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You are here: Home / Archives for Habari Gani

Habari Gani

Habari Gani Dec. 6, 2019

December 6, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris has ended her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, explaining the campaign doesn’t have the financial resources needed to continue. “I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle,” said the California senator in a note to supporters. “And over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life.” The first woman and first Black attorney general and U.S. senator in California history, Harris was widely viewed as a candidate poised to excite the same segment of voters that sent Barack Obama to the White House. But as the field of candidates grew and presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders began attracting dollars and more attention, Harris’ fundraising and support started to flatline. Also, Harris faltered because she had an inconsistent message.

 

Weeks before he was due to retire, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was fired by that city’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot. According to the Chicago Tribune, Lightfoot accused Johnson of engaging in a series of actions that were “intolerable.” She explained that it was her belief that Johnson had intentionally misled the public, and also behaved in a manner that was unethical in relation to the evening when he was found asleep in his car after drinking. That incident occurred in October after midnight when CPD officers, responding to a 911 call found the superintendent asleep in his parked car near his home. Johnson said he had failed to take his prescription medication. He later admitted to Lightfoot that he had “a couple of drinks” with dinner. The mayor, in a sign to the community that “the old Chicago way” won’t be tolerated, fired Johnson.

 

A new study by a criminal justice organization reveals racial disparities have narrowed across the U.S. criminal justice system over the last 16 years, though Black people are still significantly more likely to be behind bars than White people. Racial gaps broadly declined in local jails, state prisons, and among people on probation and parole, according to the study released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice. The divide in state imprisonment rates dropped for all major crimes but was most pronounced for drug offenses—a key driving factor for the racial sift. Blacks were 15 times more likely than Whites to be in state prisons for drug crimes in 2000, but that dropped to five times as likely by 2016, the most recent year available. The gap has also narrowed in paroles and probations.

Filed Under: Habari Gani Tagged With: Barack Obama, Lori Lightfoot, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris

Habari Gani Nov 20, 2019

November 21, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

Embattled Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who was harshly criticized when her office suddenly dropped charges against actor Jussie Smollett, recently announced her reelection bid. Foxx’s announcement comes after a judge appointed a special prosecutor to examine why felony counts against Smollett, who had been charged with staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself last January, were dismissed. Foxx had recused herself after she had conversations with the actor’s family. Her challengers include a former judge and two former prosecutors. In a press release, Foxx said she hopes to continue reforming the criminal justice system in the county including Chicago that she began implementing when she was elected in 2016. Foxx is the first Black woman to head the office.—TheGrio.com

 

 

 

Democratic Presidential Candidate Elizabeth Warren recently released a plan to fight the increasing White nationalist violence, adding violent racists should be called domestic terrorists.  The plan, called “Fighting Back Against White Nationalist Violence,” asserts Warren would make the issue a top priority should she be elected president. Her plan cites the 2015 Charleston shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church, the 2017 Charlottesveill rally, and the 2018 murder of Jewish worshippers in a Pittsburgh synagogue, as prime examples of White nationalist violence, saying they have “no place in American life.” The plan includes such measures as using the Department of Justice and Homeland Security prosecute and investigate White nationalist violence, and address the presence of White nationalist groups in the U.S. military by directing the Pentagon to enhance background checks and track Neo-Nazi affiliations.—TheGrio.com

 

 

 

 

Former President Barack Obama warned Democratic presidential hopefuls recently not to veer too far to the left because it would alienate many who would otherwise be open to voting for the party’s nominee in 2020. His warning wasn’t aimed at any particular candidate vying the Democratic nomination to take on President Trump next year. However, many who heard it believe Obama was referring to the candidacies of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Both have called for massive structural changes, with Sanders’ calling for a revolution that would dramatically alter government’s role in people’s lives. Political observers believe a far-left push could alienate moderate Republicans and independent voters who would be needed to oust Trump. Obama said there are persuadable voters and democrats “who just want to see things make sense. They want to see things a little more fair, they want to see things a little more just. And how we approach that I think will be important.”—TheGrio.com

Filed Under: Habari Gani

Habari Gani for Nov. 6, 2019 MCJ

November 7, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

The state of Oklahoma recently announced it is freeing 527 inmates who were incarcerated for minor drug and nonviolent offenses—the largest single day of commutation in U.S. history. The commutations are the result of two ballot measures approved by state voters three years ago: State Question 780 and 781. The action lowered low-level crimes, such as simple drug possession and nonviolent property crimes under $1,000, to misdemeanors instead of felonies. The rationale boils down to dollars and cents. The state factored in all the money it will save on incarceration, allowing those dollars to be redirected to drug treatment and rehabilitation services. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, a first-term governor who campaigned on prison reform and signed off on freeing the inmates, said he was “implementing the will of the people.”—Source: TheGrio.com

 

 

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump’s new book, titled “Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People,” is unapologetic about the rampant genocide of “colored” people in America. In the book, Crump—who first became a national figure when he represented the families of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, unarmed Black men who were shot and killed because they were Black—examines several ways in which African Americans are being used as “target practice” and offers a systematic plan on how we can begin to change this course of action. Crump said the book was sparked by a memory of when he was in Ferguson with the protestors after the death of Brown. “This young boy, who had to be in his late teens, went in front of the national guard and he was literally screaming at them with no fear saying: ‘Go ahead and kill me now so the world can see how y’all killing us.’” The noted attorney said it’s time to hold a mirror to America’s face so they can see the killings that happen every day, in every city, state and courtroom in America and admit it can do better. —Source: TheGrio.com

 

 

Ex-San Francisco 49ers Quarterback and philanthropist/activist Colin Kaepernick and his girlfriend recently spent his 32nd birthday feeding and giving supplies to Oakland’s homeless. They both walked around Tent City in Oakland handing out backpacks loaded with snacks, socks, air quality masks, clothes and other supplies to the homeless population in that city. The effort was done in partnership with Kaepernicks’s  foundation, “Know Your Rights Camp.” The former quarterback even posed for photos with the less fortunate. In 2016, Kaepernick risked his NFL career when he started kneeling during the National Anthem at games to raise awareness and protest incidents of police brutality and racial inequities. After that season, no NFL team signed Kaepernick to play. At the time, he said reportedly he was taking a stance because he couldn’t in good conscience “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. —Source: TheGrio.com

Filed Under: Habari Gani Tagged With: Benjamin Crump, Colin Kaepernick

Habari Gani? Oct 30

October 31, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

A recently released Quinnipiac poll revealed President Donald Trump is losing support with non-White individuals. The poll also showed support for removing the president was highest among Democrat and left-leaning respondents at 86%, compared to 49% of independents. Ninety-one percent of Republicans said they are against removing the president from office. Predictably, views on impeachment fell on party linies.

The poll asked if Congress should impeach Trump and remove him from office. White men responded emphatically (32% yes (to impreach), 64% said no.

Every other ethnicity responded in the opposite (55% yes, 38% no).

—The Atlanta Voice, via blackpressusa.com

 

A memorial was rededicated to Emmett Till just outside of Glendora, Miss. The new marker, dedicated to the slain 14-year-old Black teen from Chicago is now bulletproof and weighs 500 pounds. It’s made of steel and is encased in bulletproof glass. There had been three previous markers remembering Till. The first one, erected in 2008, was thrown into the river. The second was riddled with bullets and vandalized. A third replacement met the same fate.

The rededication was attended by Till’s family members, including his cousin who was with him on that fateful summer night. Till’s tragic and brutal murder jump-started the civil rights movement more than six decades ago.

—blackpressusa.com

 

Actor-comedian John Witherspoon, who memorably played Ice Cube’s father in the “Friday” films, has died. He was 77. No cause of death was released. Witherspoon had a prolific career, co-starring in three “Friday” films, appearing on “The Wayans Bros.” television series and voicing the grandfather in “The Boondocks” animated series. His film roles included “Vampire in Brooklyn” and “Boomerang,” and was a frequent guest on “Late Show with David Letterman.” His most recognizable role was “Pops” a crude but affectionate father trying to guide his son to be better. “Life won’t be as funny without him,” Ice Cube said in a Twitter post, adding he was devastated by news of Witherspoon’s death.

—thegrio.com

Filed Under: Habari Gani

Habari Gani Sept. 5, 2019

September 5, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

Benjamin Crump, ESQ., (Photo by Cheriss May/Sipa USA)

Noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said recently it’s “open season” on Black people’s civil rights.  The former lawyer for Trayvon Martin’s family said the $20 billion lawsuit filed by Black media mogul Byron Allen on behalf of his company, Entertainment Studios, against TV network giants Comcast and Charter Communications for racial discrimination could have huge implications for the Black community.  Crump said if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Allen’s suit, it will effectively do away with the Civil Rights Act, which bans racial discrimination in business contracts. It would eliminate safeguards ensuring Americans’ rights to equal protection under the law.

The Trump’s Department of Justice recently filed an amicus brief, declaring the law should be read differently than Allen’s lawyers interpreted it, wanting Allen’s company to prove racial discrimination is the only reason they’re denied business opportunities. Comcast denies racial discrimination, pointing to its Black themed programing as an example of its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

 

 

Singer and fashion mogul Rihanna has joined other celebrities to offer support to the Bahamas after the country was rocked by “catastrophic damage” from Hurricane Dorian. Her Charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation, is currently trying to figure out how best to help the Caribbean nation that was pummeled by a Category 5 hurricane. According to the Red Cross, more than 13,000 houses, or 45% of the homes in Grand Bahama and Abaco, are believed to be severely damaged or destroyed. Bahamian officials reportedly received a “tremendous” number of calls from people in flooded homes. One radio station said it received more than 2,000 distress messages. On Instagram, Rihanna, who is from Barbados, said “it truly breaks my heart to see the complete devastation that #HurricaneDorian is having on the Bahamas!”

 

 

 

R. Kelly

Federal prosecutors in the R. Kelly case are arguing his marriage to a then 15-year-old Aaliyah is proof the singer can’t be trusted around kids and must remain behind bars. Kelly reportedly married the late R&B singer when he was 27. The government produced in discovery to the defendant the official marriage application, marriage certificate, and annulment records for the marriage. They note in the discovery brief, it was far from a one-time mistake, charging Kelly’s sexual abuse of minors was intentional and prolific. The singer is currently confined to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown Chicago pending trail. He faces 18 counts in federal indictments on various sex crimes in Chicago and Brooklyn. Kelly faces 195 years for the Chicago case alone. His two girlfriends, Joycelyn Savage, 23, and Azriel Clary, 21, are reportedly trying to raise funds to hire Tom Mesereau, the attorney who got Michael Jackson acquitted in his 2005 child molestation trial.

Filed Under: Habari Gani

Habari Gani for August 21, 2019

August 23, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill fired officer Daniel Pantaleo earlier this week in the incident that caused the death of Eric Garner. The decision comes more than five years after Garner was arrested for allegedly selling loose cigarettes, a crime he paid for with his life. O’Neill said he agreed with a recommendation by a judge that Pantaleo be fired for giving several dishonest statements about how he handled the 2014 arrest of Garner and the questionable way he implemented a deadly—and illegal—chokehold

 

 

More than 200 NAACP members and supporters from all over the United States recently came together to pay tribute to the first Africans who arrived to America in 1619 through the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the James Point Comfort in Fort Monroe, Va. The event recognized the 400thyears since chattel slavery began in America. The observance kicked-off the organization’s “Year of Return” trip to Ghana, which will have one of the largest U.S. delegations to visit that country. NAACP President Leon W. Russell said that as crucial as it is to look back on our history, the African American community must forge a path ahead.

 

Black media mogul Byron Allen has charged Donald Trump’s Department of Justice and Comcast are working together to destroy a civil rights law in the U.S. Supreme Court. In an article he wrote for thegrio.com, Allen, the founder/chairman/CEO of Entertainment Studios, said media conglomerate Comcast/NBCUniversal has brought the Trump administration along to take their side in the highest court after losing twice in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Allen said the involvement of the DOJ puts at risk all Americans civil rights for Comcast’s own financial gain. The key provision in the law protects minority businesses which, Allen said, is critically important at a time when people of color are under heightened attack.

Filed Under: Habari Gani

Habari Gant July 18, 2019

July 18, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

Johnson Publishing Company (JPC), the creators of Ebony and Jet magazines, is preparing to auction off Ebony’s 4 million photo archive valued at $46 million. Sale of the photos will help JPC settle its creditors, who include noted filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, finance expert Mellody Hobson; Hudson-Bay, Macy’s and former JPC CEO Desiree Rogers.

This past April, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. JPC reportedly sold Ebony and Jet magazines to Clear View Group (CVG). Last month, CVG laid-off the editorial staff of Ebony after failing to meet its May payroll.

“While the process is now in the hands of a Chapter 7 Trustee, Johnson Publishing Company is grateful for its 77 years of existence, and the unwavering loyalty, dedication and commitment of its employees, vendors and customers,” the company said in a news release. “The incredible legacy and impact of Johnson Publishing Company will always be honored and hold a proud place in the African American experience.”

Johnson Publishing was created in 1942, with Ebony’s first issue arriving in 1945. Jet would follow in 1951. Extended business ventures included Fashion Fair cosmetics in 1973, which sparked a traveling runway show and more. The founder, John H. Johnson, passed away in 2005 due to heart failure.

nosheep / Pixabay

Black Enterprise magazine reports that median Black wealth will plummet to zero by 2053, and it will not matter if you have a college education, a fat six-figure salary, or have a C-level suite with matching title from a major corporation.

The magazine report noted Black Americans are often still negatively impacted by a lower net worth than other communities. “If the economy is growing at 3%, you have to earn 6% to build wealth. Your income has to grow faster than the economy,” Jeff Wilson II, author of The Lies our Parents Were Sold and Told Us and principal at The W2 Group accounting firm, told Black Enterprise.

“Unfortunately, if you have massive amounts of student loan debt, your earnings will not grow faster than the debt burden that just kicked in.” The dismal statistics hit Black women even harder. According to Black Enterprise, single Black women ages 20-39 who hold a Bachelor’s degree, have a median net worth of -11,000 to $0 compared to White women in the same bracket whose net worth ranges from $3,400-$7,500.

Married Black women ages 20-39 with Bachelor’s degrees have a median net worth of -20,500 to $7,700 while married White women have a net worth range of $18,700 to $97,000. A wealth coach told the magazine Black Americans have to rethink how they accumulate wealth.

The expert said Black Americans must equip themselves with the knowledge to transform the income they make into wealth they can keep; that money has to start working for them if they want to build wealth.

Scherie Murray, a 38-year-old New York entrepreneur will try to unseat progressive Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the 2020 elections. Murray is one of several Republicans to declare their candidacy to take down the freshman legislator who has garnered many headlines since she’s been in office.

Murray announced her candidacy on Twitter, accusing the Ocasio-Cortez of seeking “celebrity and publicity” more than she helps her own constituents. “There’s a crisis in Queens and it’s called AOC,” Murray wrote in her tweet. She isn’t worried about us—she’s worried about being famous. That’s why I’m running for Congress.”

Murray, who immigrated from Jamaica as a child, will be making her third bid for public office. She ran unsuccessfully for the New York Assembly in 2015, and New York City Council in 2013 by 80-plus percent margins.

Ocasio-Cortez is seen as the new face of a more left-leaning shift in the Democratic party. She’s butted heads with many veteran party leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Filed Under: Habari Gani Tagged With: Black Enterprise magazine, Johnson Publishing Company, Scherie Murray

Habari Gani? (What’s The News?) May 29,2019

May 30, 2019 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

Jones-Rogers

New data shows White women made up 40% of slaveowners

Data uncovered by a Black female University of California-Berkeley professor reveals southern White women played a heavier role in slavery than previously thought.  Using census data from1850 and 1860, UC-Berkeley associate professor, Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers, found White women made up around 40% of slaveowners.

The findings are part of a book by Jones-Rogers titled: “They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South.” In the book, Jones- Rogers notes owning enslaved Africans served as White women’s primary source of wealth, and made the women better marriage material. The women also kept sole ownership after marriage.

—AtlantaBlackStar

 

Study: Southern Whites still have racial bias against Blacks

A new study reveals southern Whites are more likely to harbor unconscious racial bias against Blacks that stem from times of the region’s dependence on slavery well over a century ago.

The environment of someone could foster their racism and prejudice, the study purports, according to Pacific Standard magazine. Based on the report, White people do hold a higher rate of bias against Blacks; counties and states that had the highest number of slaves before the Civil War display greater pro-White implicit bias today, according to a research team led by University of North Carolina psychologist B. Keith Payne wrote in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.”—

Source: thegrio.com

 

Angry White woman points gun at Black couple enjoying Mississippi lake

An unidentified White female campground manager in Mississippi (pictured below) has been fired for pulling a pistol on a Black couple who were eating and relaxing by a lake.

The incident took place recently at the Kampgrounds of America in Starkville, north-east of Jacksonville, according to the Daily Mail. One of the couple, Jessica Richardson, pulled out her cell phone to record the woman approaching her and her husband with a gun in hand and chastising them for having a picnic in the park. The woman demanded the couple leave the premises because they didn’t have a reservation—something Richarson said she didn’t know she needed. Richardson reportedly took to Facebook to post about the ordeal saying “racism is alive and well.”

—Source: thegrio.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: Habari Gani

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