Calif. reparations fight, Kamala Harris takes CNN, Keith Lee v. DC
Calif. reparations fight, Kamala Harris takes CNN, Keith Lee v. DC
Friday, August 30, 2024. I'm experimenting with a shorter newsletter; let me know what you think in the comments!
What I’m Reading
'As Goes California, Goes The Rest Of The Country,' Except On Black Reparations, Capital B News
For Capital B News, Adam Mahoney checked in on California’s fight for Black reparations and examined why the rest of the country seems hesitant to follow the state’s lead.
A Georgia county that once expelled all Black residents now wants to be a model of love
In 1912, Black residents were violently forced out of Georgia’s Forsyth County — three Black men were lynched and the remaining residents were told to never return. Decades later, a group of pastors are attempting to reshape the county’s history by establishing a scholarship program for the descendants of those residents. Marquise Francis reports.
For Black Archaeologists, the Atlantic Ocean is an Ancestral Graveyard, Atmos
Learn about the fascinating work of Black maritime archaeologists, who study the global slave trade by excavating sunken slave ships. “When we excavate, visit, and monitor these shipwrecks, I don’t think many people realize that we’re standing in a graveyard.” Words by Omnia Saed.
What’s In The News
Across America
Connecticut: The new exhibit “Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty and the Sea” at the Mystic Seaport Museum examines the Indigenous and African ties to the waterways of New England…
Georgia: Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, a leader of the A.M.E. Church and a key fighter for Democrats in Georgia, is leaving the state as it re-emerges as a key swing state…
Kentucky: A federal judge has thrown out significant felony charges against two ex-Louisville officers accused of falsifying a warrant that resulted in Breonna Taylor’s killing…
Louisiana: Gov. Jeff Landry has signed an executive order preventing the use of Critical Race Theory in the state’s K-12 public education system…
Maryland: The Senate race between Democratic Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan is in a dead heat…
Mississippi: A former sheriff’s deputy is seeking a shorter federal prison sentence for his role in the torture of two Black men…
New York: Keith Wright may not be a household name, but the Manhattan party leader is still fighting for Harlem, a decade after leaving office…
North Carolina: “Columbus County no longer has any public and community swimming pools — a reflection of racism, rural decay, and lost opportunity”…
Oklahoma: State Rep. Monroe Nichols has the chance to make history as the first Black Tulsan to hold the office of mayor…
Tennessee: A former Memphis police officer who was charged in connection with the killing of Tyre Nichols has pleaded guilty to excessive use of force…
Texas: The Manvel Police Department is facing a lawsuit alleging officers failed to conduct a thorough investigation due to racism after a woman falsely claimed two Black men kidnapped and raped her — which led to their arrest…
What’s Happening
ICYMI: Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down with CNN for their first sit-down interview since becoming the Democratic presidential ticket…
Capital B’s Brandon Tensley examined “Project 2025” and the ways that the right-wing agenda could erode Black economic and social gains…
Latest in the DEI scale back: The University of Kentucky is disbanding its diversity office…The University of Alabama is reportedly requiring the Black Student Union to relocate from its student center…Ford Motor Co. is the latest high-profile company that has decided to scale back DEI efforts…
Kenya Hunter’s first exclusive for the Associated Press: Congresswomen are pressing the FDA on why it's taking so long to propose a ban on hair straightening products containing formaldehyde, which studies link to increased rates of cancer…
The TRiiBE's art director Ash Lane talked about what it was like behind the scenes of being a Black woman photographer at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago…
This week marks 69 years since Emmett Till’s brutal murder. A journalist whose article was considered the “true account” of his killing withheld credible information about people involved in the crime, newly discovered documents show…
Fast Company: Chicago wants to open a city-run grocery store. It could be the solution to urban food deserts…
Black fraternities and sororities are taking center stage in this year’s elections, Tanisha C. Ford writes. Here’s how the Divine 9 are making their presence felt…
In 1964, Samaria “Cookie” Mitcham Bailey helped desegregate schools in Macon, Georgia. Now, her great-granddaughter Zo’e Johnson attends a “segregation academy” in the same town. Learn about their story in this short documentary by ProPublica…
Entertainment News
Food critic Keith Lee said he visited about 12 restaurants in the DC area but decided not to post most of them online, sparking much debate about the quality of its food scene…
The trailer for Tyler Perry’s film, “The Six Triple Eight,” about World War II’s only Black U.S. Women's Army Corps unit, is out…
Mariah Carey's mom Patricia and sister Alison died on the same day over the past weekend…
Black Sports Radio, the undertaking billed as the country’s first Black-led sports radio station, folded after 86 days on the air…
For VIBE, Mya Abraham spoke with Simone Ledward Boseman about her late husband Chadwick, and her debut album…
My colleague Candice Frederick talked with "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat," director Tina Mabry about “the Black film canon, Hollywood's failure to support complex, independent cinema and her early inspirations growing up in Mississippi”…
For Billboard, Kyle Denis spoke with cultural critics to get a better understanding of hip-hop’s relationship with Americana iconography…
Pioneering model and modeling agent Bethann Hardison talked with The New York Times about what keeps her going…
Billboard spoke with esteemed cultural critics to break down the complex dynamic between Black hip-hop (and hip-hop-adjacent) artists and Americana iconography…
Houston rapper Scarface was recently admitted to the ICU for an undisclosed medical condition, and his fans are wishing him the best…
Braxton Spencer was not ready to say goodbye to his big brother while dropping him off at his college dorm for freshman year…
Mychal Threets, affectionately known as “Mychal the Librarian” to his millions of followers, was profiled by Curl…
A judge again refused a request to free an ex-gang leader accused in the 1996 killing of Tupac…
Obituaries
Betty Bridges, a longtime guest actress in hit series like “Good Times” and “Hill Street Blues” and the mother of “Diff'rent Strokes” star Todd Bridges, has died. She was 83…
Russell Malone, a self-taught jazz guitarist who worked his way up to perform with many of the genre’s greats, has died. He was 60…
Eric Butler, an anti-violence counselor who sought alternatives to “zero tolerance” disciplinary policies disproportionately handed to Black students, has died. He was 49…
Chester Owens, a civil rights activist, educator and historian who helped desegregate Kansas City, Kansas, has died. He was 91…
Don’t Miss
Can you beat my time on Black Crossword? 1 minute, 19 seconds…
If you’ll be in DC for this year’s CBC week starting September 9, check out this list of the events I’ve compiled…
Midnight & indigo is seeking essays from Black women for their Music issue. Here are the details…
If you’re in the NYC area, Styles P is hosting a Plant-Based BBQ this Saturday in his hometown of Yonkers…
Registration is open for the Center for Democracy Summit, hosted by the Nikole Hannah-Jones-led Center for Democracy and Journalism at Howard University. It will take place on October 8 and will be available to stream…
Speaking of Howard, the HBCU is also seeking submissions for its 2nd annual Hip Hop Studies Conference, which will take place November 15 to 17…
I’m strongly in favor of reparations, I’m frustrated that it’s stalled and I think any candidate seeking public office should be pressured to answer what their stance is on making it happen. I’m frustrated to read this statistic about L.A., I had no idea it had dropped for 20 percent to 8, that’s disheartening and just another example of why reparations are important.