North Carolina, Kinston, comdemnation, Black homes

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

North Carolina Supreme Court To Hear Case Alleging Racial Bias In Property Condemnation

According to Black residents, Kinston is targeting homes and property that belong to Black individuals or families for condemnations.

In Kinston, North Carolina, residents are noticing a pattern with how the city is condemning homes in the town’s majority Black neighborhoods. Residents like Joseph Askew Sr., who has amassed several properties over the years, see a clear racial bias in how the city is conducting its business. According to Askew, instead of fairly assessing homes and properties in the city in need of repair or maintenance, Kinston is targeting homes and property that belong to Black individuals or families.

As Capital B News reports, once Askew started to look into how the city picked properties it wanted to condemn, he and other residents began to notice that their list mostly consisted of property in Black areas of the city and not the city’s white areas, even if those areas were in worse shape than the Black homes and properties that made the list. Askew and two others, Curtis Washington and Gordon Wade III, sued the city, white leaders of the city planning department, and the city’s all-Black city council in 2019 to stop the city from demolishing their properties. The suit worked, but then their case was dismissed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in December 2022 because the trio failed to first engage with potential local remedies available to them.

Their case now is headed to the North Carolina Supreme Court, which as Capital B notes, is a conservative-led body. According to Justice Anita Earls, the Court’s sole Black justice and a Democrat, the case could have wide-ranging implications for the practice of condemning property. Earls expressed to the outlet that if the court rules against the trio’s case, it could make it possible for local governments to condemn property of those who condemn public officials and force them to navigate a lengthy process before the possibility of any potential First Amendment violations can be raised.

https://twitter.com/aallyahpatrice/status/1788613084585640426?t=giblsYQ1AjVLUZn7AagGvw&s=19

The city, meanwhile, defended its practice in court filings, asserting that “Despite Plaintiffs’ repeated speculation that Kinston is trying to ‘snatch’ property from African American owners, Kinston has never foreclosed to take ownership of a property after Kinston demolished the building.”

Kinston, however, is far from the only city with a predominantly Black community facing an allegedly arbitrary condemnation process. Independence, Missouri, and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, are two other cities where Black neighborhoods have been targeted for demolition through various means, including eminent domain, a practice, which has been linked to the widespread displacement of Black communities to build the American highway system. Dana Berlinger, a senior vice-president and litigation director at the Institute of Justice, who served as counsel for a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of Ocean Springs residents, told Capital B that keeping pressure on cities can help curtail actions from cities on homes.

“The public is often shocked and outraged when these projects and plans become known, and that can make cities back off,” Berliner told the outlet. “When you organize and bring to light what is happening, often the people are ashamed of what they’re doing, and they’ll proceed as long as no one calls them out on it.”

Askew, meanwhile, is determined to keep fighting for his properties, no matter what happens with the North Carolina Supreme Court, as he told Capital B. “I have to pray daily for strength for myself to take on a municipality or another arm of the government because if I don’t, then these injustices will continue on,” Askew said. “I can’t live my life knowing when I see something wrong and do nothing. No, I don’t sleep good at night, but when I know I fought a good fight — it’s just like the Bible — you don’t worry about what’s going to happen to you as long as you know that what you’re doing is right.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 13, 2024

Gun Presence Does Not Justify Killing Of Florida Airman, Experts And Supporters Say

Fortson was a senior Air Force airman before a Florida deputy shot at him six times.

Experts weigh in on the fatal shooting of Florida Airman Roger Fortson, stating his holding of his gun did not justify his death. A Sheriff deputy shot Fortson after he opened his apartment door with a gun in hand.

The May 3 incident occurred after the deputy appeared at Fortson’s doorstep to respond to a complaint about an argument. Fortson was allegedly by himself at his residence, and on FaceTime with his girlfriend. His advocates believe the killing was yet another instance of an officer using excessive force. It also lies as a case in which police fatally shoot a Black person in their own home, as reported by ABC News.

On the other hand, authorities argue that the deputy, who remains unidentified, had to make the timely decision if he felt a deadly risk. To some experts, however, the presence of a gun is not merely enough to justify the officer’s actions.

Ian Adams, an assistant criminology professor, explained how the increase in legal ownership of guns makes the matter tricky. Adams also has a past history as a police officer.

“The speed of the shooting is pretty intense. It’s happening very, very fast,” explained Adams on the footage. “The presence of a gun enhances the risk. But mere presence is not at all justification for using deadly force.”

He added, “We also live in a nation with more guns than people. If the mere presence of a gun were the standard for reasonable use of deadly force, we would be awash with police shootings.”

The incident garnered national attention due to the body-camera footage and the man’s rank in the Air Force. In the video released on May 9, the deputy banged on Fortson’s door, yelling that he was from the sheriff’s office. Seconds after the 23-year-old appeared at the door with his gun allegedly at his side, the deputy fired in his direction six times. He then proceeded to tell him to drop his weapon.

Ben Crump, the Fortsons’ attorney, argued that the lack of verbal warning by the deputy led to this preventable death. Fellow supporters of Fortson within the Air Force also believe his killing was unjustified.

“When he just opens the door, sees him with a gun, and unloads six rounds on the senior airman, to me that just screams unjust right away,” said Scott Lacey, a retired Air Force Special Operations Command Officer. “The airman didn’t raise his gun and showed no kind of hostile intent.”

The Okaloosa Sheriff’s Department, which employed the deputy, has its own history of unjust force claims. The department faces ongoing litigation for its treatment of Black residents, particularly LaTanya Griffin. Police opened Griffin’s home with a battering ram in 2019, and forced her to stay naked as upon arrest. She was never charged with any crime.

In regards to Fortson’s fatal shooting, investigators expect to make a decision soon on whether the officer should be charged.

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

Study: Discrimination Ages People Faster, Authors Call For More Research

Discrimination may speed up the biological processes of aging, according to a new study led by researchers at New York University.

According to a new study published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity-Health, discrimination is a factor in increased biological aging. The study, which was led by researchers from New York University (NYU), establishes that all forms of discrimination have the effect of increasing susceptibility to health issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.

According to the press release from NYU, researchers indicated that being exposed to various forms of discrimination, which they categorized as everyday discrimination, major discrimination, and workplace discrimination, had a negative effect on biological aging. According to Adolfo Cuevas, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Health Sciences at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, as well as the study’s senior author, “Experiencing discrimination appears to hasten the process of aging, which may be contributing to disease and early mortality and fueling health disparities. While health behaviors partly explain these disparities, it’s likely that a range of processes are at play connecting psycho-social stressors to biological aging.”

Cuevas also added, “These findings underscore the importance of addressing all forms of discrimination to support healthy aging and promote health equity.”

This link between discrimination and biological aging also varied by race, white people were also susceptible to aging as a result of discrimination against them, although they received less discrimination, which the researchers hypothesized could be due to the shock coupled with a lack of strategies to cope with discrimination. It should be noted that data on other racial groups or ethnicities were not made available during the study.

According to the study’s abstract, “Reports of discrimination were more strongly associated with accelerated biological aging among White as compared with Black participants, although Black participants reported more discrimination overall and tended to exhibit older biological age and faster biological aging. Findings support the hypothesis that experiences of interpersonal discrimination contribute to accelerated biological aging and suggest that structural and individual-level interventions to reduce discrimination and promote adaptive coping have potential to support healthy aging and build health equity.”

The introduction continues the focus on Black Americans, while also concluding that this study cannot determine if discrimination is a direct cause of poor health outcomes, it is at least an underlying factor. “The biological weathering hypothesis posits that the persistent exposure to discrimination and other psychosocial stressors accelerate the aging process, particularly among Black Americans, elevating their susceptibility to disease and premature mortality. This hypothesis finds strong support in empirical data revealing that aging-related diseases manifest at younger ages for Black Americans, Black-white disparities intensify with advancing age, and are conspicuously present across a wide spectrum of age-related health conditions. While strides have been taken in elucidating how discrimination heightens disease risk, our comprehension of the underlying biological mechanisms remains incomplete.”

In its conclusion, the study argues for more research regarding what exactly leads discrimination to link with biological aging as well as potential ways to prevent the phenomenon and to investigate more ways that discrimination affects people’s lives.

“The findings of this study shed light on a potential mechanism underlying the relationship between discrimination exposure and disease. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine multiple forms of discrimination while considering multiple epigenetic clocks within a large community-based cohort of adults. Our results demonstrate that everyday and major discrimination are associated with accelerated biological aging.”

Corporate Leaders, DEI, Future of Work Town Hall, meeting

by Kay Rose

May 13, 2024

BE’s Future of Work Town Hall Explored Impact of Technological Progress On Black Workers With Industry Leaders

Tomorrow's workplace calls for strategies for success.

During a thought-provoking session of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Future of Work Town Hall, professionals from various fields gathered to delve into the complex terrain of the upcoming changes in the workforce, with a particular emphasis on how they would affect African-American employees. Guided by moderator Ed Gordon, the session offered an opportunity for thorough conversations on the obstacles and opportunities that arise from the rapid pace of technological progress and the changing nature of employment.

Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., CEO of BE, opened the discussion by introducing the topic and emphasizing its urgency. He highlighted the rapid pace of change reshaping the employment landscape across all fields and pointed out the exceptional stakes for Black Americans. He also discussed the gig economy’s impact on productivity, efficiency, and collaboration, raising questions about whether these trends genuinely move us forward as a nation. Butch emphasized that the future of work represents our future as a nation, and BE is fully committed to maximizing opportunities for Black Americans in the evolving employment landscape. Butch also thanked Nationwide for their continued long-term partnership.

After Graves’ introduction, Vinita Clements stepped onto the stage to commence the session. Clements, EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Nationwide, a longstanding supporter of BE‘s programming, set the tone for the event. Clements outlined the critical topics for discussion, including the impact of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of remote and adaptable work models, the dynamics of the gig economy, and the crucial need for continuous learning and skill development in a rapidly evolving employment sphere. She also emphasized the critical role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in crafting the future workplace. She highlighted the significance of HBCUs in equipping students for success in the professional world.

Gordon introduced the panelists, including Clements, motivational speaker Paula Fontana, and tech entrepreneur Ariel Lopez. They discussed the transformative potential of technology, particularly AI, in reshaping industries and redefining traditional job roles. The panelists stressed the importance of addressing systemic barriers to access and advancing policies promoting workplace diversity and fairness.

Fontana stressed the importance of soft skills in navigating the future of work, highlighting adaptability and resilience as essential qualities for success and to remain relevant. Lopez echoed this sentiment, underscoring the potential of AI to streamline tasks and enhance productivity, while raising concerns about biases and privacy issues inherent in AI technology. “It’s important for Gen Z or anyone actively looking for a job to understand that the difficulties in the job market should not be interpreted as a reflection of their abilities. Companies are inundated with hundreds of resumes in the current competitive job landscape, but only a few candidates are selected for further consideration. Most resumes are filtered through applicant tracking systems, underscoring the importance of standing out from the crowd,” said Lopez, founder and CEO of Knac, a hiring platform that reduces bias in the application process.

Lopez added another layer to the discussion by highlighting the transformative potential of technology, particularly AI, in reshaping industries and redefining traditional job roles. Lopez emphasized the power of AI to streamline processes, boost productivity, and drive innovation. However, she also raised valid concerns regarding biases and privacy issues inherent in AI technology, urging for greater transparency and ethical considerations in its implementation.

As the conversation concluded, panelists offered actionable advice for the audience. Fontana urged individuals to build meaningful relationships and pivot when necessary, while Lopez emphasized the importance of DEI in the workplace.

Grand Rapids, Settlement, Girl, 11, Handcuffed, police

by Daniel Johnson

May 13, 2024

Chicago Agrees To Pay $5.8 Million To Settle Suit Over Racism In Water Department

The lawsuit alleges the 12 workers 'have been humiliated, harassed, denied opportunities for advancement and additional pay, and threatened daily' by white co-workers and supervisors.

The City of Chicago has tentatively agreed to pay out a $5.8 million settlement to 12 Black employees at the city’s water department over their claims of a racist and toxic workplace culture. The settlement was reached on May 6, almost a month before a trial in federal court was set to begin. The Chicago city council still needs to approve the settlement before it can be finalized.

As CBS News reported, the lawsuit alleges the 12 workers “have been humiliated, harassed, denied opportunities for advancement and additional pay, and threatened daily” by both white co-workers and supervisors. An attorney for the 12 Black workers, Victor Henderson, told CBS News, “It was plain to anyone who looked that the racism cascaded from the very top of the organization like water travels down a hill. The racism lasted for decades and affected countless Black employees, which raises the question of why the City’s uppermost leaders failed to act. The sad and most obvious answer is that they did not care. Shame on them,” Henderson concluded.

As the lawsuit states, the white managers in the department “communicated and knowingly condoned a policy to all of the supervisors within the Water Department that African-Americans were to be, or could with impunity be, treated with disdain, deprived of promotions, given less overtime, and harassed.”

The lawsuit also argued that the leaders of the department “established and promoted a pattern and practice of engaging in racially discriminatory remarks and actions against African-American employees,” this included, the lawsuit alleged, the use of the N-word and several other racist terms. The Black employees were also subjected to discipline if they objected to these working conditions.

According to the lawsuit, the department maintained a kind of system that seemed reminiscent of Jim Crow, “Observing the discriminatory pattern of treatment of African-American employees and hearing the racially derogatory language, other Caucasian employees learned that racially discriminatory behavior would not only be tolerated but that they themselves should engage in such behavior.”

Further cementing this code was a system that forced injured Black workers to return to full-work duty, while injured white workers were allowed to work under a light-duty designation. Injured Black workers would also be forced to retire after exhausting their worker’s compensation benefits at less than full retirement benefits.

There were also a number of racist emails, uncovered during a 2018 probe conducted by Chicago’s Inspector General, these emails were mostly concerned with President Barack Obama, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Black NASCAR drivers. One email stated, “Obama will be making no more public speeches in Texas… He claims every time he gets up on stage to make a speech, some South Texas cotton farmers start bidding on him.”

Another email, which was sent under the subject line “Black NASCAR Drivers?” listed out ten reasons Black NASCAR drivers wouldn’t work, including “Pistol won’t stay under front seat,” “Engine noise drowns out the rap music,” and “They keep trying to carjack Dale Earnhardt Jr.”

Yet another email between two city workers stated “I really need to get out in the woods again if not to just be with the critters, but also to eradicate all the BLM idiots and all the bull**** from the idiots and criminals that back these.”

A City Law department spokeswoman declined to provide CBS News with a comment on the settlement and it is currently unclear when the matter will be voted on by the Chicago city council.

RELATED CONTENT: Does Your Company Discriminate?

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 12, 2024

Target Under Fire For Lack Of Transparency In Profits From Black Quilters Collection

Target paid the Black quilters a flat rate despite the launch selling out in numerous stores.

Target is facing heat after refusing to disclose what it earned from its successful quilt collection for Black History Month. Black quilters inspired the designs for the retailer’s nearly sold-out collection.

The Black artists who are part of Gee’s Bend quilts descend from enslaved people. They weave their history into the artwork found on the quilts, incorporating geometric patterns and kaleidoscope designs into the pieces.

The quilters received a flat rate for the products sold in Target’s retail stores. An assortment of water bottle covers, sweaters, and blankets sold out across many locations.

“We’re actually in a quilt revival right now, like in real time,” says Sharbreon Plummer, an artist and scholar, to the Associated Press. “They’re so popularized, and Target knew that. It created the biggest buzz when it came out.”

However, no additional money was distributed to the them following the massive success of the collection’s launch. While Target confirmed many of the items sold out nationwide, the retailer would not disclose the exact amount made from the designs curated by the descendants of slavery.

This compensation agreement vastly differs from the Freedom Quilting Bee. In the 1960s, the artist-run collective paid all quilters equally, creating salaries for the Gee’s Bends employees as well as providing social security benefits. Critics of Target’s contract with the workers state that the store is “manipulating” even the creative output.

”Every stage of the finances has been problematic,” says Patricia Turner, a retired African American Studies professor at UCLA. “I’m really bothered by Target’s in-house designer manipulating the look of things to make it more palatable for their audience.”

This is not the first time a group allegedly took advantage of the quilters’ artistry. Back in the 1990s, a white art collector, Bill Arnett, commodified their work, leading many quilters to sue the Arnett Family. Target also allegedly detracted from the quilters’ ethos by mass-producing the quilts in Chinese factories instead of repurposing fabric.

Despite the backlash, some quilters believe that the wider accessibility to their pieces can aid the next generation build livelihoods out of the craft. Target maintains it handled pay-outs correctly in the collaborative effort between the two parties.

“We worked with five quilters from The Quilters of Gee’s Bend on a variety of limited-time-only items,” Target wrote in an emailed statement. “As is standard with limited-time collections at Target, each quilter was paid a discussed and agreed upon fee for their services. As outlined in our contracts, Target had the right to make final design decisions, however, with the goal of honoring their storied heritage, the process was highly collaborative.”

While the Target partnership has its drawbacks, the quilters continue to find a way to grow their audiences while remaining true to their history.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 12, 2024

Rapist Turned In By Mom After Viral Belt Choking Video

Kashaan Parks was convinced by his mother to report to the police for his alleged crimes.

An NYC man who allegedly raped and choked a woman with a belt on video has been arrested. His mom claims that she helped in his arrest in by convincing him to turn himself in.

In the viral video, Kashaan Parks allegedly attacked a woman walking around the Bronx on May 1. Covering his face with a white towel, he strangled her with a belt until she lost consciousness. According to police, he dragged the victim between two cars where he proceeded to rape her. Yahoo News reported that surveillance footage caught the entire ordeal.

However, Parks evaded arrest for over a week until his mother stepped in. Upon receiving a call from Parks’ wife about her son’s actions, the concerned mother sought to bring justice.

“I’m his mother that turned him in,” shared the mom to the New York Post on May 11. “I found out about this yesterday morning at 5:12 am, and I’ve been trying to get my son to do the right thing ever since. And I did.”

Parks explained to the news outlet that her son recently had a child of his own, but had been struggling with unemployment and the sudden death of his father. The alleged rapist also shares another child with his wife.

She continued, “I had my son go be accountable for his actions, no matter that he was drunk, that he was on drugs, that he was grieving. He did something wrong and he has to deal with it. Period.”

Moreover, the mother expressed remorse for the victim, begging forgiveness for her son’s misdeed.

“I’m a woman, and I am sorry that this happened to this person,” explained the 56-year-old. “I have to open and close my eyes every day, and ask God to make sure this person is okay and for forgiveness for my son. Whatever she has to live with, I am going to have to think about that for the rest of my life.”

Parks has two prior arrests, one for assaulting another woman in the Bronx. He now faces charges of first-degree rape, assault, strangulation, and sexual abuse, among others.

by Kandiss Edwards

May 12, 2024

How Autumn Yarbrough Is Building On Family’s Pro-Line Legacy With Own Haircare Venture, NU Standard

She grew up in the haircare business and the legacy of entrepreneurship.

Autumn Yarbrough, founder of NU Standard haircare is looking to revitalize the “textured hair” community. Her foundation in the industry is solid. Yarbrough’s family contributions to haircare is cemented in the the Black consciousness. Granddaughter of Comer Joseph Cotrell Jr., founder of Pro-Line Hair Products, and daughter of Renee Cottrell Brown, inventor of Just For Me brands, Yarbrough is Black Haircare royalty.

Yarbrough spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how her family’s path influenced her future. The ability to observe production of Pro-Line products from start to finish inspired her at a young age. She was honored to play a role in the creation and implementation of the Just For Me campaigns created by her “marketeer mom,” and was even one of the iconic young girls on the Just For Me box. She is now the owner and founder of NU Standard haircare. While expanding her family’s legacy she is also creating a new one just for her.

Tell the BE audience about yourself and your mission.

My purpose is to make sure that the Black community and textured community are no longer left out; are no longer last in line when it comes to hair. I want to continue to push everything to the edge and disrupt the industry in a positive way, really solving a lot of our pain points.

You come from an entrepreneurial family. Did you always want to follow this path?

Yes. I was that weird kid. I would go down the aisles looking at new products. I loved being a part understanding how products were made all the way down to the manufacturing, to packaging supplies, understanding suppliers, ingredients all of those things. I was very fortunate that my grandfather, actually, had a manufacturing plant.

The Jerry Curl and Just For Me products were innovative additions to Black culture. How does Nu Standard expand on haircare innovation?

The innovation of NU Standard is exactly what it means, a new standard in the industry. We focus on how hair really works on the inside then bring the science into it.

We love traditional methods but it’s important as we advance to make sure we’re bringing along the science and focus on a lot of our pain points — which is the hair loss, the hair breakage.

Tell us more about alleviating pain points.

The pain points, the biggest one is wanting to make sure that we’re included in beauty in the proper manner. Not just through marketing and showing a good picture of us with our hair done but actually the products are being made with us in mind at the very beginning of the creation. That part.

Also, focusing on hair loss. That part.

Day-to-day demands for women. That part.

And then also focusing on a big one, dryness.

Your product comes in the form of a bar. Can you tell us how this makes a difference in quality?

It’s a one-wash bar and then that conditioner bar which we call the “butter bar.” It’s a rinse-out or leave-in. We realized that it makes it easy to travel and easy to use. The concentrated ingredients are absolutely safe even to leave in. We have the appropriate butter so they are not endocrine disruptors. The ingredients are not making any hormonal changes if you’re leaving it in your hair.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned as a grandchild and child of entrepreneurs?

Fail fast.

Build a proper infrastructure through early-on failures to be able to weather the storm. If you learn quickly where the failures are, then you will know where your successes are. Embrace that failure is not a bad term and it’s not a permanent term.

Use failing moments, embrace them, learn from them, and pivot; don’t be ashamed that you’re failing.

Entrepreneurship is an infinite game. There is no long game and definitely no short game.

If you could give your children advice about entrepreneurship what would it be — not coming from the businesswoman, coming from their mom?

My mother gave me advice. It was a beautiful gift. Integrity. My mother has always had integrity in business, her life, her friendships, as a wife, as a mother, and as a diehard marketeer. All I can ask my daughter and my son to do for me is to live their life with integrity. It will serve you. It will outlive your life and it will help your children’s children. Look where it’s landed me.

EPA, Jackson, water crisis, Mississippi, discrimination

by Daniel Johnson

May 12, 2024

EPA: ‘Insufficient Evidence’ of Racial Discrimination Behind Jackson, Mississippi’s Water Crisis

The NAACP is "outraged at the inadequate findings presented by the EPA."

In its investigation of Jackson, Mississippi water crisis, the Environmental Protection Agency found insufficient evidence that the choices of two Mississippi agencies’ choices, the department of environmental quality and department of health, were shaped by racial discrimination.

The Office of External Civil Rights Compliance released the findings of its investigation, which started in 2022, last week.

As the Associated Press reports, the conclusion was released a few weeks after both the national and state branches of the NAACP as well as nine residents of Jackson, Mississippi, filed a lawsuit alleging that the State of Mississippi maintained a “practice of systematically depriving Jackson the funds that it needs to operate and maintain its water facilities in a safe and reliable manner.”

As The Hill reports, the NAACP argued in the lawsuit that Mississippi consistently sent money to white areas.

“Despite Jackson’s status as the most populous city in Mississippi, State agencies awarded federal funds from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund (DWSRF) just three times in the twenty-five years that this program has been in existence. Meanwhile, the State has funneled funds to majority-white areas in Mississippi despite their less acute needs.”

According to the EPA’s ruling, it investigated certain concerns, which included whether or not the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s funding of water infrastructure and treatment programs is discriminatory. Chris Wells, Mississippi’s Department of Environmental Quality director, told the AP, “The evidence overwhelmingly shows that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality did everything right,” Wells said. “These allegations were entirely false and have been a distraction to the mission of our agency.”

In the Factual Analysis, the FDA does allow for a slightly more nuanced reading than Wells says.

“This finding of insufficient evidence of discrimination does not mean that there is no assistance available for residents of Jackson. The problems associated with the water crisis experienced by the community are very real, and EPA–along with MDEQ, the City of Jackson, and the U.S. Department of Justice–have committed to work together to address this public health crisis. Perhaps most notably, in December 2022, Congress allotted $600 million to address the drinking water crisis in Jackson.”

The EPA also enumerated several actions the state could take, including setting limits on SRF (state revolving loan funds) forgiveness limits such as the amount, caps, and size of a community that is eligible to receive aid, all of which affects a system the size of Jackson’s. In addition, it recommended changing the length of the loan repayment term, modifying the administrative fee assessment, and utilizing either zero or negative interest loans which would make those loans more affordable for SRF loan recipients with large needs and a small revenue base.

“The NAACP is outraged at the inadequate findings presented by the EPA this week,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of NAACP, said in a press release. “Since day one of this crisis, we have been on the ground, speaking with residents and community leaders. One thing remains clear: racial discrimination and neglect have left a majority Black, capital city in crisis. While it is our hope that state leaders take the necessary steps to enact EPA’s recommendations, we know that this fight is far from over. The NAACP remains committed to using every tool at our disposal to ensure that all Black Americans have access to clean drinking water. When elected leaders fail us, it is our community that carries us forward. Together, we will make clean drinking water a reality for all.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

May 12, 2024

How Do You Get to be a NFL Draft Pick? Try Rough Housing with Your Mom

Arnold shared how he would even "jam" up his mom if she came across him as a receiver on the football field.

Terrion Arnold, a soon-to-be rookie with the NFL’s Detroit Lions, said rough housing with his mom aided in his success. At Lions’ rookie camp, he revealed how his competitive nature comes from his biggest supporter, his mom, Tamala.

“Even as a kid, when I used to beat my mom at racing, I had to continually beat her,” said Arnold as reported by Pride of Detroit. “We used to fight when I was younger, just wrestling and playing around. Like, man, I’ll never forget one time my mom kicked my tooth out because we were going at it so hard.”

The cornerback emphasized how deep their competitive dynamic goes, even saying he would “jam her” if she lined up like on the football field.

“If my mom was out here right now and lined up across from me as a receiver, I would jam her into the dirt,” said the 21-year-old. “That’s just my mindset. And my mom knows that. Football-wise, that’s just the way that I think, and the way that I was brought up.”

Arnold hopes to bring that feistiness to the upcoming NFL season. As for the mother-and-son duo, the love remains strong between the two. He expressed how “blessed” he is to have a mother that fierce and supportive. Yahoo Sports re-shared his heartfelt message to the NFL Network during the scouting combine earlier this year.

“Mom if you’re watching this right now, your son just wants to say how proud he is of you,” shared Arnold. ” I just want to say, Tamela Arnold, I love you and I’m blessed to have you as a mom. You overcame a lot and with that being said, I’m gonna continue to keep shining. Just how you raised me to be. I’ll never forget where I came from.”

Arnold, a cornerback out of the University of Alabama, was drafted by the Lions 24th overall in last month’s NFL Draft.