NJG | Vol. 123, No. 38 - Sept 21, 2023

Vol. 123, No. 38 | $1.50

September 21, 2023 - September 27, 2023

VP HARRIS SPEAKS AT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY

HAMPTON

As students returned to campuses nationwide, Vice President Kamala Harris began a month-long college tour, rallying young people to champion fundamental freedoms and rights. Hampton University was her first stop last week where she put a spotlight on critical issues disproportionately affecting young Americans.

The whirlwind tour, dubbed the

HOW SOME HBCUS ARE ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE ON-AND-OFF CAMPUS

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor

New Journal and Guide

There was a time when HBCU students arrived on campus in late August, unpacked their gear, left the dorm to explore nearby restaurants, churches, and nightclubs, which often rolled out the red carpet at the start of school.

But escalating gun violence is changing this time-honored tradition at numerous HBCUs including Virginia State, which recently announced plans to upgrade its security measures after two Virginia State students were shot and killed off campus within a nine-day span.

Virginia State students

Matthew Gibbs, age 19, and Adrionna West, age 20, were recently killed off campus. Gibbs died from a gunshot wound and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead in late August. The second slain Virginia State student, West, was shot a few days later off campus and found dead inside of a car in early September.

“Being angry is not enough,”

Virginia State President Makola M. Abdullah said in a recent statement on the school’s website, announcing security upgrades that include VSU Police meeting daily with Petersburg Police “to share intelligence and inform our VSU community of any activity/crimes that may impact our students.”

Abdullah said campus and local police officers will continue to patrol the Petersburg apartment complexes “where our students have been assigned. Police from VSU, Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, and a private security company will continue to monitor area hotels where our students have been assigned. VSU Police will be called to the scene of

any incident in Petersburg that involves any VSU student. VSU Police will be alerted to any large gathering of VSU students in Petersburg (including parties).”

Much has changed, in other words. The total number of HBCUs, for example, dropped within the past two decades. While some reports say six HBCUs closed in the past two decades, a recent HBCU Graduates report lists at least three dozen HBCUs that have closed in the past two decades. However, a January 2023 report from the National Center for Education said the number of students in this country enrolling in HBCUs surged and increased by 57 percent last year in 2022. see HBCU, page 2A

LOCAL ACTIVISTS ADD ANOTHER SUIT TO TRUMP’S LEGAL WOES

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

Donald Trump is facing a long list of legal troubles including the January 6, 2021 insurrection, fraud charges in New York, and eight other Republicans who want to deny him their party’s nomination.

Now political action groups and individuals have been filing legal action to keep him from even qualifying to be on the 2024 primary or general election ballots of many states. Most of the suits are focused on claims he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which says that a person who “engaged in insurrection

or rebellion” after taking an oath of office to support the Constitution should be prevented from running for office again.

There have also been calls for secretaries of state to block Trump from the ballots over allegations he incited the January 6, insurrection which sought to stop the certification of the 2020 Presidential election.

Trump, the frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary, has denied all wrongdoing.

But two civil and political

of Elections, and

rights activists from Hampton Roads, Roy L. Perry-Bey and Carlos A. Howard, believe a suit they filed recently may be the magic wand to end Trump’s bid.

The duo’s suit filed recently in a federal court is against Trump, the Virginia State Board of Elections, and the Virginia Department of Elections.

The suit, they say, “removes the lack of clarity about who has standing to bring the challenges to the eligibility of candidates aspiring to become

president.”

Perry-Bey was successful in organizing a suit which caused the Federal District Court to force the city of Virginia Beach to abolish its at-large system of electing council and School Board. He also assisted lead attorneys in the legal case in the early 1990s to convince the federal court to abolish Norfolk’s atlarge election system.

Perry-Bey, who devised the current suit against Trump, said it is different from others. see Suit, page 6A

U.S. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JEFFRIES CALLS GOP TENSIONS A ‘CIVIL WAR’

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent

@StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Amidst the looming threat of a government shutdown as funding expiration at the end of the month draws ever closer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, has characterized the Republican Party as being “in the middle of a civil war.” The statement comes as both major parties engage in heated negotiations to reach an agreement to prevent the shutdown.

Speaking on ABC News’

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

“This Week,” Jeffries stated unequivocally, “Let’s be clear: House Republicans are in the middle of a civil war. The House Republican

civil war is hurting hardworking American taxpayers and limiting our ability to solve problems on their behalf. It’s unfortunate, but as House Democrats, we’re going to continue to try to find common ground with the other side of the aisle to work with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans and President Biden.”

Jeffries’ comments were made in response to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to initiate an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. That move contradicted his stance that a full chamber vote would be required for

Honoring 220 Laborers From 1938

The 15th Norfolk Botanical Garden Heritage Celebration was held on September 17 to honor and recognize the 220 African-American women and men who first planted the Garden 85 years ago. see page 2B

such proceedings.

In response to McCarthy’s actions, Jeffries assured that the White House would cooperate with the impeachment inquiry, asserting that there was “nothing to hide.” He contended that the investigations conducted by House Republicans into the Biden family had failed to produce any evidence suggesting that the President had “engaged in impeachable offenses.”

“There are no facts on the record to suggest that President Biden broke the law in any way, shape, or form. see Civil, page 7A

“Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour,” includes a dozen campuses in at least seven states, uniting thousands of students in high-energy, largescale events. The tour encompasses HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and state schools. Harris is also highlighting the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration for young people.

Lifetime Achievement

HAMPTON ROADS

Former WAVY-TV 10 anchor Don Roberts was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by The Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter on September 14. Robert’s achievements in news reporting span three decades. He is the longest standing anchor at a single broadcast in Hampton Roads history. see page 1B

New Funding Raises HBCU Capital Project To $184M Investment

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

To help fortify historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) nationwide, the HBCU Transformation Project has garnered a substantial $124 million investment from Blue Meridian Partners.

The infusion of capital elevates the total investment in the project to an impressive $184 million. The initiative, launched in 2022, is a collaborative endeavor between the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), and Partnership for Education Advancement (Ed Advancement).

The HBCU

Transformation Project is intensely engaged with forty HBCUs, and additional campuses are poised to join in the coming year. The project aims to drive systemic improvements in HBCUs, bolstering their role as pivotal engines of educational opportunity and social mobility for Black and low-income students.

The lion’s share of the fresh $124 million injection will go toward high-impact initiatives at individual HBCUs. This will encompass fortifying technological infrastructure, pioneering transformative curricular and administrative strategies, and piloting collaborative platforms for staff development, shared procurement, and related endeavors. UNCF, TMCF, and Ed Advancement will also receive support to lead and coordinate the HBCU

UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax

The initiative is a collaborative endeavor between the UNCF, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and Partnership for Education Advancement.

Transformation Project and spearhead a significant capital campaign to bridge the longstanding funding disparities between HBCUs and other higher education institutions.

In a news release, UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax emphasized the project’s forward-looking vision. “The Transformation Project will ensure that HBCUs continue to be drivers of economic mobility and champions for racial equity long into the future,” Lomax asserted. see Funding, page 5A

Photo: Courtesy

Photo: LauraPhilion/WHRONews

The duo’s lawsuit filed recently in a federal court is against Trump, the Virginia State Board

the Virginia Department of Elections.

Being angry (about gun violence) is not enough.”

– VSU President

Makola

BLACK FARMERS CAMPAIGN EDUCATES ON $2.2B FOR THOSE SUFFERING DISCRIMINATION PRE-2021

WASHINGTON, D.C.

On July 7, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the opening of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). This program, established through Section 22007 of the In fl ation Reduction Act, provides $2.2 billion in fi nancial assistance to eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending prior to January 2021. Stakeholders and program administrators, along with USDA of fi cials, are conducting community outreach to raise awareness about the program.

When the program opened, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack af fi rmed the Department’s

HBCU

Continued from page 1A

This after a $50 million funding shortfall from the U.S. Department of Education in 2020 caused HBCU student enrollment to experience a significant decline.

Harsher changes include the societal impact of rising gun violence in America on HBCU students who have been shot or wounded off campus. Recently, Norfolk State University student Jahari George, age 20, was shot and killed on Sept. 2 after parking near campus at Gate House Road.

TeAnna George, Jahari’s mother, told WVEC TV in a Sept. 13 interview, “He was not out partying. He was not hanging out in the streets. While, it was considered offcampus, Jahari was parked outside his dorm.”

George said her son parked on a side street near his dorm because of a parking issue on campus.

Drive about 613 miles from Norfolk to Jacksonville and notice how a deadly shooting never happened on-or-off campus at Jacksonville’s Edward Waters University in late August, due to the fact that an on-campus security officer engaged with “an unidentified male in the vicinity of Centennial

Please See Farmer’s Ad On Page 2-B Of This Issue.

For more information about DFAP, please visit the official website at 22007apply.gov.

commitment to providing fi nancial assistance to those who faced discrimination in USDA farm lending as swiftly and effi ciently as possible.

“USDA will continue to work with its national vendor partners and community-based organizations to ensure that eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners have clear information about what is available to them, how to apply, and where

Library on campus” and told the young male to leave after he failed to identify himself, according to WTLV-TV. The unidentified young White male was spotted putting on tactical gear. Students reported him and a campus police officer approached as he sped off in his vehicle having never identified himself.

“The shooter then returned to his car without incident and left the campus; the encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by campus security,” WTLVTV noted. “Security officials placed the university on

to obtain assistance with their questions at each step of the way,” said Secretary Vilsack.

The In fl ation Reduction Act speci fi es that the Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for providing this fi nancial assistance through qualifi ed nongovernmental entities, under standards set by USDA.

The of fi cial program administrators are Midtown Group, which serves as the

National Administrator for the program; Windsor Group, which is responsible for outreach and assistance in states east of the Mississippi River, and Analytic Acquisitions, which serves states West of the Mississippi River.

Producers have the option to apply via the e-fi ling portal at 22007apply.gov or by submitting paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local of fi ces. English-

and Spanish-language application are available.

Technical assistance is available for potential applicants through four regional hubs working closely with communitybased organizations to conduct extensive outreach using digital and grassroots strategies. This ensures that potential applicants are informed about the program and understand how to complete the application.

Additionally, local events and brick-andmortar of fi ces are part of a comprehensive outreach process designed to provide farmers and ranchers with multiple options for gaining assistance at no cost.

For more information about DFAP, please visit the of fi cial website at 22007apply.gov. Additionally, the website provides comprehensive information on obtaining in-person or virtual technical assistance, supplementary program resources, and detailed program guidelines. The program also offers a call center, 1-800-7210970, which is open from 8 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. PT, seven days a week, except for Federal holidays. The call center has English and Spanish-speaking agents.

Journal and Guide, P.O. Box 209, Norfolk, VA 23501. The New Journal and Guide is not responsible for any unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or related materials.

lockdown for several hours, restricting access to anyone leaving or coming on the campus. An all clear was given to students at 4:35 p.m. via the Campus Emergency Notification System, ‘Tiger Alert.’”

Edward Waters University is located only three quarters

of a mile from the Dollar General store where 21-yearold Ryan Christopher Palmeter shot and killed three Blacks after he was forced to leave the nearby HBCU. Although the White gunman killed three Blacks and turned the gun on

himself during his racially motivated shooting at a nearby Jacksonville Dollar General, the recent incident did not result in the shooting death of a single HBCU student. Many HBCUs have upgraded security in recent years, especially as threats to HBCUs have increased nationwide. Last year alone, the FBI investigated bomb threats that were made against more than 20 HBCUs in states including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Now, many schools

require IDs to cross through campus gates and enter buildings. Following last year’s bomb threats, some universities have increased the presence of law enforcement officers, social workers and counselors to address safety and health concerns. HBCUs like Virginia State, for example, issued its recent statement after it had already hired private security in residence halls, installed monitored cameras and license plate readers with video cameras at campus entryways and exits. see HBCU, page 5A

September 19, 1942

Edition of the Guide

School Suit Filed in Richmond; Short of schools and lack of free transportation

RICHMOND

Charging that “less than 1,000” white students of Sussex County have four schools, while “nearly 3,000 Colored students have only one school; live 31 miles to 45 miles from the school, and are without the free bus transportation given white students,” five high schools students of the county filed suit Monday in the United States District Court here to gain admission to nearby white schools from which they claim they are barred “sorely on account of race and color.”

The students asked for a preliminary injunction against the Sussex County School Board and Superintendent T.D. Foster to prohibit alleged discrimination, until the court could act upon their request for a declaratory judgment and permanent injury.

Oliver W. Hill, Richmond’s attorney who led the fight for equalization of Richmond teachers’ pay a year ago and has prepared two other actions against the Virginia school board for permanent injunctions, fueled the complaint.

The students charged that the county-operated four modern consolidated schools were “attractively designed and staffed and well equipped” to care for the white school’s population of less than 1,000.

On the other hand, they charged the “Negroes have antiquated schools of the one and two room variety. Scattered around the county.

Governor Denounces Attack On Ministers HARTFORD, CONN. Governor Hurley of Connecticut made a public protestation last week again the recent attack on two Negro

Baptist ministers enroute to the National Baptist Convention in Memphis, Tenn.

Declaring that the assault was a” terrible affront” and that the “outrage has shocked every citizen of Connecticut,” Governor Hurley made a personal contribution to the fund that is being raised for the prosecution of the guilty parties. Hurley told NAACP representative Dr. Allen F. Jackson of Hartford that the organization will have the utmost cooperation of the state of Connecticut in “bringing the criminals responsible for that crime before the bar of justice where they can receive due punishment for having insulted the tenants of the bill of rights.”

A Report On History In Making: First Recruit Opens Navy School

By P.B. Young Jr.

HAMPTON

One of the thrills of newspapering was mine Saturday for historymaking is always a spinetingling experience. Newspapermen see much of the seamy side of life and narrow selfish quirks of human nature for we “cover” life as it is reporting the facts as they find them.

I saw pages of future histories being created with the arrival of the first unit of the first Negroes that Americans have ever been put through a Class A Naval school with those passing tests to be eligible for specialists and petty officer. You know the background. How the Navy Department reversed a policy two decades old and began a few months ago in June to be exact to enlist Colored Americans in the Navy and Coast Guard in brackets other than messmen and in the Marine Corps for the first time.

We had a Negro Aviator. You know that two youths this summer entered the Naval Academy under the most favorable circumstances than darker Americans ever had.

Then you saw the first fulfillment of a great new stride in the integration of all Americans into the fight for America and its principles. And you breathed a little harder and squared your shoulders a little more and felt an even bigger bang when Old Glory was glimpsed whipping in the breeze sweeping off the waters of Hampton Roads. Along the whole shore were military establishments making the “multiple city port Pearl Harbor” of the Atlantic.

Washington March Rally in Harlem Hears Leaders

NEW YORK

“We don’t intend to fight for democracy in Burma and not get it in Birmingham,” was the cry of A. Phillip Randolph, Leader of the “National March on Washington” movement at a rally here. Five thousand were present to hear national leaders. The programs were held in the Golden Gate Ballrooms in Harlem Randolph rejected the activities of what he called “those critics who have opposed his opening a second front on behalf of the Negro at the particular time.”

His stand was later voiced by Dr. Lawrence M. Ervin, New York Division president of the Washington March. Dr. Erwin bitterly attacked national leaders who seek to “close ranks and bend all efforts to win the war.”

The theme of the meeting continued in its offensive against what Bernice McMillan, representing the youth Movement, termed “practical leaders.” She reminds the rally that such leaders were often too practical and might well

look to “idealistic” youth for future leadership. She appealed to adult Americans to consider and weigh the idealism of the Negro youth. The meeting marked the second rally here in the interest of the Washington march.

Teachers College

To Open September 19

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. State Teachers’ College will begin its 52nd session on September 19 when freshmen and new students will be received for registration and orientations. Former students will register on September 21.

The larger number of applications is a record enrollment with no decrease in the number of male students which has grown tremendously in the last few years.

Plans for continuing the curriculum development programs initiated in 1939 will be considered at a series of all-staff conferences which were scheduled September 1719.

Girl Welder Trainee Turned Down

PORTSMOUTH

The first Colored girl in history was called to the Norfolk Navy Yard to work as a trainee welder last week but when she applied ready for work, a shop master refused to open a job for her, informing the 19-year-old applicant that toilet facilities and drinking fountains had not been installed for Colored women in the shop.

Instead of getting the job for which she’s officially called, she was offered janitorial work until the time separate toilet facilities are installed. The girl took her case to a higher Navy Yard official and was told that she was employed by the yard. But actually, she was out on leave without pay.

The girl, bewildered by the red tape and segregation at the big federal government plant has written directly to Rear Admiral Felix L. Gygax, Commandant of the Navy Yard, stating her case. She now awaits an answer. The name of the petite, attractive girl who is blazing a trail that might lead to the employment of Colored women in skilled trades at the Navy Yard is Corona M. Browner of 2728 Gray Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia. She received her preliminary training through the National Youth Administration in Washington. Arriving in Portsmouth late Monday she was obliged to find shelter at the USO club that night. She has since found living quarters.

KC Wins 3rd Straight As Homesteads

Lose Twin Bill

NEW YORK

The Kansas City Monarchs, champions of the Negro American League, now hold a 3-0 lead over the Homestead Grays, pennant winners in the Negro National League, in the world’s championship series by virtue of a 9-3 victory over the Pittsburghers in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday at Yankee Stadium before 22,000 fans.

The Monarchs were also triumphant 5-0 in the seven-inning nightcap which however did not count in the series.

The Monarchs topped the Grays in the opener in Washington last week and then won two in Pittsburgh before coming to New York. Mayor Fiorello Laguardia threw out the first ball to start the opening. Satchell Paige started on the mound for the Monarchs and was nicked for two runs in the first inning on one of the main circuits into the right field stands by Howard Easterling, the Grays’ right fielder.

Following last year’s bomb threats, some universities have increased the presence of law enforcement officers, social workers and counselors to address safety and health concerns.

The Inflation Reduction Act specifies that the Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for providing this financial assistance through qualified nongovernmental entities, under standards set by USDA.

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLASS WARFARE

PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY VIRGINIA TECH

PEOPLE PROCEED AS THEY PERCEIVE

By Wornie Reed, Ph.D.

Last week, I wrote about the gap between reality and perceptions about the economy. One of my favorite economists, Paul Krugman, wrote about the same thing. He used the issue of perceptions of crime to explain this phenomenon.

He showed how surveys show that the public believes that crime in their local area is less of a problem than in other areas, predominantly urban places. Nevertheless, there is the continual gentrification of “newly safe central cities” by affluent Americans.

Krugman used the reality vs. perception gap in crime to explain the reality vs. perception gap concerning the economy. He sees the same phenomenon happening in economics. Survey respondents report that the economy is doing poorly, but they are doing okay. So, they are spending more than expected in a poor economy – since they are doing okay.

“People proceed as they perceive” was an expression we used in the Black Power Movement. What people perceive is what they know, and they act on that knowledge. That is the lesson to be learned from the perception versus reality phenomenon.

Krugman’s use of the perception of crime phenomenon reminds me of the difficult time I had with the crime issue in the decade of the 1990s. Politicians of all stripes were continually saying that violent crime was on the rise while I went around proclaiming to audiences and the media that violent crime was going down, not up.

The violent crime rate

dropped from a high of 758.2 per 100,000 in the population in 1991 to 523 in 1999, a decrease of 31 percent. Predictably, I was treated like Chicken Little, who ran around warning that the sky was falling when only an acorn fell on its head. However, Chicken Little’s behavior warns us of the consequences of having faulty information and following erroneous perceptions.

In the 1990s, the consequence was President Clinton’s disastrous Crime Bill, the bill Hillary Clinton had to disavow when campaigning for the presidency. She encountered severe criticism from Black advocates for supporting the largest crime bill in the history of the country. This bill provided funding for 100,000 more police officers and nearly $10 billion for new prisons, which were filled up disproportionately by Blacks, as detailed by Michelle Alexander in her book, The New Jim Crow. This bill facilitated harsher sentencing requirements and incentives for states to adopt tough-on-crime laws, all while the crime rate was decreasing.

Observers credited Bill Clinton with responding to the public anxiety about crime; however, the false narrative about crime fueled this anxiety. And that false narrative was driven by intentional lies. I still do not believe that leaders of this monstrous effort, including Bill Clinton, did not know that the crime rate was going

down.

The economy is doing well, but Krugman notes the significant gap between the public’s upbeat assessment of their financial well-being and their low perception of the national economic well-being. Notably, this gap increased from 25 percentage points in 2019 (when Trump was in office) to 55 percentage points in 2022 (when Biden was president).

How does the public come to have these perceptions about the economy?

Krugman proposes:

“I don’t think Americans are stupid. I think they have jobs to do and children to raise and lives to live. They don’t have time to study policy issues, so most of them get their sense of what’s happening to the country from what they see on TV or hear from politicians. Unfortunately, some of what they’re told isn’t true.”

I agree with Krugman, but I will add a bit more: what a large portion of the public gets from their favorite media and politicians nowadays is often intentionally misleading. But that is what they come to “know.” So, they proceed according to their perceptions, and there are consequences.

The consequences will include voting to replace Democrats in Congress and the White House with Republicans. That is what their media and politicians tell them about the economy, so that is what they perceive to be the facts. Thus, they proceed as they perceive.

Republicans Again Defending Extremism In Defense of Their Views

By Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The inmates have taken over the asylum in the Republican Party. In the party that once prided itself on being promilitary, one wingnut senator is blocking the confirmation of hundreds of senior military officials, including the secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The party that preaches law and order now in Alabama openly defies a federal court order, refusing to redraw a racially discriminatory election map.

In Wisconsin, Republicans seek to impeach a recently elected state Supreme Court justice before she even takes her seat on the bench – this time to protect a jerry-rigged election map that allows them to have a governing majority in the state legislature, despite representing only a minority of the votes. Donald Trump and his co-conspirators dominate the headlines, but the zaniness now pervades the party.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL.) – who never served a day in the military – has blocked the confirmation of 260 high officers of the military – a number that will rise to 650 by the end of the year if Republicans don’t put an end to his nonsense.

Tuberville, part of the Republican minority in the Senate, abuses his senatorial privilege by blocking all defense confirmations to

extort a Senate vote on the Defense Department’s abortion policy. He won’t draw up legislation for that vote himself. He demands that Democrats introduce the bill and hold the vote.

The Pentagon’s policy – implemented after the Supreme Court’s egregious decision overturning Roe v. Wade – allows soldiers and their dependents to take time off and use official travel to get to states that offer reproductive care – this includes not only abortions, but in vitro fertilizations. The Pentagon policy forbids the funding of abortions, except in the rare cases of rape and incest or if the life of the mother is at risk. The policy mirrors the opinions of the vast majority of the American people.

To take up each confirmation separately and hold the votes necessary to overcome his objections would consume virtually all of the time of the Senate.

By Julianne Malveaux (TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

The United Auto Workers and the Big Three automobile manufacturers – Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis haven’t been able to agree on worker compensation, and no wonder. The UAW leader, Shawn Fein, is fiercely committed that workers should be better compensated and should recoup some of the concessions they made to manufacturers when the automobile industry was in trouble in 2009. On the other side, the CEOs of the big three are touting their “generous” offer to the union, claiming they’d be bankrupt if they met union demands, and using terms like “class warfare” to describe the current stalemate.

CNBC anchor Jim Cramer was among the first to mention class warfare when the UAW offered a set of reasonable demands. He fails to understand that when CEOs make hundreds of times more than the average worker, there is some kind of warfare. Predatory capitalists extract surplus value from workers and direct it to shareholders and themselves. Thus, Ford GM Mary Barras earns more than $30 million a year, 362 times the average worker’s earnings. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares earns more than $24.8 million, 365 times the average worker. And Ford’s James Farley earns $21 million, 281 times as much as the average worker. Mary Barras defended her high salary by indicating that her pay is “performance-based.” She would not have performance were it not for worker productivity, but there is a gap between worker pay and productivity. Predatory capitalists are capturing the benefits of both worker productivity and worker concessions, resulting in record profits among auto manufacturers. President Joe Biden was spot on when he said that record profits should

mean record contracts. In other words, pay the people whose labor contributed to the record profits. While the Big Three CEOs saw their compensation rise by at least 40 percent in the last four years, they’d deny similar pay increases to their workers. Indeed, the average auto worker earns $28 an hour, just a dollar, or less than four percent, more than last year. Those hired before 2007 earn $33 an hour, but those employed after 2007 make only $17 an hour, the two-tier compensation the UAW is fighting to eliminate. How fair is it that two workers, standing side by side, have such a pay differential, one earning about half of what the other is making? That’s called worker exploitation. The UAW agreed to it under challenging circumstances, and those circumstances don’t exist anymore. By the way, the lower-paid workers also get fewer health and pension benefits, and the union proposal is partly about equalizing some of these benefits. The quest for fairness is something that CNBC’s Cramer describes as “frightening.”

What is frightening is the increasing poverty in our nation. It’s frightening that predatory capitalists are getting away with extreme exploitation. It is frightening that CEOs make so much compared to labor and find nothing wrong with this. And it is empowering to see UAW President Shawn Fein fight fearlessly for workers in the face of CEOs who whine

about a bankruptcy that won’t happen unless they figure out how to cut a deal with labor.

If they disagree, the consequences can be dire. If the 150,000 workers in the UAW all strike simultaneously, the union has enough in the strike fund to keep them out for three months. Meanwhile, the auto industry may lose over $5 billion, and a strike may push the economy toward a recession. Auto workers aren’t the only ones at risk. Those who supply auto manufacturers with parts will probably have to lay workers off if auto manufacturing slows. There may be fewer automobiles available, and the fourth quarter is often a time when car sales go up. Fewer cars may also mean inflationary increases in automobile prices. If all auto workers go out at the same time, it will be catastrophic for the economy. Even if fractions go out, as 12,000 did on Friday, September 15, it will disrupt the economy.

The auto strike encourages other workers to stand up for themselves. Kaiser employees will strike by the end of this month if they can’t agree with management about the terms and conditions of work. Others are considering strikes, and labor unrest is at an all-time high. Workers want to be paid fairly. That’s not class warfare, that’s survival. To the extent that predatory capitalists resist paying fairly, there has always been class warfare.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and educator.

KAMALA SCORES A BIG ONE!

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Ret.)

(TRICEEDNEYWIRE.COM)

So many things of interest happened this past week that it’s hard to know where to begin. We’ve had the Hunter Biden case of lying on a gun application and not a word from the gun owners who defend any and every kind of gun ownership. They never care about how people got them or how they use them. Well, Hunter owned his gun for just 11 days and never used it for any reason.

Appointees who are not confirmed can’t move into their official quarters and have limited authority.

In a joint op-ed, the secretaries of the Navy, Army and Air Force warned that Tuberville was “putting national security at risk.” Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, warned that Tuberville was “paralyzing the Department of Defense.” The effect on recruitment and retention and on the morale of career officials will be brutal. Senior Republican leaders in the Senate have publicly called on Tuberville to stand down. Instead, he vows to persist. see Jackson, page 6A

We had formalities for the Sidney Powell/Kenneth Chesebro trial. Trump wants all the trials involving him pushed off until after the 2024 elections – so he can pardon himself! Judge Scott McAfee in the Fulton County, Georgia case ran a great hearing and continued to do so when Counsel for his client really went there in trying to discredit a Black woman lawyer for the State. He claimed Atty. Daysha Young lied to the court about existing law. The judge asked him to stop the conversation. When he didn’t, the judge just shut him down by telling him in no uncertain terms his conversation was over!

Three of the Memphis police officers accused of beating Tyree Nichols to death and indicted were in court this week for this horrible crime.

Republican Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, faced a small rebellion in Congress by some of his members, and they went home without a resolution –but not before Kevin had to stoop to using the f– word. (I wonder if DeSantis is going to ban that word! Well, amidst all that

negative stuff, something good happened. VicePresident Kamala Harris took a trip down to Hampton University in Virginia, and did she get a serious welcome from the students! It reminded us of the Barack Obama-type welcomes. Students were so excited to have her there. The lines to get in were impressive. Some students were so excited by her presence that they wasted no time in getting registered for the first time to vote! I think her presence and her message serve as encouragement for other students at other colleges to hold the same kind of events. If so, that is great news for the Democratic Party. From the news this week, it may also be time for Republican young people who are concerned about what young Democrats are concerned about, and many older Republicans seem not to care about, to join forces: Climate Change, Environmental Issues, and Preservation of Democracy. That, too, sounds good for the Democrats.

Vice-President Harris was at Hampton to kick off her “Fight for Our Freedoms” college tour that she plans to take across the nation. If she gets the same response

as she received at Hampton, that’s good news for her party. At many universities, the issues she supports are issues students support--Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and they will certainly be a part of her remarks. She’s also been seen hosting a Hip-Hop Event recently where she called Hip-Hop “The Ultimate American Art Form” at the 50th Anniversary Event. The party was held at the Vice-President’s residence. Common was there and we saw the Vice-President celebrate the anniversary by dancing to the music! A lot of people are beginning to understand the value of the vote of young people. After all, young people should be very concerned about voting when they see how far down some politicians have sunk on issues that certainly have a great impact on the young. It is a blessing to see the work of young Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost and of David Hogg – a gun control activist who survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida.

I believe 2024 will bring a lot of young people into prominence who will not only vote but will run for office. We need them!

... it is empowering to see UAW President Shawn Fein fight fearlessly for workers in the face of CEOs ...

I believe 2024 will bring a lot of young people into prominence who will not only vote but will run for office. We need them!

... what a large portion of the public gets from their favorite media and politicians nowadays is often intentionally misleading.

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Julianne Malveaux

So, they seek various ways to enforce their views - even if that requires perversely weakening the Pentagon, or overtuning the results of an election, or ignoring the orders of a court.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

Continued from page 2A

Abdullah said in his recent statement, “Security personnel and VSU police officers will maintain a strong presence on campus and at off-campus VSU-assigned housing. We strongly urge students to refrain from attending large off-campus gatherings/parties. VSU does NOT sanction these. We strongly urge you to attend on-campus social gatherings only.”

The point is Virginia State is one of several HBCUs that are currently taking “clear and decisive steps” to increase safe spaces.

“While we are grateful that Petersburg Police moved

The United Negro College Fund issued a statement after the Jacksonville shootings that said HBCUs need increased funding to thwart gun violence on and off campus.

Adrionna West, Age 20 Matthew Gibbs, Age 19 Jahari George, Age 20

swiftly to make arrests in these cases, we know that prevention is critical. This week, my administration and I met with Petersburg City Officials to discuss our unified safety approach,” Abdullah said. “We remain dedicated to providing our Trojan Family a safe and secure environment,”

The United Negro College Fund issued a statement after

the Jacksonville shootings that said HBCUs need increased funding to thwart gun violence on and off campus.

“Racially motivated loss of life must end,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF, in a recent statement.

of Edward Waters University were spared this weekend, we still condemn the attempt ... Our HBCUs must be better supported. We implore the Congress to extend specific U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding, meant for nonprofits, to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), because that is how we

Lomax added, “All year long, we have asked Congress to protect HBCUs, and now is the time to pass the Homeland Security appropriations bill with language that directs the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to provide $100 million for HBCUs (annually) via the non-profit grants’ security program. This program must administer the

Funding

Continued from page 1A

According to the release, the HBCU Transformation Project sets forth several core objectives:

1. Augmenting enrollment and retention rates at HBCUs, enhancing graduation rates, and equipping students for prosperous careers.

2. Amplifying institutional performance, fortitude, and innovation pace at HBCUs.

3. Facilitating collaborative efforts among HBCUs, harnessing collective expertise and influence to showcase the power of a networked approach.

4. Remedying historical funding imbalances, enabling

funds directly to HBCUs, not by the state governments.

“This will help HBCUs to be protected against threats by increasing security, developing plans on how to respond beyond simply calling the police, heighten the use of technology to monitor campus entry points, and make our environments the safe haven for learning they should be for the sake – and mental health and security –of our students.”

Over the next three years, the HBCU Transformation Project aims to narrow the widening wealth gap between HBCUs and other higher education institutions.

HBCUs to possess the resources necessary for sustained growth and triumph.

HBCUs have long been at the vanguard of providing higher education opportunities for Black and low-income students, accounting for nearly 20 percent of Black college graduates despite constituting only three percent of higher education institutions.

“The HBCU Transformation Project will deliver permanent, sustainable, and systemic improvement,” said James Runcie, CEO and CoFounder of the Partnership for Education Advancement.

The decision by Blue Meridian Partners to increase their investment is predicated on the favorable outcomes reported by the HBCU Transformation Project in its initial phase. Notably, HBCU enrollment has experienced a marked upswing since the peak of the COVID pandemic during the 2020-2021 academic year, with individual institutions reporting historic growth.

For instance, South Carolina State University has witnessed a 174 percent surge in applications since 2020, accompanied by a 54 percent spike in enrollment. The surge can be chiefly attributed to investments in technology facilitated by the Transformation Project, including cutting-edge AI platforms and CRM software solutions. The tools have streamlined the application and financial aid process for students.

Similarly, Claflin University celebrated its highest-ever enrollment figures last year, and Morehouse College achieved significant strides in student retention through innovative support strategies. “HBCUs will be at the leading edge of transformation,” said Jim Shelton, President and Chief Investment and Impact Officer of Blue Meridian Partners. HBCUs have produced over a million degrees since 1984, spanning associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. They are responsible for 40 percent of Black engineers and 40 percent of Black Congress members, and they play pivotal roles in numerous other professions.

Over the next three years, the HBCU Transformation Project aims to narrow the widening wealth gap between HBCUs and other higher education institutions, projecting a 40 percent increase in enrolled students and a 54 percent surge in HBCU graduates. “It’s long past time for HBCUs to get the resources they deserve,” said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

will fortify and protect the campuses we love.”

BACK TO SCHOOL

ARK. WAS 1ST “JIM CROW” STATE TO DESEGREGATE

By Leonard E. Colvin Chief Reporter New Journal and Guide

In the September 7-13 edition of the GUIDE, a story ran detailing the little-known history of public-school desegregation in the South: “Clinton 12 (Tenn.): First Blacks to Break School Barrier in the South.”

The event took place two years after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Brown decision striking down laws segregating public schools. The information for the story was taken from two primary sources: a newly released book by Rachel Louise Martin “A Most Tolerant Little Town,” detailing the events in Clinton; and the Tennessee Historical Society.

After some additional research by GUIDE staff, it has been discovered that the history of the desegregation of the first public schools in states associated with southern culture segregation has many other untold stories.

Indeed, the Clinton 12 wrote their deed in the history books after a brief legal battle and acts of intimidating violence, where white segregationists sought to block their entry into the history books.

However, the Clinton (Tennessee) 12 were not the first Black students in the segregated southern culture to desegregate a previously all-white public school when they entered Clinton High School in September 1956.

This honor belongs to the Scarboro 85. They were the first Black students, who lived in nearby Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to do so a year before in 1955.

Oak Ridge was a town built to house the thousands of people needed to help develop the atomic bomb that would be used during

World War II to end the war.

Now, further research unearthed two other still unknown “firsts” chapter of this history.

In Martin’s book, “A Most Tolerant Little Town,” she noted despite their disdain for complying with the Brown ruling Oak Ridge, Tenn. and Arkansas desegregation were inevitable.

Arkansas? History has highlighted Arkansas’ Little Rock Nine who wrote their page in the history books in 1957.

But thanks to Google, the GUIDE research team learned that a locale (Fayetteville) in Arkansas desegregated in 1954, a year before Oak Ridge and another three years before Little Rock.

Another Arkansas locale (Hoxie) desegregated its schools in September 1955, and the event was featured in Life magazine.

Hoxie received national attention due to tension between segregationist groups and the Hoxie School Board which led to a court battle that challenged the Brown decision. Though it is among one of the first districts in the state to integrate, its story has gone largely unheard.

On May 21, 1954 – four days after the high Court’s Brown Decision – the Fayetteville, Arkansas School Board unanimously voted to integrate. Grades 10-12 were integrated that fall, with grades 9 and below being added one at a time each successive year. Though the district’s public announcement regarding the integration drew some complaints and obstacles, Fayetteville was able to move forward in becoming one of the fi rst districts in Arkansas to integrate.

Arkansas has included these historic events into the state’s educational curriculum.

Suit

Continued from page 1A

He said his suit cites Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as the Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

In using Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Perry-Bey and Howard allege that Trump worked with others to deny or abridge the right to choose a candidate of the voter’s choice based on race or color.

Perry-Bey says the suit challenges the Virginia State Board of Elections and the Virginia Department of Elections in their voting standard, practice, procedure, or method of enforcing elections (or lack thereof) to determine the eligibility of candidates aspiring to become president.

According to the suit, the Virginia State Board of Elections, Virginia Department of Elections, and the Attorney General’s Office must take a position against former President Trump in the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for the upcoming 2024 presidential election cycle.

Perry-Bey said most of the cases arising under Section 2 of the VRA since its enactment involved challenges to at-large

Perry-Bey said his suit cites Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as the Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

election schemes. But, he said, Section 2’s prohibition against discrimination in voting applies nationwide to any voting standard, practice, or procedure that results in the denial or abridgment of the right of any citizen to vote on account of race, color, or membership in a language minority group.

Section 2 is permanent and has no expiration date as do certain other provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Perry-Bey is also using a filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) claiming Trump’s statement of candidacy was improper or fraudulent.

He said the FEC should investigate Trump based on the Congressional certification proceeding on January 6, 2021, which triggered Section 3 of the 14th Amendment’s “disqualification clause.”

That clause states that an elected official is not eligible to assume public office if that person “Engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the United States, or had “given aid or comfort to the enemy.”

Another suit was filed by a liberal group last week to bar Trump from the primary

ballot in Colorado, arguing he is ineligible to run for the White House, again using the 14th Amendment.

The complaint was filed on behalf of six Republican and unaffiliated Colorado voters by the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) told ABC News recently that he thinks there’s a strong argument for the case.

The 14th Amendment ratified in 1868, helped ensure civil rights for freed slaves – and eventually for all people in the United States. But it also was used to prevent former Confederate officials from becoming members of Congress after the Civil War and taking over the government against which they had just rebelled.

The clause cited in the lawsuit allows Congress to lift the ban, which it did in 1872 as the political will to continue to bar former Confederates dwindled. The provision was almost never used after that.

The 14th Amendment was used last year to bar from office a New Mexico County commissioner who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

60TH ANNIVERSARY OF BIRMINGHAM CHURCH BOMBING UNITES TWO WOMEN FROM OPPOSITE BACKGROUNDS

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

Four innocent young girls getting ready for Sunday services died when the Ku Klux Klan detonated a devastating bomb inside Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church 60 years ago. Today, as the nation commemorates the somber 60th anniversary of that fateful September 15, 1963, day, two remarkable women, Lisa McNair, and Tammie Fields, stand united not only by their shared tragedy but also by their unwavering message to combat hate.

McNair’s sister, Denise, was one of the four girls who tragically died in the bombing. In contrast, Fields’ father, Charles Cagle, was initially questioned as a potential suspect in the horrific church bombing but was never charged. Decades after this devastating event, the two women crossed paths at a Black History Month event, forging a seemingly improbable connection and an enduring friendship.

Despite being born on opposite sides of one of the most heinous events of the civil rights movement, McNair and Fields shared

Jackson

Continued from page 4A

In Wisconsin, Republicans display their utter contempt for voters. They gerrymandered the election districts to give them a controlling majority of the legislature with the minority of the votes. In a partisan 4-3 vote, the state Supreme Court refused to overturn the injustice. In response, voters in Wisconsin threw out a conservative justice and elected a reformer who campaigned on upholding the rights of women and workers and ensuring that elections expressed the will of the majority. So now Republicans in the state legislature are threatening to impeach the new justice before she takes her seat on the bench. Following Donald Trump’s example, they scorn the verdict of the voters.

a common goal: to speak out against hate. As the nation reflects on the 60th anniversary of this tragic event, McNair implored people to remember what transpired and contemplate how to prevent such hatred from rearing its head again.

“People killed my sister just because of the color of her skin,” McNair

In Alabama, Republican defiance of the order of a federal court evokes the ugly Southern history of invoking states’ rights to discriminate against African-Americans. In June, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling that Alabama’s redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered the state to redraw the lines. (In a state where over one in four voters are African-American, only one of seven districts was majority Black.) The legislature simply ignored the court order. Now a three-judge federal court panel has appointed its own master to redraw the lines. State Republicans are counting on an appeal to the Supreme Court in the hope that its conservative majority will give them free rein.

On abortion, on racial discrimination, on redistricting, Republican views are opposed by most Americans. So, they seek various ways to enforce

passionately declared in an interview with the Associated Press. “Don’t look at this anniversary as just another day. Instead, consider what each of us can do individually to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”

The explosion occurred when dynamite, surreptitiously placed

their views – even if that requires perversely weakening the Pentagon, or overturning the results of an election, or ignoring the orders of a court.

In 1964, Sen. Barry Goldwater, the Republican candidate for president, proclaimed that “extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” This echoed the rhetoric of plantation owners, arguing that their liberty included the right to enslave others. Goldwater suffered one of the worst election defeats in history. Now Republicans are once more defending extremism in defense of their views that they have the right to strip women of control of their bodies, to revoke the voting rights of AfricanAmericans, to subvert the will of a majority of the voters. Once more they will only be stopped if they are repudiated again and again by voters at the ballot box and by judges loyal to the laws and the Constitution.

outside the 16th Street Baptist Church underneath a set of stairs, exploded. The four girls, aged 11 to 14, were assembled in a downstairs washroom before Sunday services when the devastating blast occurred.

Tragically, 11-yearold Denise McNair and her friends, 14-year-olds Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, all perished in the explosion. A fifth girl, Sarah Collins Rudolph, Addie Mae’s sister, was also in the room and sustained severe injuries, including losing an eye. The vile act of violence took place during the zenith of the civil rights movement, just eight months after then-Gov. George Wallace defiantly proclaimed, “segregation forever.” It occurred a mere two weeks following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. Three Ku Klux Klansmen were convicted in connection with the bombing: Robert Chambliss in 1977, Thomas Blanton in 2001, and Bobby Frank Cherry in 2002. Tammie Fields, now 64, was a toddler during the bombing. She vividly remembers her father, who died several years ago, harboring deep-seated hatred and bitterness toward Black individuals. Racial slurs were

commonplace, and she was encouraged to despise her Black classmates. Fields credited her preacher grandfather with showing her a different path in life. “The most important thing to me is that my children will never know the hate that I’ve known,” Fields shared.

Lisa McNair, 58, was born a year after her sister’s tragic death, and she grew up witnessing the profound sorrow that haunted her parents. Her mother often took her and her siblings to the cemetery, where she would grieve or sit solemnly.

In her book, “Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew,” McNair candidly wrote about her life in the aftermath of the bombing. When she first heard of Tammie Fields and learned that both were scheduled to attend the same church program, she admitted to being hesitant.

“Originally, I didn’t really want to meet her,” McNair confided to AP. “I was kind of nervous about it, even though she didn’t do it. It was almost like meeting the person who killed your sister, in a way. You’re trying to figure out how I should feel about this?”

Despite her reservations, the two women eventually met at another church where Fields was speaking.

McNair listened from a pew, and when the event concluded, the two women

shared a heartfelt embrace, tears streaming down their faces. “I was extremely, extremely nervous. She had every right not to accept me, but she did,” Fields remembered in a discussion with the AP. McNair recognized the authenticity of Fields’ desire for reconciliation. Fields, now a grandmother with Black children and mixed-race grandchildren, refrained from discussing the bombing for an extended period. However, she now firmly believes that open dialogue is essential for progress. “How is it ever going to change in the world if we’re not honest?” she pondered.

Lisa McNair also expressed concern about the current political climate, where some politicians appear to be deliberately stoking divisive rhetoric. She sees valuable lessons in the events of 60 years ago for today’s society. “So much hate, so much racism is coming back up. That’s the thing that upsets me and saddens me; we should have made more progress. I think we’re going backward instead of forward,” McNair lamented.

During a recent speech in Montgomery, Alabama, McNair unveiled a small box that the funeral home had given to her family and contained items found with Denise, including patent leather shoes, a pocketbook, and a delicate handkerchief. Among these items was a chunk of concrete, about the size of a rock, embedded in Denise’s head, ultimately causing her death.

“It shows that racism can kill. Hateful words can kill. And this is a tangible piece of that,” McNair declared solemnly.

Despite being born on opposite sides of one of the most heinous events of the civil rights movement, McNair and Fields shared a common goal: to speak out against hate.

Photo: Courtesy

“Specialized” Reporters Will Cover Beyonce, Taylor Swift

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE

An intriguing debate over specialized journalism in an ever-evolving media landscape over Gannett’s decision to seek reporters to cover music superstars Beyoncé and Taylor Swift has ignited.

America’s largest newspaper chain has placed a help wanted advertisement for two distinctive job listings on its platform: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter. These “appointed specialists” will be integrated into USA Today and The Tennessean teams, Gannett’s Nashvillebased publications, signaling an ambitious endeavor to

bolster their coverage of iconic figures in popular culture.

According to Michael Anastasi, editor of the Tennessean and Gannett’s vice president for local news, the chain actively seeks “modern storytellers,” or individuals skilled in print, audio, and visual journalism. In a job description posted by the company, the Taylor Swift reporter will dissect the pop sensation’s enduring influence, scrutinize her fanbase’s cultural significance, and evaluate her far-reaching impact on music and business.

Similarly, the Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter will encapsulate the multifaceted effects of the global superstar on society and the industries she profoundly influences.

The immense popularity of both artists is underscored by a recent survey by QuestionPro which estimated that this year’s Swift concerts could result in about $4.6 billion in economy activity in North America alone. The same survey noted that Beyoncé’s shows should spur roughly $4.5 billion in spending, or roughly the same level as generated by the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Though Anastasi underscored the proficiency of the Tennessean’s existing music team, critics have voiced reservations about recent layoffs at Gannett, culminating in a 47 percent workforce reduction over the past three years.

The NewsGuild’s data indicates that the decline in staff numbers has been even

more precipitous at certain newspapers, plummeting by up to 90 percent. Rick Edmonds, a distinguished expert at the Poynter Institute, raised poignant questions about these new positions, especially amidst the backdrop of cutbacks in substantive news and local reporting.

Anastasi staunchly defended the decision,

asserting, “We’re not hiring a Taylor Swift reporter at the expense of other reporters.”

Nevertheless, some argue that the listings might inadvertently blur the lines between fan engagement and professional journalism.

Jeremy Gordon, a music writer, expressed reservations to the Associated Press about the term “full-time stan”

being incorporated into an actual journalism role, highlighting the potential pitfalls of such an approach.

While specialization within journalism is not uncommon, particularly in politics, where reporters may exclusively cover specific figures, entertainment journalists typically cover a wide range of talent. Suzy Exposito, a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, reflected on her experience as an “unofficial” beat reporter for Bad Bunny, acknowledging the challenges posed by prolific artists in the everevolving music industry.

“His near-weekly output became really overwhelming, and it took away focus from a lot of other artists who were also making compelling work,” Exposito told the AP. “He’s so prolific that I think I literally ran out of new words to describe him at some point. He could use his own reporter, too.”

Eric Grode of Syracuse University noted that artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are generating news beyond their music, making their activities newsworthy in their own right.

“It is a bit odd, but Taylor Swift Inc., I guess you would call it, is a big economic driver right now,” Grode told the AP. “Taylor Swift is doing a lot of newsworthy things beyond just selling concert tickets.”

theGrio & AP To Discuss “Race and Democracy”

By Stacy M. Brown Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

NNPA NEWSWIRE Allen Media Group’s multimedia platform, theGrio, in collaboration with The Associated Press (AP), is set to present what organizers called a thought-provoking panel discussion titled “Race and Democracy: The Facts and the Fury.” The event will be broadcast on theGrio and AP’s television, audio, and digital platforms, offering an opportunity for a diverse audience to engage in crucial conversations surrounding race, democracy, and social justice in the United States.

The panel, scheduled to air on Wednesday, October 4, at 7 p.m. ET, will be hosted by Aaron Morrison, AP’s Race and Ethnicity Editor, alongside a lineup of experts: Ayanna Alexander, AP Race and Ethnicity Writer; Dr. Christina Greer, political analyst and host of The Blackest Questions on theGrio Black Podcast Network; and Marc Lamont Hill, anchor of TheGrio News with

Civil

Continued from page 1A

“This is an illegitimate impeachment inquiry,” he stated.

“It’s a product of the House Republican civil war. Why in the world, in the middle of all the issues that we are trying to tackle, all of the problems

Marc Lamont Hill on theGrio Television Network.

Noreen Nasir, AP Race and Ethnicity video journalist, will moderate the discussion. Nasir is known for her comprehensive reporting on racial disparities and injustice in the U.S.

TheGrio noted that the discussion would delve into pressing issues such as efforts to restrict race-related education, targeted racial violence, and threats to democracy.

Organizers said the collaboration between theGrio and AP showcases a commitment to fostering informed conversations on critical topics affecting the nation.

Race and Democracy: The Facts and the Fury will premiere on TheGrio News with Marc Lamont Hill on theGrio Television Network at 7 p.m. ET on October 4, with a simultaneous broadcast on theGrio television and streaming platforms. The discussion will also be accessible to AP customers via APNews.com at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For more information, visit www.thegrio. com and www.apnews.com.

that we are trying to solve on behalf of the American people, would House Republicans inject this illegitimate impeachment inquiry in the middle of us trying to do the business of the American people? It’s quite unfortunate, it’s wrong, it’s distracting, and it should end now.”

In response to the ongoing negotiations, McCarthy expressed optimism that progress had been made over the weekend in an

interview with NBC News. He also revealed plans to incorporate border security into a continuing resolution and expressed con fi dence that an agreement would be reached “this week.”

During a separate television appearance, McCarthy emphasized his commitment to putting a bill on the floor, regardless of whether it passes or fails, to showcase where lawmakers stand on crucial issues.

These “appointed specialists” will be integrated into USA Today and The Tennessean teams, Gannett’s Nashville-based publications, signaling an ambitious endeavor to bolster their coverage of iconic figures in popular culture.

Beyoncé

Photo: Courtesy

SECTION B COMMUNITY & MORE ... FORMER WAVY-TV-10 ANCHOR DON ROBERTS RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

By Melissa Spellman Fall Intern 2023 New Journal and Guide

Former WAVY-TV 10

anchor Don Roberts was awarded the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award by The Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter on September 14. The ceremony was held at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center on the campus of Norfolk State University.

Robert’s achievements in news reporting span three decades. He is the longest standing anchor at a single broadcast in Hampton Roads history. In attendance were former anchors and colleagues such as Alveta Ewell, Andy Fox, and Kerri Furey to name a few. Furey doted on Roberts’ professionalism and willingness to mentor the next generation of broadcasters.

Roberts was honored for his compassionate and dedicated reporting bringing attention to foster care children in need of adoptive families in a segment called “Wednesday’s Child.”

His years of commitment to the youth of Hampton Roads extends to incarcerated youth. He founded the Chess Nutz Network in 2017 where he mentors and plays chess with incarcerated teens thus bringing a ray of light into a dark situation. The goal of this initiative is to listen to them and plant seeds of hope and positivity that will one day blossom into positive change in their lives.

“I’m retired, but not tired,” said Roberts, as he affirmed that he would continue his work with the youth and effect positive change in the Hampton Roads community.

The night ended with a host of questions from NSU students aspiring to work in broadcast media. He asked everyone in the room who works in broadcast to raise their hands if they interned at their college radio or TV station.

“We were all once where you are now,” said Roberts.

He urged students to make connections, do internships, and to make themselves necessary, “so when the time comes to hire, your name will be first that comes to mind.”

Roberts closed with a message to students that if you go to sleep thinking about it and you wake up thinking about it then that is what you must do. Whatever your passion is, aspire to make a difference.

Diana Chapell, Don Roberts, Melissa Spellman

Photo: Courtesy

Honoree Don Roberts (Center)

Photo: Courtesy

Roberts Displays Award

Photo: DianaChapell

15TH ANNUAL GARDEN HERITAGE CELEBRATION AT BOTANICAL GARDEN

NORFOLK

The 15th Annual Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) Garden Heritage Celebration was held on September 17 to honor the African-American women and men who first planted the Garden 85 years ago and recognize their hard work and dedication.

Nicole Livas, WVEC-13 News reporter, served as Mistress of Ceremonies.

Abra Lee, author and Director of Horticulture at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, was the keynote speaker. The event featured a reading by Helen Ferguson-Williams of the 74 names of known WPA workers. Her mother the late Mary Ferguson was honored in years past as perhaps the last surviving of the 220 persons. NBG is

actively seeking to identify the other unnamed Black women and men who cleared the swamp land and planted the first flowers, a labor project funded by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. NBG presented

Groundbreaker awards to Abra Lee, along with

three other individuals, including Dr. Rex Ellis, Founding Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture; Becky Livas, the first African-American TV Newscaster in Hampton Roads; and Thomas Ransom, Virginia Region

Women’s Empowerment “There Is A Queen In You” Conference, Sept. 28-30

VIRGINIA BEACH

The Phyllis Young Ministries Inc. will host an empowerment conference for women titled “There Is A Queen In You” on September 28-30, 2023. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach Norfolk Hotel and Convention Center, 5655 Greenwich Rd., Virginia Beach. Included in the day’s offerings are breakfast, lunch and brunch.

The conference theme is “Journey to Wholeness” with scripture from Jeremiah 29:11.

Host and Conference

Founder Apostle Phyllis Young plans to bring amazing praise and worship, powerful speakers, empowerment workshops and a panel discussion.

To learn more and to register go to www. phyllisyoungministries. org. Free van transportation will be available from Norfolk International Airport to the hotel.

For more information, call Elder Des. Kimberly Style at (516) 384-7869. see Women’s Conference Ad, page 4B

President of Truist.

The WPA Garden Heritage Day began in 2008. If you have a family member that you believe is one of the 220 WPA workers, please visit the Garden’s website.

All photos by Ernest Lowery

Chesapeake Leads Business Expo, Sept. 30

CHESAPEAKE

The Chesapeake Leads organization will host a Business Expo on Saturday, September 30, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clarence Cuffee Community Center in Chesapeake, VA. The purpose of the event is to promote economic growth and awareness in the City of Chesapeake.

Businesses, employers, and organizations can purchase a vendor table for $75. Space is limited to the first 50 vendors to pay their registration. Whether you are promoting your business or just want to see what’s on display, all are welcome to attend.

Visit www.chesapeakeleads.com to register for the event, become a vendor, or learn more about Chesapeake Leads. Come out to network and support local businesses.

UNLOCK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS, RANCHERS, AND FOREST LANDOWNERS

Are you a farmer, rancher, or forest landowner who has faced discrimination in USDA farm lending prior to January 2021? You may be eligible for financial assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP).

WHAT IS DFAP?

$2.2 Billion in Financial Assistance:

Thanks to Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA is allocating $2.2

billion in financial assistance to eligible farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs.

Eligibility: Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021, and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Multiple Ways to Apply: Producers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or by submitting paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices.

Free Technical Assistance: Technical assistance is available for potential applicants through four regional hubs working closely with communitybased organizations.

Local Resources: Local brick-and-mortar offices are being opened across the country to ensure easy access and personalized assistance. In-person and virtual events are also being held weekly, with state-by-state information on the website.

Important Deadline: Don’t miss out! The deadline for eligible farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners to complete their application is October 31, 2023.

LEARN MORE:

Website: For detailed information about DFAP, please visit our official website at 22007apply.gov. Our website provides comprehensive information on obtaining in-person or virtual technical assistance, supplementary program resources, and detailed program guidelines.

Call Center: Our call center, available at 1-800721-0970, operates from 8 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. PT, seven days a week, except for Federal holidays. English and Spanish-speaking agents are available, ensuring you get the assistance you need, when you need it.

Newsletter: Information about the program, resources, recent office openings, and local events across the country is also available through a weekly e-newsletter, which you can sign up for on the program site.

DFAP is all about giving you the support you deserve. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Apply now to secure this financial assistance.

Members of the NBG Heritage Celebration event taskforce take a bow

Helen Ferguson-Williams

Becky and Nicole Livas

THE ANNUAL TEAM UP! Community and Law Enforcement Event

CHESAPEAKE

Ground Zero Development will host its 7th Annual Team Up! Community and Law Enforcement event on Thursday, October 7, 12 to 4 p.m. at Chesapeake City Park.

Ground Zero Development is an outreach developmental program for young men ages 12 to 25. The organization provides young men with the skill set to become productive

Noted Retired NPS Administrator

Dr. Gloria Poarch Hagans Passes

citizens, respectable, and familyoriented individuals. This event was created to bring the community and law enforcement together with food, games, music, kickball and more. This event is for adults and youth ages 12 and up. All participants must register by visiting www. groundzerodevelopment.info. The cost is free to the first 200 registered guests. Come share in the fun!

SUFFOLK POLICE CHIEF AL CHANDLER TO RETIRE OCT. 1

SUFFOLK

Suffolk Police Chief Al Chandler has announced his retirement on October 1. Chandler’s 24-year career with the department began in 1999.

He has served in increasingly responsible positions including interim chief starting in June 2020. He was appointed to the position permanently in January 2022. He described his three-year stint as chief as “an honor and a privilege,” in a recent

news release announcing his retirement. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so,” said Chandler.

In a recent post on his Facebook account, Chandler said, “IT IS FINISHED! I am please[d] to announce that effective Oct. 1, 2023, I am officially retired from the Suffolk Police Department,” the post reads. “It has been an amazing pleasure of mine to take care of the citizens of this city. This has been

Army Promotes W&M’s First Black Dean of School’s Law School

By Rosaland Tyler

Associate Editor New Journal and

Chief Al Chandler in process for a while, and today, it is official.”

Major James “Danny” Buie will serve as interim police chief as the City of Suffolk launches a search for a permanent replacement.

Guide

A. Benjamin Spencer, the dean of William and Mary Law School since July 2020, was recently promoted from captain to major in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.

Currently, Spencer serves as a William and Mary dean and also handles criminal cases in the appellate division on behalf of the Army when convicted soldiers file an appeal.

“It’s an affirmation of the value of my contribution to the JAG Corps and to the Army,” said Spencer who entered the military at the age of 41 as a first lieutenant and then became a captain 18 months later. “I couldn’t think of a better place to be dean and for military veteran students to learn the law,” Spencer said, speaking in a recent interview on the university’s website.

His father, James R. Spencer, and his grandfather served in the military. His father was not only the first African-American federal judge in Virginia and the first African-American chief judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, but also a member of the JAG Corps.

His mother Alicia Spencer, is a retired elementary school principal in Newport News.

Former judge James R. Spencer presided over numerous trials including the high-profile 2014 trial of former Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and former first lady Maureen McDonnell but 12 jurors decided the couple’s fates during the couple’s criminal corruption trial and relegated “Judge Spencer to a primarily procedural role,” according to The New York Times.

In September 2014, McDonnell was convicted of 11 of 13 counts and Maureen McDonnell was convicted of 9 of 13 counts, according to the Department of Justice website. He is a Morehouse graduate who earned his 2001 law degree at Harvard and served at the University of Virginia School of Law as the Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law, as well as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He holds a master’s degree in criminal justice policy from the London School of Economics, where he was a Marshall Scholar.

HAMPTON ROADS

Dr. Gloria Poarch Hagans, a retired Executive Administrator with Norfolk Public Schools, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Sept. 11, 2023.

Dr. Hagans had a passion for education and life long learning. She especially enjoyed working with youth and inspiring them to achieve academic excellence. Her positions with Norfolk Public Schools included senior director of compensatory education programs, senior director of instruction, senior coordinator of academic affairs, and senior coordinator of history/ social studies.

A proud graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Class of 1961, she went on to receive her undergraduate degree in history from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree in social sciences from Old Dominion University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from the Peabody School of Education at Vanderbilt University. She held membership in

numerous community and professional organizations including the Norfolk Education Foundation, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Council of Great City Schools, Friends of Norfolk Public Library, the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center, Norfolk Sister City, and Education Chair of the Norfolk International Azalea Festival.

During her longtime career, Dr. Hagans presented at a number of professional conferences, wrote a social studies textbook (Regions Near and Far) by D.C. Heath Publishers, and was a scriptwriter and show host

LOCAL VOICES

for Teaching Reading in the Content Areas with WHRO. Her professional and community service earned her numerous awards including the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association’s Liberty Bell in 1984.

Dr. Hagans was preceded in death by her parents, Earnest and Dollie Poarch. Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, George E. Hagans, Sr., daughter, Gloria “Candy” Hagans, son, George E. Hagans, Jr., granddaughter, Maxine Robinson, sisters, Joyce Ambridge (David), Lawada Poarch, and Dolly Lisa Williams, brothers, Leander Poarch (Cheryl), Michael Poarch (Darlene), Earnest Poarch Jr., Eric Poarch, and a host of other relatives and devoted friends.

Homegoing services were held at The Historic First Baptist Church Bute St. in Norfolk. Following the service, she was laid to rest at Princess Anne Memorial Park in Virginia Beach. Any donations may be made to the READY Academy Christian School of First Baptist Church.

America Is The USS Constitution

By Sean C. Bowers

Marching along the U.S. national mall on August 26, 2023 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March On Washington, an unrelenting 100-degree heat beat down on us. Along with thousands of others we celebrated Dr. King’s sixty-year anniversary of the famous “I Have A Dream” visualization speech.

Martin’s speech was not, “I HAD a dream.” It was “I HAVE a dream.” The past tense HAD would have meant the dream was over and a thing of the past. Conversely, to HAVE a dream, meant and kept the unreachedequity-of-equality-dream alive, unfulfilled, yet to be fully achieved. That dream still lives on today in the minds, hearts and souls of most, if not all, people of color. The non-colored White people of the United States are the ones who now have to stand up, make a stand, and stop standing in the path of progress – the evolution of our human experience experiment.

The oldest United States tall wooden sailing ship of the 1800s is permanently harbored in Boston, Massachusetts. This ship, more than any other, embodies the United States in more than its historic name only.

The Constitution came from the tallest timbers of American forests of late 1700’s mature oak. It was built into the glorious ship of legendary esteem in

Those still peddling the historically shameful …”isms” of race, sex, and class: know that your efforts may have delayed progress, but only for a while.

of “one-person one-vote” representation.

the 1800’s. Named after one of our most important national documents, the ship was part of many sea battles and wars that were fought and won. The great guns on the ship were most formidable in incapacitating and sinking many a foe on the high seas. The USS Constitution’s most memorable battles were those where both crew and opponents battling the mighty war ship watched in amazement as the cannon balls of iron, literally bounced harmlessly off the ship’s wooden hull planks. This earned her the nickname “OLD IRONSIDES.”

America’s Constitution, like the ship named after her, is over 200 years old. Many have tried and died, to suspend or upend the nation’s Constitution. All have failed in that effort, in effect, “bouncing off,” our “Old Ironsides” document.

Those Constitutional ideals by, of, and for, the people that are worthy, just, and legal are voted on and ratified through the working of our system

At the 2023 Capitol March many rose and spoke about various parts of Dr. King’s DREAM that is still alive, still unattained, sixty years later. Progressives are working hard, fighting legally, marching and protesting asking for the basic rights any people deserve and desire for their children. To be treated equally, without hesitation or reservation, is the Dream’s realization in this great land, “the land of the free and home of the brave.”

Yet there are those who oppose any true equity and equality, with every fiber of their being. Their backward looking longingly to a by-gone era, when their Whiteness’ sheer numbers majority mistakenly gave them the illusion that they would pay no price for all the hate and evil sown over the past twelve generations. As Dr. King said. “The moral arc of the universe is long and just.”

We, who want true peace, must continue to work, march, organize, and VOTE to make Martin’s “Dream” our reality in our lifetime.

Those still peddling the historically shameful

... “isms” of race, sex, and class: know that your efforts may have delayed progress, but only for a while.

What this year’s August March showed us all, yet again, is that we still have work to do, and a way to go so that “no weapons formed against us shall prosper” forever. Those old provenly flawed ideas of prejudice whose time has passed, shall continue to bounce off our unsuspended U.S. Constitution, just as the canon balls repeatedly deflected from our ”Old Ironsides.”

Sean C. Bowers has written the last 25 years, as a WhiteQuaker Southern man, for the nation’s third oldest Black Newspaper, The New Journal and Guide, of Norfolk, Virginia, about overcoming racism, sexism, classism, and religious persecution. Some of his latest NJ&G articles detailing the issues can found by searching “Sean C. Bowers” on the NJ&G website. Contact him directly on social media at Linkedin.com or by email V1ZUAL1ZE@ aol.com NNPA 2019 Publisher of the Year, Brenda H. Andrews (NJ&G 35 years) has always been his publisher.

Sean C. Bowers

Dr. Gloria P. Hagans

MOMENTS of MEDITATION

By Rev. Dr. Archie L. Edwards, Sr.

THE IDENTITY OF DEITY

Read: Selected Scriptures

Who is Jesus? Most people in the world don’t know much about Him. If we were to ask people on the street, we’d hear responses like: “Jesus was a great moral teacher,” or, “He founded a religion,” or, “He was good man who was kind to kids.”

Why is it important to have an accurate understanding of who Jesus was and is? After all, what difference does it make what we think of a man who lived over two thousand years ago?

The Bible teaches that it makes a big difference! It tells us that the eternal destiny of every human being depends on Him (see John 3:16). In order to be spared from the wrath and judgment of God, a person must believe in Him (see Romans 8:1). He is the only one who can save us from eternal damnation and grant us entry into heaven.

The Facts About His Deity. A great place to learn about Jesus’ true identity is the Gospel of John. Jesus Christ was, and is, God. He is the Second Person of the Trinity, ruling with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In this position, Christ fulfills several roles, all of which are extensions of His deity. He Is God’s “Logos.” First

He is the Logos of God: (John 1:1) the Greeks used the term word, logos, to describe speech the expression of someone’s thoughts. As the Logos of God, Jesus acted as the physical expression of God to humanity. He revealed God’s mind to us. John starts three facts about this Logos of God. First, He existed “in the beginning.”

This phrase obviously plays on the first verse of Genesis, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.”

Through this word play John reveals the deity of Jesus by showing that He existed before His physical, human birth. In fact, He existed before creation, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit did.

Second, the Logos was “with God.” This phrase describes the personal character of the Word – He exists “in the closest possible connection with the Father.” The two are not exactly the same, but they are one in nature.

Finally, the Logos “was God.” This third description reaches the highest point of John’s affirmation of Jesus’ deity. Nothing more needs to be said. Jesus is divine; as the Logos of God, He is God.

He Is Our Creator.

Interestingly, both the Greek and Jewish concepts of

Logos “conveyed the idea of beginnings – the world began through the Word (see Genesis 1:3; where the expression occurs, repeatedly).” John certainly had this idea in mind when he used the term to describe Jesus. However, he didn’t rely on merely a vague connotation to identify Jesus as the Creator of the world; he came out and started it (John 1:3).

Everything that exists owes its existence to Christ. Notice, however, that John does not say creation was made “by” Him but “through” Him. Putting it this way safeguards the truth that the Father is the source of all that exists. Christ acts as the agent through whom the Father created.

He Is Our Life. Christ not only created physical life, but He also gives spiritual life. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men (John 1:4).

Jesus Christ gives spiritual life to those who believe in Him. The Greek term for life, Zoe, always describes the divine, eternal life in John’s Gospel. Jesus Himself used this specific term during the Last Supper when He told His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; and no one comes to the Father but through Me (14:6). As the “Light of men,” Christ seeks to dispel the darkness (1:4-5). Darkness in the Bible represents ignorance, sin, death, and separation from God. As the antithesis of these things, Jesus Christ is our Light and Life.

He Is Our Savior. Finally, John identifies the role that means the most to us. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name (v. 12). Jesus Christ is our Savior. To receive Him as

such means to believe that He lived and died to pay for our sins so that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life with God.

When we believe in Him, we accept the truth that He sacrificed Himself on our behalf – He took our place and

bore God’s wrath against sin for us. As a result, we become God’s children and obtain the free gift of eternal life.

This gift is free, but we must express faith in Christ to receive it. What difference does it make, then, what we think of Jesus? As we’ve seen,

it makes all the difference. Who was Jesus – merely a great moral teacher or the founder of a religion? Or was He actually God? Decide for yourself, but think carefully. Your eternal destiny rides on the choice you make.

THURSDAY & FRIDAY NIGHT SESSIONS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE OF $160 HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO 9/25.

RECORD NUMBER OF BLACK QBS HAVE STARTING POSITIONS IN THE NFL FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON

By Lauren Victoria Burke

NNPA Newswire

Contributor

On the opening day of the 2023-2024 National Football League season, a historic record was set. For the first time in the history of the NFL, 14 Black quarterbacks took the snap on week 1. Last season, 11 Black quarterbacks started on week 1. The Week 1 starters are Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Deshaun Watson (Browns), Russell Wilson (Broncos), Geno Smith (Seahawks), Desmond Ridder (Falcons), Joshua Dobbs (Cardinals), Justin Fields (Bears), Jordan Love (Packers), Bryce Young (Panthers), C.J. Stroud (Texans) and Anthony Richardson (Colts).

The 2023 NFL Draft marked the first time in NFL history Black men were selected in the top three positions for quarterback. The position was once seen as a white male-dominated one until players such as Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham revolutionized the

position and the game of football. In the modern era, the NFL has seen an increasing number of Black quarterbacks breaking barriers and achieving success. Players like Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, and Patrick Mahomes have become stars in the league. Mahomes is currently one of the most recent standout Black quarterbacks. He led the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory and has won the NFL MVP award.

The history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL is a story of perseverance. Breaking down racial barriers in the NFL has been a long and difficult road in a sport that is now dominated by African-

Americans. But the quarterback position has been a special problem: Teams from college up have been reluctant for decades to encourage Black players to play quarterback. Many talented Black athletes were denied opportunities to play quarterback.

In the 1920s Fritz Pollard became one of the first African-American quarterbacks in the NFL. He played for the Akron Pros in 1920, making him one of the league’s first Black players. He also became a player-coach. But he was a rare early pioneer at a time of racial segregation Jim Crow.

In 1968, Marlin Briscoe became the first Black quarterback to start in the NFL during the modern era. He played for the Denver Broncos and later transitioned to a wide receiver position.

In the 1980s, Houston Oilers QB Warren Moon became one of the most prominent Black quarterbacks in NFL

FUN PUZZLE FOR YOUR LEISURE

Coco Jones Brings Back That Old-School R&B Vibe

By LaToya Henry THE EARLY YEARS

history. Moon started as a star in the Canadian Football League before joining the NFL in 1984. Had a highly successful NFL career, earning nine Pro Bowl selections and being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1988, Washington Redskins QB Doug Williams made history in Super Bowl XXII (1988) when he became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He led them to a victory and was named the game’s MVP.

Philadelphia Eagles QB Randall Cunningham was known for his athleticism in the 1980s and 1990s. Cunningham was a fourtime Pro Bowl selection. While there have been significant strides in the representation of Black quarterbacks in the NFL, there is ongoing recognition of the need for continued diversity and inclusion in all positions in professional football –including owner and head coach.

There’s no doubt about it, up-and-coming R&B artist Coco Jones is the next big thing. Not only does she have the hottest R&B song out right now, but she’s also hella talented with her gorgeous looks, sexy body, and soulful voice. Born Courtney Michaela Jones, some might recognize the singer from her earlier years being on Disney’s Let it Shine. Now, Ms. Jones is on Def Jam’s record label and is well on her way to the top.

BRING BACK THAT OLD-SCHOOL R&B SOUND

Jones has gained a lot of attention for her revival of old-school R&B and viral covers. From the outfit to the live instruments and dope artistry, Def Jam’s recording artist performed covers like Real Love by Mary J Blige and Brandy’s Full Moon on REVOLT’s “The Link Up.” She explained what draws her to these classics and how she adds her own spin. “I love these songs. I always try to match the energy of the artist.”

ICU #1 ON BILLBOARD

The Tennessee native reflects on one of the biggest highlights of her musical career. “Seeing ICU go #1 on Billboard was a huge highlight for me. When my team called and told me that ICU was #1, I was in shock. There was a moment where I had no words.” The recording artist gives a lot of credit to her mom. With the biggest smile, Jones stated “When I have a great accomplishment, I always call my mom.”

The song ICU has skyrocketed Jones’ career.

In July, Justin Timberlake teamed up with Coco on the remix. This collaboration took the essence of the song to another level. “I heard Justin Timberlake liked the song ICU and wanted to support me, so he jumped on it.”

COCO THE ACTOR

With the SAG-AFTRA on strike, the Bel-Air star who

plays the character Hilary, was appreciative as we skipped over questions related to acting.

Once the strike is over, we’ll be back with a second interview.

LESSONS LEARNED

In this competitive industry, particularly for Black women, Jones reflects on a few lessons she learned along the way and advice for talent looking for stardom. “The hardest thing in my career was not taking on a quick opportunity.”

The entertainer also credits Beyoncé as a person who inspired her when it comes to crafting stage presence and connecting to the audience.

SUNDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

On Sunday night – and with Coco Jones as the headliner – hundreds of people filled downtown Dallas’ Echo Lounge with an all-ladies line up, including Ebony Riley and S!MONE.

The city of Dallas showed major love to Def Jam’s recording artist as she hit the stage dancing (with background dancers) in a twopiece glittery gold outfit and singing a song from her What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) album – Caliber. The crowd was in awe as they sung every song word for word and patiently waited to hear the lyrics from Jones’ R&B hit, ICU:

Something ‘bout your hands on my body Feels better than any man I ever met Coco Jones continues to demonstrate artistry, not just a singer or actress, but a true entertainer that is here for the long term.

Coco, WE C U!

The 2023 NFL Draft marked the first time in NFL history Black men were selected in the top three positions for quarterback.

Coco Jones