• News History

by Daniel Johnson

August 25, 2024

New Jersey Marker Added To Mississippi Freedom Trail To Highlight Civil Rights Milestones

The NJ marker commemorates the role Atlantic City played in supporting the Mississippi Freedom Party, which made a historic appearance at the 1964 Democratic National Convention held at Jersey's Boardwalk Hall.

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New Jersey became the first state outside of Mississippi to get a stop on the Mississippi Freedom Trail on Aug. 20. The Mississippi Freedom Trail is a part of the larger United States Civil Rights Trail and is composed of 30 sites connected to the Civil Rights Movement.

According to the Asbury Park Press, the new marker fits into a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Freedom Summer movement, a 1964 initiative aimed to increase voter registration among Black citizens in Mississippi. Freedom Summer is just one aspect of the Mississippi Freedom Trail, a historical trail that commemorates significant sites related to the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.

The trail marker in New Jersey pays homage to the Mississippi Freedom Party and their historic appearance at the 1964 Democratic National Convention, which took place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. 

New Jersey’s acting Governor Tahesha Way said in a statement that the marker signifies Atlantic City’s role in supporting Freedom Summer activists as they made history. 

“Atlantic City is home to several locations that honor the state’s civil rights history, including the Civil Rights Garden and the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey,” Way said. “Today, this new Freedom Trail marker signifies the community’s role in supporting the Freedom Summer activists to ensure equal representation for Black voters, which played a key role in the Civil Rights movement and forever altered the course of U.S. election history.”

In 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Party were refused seats at the Democratic National Convention, but she did make a speech from the floor of the Democratic National Convention, calling for Black people to be allowed to exercise their civic freedom and vote amid racist terrorism. 

According to the Mississippi Free Press Hamer was one of the architects of the Freedom Summer initiatives and with her trademark fire, questioned America and who was allowed to be considered a citizen.

“If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America,” Hamer said. “Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to asleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?”

RELATED CONTENT: It’s Been 60 Years Since Fannie Lou Hamer’s ‘Is This America’ Speech At The DNC

• Sports

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 25, 2024

Angel Reese Scores Another WNBA Record With Back-To-Back 20-Rebound Games

Reese's new stat is strengthening her case to be the WNBA's Rookie of the Year.

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Angel Reese continues to make her mark in WNBA history. The Chicago Sky rookie now reigns as the first WNBA player to secure 20 rebounds in back-to-back games.

The 2024 All-Star earned the new record during two performances, the first of the consecutive games being her Aug. 18 game against the Phoenix Mercury. Reese then solidified the record during her Aug. 23 game against the Connecticut Sun, also earning 13 points.

While neither game resulted in a victory for the Chicago Sky, its emerging star player still made history. ESPN noted the new record of 20 rebounds in yet another game.

Angel Reese finished with 13 points and 20 rebounds Friday to become  the first player in WNBA history to have 20 or more rebounds in consecutive games. She’s also the first rookie in NBA or WNBA history with consecutive 20-rebound games since Shaquille O'Neal in April 1993.

— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) August 24, 2024

Moreover, the platform detailed how Reese is also breaking records in the sport regardless of gender. With this new stat, she is the first rookie from the NBA or WNBA to ever gain consecutive 20-rebound games since Shaquille O’Neal’s 1992-93 season.

In another win for Reese, she is the second player to ever bag multiple 20-plus rebound games during her rookie reason. The WNBA confirmed the accomplishment in their own post.

Angel Reese joins Tina Charles as the only rookies in WNBA History to record multiple 20+ REB games 🙌#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/EoCdP0Tda1

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 24, 2024

Rebounds are a specialty for the 6-foot-3 forward. Since starting her professional career, her rebound stats have amounted to double digits in the majority of her games, 24 out of 29 to be exact. Currently, she leads the WNBA in rebounds, averaging 12.6 a game.

However, this is not the first record for Reese in her growing WNBA journey. She has accomplished consecutive double-doubles in 15 games, after already setting the record for 10-straight matches.

Reese’s stacked resume makes her a top contender for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. While she and her main competition’s, the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, absence from Team USA’s Olympic Roster caused outrage, Reese continues to prove that she is a force to be reckoned with throughout the league.

As the season nears it end, Reese could stack up more record-breaking stats to further solidify her case as the best rookie this year.

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