election, Voter ID, voting rights — Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

by Mitti Hicks

October 3, 2024

Voting Rights Groups Challenge GOP Lawsuit To Protect Over 5K Voters In Georgia

The Dekalb County Republican Party's lawsuit is currently pending in state court.

Voting rights advocates in Georgia are asking the state court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by local Republicans that could affect more than 5,000 voters for the upcoming Presidential election.

Lawyers for the Advancement Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Arnold & Porter filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the Dekalb County Republican Party and an activist seeking to force members of the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections to hold challenge hearings that could remove more than 5,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the election.

How The Republicans’ Lawsuit Could Impact Georgia Voters

The Republican’s lawsuit is pending in state court. The lawyers, representing the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, New Georgia Project, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Common Cause Georgia, and League of Women Voters of Georgia, hope the courts will dismiss the suit with the motion they have filed.

“So far, DeKalb County election officials have applied the law correctly. They have declined to convene challenge hearings and they have rebuffed the petitioners’ allegations that thousands of voters, many of whom are voters of color, are invalidly registered,” a joint press release from the organizations representing the voting rights advocates reads. “If allowed, public challenge hearings could disrupt the administration of the November election and create chaos by causing the removal of voters on the eve of Election Day–-perhaps after early voting has started.”

According to attorneys, the motion to intervene intends to head off any purge proceedings before any voters are removed and the need to bring a National Voting Registration Act action if federal court arises.

“This last-minute attempt to purge more than 5,000 Georgia voters is simply a vehicle to sow chaos to undermine our election process,” said Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of Advancement Project. “Demanding that DeKalb County hold public challenge hearings would give partisan operatives an opportunity to publicly air trumped up charges of illegal voting–-when in fact the petitioners are attempting to suppress the vote in a predominantly Black county.”

Diddy, Lawyer, Federal Raid — (Photo: John Lamparski/WireImage)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 3, 2024

Hotline Set Up For Diddy’s Alleged Victims Overwhelmed With ‘Unprecedented’ Amount Of Calls

A hotline set up for Diddy's alleged victims has been overwhelmed with calls.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing about 120 civil lawsuits in response to a hotline set up for his alleged victims.

Lawyers looking to represent the disgraced hip-hop mogul’s alleged victims set up a sexual assault hotline number that received over 3,000 calls, The Mirror reports. Attorneys were looking to field calls from people who wanted to report any abuse they allegedly suffered at the hands of Combs, one Texas lawyer revealed.

Following Combs’ arrest in New York last month, the hotline received an “unprecedented” amount of calls.

“Never, ever in a 10-day period have we seen over 3,000 people come forward,” Andrew Van Arsdale, co-counsel said during a Tuesday press conference.

Following these calls, Arsdale and Tony Buzbee reportedly prepared 120 civil lawsuits on behalf of victims alleging the Bad Boy founder sexually assaulted them. At the press event, Buzbee announced his role in representing these clients, who accuse Combs of exploitation and sexual abuse.

“This is an important matter that we intend to aggressively pursue,” Buzbee said. “We will leave no stone unturned to find all potentially liable parties, to include any individual or entity who participated in or benefited from this egregious behavior.”

According to the lawyers, the claimants allegedly include 25 minors. The alleged abuses span two decades, involving both male and female victims aged 9 to 38, from the 2000s to the 2010s.

Combs continues to “vehemently” deny all allegations of wrongdoing against him.

“That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” attorney Erica Wolff said in a statement.

“He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”

Combs has pleaded not guilty in court following his arrest in New York on Sept. 17, denying all misconduct allegations. The arrest came after a grand jury indictment that charged the entertainment mogul with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. The day after his arrest, Combs was ordered held without bail as he “poses an ongoing and significant danger to the community, has repeatedly engaged in obstructive conduct, and presents a serious risk of flight,” prosecutors said.

The hotline number for his alleged victims is 1-800-200-7474. Additionally, if you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website to receive confidential support.

Oakland artists, Oakland — (Photo: Pexels)

by Jameelah Mullen

October 3, 2024

More Than 70 Artists To Gather In Oakland To Support Black Women

The inaugural Black Tulip Cultural Week Of Action starts Oct. 3.

Over 75 artists will gather in Oakland from Oct. 3 to 5 to address issues disproportionately affecting Black women.

The Black Tulip Cultural Week of Action is a three-day event where artists from various mediums will use their talents to advocate for social change for Black women. They will address topics such as domestic violence, sex trafficking, high maternal death rates, and police brutality.

“It’s really about affirming our lives and also demanding a cultural shift,” said Anyka Howard, founder of Betti Ono Foundation, the organization sponsoring the event, told KQED. “We want to reclaim that public space and usher in an energetic force around not accepting or tolerating these conditions, especially in Oakland, especially in the Bay Area.”

Ono will have a booth at the corner of Telegraph Ave and 23rd Street on Oct. 4 during the First Friday Street Fair. She is partnering with Oakland’s Dream Youth Clinic, which provides free health services and meals to young people, and the SHADE Movement, which assists survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence.

The event will end with a day of performances and workshops at Lake Merritt. R&B artist and activist Dawn Richard, who recently made headlines for filing a lawsuit against P. Diddy, will headline the event.

Some of the artists have first-hand experience with gender-based violence. Artist Jada Imani became an anti-violence advocate after her best friend, interdisciplinary artist Zoe Reidy Watts, was killed earlier this year, allegedly by her boyfriend. Not only has she organized a mural in Reidy Watts’ honor, but Imani is also creating a community garden dedicated to her friend.

The Betti Ono Foundation also aims to rally support for a statewide version of the Protect Black Women and Girls Act. Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly introduced the act in the House of Representatives earlier this year. If passed, the bill would create a task force to study disparities that Black women face in education, economic development, healthcare, employment, housing, justice, and civil rights.

Maud Alcorn, Betti Ono’s arts and culture project manager, said that building community, especially in Oakland, is essential to achieving its goals.

“It’s the most important part of having not just Black women and girls saying, ‘Hey, our lives have value and are worth fighting for, are worth protecting.’ It’s also having our allies show up and say the same thing,” Alcorn said in an interview with KQED.

Naomi Asaka, Coco Gauff, US open — Photo: Andrew Henkelman, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons/ Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 3, 2024

Coco Gauff Assists Naomi Osaka Off The Court After Back Injury Forces Forfeit

'I wish Naomi a speedy recovery.'

A competition couldn’t stop Coco Gauff from helping out an opponent when she had to bow out of a tennis match.

According to People, the young tennis phenom was engaged in a match against Naomi Osaka when her opponent had to retire from the match because of a back injury she suffered. When the game was awarded to Gauff, after sitting on a bench on her side of the court, Gauff was seen hugging and talking to Osaka as they both approached the referee. Instead of heading back to her bench, Gauff offers to help Osaka carry her bag and items into the locker room.

Osaka looked surprised that she offered and accepted as Gauff grabbed one of her bags and proceeded to walk side-by-side with her opponent off the tennis court.

Lending a helping hand 💜@CocoGauff helps her opponent off the court after Naomi Osaka is forced to retire due to a lower back injury.

Gauff advances to the #ChinaOpen quarterfinals with the score at 3-6, 6-4, RET. pic.twitter.com/ahm3pavauj

— wta (@WTA) October 1, 2024

This took place at the China Open on Oct. 1. With the forfeit, Gauff advances to the quarterfinals. The match was heading into the third set when Osaka had to leave due to the injury. Osaka took the first set with a 6–3 score, while Gauff rebounded and won the second 6–4.

Sports Illustrated reported that Gauff addressed the media, wished Osaka a speedy recovery, and admitted that her play wasn’t her “best tennis.”

“I wish Naomi a speedy recovery. Nobody wants to win a match like this, especially at one-set-all. Overall, I tried my best. It wasn’t my best tennis. I don’t know, it was just one of those matches where you’re trying your best each point.”

After the match, Osaka did address her fans via social media after the match and explained what happened on the court.

“Hi, everyone. I just wanted to say I’m extremely thankful and happy to have played in Beijing. That being said I feel like I owe a little backstory about today- So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasn’t sure if I could even play, but I just wanted to try, unfortunately things just got progressively worse during the match. Totally worth it though lol 😅.”

Gary Payton, Green Label Rx, hemp, Cannabis — (Photo: Luke Dray/Getty Images)

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 3, 2024

Georgia’s Hemp Farming Act Is Now In Motion

The law went into effect Oct. 1.

Georgia state officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp, Commissioner Tyler Harper, and Colonel Billy Hitchens, announced the implementation of the Hemp Farming Act, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.

Under the law, residents under the age of 21 are banned from purchasing or being in possession of consumable hemp products. The law’s implementation marks new public safety restrictions on consumable hemp products in the state.

The act is designed to protect consumers, specifically minors, as there is a vast increase in the growth of the hemp industry.

Hemp retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers are now required to get a Georgia license to operate in the Peachtree state. Both Kemp and Harper praised the act, stating it guarantees the safety of residents, with a focus on children, by regulating hemp products with potentially dangerous hazards.

“Knowing these dangers, I want consumers to be aware of these new laws and know that all law enforcement officers in the State will be enforcing them starting October 1,” Kemp said, according to Atlanta News First.

In addition, Harper said the law, which is a response to the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed Congress to legalize hemp production, will be a focus of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and law enforcement agencies.

By definition, hemp is a cannabis plant that holds naturally small amounts of the delta-9 strain of THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid. In recent years, consumable hemp products such as oils, gummies, and beverages have been sold throughout Georgia and other states. The move is part of a bigger effort to give broader oversight to a business that healthcare industry leaders claim previously lacked stricter regulations.

“The consequence of that is the public health aspects were often given a backseat, and we’re now playing catch up for that,” Dr. Steven Teutsch, chair of the National Academies Committee, said.

The use of regular cannabis has skyrocketed in the past 30 years, going from less than one million people reporting almost daily usage in 1992 to more than 17 million in 2022. The increase is a result of weed being more accessible because of its legal status. Approximately two-thirds of people 12 and older labeled it “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get their hands on.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classified cannabis as a Schedule I substance, meaning the government considers it to be a drug with high abuse potential.

David steward — photo courtesy: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service/ Picryl Free Domain

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 3, 2024

Richest Black Man In America Worth $11.4B

David Steward's $11.4 billion net worth earned him a spot on the Forbes 400.

David Steward has the highest ranking for a Black person on the 2024 Forbes 400 list.

Tied in 84th place with a net worth of $11.4 billion, Steward secured his placement as the founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology. He co-founded the company in 1990 and now holds a majority stake in the $20 billion enterprise, which counts Citi, Verizon, and the federal government among its clients.

Steward, 73, comes from humble beginnings in the segregated South. He grew up with seven siblings and a father who worked as a mechanic, janitor, and trash collector. After earning his degree from Central Missouri University, he worked in sales for Missouri Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific, and FedEx before co-founding World Wide Technology. It was still a struggle before finding financial success, as Steward can recall watching his car get repossessed from the office parking lot.

His philanthropic efforts include contributing $1.3 million to the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2018 to establish the David and Thelma Steward Institute for Jazz Studies. Stewards’ rags to riches story instilled a strong belief in the accessibility of the American Dream.

“The breadth and depth of opportunities we have here, coupled with a culture that allows you to be all you can be, makes it possible for anyone to be successful,” Steward said, as cited by the Horatio Alger Association. “We have a competitive edge over other countries, and it is important for us to preserve that. It’s great that my story is only one of millions in America. I feel blessed to live in this great country.”

Steward is engaged with various organizations dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for historically underrepresented communities, including the National Urban League, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Boy Scouts of America, Boys Hope Girls Hope, BEYA, NPower, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.

His family is avid supporters of the family of the late Wendell Scott, the first African American driver in NASCAR and the first to win a race in what is now the Cup Series. Their advocacy played a crucial role in prompting NASCAR to acknowledge Scott’s historic achievement officially, culminating in presenting a long-overdue trophy to Scott’s children and grandchildren in 2021—almost 58 years after the race and 31 years after Scott’s passing.

Along with Steward, other Black billionaires who earned a spot on the Forbes 400 include Robert F. Smith, who came in at the 88th spot.

Lawsuit, Prisoner, Parole, inmate, denies, inmate Rights, inmates rights — (Charles O'Rear/Getty Images)

by Kandiss Edwards

October 3, 2024

Department Of Justice Found That Georgia Violates Inmates Rights

Georgia correctional facilities, once again, show lack of concern for inmate safety.

The Department of Justice completed a years-long investigation into Georgia correctional facilities. The DOJ found that 17 institutions are actively violating the rights of Georgia inmates. The DOJ report, released Oct. 1, found that the state of Georgia, specifically, violated the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.

In a 93-page report, the department found the following violations at Georgia state-operated and private correctional facilities:

Failing to protect individuals housed in medium- and close-security facilities from widespread physical violence and subjecting incarcerated persons to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse across its facilities.
Critical under-staffing and systemic deficiencies in physical plant, housing and classification, contraband control, incident reporting, and investigations all contribute to the widespread violence.
Georgia allows gangs to exert improper influence on prison life, including controlling entire housing units and operating unlawful and dangerous schemes in and from the prisons, harming both incarcerated people and the public.

The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section conducted the investigation, and no criminal charges were filed against the state.

U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan stated, “Our constitution requires humane conditions in prisons that, at a minimum, ensure that people in custody are safe. The findings of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act investigation of the Georgia Department of Corrections reveal grave and diffuse failures to safeguard the men and women housed in its facilities, including disturbing and increasing frequencies of deaths among incarcerated people.”

Justice Department Finds Unconstitutional Conditions in Georgia Prisons

🔗: https://t.co/9mP6oKaQx9 pic.twitter.com/884DUYTEgI

— DOJ Civil Rights Division (@CivilRights) October 1, 2024

The recourse appears minimal as the DOJ’s press release did not list any tangible steps to rectify and improve inmate conditions. Instead, it gave a warning, admonishment, and hope for future improvements.

“We hope to work collaboratively with the State of Georgia to improve these deadly conditions; indeed, the Constitution requires it,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary.

This is not the first time a Georgia institution has been called out for its practices. In August, Fulton County Jail completed an investigation into four women security officers. The women were charged with improper sexual contact with an inmate and smuggling contraband, according to Law and Crime.

The investigation into the women initially began as a probe into the safety of the prison after the death of an inmate. The inmate was found deceased and covered in insects.

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said, “The Fulton County Jail is structurally unsafe, that prevalent violence has resulted in serious injuries and homicides, and that officers are being prosecuted for using excessive force.”

Both state and local facilities are being called to the carpet for inhumane practices. Only time will tell whether or not the DOJ is serious about keeping inmates safe.

Michael Jordan, lawsuit, NASCAR, antitrust — (Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 3, 2024

Michael Jordan Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against NASCAR

'I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans.'

In May, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (owner of 23XI Racing) warned NASCAR that the way they run the business is unfair for car owners and that the “sport’s going to die” if it did not change its business practices and have a “good partnership.” Jordan has now filed an antitrust lawsuit with another car owner, Front Row Motorsports, against NASCAR and CEO Jim France, stating that it has used anticompetitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.

According to CNBC, the lawsuit alleges that NASCAR and France operate without transparency and in such a way that it doesn’t benefit team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans.

“Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans,” 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports said in a joint statement.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports take issue with NASCAR controlling all aspects of the business, including buying the racetracks that are exclusive to its races and allegedly making teams buy their supplies from single-source suppliers chosen by NASCAR. Another point of contention is not allowing teams to participate in other stock car races.

Jordan’s team was founded and joined NASCAR in 2020 with racecar driver Denny Hamlin and Jordan’s business partner, Curtis Polk. Bob Jenkins owns Front Row Motorsports and has been involved in the sport since 2005. Jenkins said he’s been in the business for 20 years and has yet to make a profit.

“We need a more competitive and fair system where teams, drivers, and sponsors can be rewarded for our collective investment by building long-term enterprise value, just like every other successful professional sports league,” he stated.

The lawsuit mentions that out of the 19 team owners who were originally granted charters in 2016, only eight of those teams remain in the sport.

According to CBS News, a recent change in revenue sharing and new charter rules have placed NASCAR on a path of not being profitable for car owners. The media outlet reported that the league is negotiating with the 36 team owners about renewing a charter system put in place in 2016. All teams are guaranteed a spot in each Cup Series race. The owners want to make the current charter arrangement permanent, as the agreement expires at the end of the 2024 season on Nov. 10.

“Today’s action shows I’m willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins,” Jordan said. “Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor, and that will to win is what drives me and the entire 23XI team each and every week out on the track. I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans.”

FAMU, Florida A and M University,DI, Black History Month — (Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

by Stacy Jackson

October 3, 2024

FAMU Senior Struggles To Find On-campus Adviser For College Republicans Club

With a heavy presence of Democrats at FAMU, Charrise Lane says she has faced several threats as she pushes for a College Republicans club.

Florida A&M University student Charrise Lane wants to bring a College Republicans chapter back to the Tallahassee HBCU. However, the 25-year-old pro-Black conservative has not found an on-campus adviser for the group.

If Lane successfully re-establishes the chapter, it would become the only official, active College Republicans club on an HBCU campus, but due to FAMU policies confirmed to NBC News by school officials, the on-campus organization may not happen without at least 10 members and a faculty adviser.

The public relations major said she has already reached out to several professors. “The two that responded said they couldn’t do it,” Lane said. “So it’s not like I’m not trying.”

FAMU’s assistant director of student organizations, Felicia Barnes, recommended that Lane contact more professors about the College Republicans club and confirmed that the university would welcome it back on its campus.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Charrise Lane (@charriselane)

College Republicans had a presence on FAMU’s campus in the past but haven’t been active since the 2018-2019 school year. The club was established in 2015 by FAMU alum Marquise McMiller, who felt a need for representation in the Republican party.

The Rattlers’ campus isn’t the only HBCU that has welcomed the club to campus before. GOP chapters were once active at Howard University, Morehouse College, and Central State University. According to the College Republican National Committee, the youth political organization, founded in 1892, is present on nearly 2,000 college campuses and boasts over 250,000 members nationwide.

Lane, as a Black Republican at her HBCU, is not popular. She spoke on Instagram about a few occasions where her peers threatened her through FAMU’s social app, Fizz. In one message, a student wrote, “A n*gga like me would have you jumped by some locals,” while another said, “Please…don’t disrespect our prestigious HBCU. Take that sh*t [across] the tracks to FSU.”

Although she has received hateful and intimidating messages, Lane said the threats don’t faze her, and she gets pushback from both sides about her views and affiliation.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Charrise Lane (@charriselane)

“From Republicans, I get called a Black supremacist, and sometimes they say that I race bait, and then, from the Dems, sometimes I get called an Uncle Tom.”

Despite the constant political clash, Lane desired to be around her own people and left her predominately white college in North Carolina to transfer to FAMU. This school year, Lane linked up with a few of her classmates to attend a watch party for the presidential debate with the College Republicans at Florida State University.