• Politics

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 26, 2024

Florida Initiative Unites Black Men For Empowerment And Voter Education Ahead Of 2024 Election

The Black Men Win Tailgate united men in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in a get-out-the-vote effort.

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WLRN reports that the group Black Men Win Together launched a new initiative to bring together men from across South Florida for a day of empowerment and voter education. 

In collaboration with the South Florida Black Prosperity Alliance, the inaugural Black Men Win Tailgate took place on Aug. 25 in Miami as a free way to connect with men in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Co-Founder Ed Ponder described the event as more than just a gathering—he said it is a call to action, encouraging participants to actively engage in the political landscape and push for meaningful change in their communities beyond the 2024 election season. “We are excited to launch the Black Men Win Tailgate,” Ponder said. 

“We are creating a space where Black men can share knowledge, build community, and drive meaningful change.”

Attendees enjoyed food trucks, vendors, and educational sessions while visiting voter verification and registration stations. With voting rights for Black voters under attack nationwide, participants engaged in discussions on issues impacting the Black community with access to fact-checking on statements from Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

“This is starting a legacy. It’s making history. It means a lot for a group of Black men to have a vision and for others to come on board to push and highlight that vision,” South Florida Black Prosperity Alliance Co-Founder Eric Knowles said of the event’s significance. 

“We don’t always have safe places for Black men to collaborate and support each other. We’re all in this together.”

Black men have emerged as a key demographic in discussions about the 2024 presidential election. As Harris has refocused the lens on Black men, both parties have highlighted the concerns of the group who often feel their experiences and voter preferences are pushed aside in public debate ahead of the election.

According to Miami Times Online, Jefferson Noel, founder of Barbershop Speaks, celebrated the group’s event, saying it hyped him up. “Being a part of Black men getting together and empowering each other fuels me,” Noel said. 

Black Men Win has been fueled up since Harris announced her campaign. Just days after she embarked on her journey to the White House, the group raised over $1.3 million from over 17,000 donors.

Other groups focused on Black men are also getting the word out about voting and election matters. The Alpha PAC, one of the country’s most prolific Black male PACs, endorsed Harris’ candidacy. In a statement, chair Everett B. Ward labeled Harris “the clear choice for the nation’s future.” In Atlanta, the Black Man Lab hosts a weekly “safe, sacred, and healing space,” seeing 100 men per week. 

RELATED CONTENT: Black Men Discuss Key Topics In The 2024 Presidential Election 

• Uncategorized

by Keka Araújo

August 26, 2024

United States Postal Service Aims to Save $3 Billion with Proposed Mail Service Changes

In July, the post office also raised the price of forever stamps and other services.

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The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced a pre-filing virtual conference to discuss significant plans to enhance mail processing and transportation efficiency while saving the federal government money.

The department released a statement on Aug. 22 regarding the proposed changes. The improvements will align with proposed refinements to existing mail and package delivery service standards.

During the virtual conference, USPS will gather public feedback before formally requesting an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Postmaster General Louis DeJoy emphasized that the Postal Service aims to integrate its transportation, processing, and delivery networks to improve reliability, reduce costs, and grow its business.

“Despite the many improvements we have made since the release of the Delivering for America plan, our service requirements, facilities infrastructure, business rules and operating practices have continued to reflect a Postal Service designed for three decades ago,” said DeJoy. 

“However, since 1997, we’ve seen an 80-percent decline in single-piece First Class Mail volume, the significant expansion of delivery points, the growth in the percentage of mail obtaining discounts through workshare programs, and the growth of our package business. Our 10-year Delivering for America plan is transforming our network to better reflect today’s market demands.”

DeJoy concluded his explanation, “This revamped, integrated network, designed for a more unified, logically sequenced movement of mail and packages, combined with modifications to our service standards, will enable us to operate more efficiently and reliably, grow our business and give us a chance for a viable future.”

Key proposals include transitioning from 3-digit to 5-digit ZIP Code standards, adjusting pick-up and drop-off times between post offices and processing plants, and maintaining current service standards for First-Class Mail while optimizing delivery times for other mail classes. These changes are expected to save the Postal Service approximately $3 billion annually.

In addition to financial benefits, the initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions by decreasing the number of truck trips required. The Post Office would not implement the proposed service standard changes any sooner than 90 days after a request for an advisory opinion is filed with the Commission (which would occur following the pre-filing conference), meaning any implementation of the proposed service standards would not happen until the following calendar year. As such, these proposed changes will not impact Election Mail for the upcoming election or our preparedness for peak season 2024.

For the forthcoming election, the Postal Service will again deploy our long-standing practices to ensure the appropriate handling and timely delivery of Election Mail; therefore, the organization will execute extraordinary measures beyond its normal operations before Election Day throughout the Nation. The USPS will finalize its decision after receiving the PRC’s advisory opinion and considering public feedback from the virtual conference.

In July, the post office also raised the price of forever stamps and other services.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 26, 2024

RZA Pens Ballet Album From Rediscovered Lyrics He Wrote As A Teenager To Show His ‘Natural Creative Evolution’

Rza is pushing his passion for music beyond hip-hop into the classical music genre.

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RZA is expressing his “natural creative evolution” as an artist through a new symphonic ballet score he produced using lyrics he wrote as a teenager.

The renowned Wu-Tang founding member, rapper, and producer has pushed his passion for music even further by creating his first ballet score, “A Ballet Through Mud.” Formed from the lyrics in years-old notebooks he wrote from age 14 to 18, the album tells RZA’s coming-of-age story in his hometown of Staten Island, New York.

“I started reading through these lyrics, and I’m recalling all the young love and the young exploration. The first time you had a drink or smoke,” he tells Sky News. “All this is written in my lyrics, like a lyrical diary… at first, I thought I should rap it, right? Because I’m known as a rapper. But then I said, no, I should write music to it.”

While sitting at his piano, RZA, real name Robert Diggs, started crafting his classical debut. He took the finished product and first performed the music in 2023 with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and dancers from the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre School. What resulted was a standing ovation, and now Rza has released his first full-length classical album.

“I think I’ve definitely been a guy that’s pushing the boundaries and trying to surprise people,” RZA says. “Definitely, you know, people would call it leftfield for me. But it’s not, it’s right in my alley.”

He hopes his transition to classical music will inspire young children to learn instruments and feel “it’s cool to grab that violin or oboe.”

“It’s a certain type of brain stimulation that comes from this type of music creation. Hip-hop and rock music, or, say, today’s music, has been able to be created on a computer, and that’s great. That’s the power of an orchestra in your hand,” Rza says, crediting instrument playing for being “more elaborate, more communicative — not cookie-cutter.”

As for his plans within the classical music genre, Rza says it’s only the beginning.

“I’m not going to stop here. I’ve already started writing something for the future that I’m also fascinated with,” he revealed.