and compassion after emerging from the vibrant tapestry of Chicago’s South Side. From her early days as a teacher to her later role as a trusted secretary, Robinson’s life was a testament to the values of family and service, showcasing her personal achievements and contributions.
    In a heartfelt tribute, Michelle Obama fondly recalled her mother’s enduring influence, describing her as the unwavering pillar of their family. Robinson’s wisdom, honed through life’s diverse experiences, was a beacon of light during times of uncertainty. Her steadfast support and gentle nature were not just sources of strength but unique qualities that endeared her to the entire Obama clan.
    Throughout Barack Obama’s historic presidency, Marian Robinson was a symbol of stability, offering sage advice and unconditional love. Despite the grandeur of the White House, she maintained her down-to-earth charm, forging deep connections with staff and finding solace in everyday routines, thereby extending her influence beyond her immediate family.
    Reflecting on her mother’s legacy, Michelle Obama shared cherished memories of their time, illustrating their profound bond. Robinson’s unwavering presence and nurturing spirit created a sense of home amidst the whirlwind of public life.
    “Her wisdom came off as almost innate, as something she was born with, but in reality, it was hard-earned, fashioned by her deep understanding that the world’s roughest edges could always be sanded down with a little grace,” the family said.
    Michelle, Barack, Craig, Kelly, Avery, Leslie, Malia, Sasha, Austin, and Aaron joined to pen a heartfelt remembrance of Robinson.
    “Our mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother had a way of summing up the truths about life in a word or two, maybe a quick phrase that made everyone around her stop and think,” they wrote. “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Know what’s truly precious. As a parent, you’re not raising babies — you’re raising little people. Don’t worry about whether anybody else likes you. Come home. We’ll always like you here.”
    The family recalled that, as a young woman, Robinson studied to become a teacher before working as a secretary. She fell quickly and madly in love with Fraser Robinson, another South Sider with a “boxer’s strength and jazz-lover’s cool.” Together, they raised two children, Craig, and Michelle, in a tiny upstairs apartment on Euclid Avenue in South Shore.
    Robinson volunteered for the PTA and taught her children to read at an early age, sitting together as they sounded out words on a page, giving them the strength and confidence to walk to school — and out into the world — all on their own. She once chewed out a police officer who had accused Craig of stealing a bike, demanding that the adult apologize to her son.
    “On Election Night in 2008, when the news broke that Barack would soon shoulder the weight of the world, she was there, holding his hand,” the family wrote.  “With a healthy nudge, she agreed to move to the White House with Michelle and Barack. We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all.”

  • Newswire : Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! former President Trump convicted on all 34 felony counts

    By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    In a historic and dramatic moment, the jury in New York delivered a resounding verdict on May 29, 2024, finding former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. This unprecedented decision marks the first time in American history that a former president has been convicted of criminal charges.
    A hush fell over the courtroom late in the afternoon as the jury handed Judge Juan M. Merchan a note. “We the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that’d be possible,” the note read. The jury had deliberated for 9.5 hours over two days after a three-week trial.
    The twice-impeached, four-times indicted, and now convicted Trump faced charges connected to a $130,000 hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 election. The trial featured weeks of tawdry testimony about tabloid deal-making and the alleged sexual encounter between Trump and Daniels. Prosecutors argued that Trump engaged in a fraud against the American people by falsifying records related to the reimbursement of his former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, who paid Daniels out of his own pocket.
    The courtroom was silent as the jury’s verdict was read aloud: “Guilty, guilty, guilty…” repeated 34 times, solidifying the former president’s fate. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, now faces a potential sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison. His legal team has already indicated plans to appeal, a process that could extend over several years.
    This criminal case is one of four Trump is currently facing, but it is likely the only one that will go to trial before Election Day. Trump faces as much as four years in prison, but because he’s viewed as a first-time offender and the convictions are on low-level felonies, he’ll likely receive probation.
    “Today, the criminal justice system worked,” National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chair Bobby Henry stated. “As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. alluded to, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Henry said.
    The NNPA is the trade association of the 250 African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America.
    “The NNPA congratulates the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who stood up triumphantly against the criminal acts of former President Trump,” NNPA President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., stated. “In America, no one should be above the equitable rule of law. In particular, Black
    America knows too well the horrors of inequity and injustice. In the historic case of New York v. Trump, it now appears that in New York City, finally after centuries of racial oppression, the gavel of justice has now come down on one of the nation’s most zealous criminals who unrepentantly desires to return to the White House in 2024.”

  • Newswire : Kenya will send troops to fight violence in Haiti

    President William Ruto of Kenya

    Kenya’s President William Ruto says his peacekeeping police force is expected to arrive in Haiti in about three weeks to help quell growing gang violence.

    In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr. Ruto confirmed that a planning team was already in Haiti and had met local police to secure arrangements before the Kenyan troops were deployed.

    Mr. Ruto’s comments came as he concluded a three-day trip to Washington DC, the first official state visit of any African leader to the U.S. in over 15 years. During his visit, Ruto attended an official state dinner at the White House, the first for an African head of state in 15 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson blocked an address to Congress by Ruto because of scheduling problems.

    During his trip, the White House called for the swift deployment of the Kenyan-led multinational force after a US couple was named among three missionaries killed in Haiti on Friday.

    “I have a team already in Haiti as I speak to you,” Mr. Ruto told the BBC on Friday. 

    “That will give us a frame of what things look like on the ground, the capabilities that are available, the infrastructure that has been set up.” He added, “Once we have that assessment that we agreed with the Haitian police and the Haitian leadership, we are looking at the horizon of three weeks for us to be ready to deploy once everything on the ground is set.” 

    Last year, Kenya offered to lead a UN-backed multinational security force to restore order to the Caribbean island.

    Gangs have taken over much of Haiti, bringing violence and destruction to its besieged capital, Port-au-Prince, in the wake of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. The gangs have released inmates from prison.

    Mr. Ruto told the BBC that these types of events are “exactly” why his country was preparing to send in its police force. “We shouldn’t be losing people. We shouldn’t be losing missionaries,” he said.

    “We are doing this to stop more people from losing their lives to gangs.” The U.S. is also a part of the multi-national coalition working with Kenya.

    President Ruto also has appointed Maj Gen Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed as the first female commander of the Air Force. She is the first woman in Kenya’s history to head a branch of the military service.

  • Newswire : Biden makes historic strides in diversifying Federal judiciary

    President Biden and VP Kamala Harris stand with Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown-Jackson


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    President Joe Biden has set a historic precedent by appointing more non-white and female judges to the federal judiciary than any other president in U.S. history, a significant achievement in his first three and a half years in office. According to a published analysis of self-reported data from the Federal Judicial Center, only 13 percent of Biden’s Senate-confirmed judicial appointments are white men.
    “I’m particularly proud that these judges reflect the diversity that is our country’s strength, Biden said in February following the confirmation of his 175th judge.
    As of mid-May, Biden remains the only president to have appointed more women than men to the federal bench, with over 60 percent of his judges being female. This surpasses the previous record set by former President Barack Obama, who appointed 138 female judges during his eight-year presidency. Biden is on track to surpass this figure as he nears the end of his first term.
    The Senate is set to confirm more of Biden’s judicial nominees this week, including Seth Aframe of New Hampshire, who will serve as a Circuit Court Judge on the First Circuit. “This is a big deal,” White House Deputy Communications Director Herbie Ziskend asserted. “These highly qualified individuals have diverse professional backgrounds: they’ve been labor lawyers, civil rights lawyers, public defenders, served in the U.S. military, and more,”

    Ziskend continued, noting that over 60 percent of women and 60 percent of individuals of color have been included in Biden’s appointments. “These men and women will rule on issues critical to fundamental freedoms: reproductive healthcare, the freedom to cast ballots, whether workers have the freedom to unionize, whether children have the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water,” Ziskend declared.

    Aframe’s confirmation will mark the 198th judge confirmed under Biden. “This week, the Senate will confirm more of President Biden’s outstanding judicial nominees for lifetime appointments to the federal bench, and we will hit a major milestone along the way,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated. “Later, the Senate will vote on the confirmation of Aframe.”
    Schumer praised Aframe as an exceptional addition to the First Circuit, highlighting his unanimous “well-qualified” rating by the American Bar Association and extensive experience in the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Hampshire.
    “I expect that the Senate will reach the significant milestone of 200 judges under Senate Democrats and President Biden,” Schumer continued. “That is a figure we can all be proud of and shows how intensely focused we are on filling the bench with jurists who will make our democracy stronger and uphold the rule of law.”
    Despite being locked out of a Supreme Court majority, Biden, with the support of the Democratic-majority Senate, has made substantial changes to the federal courts by emphasizing diversity. The absence of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) due to his corruption trial and the opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has pledged to support only nominees with bipartisan backing, poses challenges for Schumer in advancing more controversial judges.
    Notably, Biden’s appointments have generally garnered bipartisan support. Many have received voice votes, and some have the support of moderate Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who backed a procedural vote on Aframe’s nomination.
    The racial and ethnic breakdown of Biden’s judicial appointments reveals a diverse slate: 36 percent white, 27 percent Black, 16 percent Hispanic, 14 percent Asian, 5 percent multi-racial, 1 percent Native American, and 1 percent Middle Eastern.
    In contrast, 65 percent of Trump’s judicial appointments were white men. Biden has appointed 125 non-white judges compared to Trump’s 37 and Obama’s 120.
    As Biden aims to match Trump’s record of 237 federal judicial appointments, including three Supreme Court justices, his administration will require significant Senate cooperation in the coming months. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 was a prime example of the conservative influence that Trump’s administration and a Republican-controlled Senate had on the judiciary.
    Reflecting on the importance of judicial diversity, Schumer concluded, “We are intensely focused on filling the bench with jurists who will make our democracy stronger and uphold the rule of law.”

  • Newswire : Hundreds attend Airman Roger Fortson’s funeral

    Airman Roger Fortson with his little sister
    (TriceEdneyWire.com/BlackMansStreet.Today) – Hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues joined Roger Fortson‘s family, friends, and others at a suburban Atlanta megachurch on Friday to pay their final respects to the Black senior airman, who was shot and killed in his Florida home earlier this month by a sheriff’s deputy.
    People lined up well before the start of the service at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest to file past the open coffin and say their goodbyes to Fortson, who was shot six times by a deputy responding to a May 3 call about a possible domestic violence situation at Fortson’s apartment complex in the Florida Panhandle. He was 23.
    Fortson’s face and upper body were visible in his Air Force uniform, with an American flag draped over the lower part of the coffin. After viewing the body, many mourners paused to hug one another.
    “As you can see from the sea of Air Force blue in front of me, I am not alone in my admiration of Senior Airman Fortson,” Col. Patrick Dierig told mourners.
    “We would like to take credit for making him great, but the truth is that he was great before he came to us,” said Dierig, who commands the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Air Force Base in Florida, where Fortson was stationed.
    Fortson grew up in the Atlanta area before he joined the Air Force. He was a senior airman who served in overseas combat zones and was stationed at Hurlburt when the deputy killed him.
    The funeral came a day after Fortson’s mother vowed to get justice for her son.
    At a news conference held by the family and their lawyer, Ben Crump, Chantemekki Fortson spoke glowingly about how her son had always stayed on a positive path and had never been in trouble or shown signs of violence.
    The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was responding to a reported disturbance between a man and woman in the apartment building, and a responding deputy shot Fortson, who was Black, multiple times in the chest, according to police radio communications. When the deputy arrived, Fortson was seated at a table in his home; he was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend, discussing Cinco de Mayo.
    The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Thursday called on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to release its findings on the police shooting of Fortson. 
    “Senior Airman Fortson was a son, brother, friend, and patriot who should still be with his family today,” the CBC said in a statement. “He was an Air Medal recipient who served our nation honorably, and we are forever grateful for his heroism and service