The announcement was made on June 18—the 12th anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)—and would shield approximately 500,000 immigrants. It is designed asa “new action to keep families together.”
With the presidential election five months away, President Joe Biden has been courting Latino voters in crucial battleground states such as Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. There has been speculation about the executive action circulating for weeks as immigration advocates and Democratic lawmakers stumped for it.
With the presidential election less than five months away, President Joe Biden has been courting Latino voters in crucial battleground states such as Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia.
The executive action allows non-citizens residing in the states for at least 10 years and married to a U.S. citizen and their children to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country.
“He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country,” the statement read.
The program also eases the processes for undocumented immigrants to retrieve a green card and secure the path to citizenship, allowing them to live and work legally.
“We encourage the president to act boldly and with the confidence of knowing Americans across the political spectrum support these responsible protections for individuals who have lived in our communities and proven their contributions to our country for years,” he said, according to CNN.
”There are still hundreds of thousands of people still in the shadows who are going to watch the news today and ask themselves, does this finally mean that I finally get out of the shadows? And for many, not yet,” Ramirez said.
GOP Whip John Thune (R-ND) argued that the Biden administration is creating more “pull factors” in the planned immigration action. “They are increasing the incentive for people to come here illegally,” Thune said. “I am sure they’ll be challenged.”
Other lawmakers declined to comment on their official opinions, but Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who voted against the bipartisan border security bill in early 2024, said a bipartisan bill would be a better solution.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) shared similar sentiments.
“A good idea is that Congress finally passes the bipartisan border bill to secure the border and to pass an immigration bill. And presidents of both parties have failed, and I’m hopeful that we will do that and make a real difference,” he said.
The Biden administration says it will work through the employment visa process for people who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer. However, sources say undocumented spouses would be granted work permits on a case-by-case basis.
97-Year-Old ‘Grandmother Of Juneteenth’ Receives Keys To New Home 85 Years After Racist Attack
The home was given to Opal Lee just days before Juneteenth which she pushed to have recognized as a national holiday.
Ninety-seven-year-old Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” received the keys to her new Fort Worth, Texas, home on June 14.
The home was fittingly built on the same lot that racists ran her family out of when she was only 12 years old on June 19, 1939. Even more appropriate, the home was given to Lee just days before Juneteenth, which she pushed to have recognized as a national holiday.
“I’m so happy I don’t know what to do. Everybody will know that this is going to be a happy place.” Lee told the Associated Press.
A historic homecoming for the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”. When Opal Lee was 12, a racist mob drove her family out of their Texas home. She was gifted a new home on the very same land today. pic.twitter.com/fOq2vigTQZ
The grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, got the keys to her new home in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday. The 97-year-old's home sits on the same lot where her parents bought a house when she was 12, but a racist mob drove her family from their land 85 years ago. pic.twitter.com/nVNkKrPU5S
It’s a homecoming 85 years in the making for a Fort Worth civil rights icon.
"I don't have but one word – scrumptious,” Dr. Opal Lee said with a laugh. “I am so happy. I just wish everybody could be as happy as I am now.”https://t.co/8esQReg0GC
The home was built and supplied with furniture donated by several Dallas/Fort Worth area groups. Lee does not remember a lot about the attack, but what she does remember has stayed with her for 85 years. At the time of the attack, her family was the first Black family to move into the neighborhood.
“Would you believe that the newspaper said there were about 500 people gathered across the street over there,” Lee told NBC 5. “And do you know the policemen were all there and when my dad came home from work with a gun the police told him if he busted a cap, they would let the mob have us.”
Lee continued, “Our parents worked like Trojans to get us out of there. They took us down a few blocks and that’s where we stayed. I was going to put a house on it for sale and then Habitat brought me the plans of a house they planned to build. I was so happy I could have done a holy dance! I was awestruck. I didn’t know how to act and I have decided that house, that the house I live in, I’m going to leave [that house] and only bring my toothbrush to the new one.”
The Habitat that Lee referred to is Trinity Habitat for Humanity, the Dallas branch of the Habitat for Humanity non-profit, that partnered with Opal Lee’s non-profit, Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity, to break ground on the lot.
To make the purchase of the land legally binding, Lee was sold the land for $10. Lee was intimately involved in the process, she handpicked the flooring, fixtures, and lighting for her home and a grant from TexasCapital provided Lee with the money to have her home fully furnished. JCPenney, which has long been supportive of Lee, provided her with basic kitchen appliances, dinnerware, home decor, and bedroom and bathroom linens for her home.
Lee, meanwhile, looked ahead to life after the ceremony, which filled her home with activists, community leaders, and her supporters.
“This world should be one where there’s no strife,” she told NBC 5. “And I don’t know how that will happen, but I’m looking forward to being a peaceful old lady.”
Atlanta Life Celebrates Juneteenth With Inaugural ‘Legacy Cup’ Event
Atlanta Life proclaims its largest connection to Juneteenth is derived from the freedom of African Americans.
For the first time, Atlanta Life Insurance Co. (ALIC) will celebrate Juneteenth in Georgia’s largest city with a financial commitment and community event.
Hailing itself as the nation’s last remaining Black-founded and Black-owned insurer, Atlanta Life is investing $15,000 to host its inaugural “Legacy Cup” in the Atlanta suburb of Buckhead on June 19. The company declares that the community event will be open to 300 people and include entertainment, food, drinks, and other activities to honor the holiday.
The company shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE that its goal is to raise $15,000 and hopefully more to donate to Booker T. Washington High School for afterschool programming.
EVENTS NEEDED TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH AND BLACK HISTORY
“There is a need for more events celebrating Juneteenth, and we want to make this an annual event that people look forward to,” says Paige Fenn, Atlanta Life’s community and public affairs director. “It will be a chance to highlight Black history and our culture through trivia and provide a space for partying with a purpose.” The plan is to promote the event on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Atlanta Life proclaims its largest connection to Juneteenth, derived from African Americans’ freedom. In fact, according to its website, the company has defined the principles of stakeholder capitalism and diversity, equity, and inclusion for over a century.
Atlanta Life was founded in 1905 by Alonzo F. Herndon, a formerly enslaved person who observed families without savings bury their lost loved ones. According to its website, ALIC became a vehicle for protection, generational financial security, and career employment for the country’s most at-risk citizens.
FREEDOM HELPED BLACK AMERICANS FLOURISH
With his freedom, Herndon reportedly became the first Black millionaire in Atlanta while helping many others in the community. “Mr. Herndon saw the need for life insurance at a time when Black lives were cut short due to racism and horrific conditions,” Fenn shared by email. “His actions allowed for better options and reprieve during the worst moments for families.”
She stressed that Juneteenth is a time to celebrate the freedom of the formerly enslaved and should also be seen as a movement to commemorate what followed that freedom. “We at Atlanta Life want to continue to honor the hard work, vision, and fortitude of our founder, and Juneteenth serves as a moment for us to highlight the achievements of others in the Black community as well.”
BLACK INSURERS, ONCE AMONG THE NATION’S LARGEST BUSINESSES
Atlanta Life was among those listed on the BE 100s list of the nation’s largest Black-owned businesses for several years. Others included North Carolina Mutual, Golden State Mutual, and Booker T. Washington Insurance. Yet, a changing marketplace and other headwinds in the last few decades were among the factors that contributed to Black insurers going out of business.
Atlanta Life Vice President Courtney Johnson says the insurer has evolved into a symbol of protection, generational security, and economic empowerment. “Today, we proudly continue this legacy as a thriving group reinsurance carrier dedicated to providing financial stability and growth for our community.”
POSITIONED FOR BUSINESS GROWTH
In October 2023, Atlanta Life was revived with an assist from NBA legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson. According to a news release, Atlanta Life Holdings, a minority-owned insurance holding company, acquired the insurer. Also, Magic Johnson’s EquiTrust insurance company has partnered to support ALIC’s mission to create legacies and build wealth in Black communities, per ALIC’s website.
The company’s President and CEO, Eric Holoman, said, “We aim to serve as guardians of the community’s legacy and stewards of its future.”
A historic institution, Booker T. Washington High School stands to potentially gain from ALIC’s benevolence. It supposedly was the first public high school for African Americans in Georgia. “Much like Atlanta Life, it was the first of its kind and now needs a resurgence,” Courtney Johnson says.
“With our new leadership under Magic Johnson Enterprises, we have been given the opportunity for a fresh start, and it is our mission to grant the same opportunity to Washington High School.”
She also shared that ALIC offers essential coverage and helps insurers and governments manage risk, stabilize finances, and build long-term partnerships.
“Atlanta Life Insurance Company combines its unique social mission with strategic partnerships, reinsurance growth, and financial literacy initiatives to create a positive impact on communities and stakeholders.”
Here’s How Some Major Cities Will Celebrate Juneteenth
A look at Juneteenth events in NYC, L.A., Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
In the post-George Floyd inspired wave of momentum for Juneteenth to become a national holiday, Juneteenth celebrations have spread far and wide in cities such as New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In the three years since Juneteenth became an established national holiday, celebrations in those cities have reflected those cities’ histories.
In New York City, Seneca Village has become a prominent place in the city’s recognition of Juneteenth. Central Park, now a New York City landmark, was essentially built on top of Seneca Village, a pre-Civil War Black community.
“It’s really important for everyone to know that this land wasn’t just Central Park always. It was actually owned by our own people at one point,” Andrew Thomas Williams V, whose ancestor, Andrew Williams, was one of the first to buy land in Seneca Village, told the New York Timeslast year.
Seneca Village dates back to the abolishment of slavery in New York state, the state legislature passed a law in 1817 that ended slavery and set July 4, 1827, as the date that slavery would officially become illegal in New York. This, as Central Park Conservancy historian Marie Warsh told Patch, gives Seneca Village an important tie to Juneteenth.
“Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery, is also an opportunity to reflect on Black culture, and accomplishments,” Warsh said. “Seneca Village is significant in relation to Juneteenth because it represents the promise of freedom for Blacks in New York, decades before 1865.”
This year’s Juneteenth in Seneca Village celebration features performances from Brianna Thomas, T.K. Blue, and ChinahBlac, reimagined games that children would have played in Seneca Village, and representation from the three churches of Seneca Village: All Angels, AME Zion, and the former African Union Church.
In Atlanta, although Juneteenth is recognized, tradition also holds that a separate acknowledgement of January 1, the day that the Emancipation Proclamation actually went into effect, is celebrated.
According to the Atlanta History Center, in Atlanta, the Emancipation Day celebrations stretched back over 150 years, which puts the first celebrations at approximately 1874. Georgia recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2011, becoming the 36th state in the United States to do so.
In 2024, the Atlanta History Center’s Juneteenth festivities will combine Juneteenth history and America’s national pastime, baseball, through a screening of a documentary on Atlanta Braves legend Henry “Hank” Aaron. Their slate of programming also features an interactive tasting inspired by James Beard award-nominated Nicole A. Taylor’s book Watermelon & Red Birds Cookbook: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebration, and a Juneteenth Bird Walk.
In Chicago, the festivities around Juneteenth have picked up noticeably since the holiday was made a federal holiday in 2021. As the Chicago Sun-Times reported, Rev. Donald McFadden started the African Awareness and Appreciation Parade to honor Juneteenth in 2014. McFadden’s wife, Sharon, told the paper that what inspired the parade. “We wanted to bring the community together for something positive,” she said. “We hear so much negativity about our community. That’s not who we are. This is who we are.”
McFadden also indicated that before the parade, and before Juneteenth was given its current status as a federal holiday, fewer people in Chicago seemed to know what Juneteenth was when she told them about it. However, another Juneteenth celebration, the Juneteenth Village Fest, also provides a starting point for discussions about race and the history of America.
In Los Angeles, the first celebration of Juneteenth dates back to a celebration that was unceremoniously referred to by the Los Angeles Herald in the Dec. 31, 1874 edition with a short description of “high-toned colored folks” celebrating “the anniversary of their emancipation” on New Year’s Day.
Although that story, which the Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano noted was unsigned and dismissive in his 2020 column, the archived story is distinctive for marking the beginnings of the celebration of Emancipation Day in Los Angeles. Arellano also noted that Juneteenth or Emancipation Day celebrations have varied across the country. Many places have community celebrations that are analogous of or even contemporaries of Juneteenth.
Allison Rose Jefferson, a historian with a focus on Black Los Angeles, told the Times that the early celebrations were not really centered around a specific day or specific events. “It was always about the struggle for freedom,” Jefferson said. “Just being together informally was a form of emancipation.” After a while, similar to the practice in Georgia, Jan. 1 became the date that most Emancipation Day celebrations were held on because it also coincided with New Year’s Day. Those early acknowledgements were also rather somber events, often including testimonials from those who had been formerly enslaved, but it wasn’t until migrants from Texas arrived, bringing their joyous celebration of Juneteenth with them, that the holiday started to take off in Los Angeles.
Marcus Hunter, the chair of African American studies at UCLA, explained to the Times that Juneteenth’s symbolism helped make it the celebration that Black folks in Los Angeles gravitated toward.
“It’s a memory of slavery,” Hunter said. “In a world without social media, how do you find out that you’re free two years after it actually happened? From Black folks, not the federal government.” Jefferson, meanwhile, said that although the celebration has been continually growing since its introduction, it has really ratcheted up over the last 30 years, in part because of its function as a call to action. “It’s a way of calling to our citizens that although this freedom occurred,” Jefferson said, “there’s still some unfinished business.”
Los Angeles’ Juneteenth celebrations are, by nature of the industries surrounding it, star-studded events and can also sustain a decidedly more local flavor. T-Pain will host a Juneteenth Celebration at the Hollywood Bowl which will feature musical guests D-Smoke and Ledisi as well as conductor Derrick Hodge and his Color of Noize Orchestra. A replacement to the abruptly canceled Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival, the Black Family Reunion: Juneteenth Celebration, organized by the Leimert Park Village Merchants Association, will feature live music, local food vendors, and line dancing.
Washington, D.C., in some ways the epicenter of the push for the nationalization of Juneteenth, has its own history with Juneteenth.
According to Revels DC, the District of Columbia celebrates Emancipation Day on April 16, the date that the sale and ownership of enslaved persons was prohibited in 1862. Juneteenth was later recognized as a second holiday following the declaration of Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021. But in 1989, the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum held its first Juneteenth Celebration, marked by puppet shows, live music, and food. In 2003, Juneteenth was declared a District of Columbia holiday, and in 2017, Opal Lee completed her walk from Fort Worth, Texas, to the District of Columbia to advocate for making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
In 2024, the Anacostia Community Museum continues to celebrate Juneteenth. In addition to live music, food trucks, and games on Juneteenth, the museum will offer attendees an opportunity to tour its exhibition, “A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, D.C., 1900-2000.”
The National Archives, located in the nation’s capital, also holds the two documents most central to the Juneteenth story: The Emancipation Proclamation and General Order #3. The latter is the document that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read aloud to the newly freed in Galveston, Texas. These two documents will only be on display at the archives from June 17 to June 20.
New Study Links Racial Discrimination To Aging In Babies
Researchers conducting the study aim to continue tracking the children throughout their lives to monitor biological processes.
A groundbreaking study conducted by scientists in Colorado has uncovered findings linking mothers’ encounters with racial discrimination to the biological aging process in their children.
The study, published in the National Library of Medicine, examined 205 mother-child pairs from non-white ethnic backgrounds in Massachusetts. A striking correlation emerged after mothers reported experiencing more types of racial discrimination, such as mistreatment in the workplace or during housing searches; their children aged 3 to 7 years old appeared biologically “younger” than their chronological ages—conversely, children of mothers who did not report discrimination had biological ages aligning with societal expectations.
While seeming advantageous initially, this decelerated biological aging may harbor concerning implications, as Dr. Wei Perng, an epidemiology associate professor at the Colorado School of Public Health and study researcher, articulated to The Denver Post. “A deviation we see from the population level (of aging speed) is probably not good,” Perng said. “We weren’t trying to say, ‘This is good,’ or ‘This is bad.’”
Presently, researchers can only confirm mothers’ racist experiences exert a noticeable effect on their children’s aging patterns, though the long-term health ramifications remain uncertain.
“During early development, there are lots of biological systems that are undergoing rapid changes. Any deviation in the process may put development out of sync and cause long-term problems,” explained the paper’s lead author, Zachery Laubach, a University of Colorado Boulder postdoctoral fellow, adding to CU Boulder Today, “It’s troubling that negative social experiences can get under the skin.”
As the children continue their maturation process, Laubach proposed various potential outcomes—their aging could expedite, or they might experience a delayed onset of puberty, potentially curtailing their reproductive window.
Originally published in February’s Annals of Epidemiology journal, the study aims to continue tracking these children, now in their 20s, throughout their lives to monitor biological processes and overall health status over time. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and Anschutz Medical Campus conducted the study.
National Mortgage Lender Extending $20B In Loans To Black Borrowers Through 2028
Program aims to provide access to mortgages and financial resources to help more Black families buy homes.
Aiming to help reduce the homeownership gap, a national mortgage lender has pledged to make $20 billion in new home loans available to Black borrowers by 2028.
As part of that commitment, New American Funding has launched NAF Black Impact, a rebranding initiative formerly called NAF Dream. The lender declares the effort supports Black individuals and the community in their pursuit of homeownership. Starting in 2016, the initiative provided $2.25 billion in loans to Blacks to reach its goal within the next three years.
The remaining $17.75 billion will go to potential Black homebuyers. This includes helping them conquer systemic barriers that have sustained homeownership gaps for many years.
HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE LOWEST FOR BLACK AMERICANS
Some help is certainly needed as Black homeownership continues to fall the most behind the White homeownership rate, according to this report. It showed rate for White Americans in 2021 was nearly 73%, higher than the 44% for Black Americans. The homeownership rate for Black Americans also was lower than for Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans.
New American Funding (NAF) is an independent mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 263,000 customers, a value of about $69.1 billion, and over 250 locations nationwide. The firm views its fresh action as a “critical step” toward closing the racial homeownership gap.
Company Co-Founder and CEO Patty Arvielo stated, “For us, this is much more than a rebranding of the initiative. This was a necessary step to demonstrate our responsibility to the Black community.”
She added, “NAF Black Impact means that we commit to providing access to mortgages and financial resources to help more Black families achieve homeownership. By providing the necessary support, we believe that we can make a difference and create a more equitable society for all.”
NAF Black Impact told BLACK ENTERPRISE that in 2023, lending to Black borrowers made up 12% of its total loans. The firm added that lending through the first five months of 2024 was relatively equal to 2023. Of those loans, 70% were government loans (FHA and VA), and 30% were conventional. While the 12% figure mirrors the U.S. Black population rate, the company stated it could push to do more and see an annual increase at NAF of 1-2% this year.
ADDRESSING UNIQUE NUANCES BLACK COMMUNITY FACE
NAF declares that its pledge to the Black community differs from that of other lenders because it customizes processes and programs specifically to address the unique nuances of “buying a home while Black.”
Mosi Gatling, NAF Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth, says the business has consciously decided to approach lending to the Black community in a way that is just as diverse as the people.
“The industry in the past has pigeonholed Black homeownership as “assistance or affordable housing,” but Black ownership is much more than that, and the Black community deserves an experience from application to closing that is more than they’ve been provided in the past.”
EVOLVING AND PROVIDING FAMILIES MORE SUPPORT
For instance, Gatling shared that her firm can help Black Americans buy a home in cash to compete with investors buying homes in their community. She added that the NAF Black Impact Housing Advocate Certification program allows real estate agents and builders who partner with the firm to meet the Black community where they are and remove the unconscious bias that still occurs in 2024.
The business report will also provide the Black community with access to educational resources, products, services, partnerships, and in-market support to drive sustainable home buying and investment purchase goals.
Gatling reflected, “It’s time to evolve because Black homeownership isn’t a one-size-fits-all. Buying a home shouldn’t project poverty or revictimize a group of people that we are claiming to serve.”
She said, “We want NAF to become where all Black families feel comfortable and supported in their homeownership. We want them to know that NAF is here for them.”
Gain more details about the program here and apply at this place.
First Black Woman Drafted Into National Women’s Hockey League Encourages Diversity
Former hockey star Blake Bolden is using her platform to ensure marginalized youth have access to the game of hockey.
Nine years after becoming the first Black woman to play in the National Women’s Hockey League in 2015, former professional women’s hockey forward Blake Bolden has dedicated herself to cultivating a more inclusive landscape within the sport of hockey as the first Black woman scout for an NHL team, the Los Angeles Kings.
In addition to her pro scouting role with the Kings, the Cleveland, Ohio, native, who joined the Kings organization in 2020, per her website, serves as the team’s Growth & Inclusion Specialist. As part of the NHL’s Player Inclusion Coalition, Bolden is passionate about diversifying the sport and ensuring marginalized youth have access, as she expressed to Essence.
“My main goal is to just diversify the game. The NHL has this slogan saying, ‘Hockey is for everyone,’ and that is basically what I’ve held on to my whole life because, in every rink that I went into, I was the only person of color most of the time, I was the only girl on my team,” she said. “It’s so important to me now to spread this message to ensure that a person of color, or the girl on an all-boys team: ‘You’re welcome here. You don’t have to feel uncomfortable. You don’t have to feel like you don’t belong,’ and a part of my job is to continue to push these barriers.”
Putting words into action, with an NHL PIC grant, she helped convene over 75 young hockey players of color together in Detroit for community building and skill development.
With a grant from the NHL PIC Action Fund, @SportBlake helped more than 75 young hockey players of color come together for a weekend of community building and skill development in Detroit.
— NHL Player Inclusion Coalition (@PlayerInclusion) June 18, 2024
According to the National Hockey League, Bolden and other NHL players practiced drills with participants at the Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend scrimmage in April at the Anaheim Ducks facility.
USA Hockey spotlighted the star in 2023, commending her youth mentorship, with Bolden stating, “Now that I’m out in the community a lot, I really see myself in these young girls, and I see how they sometimes struggle with anxiety or struggle everyday dealings of life and sports.” She added, “I wanted to tie in the lessons I’ve learned along the way, bring in some of my amazing peers that I got to play professional women’s hockey with along my journey, and just have a really fruitful discussion and sharing for six months.”
Bolden has partnered with companies like Winmark and Play It Again Sports for her “emBolden Her Mentorship Program,” providing role modeling just as she had growing up. Her accomplished playing career saw her don the prestigious USA jersey at the 2008 and 2009 Under-18 Women’s World Championships, where her team won gold both times.
Chicago Will Explore Reparations After Mayor Johnson’s Executive Order
Although H.R. 40 is the source of the current political debate over reparations, much of the public’s awareness of the issue was shaped by Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2014 long-form piece for The Atlantic, The Case For Reparations
As WGN 9 reports, Johnson’s acknowledgment is an extension of a $500,000 allocation in the city’s budget to study reparations due to policies instituted by the city over the years. Johnson, Chicago’s fourth Black mayor, said in a statement that he and his administration want to see a targeted investment in Chicago’s Black community.
“Today’s Executive Order is not just a public declaration; it is a pledge to shape the future of our city by confronting the legacy of inequity that has plagued Chicago for far too long,” Johnson said. “We are continuing to build on the bedrock of my administration to move forward in reconciliation through targeted investments aimed at rectifying decades of deliberate disinvestment in Black neighborhoods and communities.”
Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman, who represents the 16th Ward, said in her own statement to WGN that she appreciates the commitment of the Johnson administration to Chicago’s Black citizens. “Today is a major step forward, and I am thankful to the Johnson Administration for its continued support and commitment to addressing the deep wounds inflicted by centuries of injustice against the Black community,” Coleman said. “We will not be ashamed of who we are and what we have overcome.”
Since 2021, when Evansville, Illinois, became the first city to study and implement reparations for its Black residents, several cities have followed suit. Though leading voices on reparations, such as economist William “Sandy” Darity, have long held that the federal government is ultimately responsible for any reparations issued to descendants of the enslaved in America, there has been no effort from the federal government to address the issue. This has resulted in cities like Boston, San Francisco, and Atlanta, among others, taking matters into their own hands.
“I’d come out of Mississippi where there was one mess and come up here and got in another mess…When I found myself caught up in it, I said, ‘How? I just left this mess. I just left no laws. And no regard. And then I come here and get cheated wide open.’ I would probably want to do some harm to some people, you know if I had been violent like some of us. I thought, ‘Man, I got caught up in this stuff. I can’t even take care of my kids.’ I didn’t have enough for my kids. You could fall through the cracks easy fighting these white people. And no law.”
As Executive Order 2024-1 makes clear, Ross is far from the only Chicagoan who could express those particular quarrels. As the order states: “Whereas, the institution and legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws have created a pervasive culture that dehumanizes Black Americans and has denied Black Americans liberty, citizenship, rights, and the ability to benefit from the wealth generated from their labor; and whereas, the City has a responsibility to address the historic and present-day racial inequities by reflecting on laws, policies, and procedures, that have systemically contributed to and exacerbated racial inequalities and by identifying the appropriate remedies.”
Boston Celtics Win Record 18th NBA Championship, Jaylen Brown Named Finals MVP
“It was a full team effort,” Brown said. “I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way. I’ve been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head.”
Two years after losing the chance to capture an NBA championship after being up 2-1, the Boston Celtics made sure not to make the same mistake as they beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Jaylen Brown edged out his teammate Jayson Tatum in winning the 2024 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP.
According to NBA.com, the Celtics’ 106-88 victory over the Mavericks has given the franchise its 18th championship, making it the team with the most titles in league history. They surpassed the Lakers, who won its 17th championship in 2020.
After scoring 21 points in the Celtics victory, Brown also pulled down eight rebounds while dishing out six assists and added another award for his mantel. With his stellar play leading to the championship series, he also won the Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals MVP award when the team swept the Indiana Pacers. Brown becomes the first player to win both awards.
Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and five assists in the 2024 NBA Finals.
After signing the biggest contract in NBA history less than a year ago, Brown brought the title back to Boston.
“It was a full team effort,” Brown said when accepting the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy. “I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way. I’ve been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head.”
Brown wasn’t the only one who achieved a feat.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla became the youngest coach to win an NBA title since 1970. He was 35 years and 353 days old when the team hoisted that trophy up. Los Angeles Lakers legend Pat Riley was 37 years old when he took the team to the promised land in 1982. Mazulla also became the ninth-youngest coach to win an NBA title and the youngest since Celtics player/coach Bill Russell won in 1969.
The legendary Grammy Award-winning rapper appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, June 14, for the 40th anniversary screening of “Beat Street,” where he made the announcement, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The “Beat Street” musical will expand on the film’s plot and introduce new material that complements its musical numbers.
Nas, real name Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, will be tasked with expanding on music from the film’s soundtrack for the musical, which includes penning new tracks for the Broadway show. He will serve as a producer alongside Arthur Baker, who was a co-producer, composer, and music producer of the original film, Michael Holman, associate producer of the original film, and Richard Fearn.
Nathan Gehan and Jamison Scott of ShowTown Productions will executive produce the musical. Additional creative team members have yet to be announced but are expected in the coming weeks.
The musical will serve as Nas’s entry into the theater space after a variety of stints directing, composing, and producing films and television shows, such as Showtime’s “The Supreme Team” and Netflix’s “The Get Down.”
“Beat Street wasn’t just a film – it spread the revolution of hip-hop culture throughout the country and the world. It left an indelible mark, inspiring generations of young artists and creating new hip-hop fans alike,” Nas said.
“It’s a thrill for me to join the creative team of Beat Street, bringing the raw energy of hip-hop into the fabric of Broadway. It’s an honor to breathe new life into this iconic work and celebrate its enduring legacy.”
The “Beat Street” film follows the journey of a graffiti artist, a DJ, and a break-dancer in the South Bronx as they navigate the emerging hip-hop scene birthed in the New York City borough.
Starring Rae Dawn Chong, Gus Davis, and Jon Chardiet, with a soundtrack that included music by Harry Belafonte and Baker, the film became a classic in hip-hop culture. With guest appearances by prominent artists of the era, like Doug E. Fresh, DJ Kool Herc, and Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force, “Beat Street” would help shape hip-hop culture and introduce the music genre to a growing audience of fans. The soundtrack celebrated the first wave of hip-hop icons, including Grandmaster Melle Mel & the Furious Five, Jazzy Jay, the Treacherous Three with Doug E. Fresh, Afrika Bambaataa, and more.
