Presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), has major issues with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his new mandates on how state teachers must teach Black history, which includes extolling the benefits of slavery. .

“There is no silver lining in slavery,” Scott, who is Black, said at an Iowa campaign stop according to The Hill. “Slavery was really about separating families, about mutilating humans, and even raping their wives. It was just devastating.”

As previously reported, DeSantis pushed for lessons about Black history to be taught in an “objective” way. The mandate was passed on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, and aims to not “indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.”

Most notably, the guidelines force teachers to teach how enslaved people allegedly gained skills from slavery that “could be applied for their personal benefit.” In addition, DeSantis has Florida teachers teaching about “acts of violence” perpetrated by African Americans.

Scot isn’t the only critic of the guidelines. DeSantis was also condemned by Byron Donalds, the only Black Republican in Florida’s congressional delegation.

Vice President Kamala Harris also called out DeSantis after the guidelines were passed. Harris emotionally said in front of a crowd, “They dare to push propaganda to our children. Adults know what slavery really involved. It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother.

“It involved some of the worst examples of depriving people of humanity in our world. So in the context of that, how is it that anyone could suggest that in the midst of these atrocities, that there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?”

DeSantis quickly fired back at the vice president and accused her of not even reading the curriculum. 

“Anyone that actually read that and listens to Kamala [Harris] would know that she’s lying,” he said. “That particular provision about the skills, that was in spite of slavery, not because of it.”

DeSantis has continually defended his mandated curriculum, claiming it would fight against the supposedly omniscient and dangerous “wokeness” in the United States. 

• Sports

by Daniel Johnson

July 30, 2023

Fred McGriff Finally Heads To The Hall Of Fame

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Fred McGriff, known as the Crime Dog during his playing days, is finally heading to Cooperstown. A reward for a stellar career, including nearly 500 home runs, the first baseman was inducted into the hall of fame on July 23, 2023. Over his 19-year career, McGriff compiled five All-Star selections, three Silver Slugger awards at his position, and hit 30 or more home runs in a season 10 times. He is perhaps best known for his time in the Atlanta Braves organization, where he led the team to its first Major League Baseball championship. McGriff has been one former player whom other ex-MLB players would always say needs to be in Cooperstown as McGriff himself said in December when he was elected to the Hall of Fame: “I run into a lot of former players and they all say I had a great career and I need to be in the Hall of Fame. So I’m really enjoying myself. It’s just such a special moment to call myself a Hall of Famer. Now it’s ‘Fred McGriff, Hall of Famer.’”

McGriff, the son of a TV repair shop owner and a schoolteacher, briefly discussed the values the pair instilled in him during an emotional speech “It’s been a long journey. I encourage you, whatever your dream is, to never give up. Always remember to stay true to who you are. There will be fires along the way, but those fires can ignite the spark for the next season of your life.’’ In a show of respect, when McGriff was introduced, the entire 50-member Hall of Fame class shook his hand as he made his way to the stage. During his speech, when McGriff mentioned his mother and father’s support as he was first starting to play baseball, the emotions started to flow. McGriff nearly broke into tears but his wife, Veronica, was in the crowd crying for the both of them. 

McGriff’s story is one that will undoubtedly be a little rarer in the coming years because Black American participation in the sport is waning. In 1991, McGriff’s heyday, there were more Black American baseball players on MLB rosters. At Opening Day that year, 18.3% of MLB players were American-born Black players, but in 2022 that percentage had fallen to 7.2%. According to Esquire, socioeconomic factors explain little of Major League Baseball’s lack of effort at bridging this gap. Even its managers are taking up the fight, as Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker discussed the lack of Black players in the 2022 World Series: “Well, I don’t think that’s something that baseball should really be proud of,’’ Baker said. “It looks bad. It lets people know that it didn’t take a year, or even a decade to get to this point.” 

Although there were Black American players selected at the top of the 2023 MLB entry draft, there is still a fight to get more Black American players into the league, particularly from HBCU’s. In 2022, there was not a single player from an HBCU invited to the league’s draft combine. There was also not a single player from an HBCU rostered on an MLB franchise. As a response, Ken Griffey Jr., a hall-of-fame centerfielder put together a showcase designed to increase awareness of the talent located at the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In association with the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, Griffey developed the event to address the lack of attention to those programs as he told NPR: “When you go to the lower-tier colleges, they’re out there because they love the game, because they’re not being seen like they should be,” Griffey says. “They’re not getting the exposure, like everyone else. And so they love the game differently than someone who’s just good at it.” Hopefully, Griffey’s initiative can lead to the next Fred McGriff, an American-born Black player who loves the game eventually being rewarded with the game’s highest honor.

• Environment

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 30, 2023

Morehouse Grad Starts Initiative For Sustainability In  Atlanta

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Morehouse Graduate Cam Kirk is turning a public sanitation issue into a sustainability initiative in Atlanta. His awareness of the lack of trash cans and recycling bins around Georgia’s capital encouraged him to clean up. 

As a resident of the southern hotspot’s downtown area, Kirk told 11 Alive News that he noticed trash piling onto the streets with no citywide push to dispose of it correctly, 

“If you are walking to work everyday, stepping over trash when you get to work. You’re kind of like why does my neighborhood have to look like this.”

Tired of the inaction, Kirk founded Spin the Block in 2019, an communal organization dedicated to cleaning up the streets of Atlanta from unnecessary litter while also inspiring creatives.

The initiative brings together  volunteers  to collect trash across Atlanta to recycle or transport to the correct sanitation facilities. However, in this quest to “spin” the block, creatives also can do a photo walk of the beautiful scenery around the areas that they beautify in the midst of cleaning up. 

This ongoing project occurs on a monthly or quarterly basis in the hopes of not only connecting creatives for a good cause, but to dismantle sustainability gaps, primarily due to inaccessibility and general unawareness. Kirk believes that pinpointing where recycling centers are to more Atlanta residents is a step in the right direction to increase sustainability and clean up local streets. 

“We honestly just thought about it like, well the reason why we don’t recycle is because we don’t have an option and the reason why there is a lot of litter is because we don’t have enough trash cans,” said the Morehouse alum. 

Kirk’s efforts have led to the creation of the Cam Kirk Foundation, which has partnered with Sprite and Coca-Cola to install more trash cans and recycling bins across his downtown neighborhood. The foundation also allocated $25,000 to the growing cause. 

Those living in Atlanta can join Spin the Block in its ongoing clean up sessions, with most volunteers meeting at Cam Kirk Studios. 

• Sports

by Daniel Johnson

July 30, 2023

Brittany Griner Takes Leave Of Absence To Focus On Mental Health

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Phoenix Mercury All-Star center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on their two-game road trip against the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. The Phoenix Mercury issued a statement explaining Griner’s absence, according to ESPN. “The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” Griner has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming season for the Mercury as she has averaged 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. 

Griner is playing in her first season since being released from a Russian prison after allegedly transporting cannabis oil into the country. Griner was detained for 300 days and had been sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony but was released during a high-profile prisoner exchange. Griner and notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout were part of a deal negotiated between the American and Russian governments, a deal that drew the ire of both of America’s major political parties. Griner was debriefed at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio upon her return to the United States.

As the statement indicates, Griner’s leave does not have a defined return date. Griner had to deal with harassment from Alex Stein, a conservative media personality, at the Dallas Fort Worth airport earlier this season. Griner later called the incident “rock bottom” for the WNBA’s travel policy and the league’s players union released a statement calling for the league to reconsider chartered flights for every team so players could avoid situations like the one Griner and the Mercury were forced into. The statement reads, in part: “Every commercial flight forced upon our players is a threat to their health and safety. We implore the league and the teams not to wait another day to change the rule regarding travel.”

• Events

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 30, 2023

Black Boy Joy Conference To Be Held On University Of Louisville Campus

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The Black Boy Joy conference returned to Louisville to spark happiness and fellowship amongst Black male youth. Held at the University of Louisville’s Belknap campus on July 29, the event was geared toward building confidence and positive mental health for its attendees.

Created by Tez of 2Deep and named after his hit song, the Black Boy Joy Conference aims to inspire the Louisville community by helping young men and boys become “the best version of themselves.” The event will provide headshots to help boost their professional résumé and games and breakout sessions to connect all the boys across the age ranges. The conference allowed participants from ages 8-18 to take part.

Through interactive panels and the inclusion of a special guest, the boys will be encouraged to be proud of who they are, their identity, and their future. The event’s organizer, Cortez Hampton, Sr., spoke on the mission for the event.

“The goal is to have kids leave with a positive mindset about school and a positive mindset about life,” shared Hampton Sr. to WDRB.

He revealed how his own past prompted him to reach out as a mentor to adolescents, just as he was supported in his own childhood,

“I was around the violence. I was around everything that happens in our community, but the thing that got me past everything was having people around me to help me.”

Mental health awareness for Black men and boys is often marginalized, and this event seeks to combat that lack of knowledge and regard by encouraging open conversation for the demographic.

By discussing topics such as violence prevention and mental health, the Black Boy Joy Conference hopes to provide much-needed guidance for the city of Louisville’s youth and inspire other areas to connect with the young Black men in their community. Registration is still open to participate in the movement for Black Boy Joy.

RELATED CONTENT: Oh, Black Boy Joy! This New Orleans All-Boys Graduating Class Receive College Acceptances, $9.2 Million In Scholarships

• News

by Daniel Johnson

July 30, 2023

Arkansas Book Ban Law Hits A Roadblock

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As Republicans continue their assault on public school libraries and public libraries across the country, an Arkansas judge has provided a bit of a reprieve. A law due to take effect in Arkansas on August 1, 2023, allows librarians and booksellers to be criminally charged if they provide “harmful” materials to minors. However, U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction, which stalls the law from taking effect. A group including the Central Arkansas Library System presented the lawsuit against the State of Arkansas and the ACLU of Arkansas signaled their approval of the injunction. Holly Dickson, the group’s executive director released a statement to the Associated Press: “The question we had to ask was — do Arkansans still legally have access to reading materials? Luckily, the judicial system has once again defended our highly valued liberties.”

According to the American Library Association, in 2022, the United States has seen a record number of attempts to either ban or restrict books. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the group’s Office For Intellectual Freedom told the Associated Press “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Caldwell-Stone said. “The last two years have been exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.” In addition to the ALA, PEN America has released its own report covering the last six months of 2022 which details that most of the book bans have been concentrated in 5 states: Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. More troubling, their report indicates that the book bans are a product of an increasingly vocal minority “Again, and again, the movement to ban books is driven by a vocal minority demanding censorship. At the same time, a 2022 poll found that over 70% of parents oppose book banning. Yet the bans continue.”

The report also indicates that school boards have become battlegrounds in districts and states across the country, an indication that is substantiated by reports from ProPublica. ProPublica has tracked almost 60 events in the first known wide-ranging analysis of what they call school board unrest. The unrest has been led by white, suburban parents who are angry about LGBTQ+ student rights, “obscene” books, and attempts to teach about the history of systemic racism in America. Out of this unrest, it appears, state laws are pushed and created which align with conservative interests and ideals about education. Thus we have laws like the one in Arkansas which are being designed with questionable areas around free speech and constitutional rights. As PEN America states in their report, “The nature of this movement is not one of isolated challenges to books by parents in different communities; rather, it is an organized effort by advocacy groups and state politicians with the ultimate aim of limiting access to certain stories, perspectives, and information.”

• Politics

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 30, 2023

Michigan Senator Is Now First Black Woman To Oversee Spending

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Sarah Anthony is making history in Michigan’s legislature. In her third term as state senator, the Lansing native has been appointed to lead the Appropriations committee, becoming the first Black woman to do so. 

In this role, the 39-year-old will oversee all state spending in the largest, and authoritative, Senate committee. Anthony spoke to MLive about what this opportunity means to her as someone who never aspired to be a politician, 

“This was never, never on the bingo card ever. This is all bonus.” 

Grateful to embark on a role as a prominent player in state politics, Anthony wants to focus on how she will show up when given a chance to represent in leadership, especially for Black women. However, she ultimately does not want to put too much emphasis on her identity. 

“I don’t like the gamesmanship of politics. That doesn’t resonate with me,” said the senator.

Anthony does applaud herself for unifying the legislature to get necessary spending budgets passed. She garnered bipartisan support on a $82 billion budget that also will allocate funding to invest in diverse Michigan communities. Her identity, she proclaims, did play a role in getting that bill passed by her Republican senators. 

She’s quite content with having the institution “shaken up” by her efficiency and dedication to progress  through getting the work done as a Black woman. Taking over a role that has been historically held solely by older white men can be a daunting task, but one Anthony is more than ready for. 

“When I look at that wall of the men who have like, done this job before me, I know that they didn’t have the same level of community connection,” Anthony shared when speaking of her duty to her constituents. 

Although long hours and racially-charged threats are not uncommon, she hopes her growing career in politics will further close the gap between her diverse home community and state leaders.

“Hopefully, my legacy is being able to have an ear to the streets and bring those perspectives here,” shared Anthony. “So that they can see themselves in the state budget, which in my mind is one of the most powerful mechanisms for change in politics.”

Floyd Mayweather is clearing up “false accusations” where he seemingly claimed to have a firsthand account of Tupac Shakur’s murder.

On Wednesday, July 26, Daily Loud shared old footage from a 2014 interview where Mayweather recounts the shooting that led to Tupac’s death. According to Money Mayweather, he witnessed the rap legend get shot at the intersection of Flamingo and Koval on Sept. 7, 1996.

“The car pulled up beside 2Pac, pulled up right here. They shot 2Pac at this light, and the car went that way,” Mayweather says in the clip.

“I was living right here in 1996 when 2Pac got killed. I ain’t never told nobody. Only the closest people with me know.”

Floyd Mayweather says he witnessed Tupac’s murder in Las Vegas: “I was living right here in 1996” pic.twitter.com/MexaDrAV4E

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) July 27, 2023

Mayweather was with the late film director John Singleton as the pair reportedly visited ‘Pac’s murder site, as noted by Hip Hop DX. However, once the resurfaced clip made its rounds across social media, Mayweather took to Instagram to clear up the misunderstanding.

“In 1996 when Tupac Shakur was killed, I lived in the Meridian Apartments located on Flamingo and Koval Ln., which just so happens to be the area where Tupac was shot. I have never said I witnessed the shooting,” Mayweather captioned his post.

According to the undefeated boxer, the “false accusations” about him witnessing the shooting “stem from me sharing the location of the shooting with John Singleton due to my familiarity of the area since I lived there,” he wrote.

“This does not mean I witnessed Tupac’s shooting,” he declared.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Floyd Mayweather (@floydmayweather)

The resurfaced clip comes amid new findings into Tupac’s unsolved murder after Las Vegas police issued a search warrant in Henderson, Nevada, last week as part of the ongoing investigation.

Authorities say the search targeted Duane Keith Davis, 60, also known as “Keefy D” or “Keffe D,” who has made public claims about witnessing Tupac’s murder, NBC News reports. Police searched laptops, desktops, and other electronic storage devices, including thumb drives, CDs, external hard drives, and audio recordings, for anything related to Pac’s death.

Davis, a South Side Compton Crips street gang member, was reportedly one of four people inside the vehicle when Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. The suspect was Davis’ nephew, Orlando Anderson, who died in a gang-related shooting in Los Angeles.

Davis initially denied involvement with the shooting but eventually gave police details about the case under a limited non-prosecution agreement. Most recently, he’s spoken about the shooting in interviews and online.

Police have confirmed the search warrant where they obtained several items, including a book titled “Compton Street Legend” co-written by Keffe D, and a Vibe magazine featuring Shakur. Authorities haven’t released any additional statements on their findings or the investigation.

RELATED CONTENT: Tupac Shakur Murder Case Leads SWAT Team Raid On Las Vegas Home

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 30, 2023

NAACP President Calls Out Soul Fest For Racist Locale

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The Atlanta Chapter President of the NAACP did not mince words while objecting to the Soul Fest Concert being held on racist grounds. The weekend event is being held at Stone Mountain Park, which has been called out before for its historical ties to the Confederacy.

The concert is taking place directly below the carving of Confederate generals, honored on the side of the rock. However, according to Fox 5 Atlanta, the NAACP’s Atlanta Chapter President Richard Rose disapproved and assumed the location would be distasteful,

“Stone Mountain Park had one purpose. That was to glorify and celebrate the philosophy of the Confederate States of America.”

The Soul Fest is an annual series that hosts a wide range of artists from traditionally Black music genres, such as Soul and R&B, from across the decades. Noting this purpose, Rose argued that the racist monument would be “sanitized” if allowed to be used for the celebration of Black music, and therefore culture.

However, some attendees were unbothered by the controversial location, one woman even expressing that she hopes the location becomes a mainstay for the event.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be something they do yearly, but I would be here if it is,” shared Wanda Armour to the local  news source.

However, the local civil rights group leader is unconvinced that hate can be undone by simply overshadowing it with a supposed unifying event, calling the park a “instrument of hate.”

He continued on, stating that Georgia had plenty of state parks or regular concert venues for the three-day show to be conducted. Stone Mountain Park did not make a comment on the matter and revealed no plans to remove the carving, which is still used a meeting ground for Confederate Memorial Day celebrations, per 11 Alive News.

Despite Rose’s strong words, the concert also did not switch locations, with ticket buyers present for the shows with the carving in full display in the background.

Alvin Irby, founder and Executive Director of Barbershop Books, is significantly impacting young Black boys. According to Because of Them We Can, the Arkansas native, who formerly worked as a kindergarten teacher, is helping boys read more often with his nonprofit.  

Based in New York, Barbershop Books aims to “inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun through child-centered, culturally responsive, and community-based programming and content.” 

Irby’s nonprofit is created directly to combat a community reading deficiency. Statistics show that over 82% of Black male 4th-grade students in the United States “are not proficient in reading.” In addition, it was found that many students interested in reading don’t have access to the types of books they like or the things they want to learn about.

Barbershop Books allows young Black boys to explore their passion for reading in a safe and comfortable setting like a barbershop. By providing an exciting and wide variety of well-conditioned books, Black boys can enjoy a haircut and a good read simultaneously. 

Irby has big dreams to expand on it when he gets the chance. He told the outlet, “I envision a future in which every Black barbershop in America has a child-friendly reading space and barbers who promote and encourage reading for every child and family that enters their doors. Less than 2% of K-12 teachers are Black men, and during the first few years of school, when children learn to read, there are even fewer Black male teachers. Barbershop Books addresses the lack of Black male reading role models in boys’ schools and homes by supporting early literacy in Black barbershops.”

Irby discussed plans to include over 500 barbershop partners with his program and train nearly 2,000 barbers in early literacy practices. 

Irby explained, “[We’re] working to create a world where every Black boy stands bold in his brilliance and embraces reading and learning as a part of who he is. At its essence, Barbershop Books is a national movement to amplify, affirm, and celebrate stories and learning experiences that help Black boys and other vulnerable children thrive and realize their full potential.”

By utilizing the bond between a boy and his barber, Irby hopes to foster more conducive environments to help Black boys learn comfortably.