Insight ::: 01.02.2023

Missing and Murdered

By Brandi Phillips

Across the United States thousands of African American women and girls go missing and murdered each year. According to Research in Action (RIA), over 60,000 women and girls of African American descent are missing in the United States and Black women are more than twice as likely than their peers to be victims of homicide.

The Minnesota Legislature contracted RIA, to conduct substantial research on the topic of missing and murdered African American women. In 2021, to help the Black women and girls who have gone missing and murdered, the Minnesota legislature created a task force (the first in the county), named the Missing and Murdered African American Women (MMAAW) Task Force. It was developed to research and report on the violence against Black women and girls and consider the measures necessary

to support them, their families, and their communities.

The authors and contributors for the final report are Dr. Catherine Squires, Dr. Brittany Lewis, Dr. Lauren Martin, Ariana Kopycinski, and Ayize James. Findings and recommendations were reported on Friday December 17 at the Capri Theatre.

With these key findings and recommendations, during January and February 2023, RIA and MMAAW, plan to communicate to community and key stakeholders, the findings and strategies for better serving Black Women and Girls who have gone missing and murdered.

The MMAAW Task Force was charged to examine and report on: 

Systematic causes of violence against African American women and girls 

Appropriate methods of tracking and collecting data 

Policies, practices, and institutions that assist in perpetuating violence against

African American women and girls  Measures necessary to address and reduce violence against African American women and girls  Measures necessary to help victims, their families, and their communities.

The Minnesota Department of Public safety developed the task force and contracted with Research in Action to conduct research and prepare the final report. The MMAAW Task Force included 20 Key Informant interviewees. Key informants are task force members and include government and other local officials. A few of the 20 Key Informant Task force members include Co-Chair: Lakeisha Lee, Rep. Ruth Richardson; Biiftuu Ibrahim Adam (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension); Beatriz Menanteau (Minnesota Department of Health); and Lisa Clemons (A Mother’s Love). Expert Consultants included Kamisha Johnson from Amani Healing Services and Dr. Lauren

Martin from the University of Minnesota. Other research interviews were conducted with The Advisory Council formed of 15 community members with lived experiences of violence, abuse, homelessness, job concerns, and trafficking. RIA used AssetBased research to conduct their research with the Advisory Council about the needs of missing and murdered African American women and girls who have experienced various traumatic experiences. AssetBased research engages participants by recognizing them as valued members of society that have the undeniable capability of solving their own problems with sustainable solutions.

According to RIA and MMAAW, an example of Asset-Based research is incorporating different demographic questions into their initial intake and consent

MISSING & MURDERED 6

In memoriam: Tribute to Freedom Fighter Charlene Mitchell

By Tim Nelson Guest Commentary

Earlier this week I went live on Facebook to share my story in my own words about being diagnosed with a brain tumor in September—and having emergency surgery less than one week later to remove it. (I’m sharing my story here for those who are not on FB). Of course, it was a shocking experience that I’m still processing. However, it has been nearly three months since my surgery and I’m doing well, by the grace of God. I found out about the tumor because I was experiencing blurred vision in my right eye and I thought I needed glasses. After a visit to LensCrafters, I was referred to a specialist at the U of M Fairview who ordered an MRI during my visit with him in September. Two days later, he called me with the news and less than a week later, I had neurosurgery.

Thank God, the tumor was benign, and I lived to tell the story. I want to encourage everyone to get checked if you experience anything irregular happening in your body. And if a doctor is dismissive of your concerns, seek a second opinion to be certain. I was blessed to receive outstanding medical care by a team of doctors and nurses who provided excellent, caring service throughout my experience. In spite of being initially terrified, I’m now grateful that I made it through and can still see and spend time with those I love. This holiday season and beyond, please remember to tell everyone you care about that you love them, for tomorrow is not promised.

Things can change in the blink of an eye. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, who prayed for me, and brought meals to my family. All of those things have made a world of difference in my recovery and I’m eternally grateful. My work is not yet complete. And God is in control.

Peace and blessings to all. Have a wonderful, safe holiday

season. #grateful #healing #faith #love Nekima Levy Armstrong, a former Minneapolis mayoral contender and St. Thomas law school professor, says she is recovering from neurosurgery after a routine eye exam revealed a brain tumor this fall.

Levy Armstrong came to prominence nearly a decade ago, raising questions about the

Metro Gang Strike Force and other law enforcement issues. She led protests against the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police in 2015. She’s also been a former Minneapolis NAACP chapter president and ran for mayor in 2017. On Facebook on Monday evening, she revealed that she’d undergone emergency

All people throughout the world ultimately benefit from the singular and collective

fices of a few monumental and courageous freedom fighters who have dared to speak out, stand up, and act valiantly on behalf of the universal cause of freedom, justice and equality. In the course of human history, I have been privileged personally over the past 75 years to meet and to work with some of those global “freedom fighters.”

Charlene Alexander Mitchell (1930-2022) was an admired courageous international freedom fighter.

On behalf of the Wilmington Ten and all political prisoners in America, we humbly and solemnly pause to render a memorial tribute to our beloved Sister Queen Mother Freedom Fighter, Charlene A. Mitchell.

From being born in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 8, 1930, to moving to Chicago where at the young activist age of 16, Charlene joined the CPUSA, and then she went

on to reside in the heart of Harlem, New York where for over 60 years she effectively led hundreds of grassroots, national, and international campaigns for freedom and equal justice. Charlene Mitchell passed away on December 14, 2022, in New York. I know that her legacy and ideals, however, will live on for many future generations to come. Who was the key organizer and strategist of the successful global campaign to free Angela Davis from political

Harvard University announces Dr. Claudine Gay as new president

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Dr. Claudine Gay, the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, has been recently named as just the second woman to hold the post as University president in the institution’s history. The university was founded in 1636.

Dr. Gay will take office in July 2023.

“Claudine is a remarkable leader who is profoundly devoted to sustaining and enhancing Harvard’s academic excellence, to championing both the value and the values of higher education and research, to expanding opportunity, and to strengthening Harvard as a fount of ideas and a force for good in the world,” Penny Pritzker,

“As the Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of

Arts and Sciences since 2018, and previously as dean of social science, Claudine has brought to her roles a rare blend of incisiveness and inclusiveness, intellectual range and strategic savvy, institutional ambition and personal humility, a respect for enduring ideals, and a talent for catalyzing change. She has a bedrock commitment to free inquiry and expression, as well as a deep appreciation for the diverse voices and views that are the lifeblood of a university community,” said Pritzer.

“As her many admirers know, Claudine consults widely; she listens attentively; she thinks rigorously and imaginatively; she invites collaboration and resists complacency; and she acts with conviction and purpose,” continued Pritzker.

“All of us on the search committee are excited by the prospect of her bringing her high aspirations and interdisciplinary outlook across the Yard from University Hall to Massachusetts Hall,” said Pritzker. “We are confident Claudine will be a thoughtful,

From Nekima Levy Armstrong Executive Director, Wayfinder Foundation; Civil Rights Attorney and Racial Justice Advocate: Friends,

senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation and chair of Harvard’s presidential search committee, told the Harvard Gazette.

sacri

I will always remember the loving smile on Charlene’s face and that unforgettable twinkle of solidarity in her eyes whenever she discussed and planned how to organize and to win victories over peoples’ oppression.

photo/Courtesy Harvard University

Since 2018, Dr. Claudine Gay has served as the Edgerley Family Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), the University’s largest and most academically diverse faculty, spanning the biological and physical sciences and engineering, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts.

MMAAW

NNPA Newswire

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. President and CEO, NNPA

Por Uzonna Anele

Translation by Yoji Senna, Managing Editor, Afrodescendientes, Bahia, Brazil Original Spanish Text

Samuel Sharpe era un jamaiquino esclavizado que es recordado por liderar una rebelión contra el dominio colonial británico el día de Navidad de 1831. Sharpe, que nació en la esclavitud en Jamaica en 1801, era un hombre inteligente y culto que estaba profundamente preocupado por la difícil situación de sus compañeros esclavos.

Samuel Sharpe nació en la esclavitud en la parroquia de St. James, Jamaica, en una plantación propiedad de Samuel y Jane Sharpe. A diferencia de otros esclavos, a Sharpe se le permitió educarse, por lo que

sus compañeros esclavizados lo respetaban mucho. Sharpe se convirtió en un conocido predicador, líder y misionero en la Iglesia Bautista, y pasaba la mayor parte de su tiempo libre viajando a diferentes parroquias en Jamaica, educando a los esclavizados sobre el cristianismo, que creía que prometía libertad. También le molestaba el trato brutal de la población esclavizada en Jamaica y el hecho de que tenían pocos derechos o libertades.

En los años previos a la rebelión, Sharpe se involucró en el movimiento bautista y comenzó a difundir el mensaje de abolición y libertad entre sus compañeros esclavizados. Se convirtió en un líder entre la comunidad esclavizada e ideó una estrategia de resistencia pasiva, persuadiendo a los

esclavos para que se negaran a trabajar el día de Navidad.

La rebelión (Rebelión de Navidad o Guerra Bautista), que duró once días, fue provocada por la negativa de los propietarios de las plantaciones a otorgar a las personas esclavizadas los mismos derechos y libertades que a las personas libres.

La rebelión, conocida como Rebelión de Navidad o Guerra Bautista, se convirtió en el mayor levantamiento de esclavos en las Indias Occidentales Británicas, movilizando hasta 60.000 de los 300.000 esclavos de Jamaica.

La rebelión comenzó el 25 de diciembre de 1831, con una huelga de trabajadores esclavizados en una plantación de azúcar en la parroquia occidental de St. James. La huelga se extendió rápidamente

a otras plantaciones y, al final del primer día, hasta 20.000 esclavos se habían unido a la rebelión.

La huelga se intensificó después de que Kensington Estate en St James fuera incendiada el 27 de diciembre, donde se incendiaron campos de caña y la gran casa se quemó hasta los cimientos.

El levantamiento se extendió rápidamente y en cuestión de días, 60.000 de los 300.000 esclavos en la isla se armaron con todas las armas que pudieron encontrar, incluidas antorchas, machetes y palos, y quemaron varias otras plantaciones y las casas de cualquier hacendado que pudieron encontrar. . Las autoridades británicas respondieron a la rebelión con una fuerza brutal, utilizando soldados y milicianos

para sofocar el levantamiento y matando a más de 200 de los esclavos rebeldes. Los rebeldes no fueron rival para las fuerzas británicas bien entrenadas y bien armadas, y la rebelión fue aplastada en una semana.

Sharpe y muchos de sus seguidores finalmente fueron capturados y juzgados. Sharpe fue declarado culpable y condenado a muerte. Fue ahorcado el 23 de mayo de 1832, junto con varios de sus seguidores.

La ejecución de Sharpe y sus seguidores y las subsiguientes represalias por parte de los dueños de esclavos provocaron la condena tanto en Jamaica como en el extranjero e incluso provocaron dos investigaciones parlamentarias detalladas. Muchos lo vieron como una gran injusticia y un ejemplo flagrante de

la brutalidad y opresión de las autoridades coloniales británicas. La ejecución de Sharpe se convirtió en un grito de guerra para el movimiento abolicionista y ayudó a impulsar el apoyo a la lucha contra la esclavitud.

A raíz de la rebelión, el gobierno británico aprobó la Ley de Abolición de la Esclavitud en 1833, que abolió formalmente la esclavitud en todo el Imperio Británico. El sacrificio y el liderazgo de Sharpe en la rebelión jugaron un papel importante en este evento histórico.

Hoy, Samuel Sharpe es recordado como un héroe en Jamaica y es celebrado como un símbolo de resistencia y libertad. Su legado sigue vivo como un recordatorio de la importancia de defender lo que es correcto y luchar contra la injusticia.

By Uzonna Anele

Samuel Sharpe was born into slavery in the parish of St James, Jamaica, on a plantation owned by Samuel and Jane Sharpe. Unlike other slaves, Sharpe was allowed to become educated, for which he was well respected by his enslaved peers.

Sharpe became a wellknown preacher, leader and missionary in the Baptist Church, and spent most of his free time travelling to different parishes in Jamaica, educating the enslaved about Christianity, which he believed promised freedom.

He was also bothered about the brutal treatment of the enslaved population in

Jamaica and the fact that they had few rights or freedoms.

In the years leading up to the rebellion, Sharpe became involved in the Baptist movement and began to spread the message of abolition and freedom to his fellow enslaved people. He became a leader among the enslaved community and devised a strategy of passive resistance, persuading slaves to refuse to work on Christmas Day.

The rebellion (Christmas Rebellion or the Baptist War), which lasted eleven days was sparked by the refusal of plantation owners to grant enslaved people the same rights and freedoms as free people.

The rebellion which is known as the Christmas

Rebellion or the Baptist War, became the largest slave uprising in the British West Indies, mobilizing as many as 60,000 of Jamaica’s 300,000 slaves.

The rebellion began on December 25, 1831, with a strike by enslaved workers on a sugar plantation in the western parish of St. James. The strike quickly spread to other plantations, and by the end of the first day, as many as 20,000 slaves had joined the rebellion.

The strike escalated after Kensington Estate in St James was put to the torch on December 27, where cane fields were set on fire and the great house burnt to the ground.

The uprising quickly spread and in a matter of days,

60,000 of the 300,000 slaves in the island armed themselves with whatever weapons they could find, including torches, machetes and sticks, and they burned several other plantations and the houses of any planter they could find.

The British authorities responded to the rebellion with brutal force, using soldiers and militia to put down the uprising and killing over 200 of the rebelling slaves. The rebels were no match for the well-trained and well-armed British forces, and the rebellion was crushed within a week.

Sharpe and many of his followers were eventually captured and put on trial. Sharpe was found guilty and

sentenced to death. He was hanged on May 23, 1832, along with a number of his followers. The execution of Sharpe and his followers and the subsequent reprisals by slave owners sparked condemnation both in Jamaica and abroad and even provoked two detailed Parliamentary Inquiries. Many saw it as a gross injustice and a blatant example of the brutality and oppression of the British colonial authorities. Sharpe’s execution became a rallying cry for the abolitionist movement, and it helped to galvanize support for the fight against slavery.

In the aftermath of the rebellion, the British government passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833, which formally

abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. Sharpe’s sacrifice and leadership in the rebellion played a significant role in this historic event.

Today, Samuel Sharpe is remembered as a hero in Jamaica and is celebrated as a symbol of resistance and freedom. His legacy lives on as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right and fighting against injustice.

Uzonna Anele

Anele is a web developer and a Pan-Africanist who believes bad leadership is the only thing keeping Africa from taking its rightful place in the modern world.

Translation by Yoji Senna, Managing Editor, Afrodescendientes, Bahia, Brazil

Tradução Por Yoji Senna da Bahia Portuguese Text

Samuel Sharpe era um jamaicano escravizado que é lembrado por liderar uma rebelião contra o domínio colonial britânico no dia de Natal de 1831. Sharpe, nascido escravo na Jamaica em 1801, era um homem letrado e inteligente que estava profundamente preocupado com a situação de vida dos seus companheiros escravizados.

Samuel Sharpe nasceu escravo na paróquia de St James, Jamaica, em uma plantação de propriedade de Samuel e Jane Sharpe. Ao contrário de outros

escravos, Sharpe teve permissão para ser educado, pelo que era muito respeitado por seus colegas escravizados.

Sharpe tornou-se um conhecido pregador, líder e missionário na Igreja Batista, e passou a maior parte de seu tempo livre viajando para diferentes paróquias na Jamaica, educando os escravos sobre o cristianismo, que ele acreditava ser uma promessa de liberdade.

Ele também estava preocupado com o tratamento brutal da população escravizada na Jamaica e com o fato de que eles tinham poucos direitos ou liberdades.

Nos anos que antecederam a rebelião, Sharpe se envolveu no movimento batista e começou a espalhar a mensagem de abolição e liberdade para seus companheiros escravos. Ele

se tornou um líder entre a comunidade escravizada e desenvolveu uma estratégia de resistência passiva, persuadindo os escravos a se recusarem a trabalhar no dia de Natal.

A rebelião (Rebelião do Natal ou Guerra Batista), que durou onze dias, foi desencadeada pela recusa dos proprietários de plantações em conceder aos escravos os mesmos direitos e liberdades que os livres.

A rebelião, conhecida como Rebelião do Natal ou Guerra Batista, tornou-se a maior revolta de escravos nas Índias Ocidentais britânicas, mobilizando até 60.000 dos 300.000 escravos da Jamaica.

A rebelião começou em 25 de dezembro de 1831, com uma greve de trabalhadores escravizados em uma plantação de açúcar na paróquia ocidental

de St. James. A greve se espalhou rapidamente para outras plantações e, no final do primeiro dia, cerca de 20.000 escravos haviam se juntado à rebelião.

A greve aumentou depois que Kensington Estate em St James foi incendiado em 27 de dezembro, onde os canaviais foram incendiados e a grande casa totalmente queimada.

A revolta se espalhou rapidamente e em questão de dias, 60.000 dos 300.000 escravos da ilha se armaram com todas as armas que puderam encontrar, incluindo tochas, facões e paus, e queimaram várias outras plantações e as casas de qualquer fazendeiro que encontraram. .

As autoridades britânicas responderam à rebelião com força brutal, usando soldados e milícias para

reprimir o levante e matar mais de 200 dos escravos rebeldes.

Os rebeldes não eram páreo para as forças britânicas bem treinadas e bem armadas, e a rebelião foi esmagada em uma semana.

Sharpe e muitos de seus seguidores acabaram sendo capturados e levados a julgamento. Sharpe foi considerado culpado e condenado à morte. Ele foi enforcado em 23 de maio de 1832, junto com vários de seus seguidores.

A execução de Sharpe e seus seguidores e as subsequentes represálias dos proprietários de escravos provocaram condenação tanto na Jamaica quanto no exterior e até provocaram dois inquéritos parlamentares detalhados. Muitos viram isso como uma injustiça grosseira

e um exemplo flagrante da brutalidade e opressão das autoridades coloniais britânicas. A execução de Sharpe tornouse um grito de guerra para o movimento abolicionista e ajudou a galvanizar o apoio à luta contra a escravidão. No rescaldo da rebelião, o governo britânico aprovou a Lei de Abolição da Escravatura em 1833, que aboliu formalmente a escravidão em todo o Império Britânico. O sacrifício e a liderança de Sharpe na rebelião desempenharam um papel significativo neste evento histórico.

Hoje, Samuel Sharpe é lembrado como um herói na Jamaica e celebrado como um símbolo de resistência e liberdade. Seu legado vive como um lembrete da importância de defender o que é certo e lutar contra a injustiça.

Samuel Sharpe: El predicador q ue lideró una rebelión en Jamaica el día de Navidad

Samuel Sharpe: El que lideró una rebelión en Jamaica el día de Navidad

Samuel Sharpe: The Enslaved Preac her who sparked a Rebellion on Christmas Day in Jamaica in 1 831 Samuel The Enslaved Preacher who a Rebellion on Christmas in Jamaica in 1831

Por Uzonna Anele

Portrait of Sam Sharpe by Barrington Watson

Samuel Sharpe was an enslaved Jamaican who is remembered for leading a rebellion against British colonial rule on Christmas Day in 1831. Sharpe, who was born into slavery in Jamaica in 1801, was a literate and intelligent man who was deeply concerned about the plight of his fellow enslaved people.

We’ve been through a lot haven’t we?

Jonathan Palmer Executive Director

Hallie Q. Brown

The last few years have seen a global pandemic, racial justice uprising following the murder of George Floyd, an insurrection, inflation, high gas prices and one of the most challenging political seasons in recent years. We’re all tired. And with good reason. The pandemic kept us indoors and away from each other, forcing us to learn how to communicate and connect online at an incredibly

fast pace. Now that we have mastered that, it almost seems as if people don’t want to leave the internet. But more importantly, it almost seems like we don’t want to connect with each other, help each other, or support each other.

The world shut itself off and we’re trying to get it restarted again.

Through it all, Hallie Q. has remained open and serving individuals and families, continuing to provide services, support and programs to light the way; a beacon against the rocky shores amidst the storm, a candle in the dark, ready to ignite the flame to bring us back. It is time.

But in order to do that, we need your help. We need your support to keep the flames of these programs going. Therefore, I am asking you to make a year-end tax-deductible contribution in an amount that is meaningful for you.

Your $1000 contribution will help a family who is sacrificing their food security by paying other bills to have the groceries they need.

Your $500 contribution will help a student struggling with a subject like math or science get the tutoring support they need.

Your $100

contribution will help one of our seniors connect to the rest of their peers and engage in social interaction instead of being isolated at home. Your contribution in any amount will help HQB continue to do the good work it does. Please consider making a tax-deductible year-end contribution to Hallie Q. Brown Community Center today. Warm wishes for the Holidays. Send checks to Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Inc. 270 N. Kent Street, St. Paul, MN 55102

oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Policy Revised Effective January 3, 2023

In November, the Minnesota Judicial Council approved revisions to the oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Policy (Policy 525), the Judicial Branch policy that lays out the framework for continued use of remote hearings and the presumptive hearing locations for each case type.

The revised policy becomes effective January 3, 2023.

In April 2022, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea issued an order that lifted all pandemic-related restrictions and announced the new Judicial Branch policy governing presumptive hearing locations effecting both Criminal and Non-Criminal case types.

Since that time, the

oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Steering Committee has met regularly with judges, court staff and justice partners to discuss and gather feedback about ways to improve the Policy to best address the needs of court users.

Based on that feedback, the Judicial Council approved revisions to the policy, effective January 3, 2023, including:

• Moving juvenile delinquency hearings under the criminal provision within Policy 525. Each district or county will develop its own local hearing plan(s) for how juvenile delinquency hearings are held. Each district will complete its plans by December 20.

• The following hearing types in which

settlement is a common occurrence will change from presumptively remote to presumptively in-person: family pre-trials, civil pre-trials, civil settlement conferences, and civil temporary restraining orders.

• Guardianship/ Conservatorship Order to Show Cause hearings will generally be held remotely.

Case participants will find the most accurate information about how their court hearing will take place on their Hearing Notice.

About the oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Framework

The Minnesota Judicial Council in September 2021 approved the framework for the continuation of remote

hearings in some case types. The work of developing the remote hearing framework and the subsequent rollout was guided by the oneCourtMN Hearings Initiative Steering Committee appointed by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, and informed by feedback gathered from judges, court staff, attorneys, and court users across the state. The work to improve remote and in-person proceedings represents the commitment of the Minnesota Judicial Branch to innovation and transformational change for a more user-focused judicial system.

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process to help interviewees enter a mindset of articulating their own value and imagining what could be possible for their future. As a part of this approach, interviewees were asked to describe themselves as well as how others see them; discuss their self-care habits; and describe what brings them joy. Asset-based research approaches allow participants the ability to recognize their strengths and assets, while getting into a headspace of joy, love and abundance.

Having these 15 Advisory Council members with lived experiences, was a requirement of RIA when accepting the contract to do the research work. RIA wanted to get real world, lived experienced, information that

was useful, to find and suggest better solutions for care in the future.

According to RIA, recent research illustrates the criminalization of Black women begins when they are girls in school. Black students are punished more harshly than their white classmates for the same behaviors or rule infractions. In Minnesota, black girls are 10 times more likely to be suspended than white girls. Insufficient mental health resources, teacher biases, and racially biased school policies all play a role in these

disparities. The consequences of biased disciplinary actions can be severe, ranging from lower academic performance to early involvement in the criminal justice system.

Due to intersectional factors such as racism and sexism, Black women and girls are continuously targeted in less human living and working conditions, finding themselves victims or predatory lending and renting practices, as well discriminatory job and hiring practices. The first goals of the research are to define the issues;

making sense of the data; and make recommendations for actionable outcomes that lead to tangible, real world changes.

To address the needs of our missing and murdered black women and girls there are three major themes we need to focus on the government and community levels.

We need to hire people who care about and reflect the community

Require training for professionals working in MMAAW-related domains

Increase resources for the work, especially specific

support for black women and girls

An increase for more black practitioners to lead community work and e

orts Key Recommendations:

Establishing a missing and murdered African American women’s o

Create and fund speci

c spaces and resources to serve black girls and women

Develop effective, culturally appropriate, anti racist trainings and professional education

Hire and retain African American sta

It was Charlene Mitchell.

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prosecution and imprisonment? It was Charlene Mitchell. Who was the visionary activist organizer of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR)?

In addition to the support and leadership of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice and the Wilmington Ten Defense Committee, it was in fact the gallant leadership and global mobilization efforts of Charlene Mitchell, Angela Davis and many others in the NAARPR that helped to free the Wilmington Ten, Charlotte Three, Joann Little, and so many other political prisoners throughout the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the early 1980s during a video filmed dialogue between James Baldwin and me at Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans that focused on Black American oppression and liberation, I recalled that Baldwin affirmatively asserted that, “There is no question in my mind that Charlene Mitchell remains the Joan of Arc of Harlem because she dares to utter unspeakable truth to power.”

But I also witnessed the personal side that intersected with the extraordinary ideological and organizing genius that Charlene Mitchell embodied 24/7. She was a devoted and caring mother to her son, Steven Mitchell, who also became a labor organizer and representative.

My mother, Mrs.

Design and support better coordination across agencies

Make emergency and long-term housing accessible and affordable If you are interested in reading the full report, go to reasearchinaction.com/mmaaw.

Brandi Phillips is a mother of two, lifelong student, health enthusiast, and lover of adventure. Questions and comments about this article can be sent to healthyselfnaturallymn@gmail. com

Elisabeth R. Chavis, and the mother of Angela Davis, Mrs. Sallye B. Davis, and Charlene Mitchell would find quality time together, even while traveling from city to city to free other political prisoners, to talk about the importance of family in our long-protracted struggle for freedom in America and throughout the world.

I will always remember the loving smile on Charlene’s face and that unforgettable twinkle of solidarity in her eyes whenever she discussed and planned how to organize and to win victories over peoples’ oppression.

How should we say thank you adequately to leaders and freedom fighters who have passed away? We all should keep fighting for freedom and hold dear to the passion and principles that they lived by and represented. Long live the spirit, love, memory and legacy of Charlene Alexander Mitchell. Rest in Power and in Peace (R.I.P). God bless.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and Executive Producer/Host of The Chavis Chronicles on PBS TV stations throughout the United States. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

Mitchell Mitchell

Dr. Brittany Lewis

Hallie Q. Brown

Food drive at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center.

Missing & Murdered & Murdered

Google

Dr. Lauren Martin

Ariana Kopycinski

Ayize James

Dr.

Catherine Squires

By Chuck Hobbs

100 years from now, descendants of mine will sit in some teacher’s class and learn all about the 2020 election—and the post election events on January 6, 2021 that remain one of the ugliest moments in American history.

Those descendants will likely know that their ancestor, Chuck Hobbs, was alive during that period and through his blog and other media spaces, analyzed both the historical and legal impacts of what the Bipartisan House Committee tasked with investigating the January 6th Riots concluded was an “attempted coup” on December 19, 2022.

Future Hobbs generations may dig into the digital archives to ascertain what their grandfather/great uncle/ distant cousin “Hobbserved” in real time—to deduce whether their ancestor stood on the side of justice—or with the madding crowd who placed the rule of law in jeopardy.

When they stumble across this blog in particular, I want them to know that from the very first, that I considered the events on January 6th to be a travesty of justice tinged with overt violence—events eerily reminiscent to that time when rebellious batteries in Charleston, South Carolina bombarded Fort Sumter in April 1861 to ignite the Civil War.

I want my descendants to know that I was “fair” and “balanced” two months earlier in November of 2020 when I took NO issue when then President Donald Trump exercised his legal right to challenge the election results in federal and state courts of law. Do know that my lack of issue with Trump exercising those rights

stemmed from my own memory of the highly contested 2000 election between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, and how as a young lawyer at the time, I was able to sit in jury boxes and galleries in Tallahassee courtrooms and watch as those lower court decisions ultimately wound their way up to the Florida Supreme Court—before being heard in the United States Supreme Court— the highest in the land—and the venue that stopped the Florida recount and by so doing, granted Bush the victory over Gore.

I want my descendants to know that in 2000, despite evidence that as many as 10,000 ballots in South Florida were partially or illegibly marked for Mr. Gore, that when the U.S. Supreme Court said “no more,” that he called Mr. Bush and conceded the race—all to foment the peaceful transition of power.

Do know, dear descendants, that Mr. Gore’s 2000 graciousness stood in stark contrast to Mr. Trump’s 2020 obstinant obstruction; the Trump campaign filed 62 lawsuits challenging the results between November 2020 and mid-December—and lost 61— including an 8-1 loss in a U.S. Supreme Court that was filled with six conservatives, including three of his own appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, each of whom voted against his campaign’s case!

I want my descendants to know that not only did Mr. Trump refuse to concede after all of his court options were lost, but that when his loyal lapdog, Attorney General Bill Barr, told him that there were no more legal pathways forward, that Trump then turned to “yes” lawyers, sycophants like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who filed frivolous lawsuits after frivolous lawsuits that were summarily dismissed. Should you choose to search my blog’s archives, you will find that I did my best in real time

to discuss the ramifications of Trump’s legal frivolity in great detail!

I want you to know that with his court options nonexistent, that Mr. Trump then began calling public officials, like Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and pressured them to create slates of electors who would go against the popular vote for the true victor, Joe Biden. To our Republic’s benefit, and to my praise in print and on-air, those Republican officials refused to play along with Trump’s schemes— drawing his ire instead!

Do know, dear descendants, that Trump tried to install a new lapdog, Jeffrey Clark, as acting U.S. Attorney General so that the Justice Department could declare that the 2020 election was a fraud, but ultimately didn’t do that when ALL of the senior Justice Department officials—each a Republican—threatened to resign! This, too, earned my praise for the Republicans who put legal process over party—and Trump’s profanities!

But most crucially, dear descendants, do know know that Mr. Trump, upon realizing that his presidential

days were numbered, then took to Twitter to encourage his followers to march on the Capitol in Washington, D.C. to “stop the steal,” his Orwellian phrase for what really were his own efforts to steal the election from Joe Biden. In all candor, your ancestor Ol’ Hobbs didn’t take Trump’s Tweet seriously until January 6th, when thousands of his supporters rallied near the Capitol—before marching on the Capitol—in an effort to intimidate Congress and Trump’s own Vice President, Mike Pence, from certifying the final election results.

Dear descendants, do know that in my 48 years to that point, that I rarely got shocked by anything, but I was initially speechless that day as I listened to an unhinged Trump essentially call his own Vice President Pence a coward for following the law—while encouraging his minions to go and break the law by stopping the certification. Do know that I spent the rest of that day live blogging and speaking my disgust at the mob that tied nooses and erected a hangman’s platform before literally breaking into the Capitol Complex—all the while beating and choking out police officers who were overwhelmed

by the mob screaming “stop the steal” and “hang Mike Pence.”

Do know that your ancestor watched in horror as one miserable miscreant strode through the Capitol Complex carrying the Confederate Battle Flag—an act that long dead Rebel generals Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and J.E.B. Stuart dreamed of—but never accomplished during the Civil War.

Further, do know that nearly $70 million dollars of federal property was destroyed—and five lives lost— during the bloodiest day of insurrection since 1865.

Dear descendants, do know that while America’s democracy was jeopardized that day, that text messages from conservatives like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, popular entertainers for the Fox Network, begged Mr. Trump to call for his followers to stand down—to no avail! According to several aides, Trump, like the Roman Emperor Nero centuries before, stood in the White House watching the anarchy unfold— while shouting that they should hang VP Pence. Finally, after 187 minutes of terror in which many congress members of both parties feared that they would be killed, Trump finally called for his followers to go home… but the damage was done!

Dear descendants, do know that there were people of varying demographic backgrounds and political persuasions who loudly condemned Trump and his foolish followers on January 6th.

Do know that despite Trump’s pernicious scheme and wicked efforts, that democracy did not fall that day; two weeks later, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States while Trump, breaking protocol that had existed for over two centuries, refused to attend the transfer of power like a spoiled little brat.

In conclusion, dear descendants, do know that despite all of the above

mentioned illegalities and indignities, that at the time that I am writing this essay two years later, Mr. Trump still maintains millions of loyal followers who take a “see no evil, hear no evil”stance on January 6th and the days that followed.

Blind followers, I submit, who are eager to vote for him again in 2024 because as another of your ancestors, my mother, often says, that after a drought, “water seeks its own level.” Do know that instead of being cast aside as a political leper after January 6th, that those blind followers made Trump nearly a billion dollars by subscribing to his dubiously named “Truth Social” media network, his own platform that allows him to continue the “stop the steal” lie. Do know that while the Bipartisan Congressional Committee ultimately recommended that the Justice Department file criminal charges for obstruction and insurrection against Mr. Trump for his deplorable acts, that the very idea that an indictment wasn’t already sealed and ready to be opened against him reminds me that in America, one’s power, one’s pecuniary holdings and yes, one’s wealthy white male status, inures some benefits in 2022 that people of color and white women still do not possess in the 21st Century. Maybe, and prayerfully, this wide dichotomy will not be so pronounced as you read this in the 22nd Century and beyond but if so, I pray that you use the courage that you inherited from your ancestors to fight for equal justice under the law—no matter who is the lawbreaker! Hobbservation Point is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Chuck Hobbs is a freelance journalist who won the 2010 Florida Bar Media Award and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.

(AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

Pages of the executive summary from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, are photographed Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Washington. The committee is urging the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, delivering what it calls a “roadmap to justice” in response to the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection.

Hobb

A Christmas Wish

vision for the tree is 36-yearold Captain Kenneth Gibson, a divorced firefighter with a nineyear-old daughter, Willow.

A Christmas Wish

By Cheryl Barton

As a lover of romance novels, especially when it comes to Black Love, I love a good holiday story. With Christmas and the winter season, I love curling up with wonderful books to add to my To Be Read list. Such is the case with Cheryl Barton’s A Christmas Wish

Her story begins with William and Lillian Halston, owners of a Christmas shop in Harford County, Maryland and married for 50 years. Each year, they have one special tree that grows on their lot, one that has the magical properties of bringing couples together for a happily-ever-after—provided the right wish is made on the right tree. This year, Lillian’s

Kenneth’s divorce from ex-wife Carrie was amicable and they have remained good friends and co-parents, even after her remarriage. After a breakup with a girlfriend who wasn’t right for him, he isn’t seeking love, focusing his energies on his beloved daughter. Willow, on the other hand, wants to see her dad happy and coupled up, as do Kenneth’s happily married parents. With friendly persuasion from William, Kenneth buys the tree. Unknown to him, when the tree is brought home, his daughter makes a wish on it.

28-year-old Bella Hardwick is a No. 1 box-office actress. She has the fame, the talent, the fortune, the star power, and the media attention that goes with it. Sadly, her taste in men leaves something to be desired. Her latest failure is Brandon, a chronic cheater who is using her to further his own image and career as an actor,

lacking any respect for her. Although she is in Hollywood, she is not of it, seeking in her heart a man who truly loves her, as CaBella Hardwick the woman vs. Bella Hardwick the actress.

Serendipity has Kenneth’s fire department stationed on the set of Bella’s latest action movie, not to mention that Bella has a huge fan in Willow. With careers that are so opposite, when Bella and Kenneth meet, it’s love at first sight, and Willow is over the moon. However, in the midst of their bliss, venomous ex

Brandon is lurking about, ready to crush their dreams. Will the power of a child’s Christmas wish prevail?

Barton’s love story hits on all the marks, starting with William and Lillian; being a wise man, William has learned to listen to Lillian’s intuition. Kenneth’s relationship with Willow is beautiful as he always instills in her that she can be and accomplish anything she wants. Through Kenneth and Carrie, thank you for showing that a divorce doesn’t have to be contentious. I loved the powerful sisterhood exemplified between Bella and her BFFs, as well as the solid friendship between Gabby and Kenneth. Kenneth and Bella’s story left me with all the feels in the best way, a reminder that dreams do come true.

A Christmas Wish is available through Amazon and Barton’s website, cherylbarton. net.

Thank you, Cheryl, for a beautiful, amazing love story that I am pleased to add to my library. Keep on sharing these stories!

From 1

brain surgery in September.

Levy Armstrong said she had been experiencing blurred vision in one eye and went in for an eye exam in July.

After that initial

exam, she was referred to an ophthalmologist at M Health Fairview. Levy Armstrong said it took weeks to get an appointment. That exam and an MRI the same day showed a brain tumor pressing on the optic nerve behind her eye.

“I was shocked and terrified because I didn’t know what would happen, what the results would be... it was just a

terrifying experience,” she said in a live stream. She said she got emergency surgery days later and initial tests indicate the tumor was not cancerous.

Levy Armstrong said she’d had a long recovery and explained she hadn’t disclosed her condition because she wasn’t prepared for the response by friends and supporters.

“I needed the time

and the space to recover without having to respond to a lot of text messages and phone calls.

Because of course your body’s healing and recovering and so people didn’t know what I was going through. So, I’m grateful for those who knew what I was experiencing who protected my privacy, who brought meals to my home and made sure that my family was

good,” Levy Amstrong said. She said her recovery continues and the surgery explains now why she had been covering her head recently — including a black turban wrap she wore in the Facebook video on Monday.

“I want to just let all of us know that we should definitely be grateful, for every day that we have on this earth,

the breath that we breathe, the life that we have, because tomorrow is not promised,” she said. “Literally things can happen in the blink of an eye. And you just never know, you know, what you’re going to go through or what someone close to you is going to go through.”

principled, and inspiring president for all of Harvard, dedicated to helping each of our individual Schools to thrive, as well as fostering creative connections among them. She

is someone intent on affirming the power of curiosity-driven learning. And she is someone eager to integrate and elevate Harvard’s efforts — throughout the arts and sciences and across the professions — to address complex challenges in the wider world.”

The Gazette reported that since 2018, Gay has served as the Edgerley Family Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and

Sciences (FAS), the University’s largest and most academically diverse faculty, spanning the biological and physical sciences and engineering, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. As dean, she has guided efforts to expand student access and opportunity, spur excellence and innovation in teaching and research, enhance aspects of academic culture, and bring new emphasis and energy to areas

such as quantum science and engineering; climate change; ethnicity, indigeneity, and migration; and the humanities.

She has successfully led FAS through the COVID pandemic, consistently and effectively prioritizing the dual goals of safeguarding community health and sustaining academic continuity and progress.

The disruptive effects of the crisis notwithstanding,

the school newspaper reported that she has also launched and led an ambitious, inclusive, and faculty-driven strategic planning process, intended to take a fresh look at fundamental aspects of academic structures, resources, and operations in FAS and to advance academic excellence in the years ahead.

“I am humbled by the confidence that the governing boards have placed

in me and by the prospect of succeeding President Bacow in leading this remarkable institution,” Gay stated.

“It has been a privilege to work with Larry over the last five years. He has shown me that leadership isn’t about one person. It’s about all of us, moving forward together, and that’s a lesson I take with me into this next journey.”

Cheryl Barton

Levy Arms trong Armstrong