• Women

by Derek Major

March 22, 2022

Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams Sues State Over Fundraising Disadvantage

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Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is suing the Peach State for access to a new fundraising vehicle allowing her and others to raise unlimited sums of money.

The Hill reported that the suit, filed in federal court Monday, argues Abrams, who is making a second run at governor, is effectively the Democratic nominee for governor and therefore should be allowed to form what is known as a leadership committee that could take in unlimited donations.

The use of leadership committees by candidates was approved last year by Abrams’ opponent Gov. Brian Kemp, who is running for a second term and has already formed a leadership committee. The committee can be used by a select group of top candidates, including major party nominees.

One Georgia, Abrams’s campaign and her yet-to-be-approved leadership committee, argues in the suit that because Abrams has no primary opposition, she has clinched the Democratic nomination and should be allowed access to the same kind of fundraising vehicle as Kemp.

“Brian Kemp signed legislation giving himself exclusive access to a special fundraising committee, and he’s already raised millions of dollars into it,” Abrams’ campaign said in a statement. “Our campaign should have that same access.”

The suit included supporting documents from Georgia Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams recognizing Abrams as the Democratic Party nominee.

Georgia”s gubernatorial election is expected to be as highly contested as it was in 2018, when Abrams and Kemp faced off. Kemp won, but he was also accused of widespread voter suppression as the former secretary of state purged 560,000 Georgians from voter rolls. An APM Reports investigation last year estimated 107,000 of the people purged would otherwise have been eligible to vote.

Former Republican senator David Perdue, who lost his seat to Jon Ossoff in the 2020 election, sued Kemp over the leadership committee. A judge ruled in Perdue’s favor, barring Kemp from using the funds in the primary, but not in the general election.

Additionally, Abrams’ campaign manager, Lauren Groh-Wargo, argues that by not allowing the leadership committee the voting rights activist will be at a disadvantage in the general election because Kemp’s committee will have a huge jump start.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

White Couple Charged With Hate Crime in Killing of Black Navy Veteran at California Gas Station

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A white couple has been charged with murder and hate crimes after killing a Black Navy veteran and youth pastor at a California gas station last week.

On Friday, Jeremy Wayne Jones, 49, and Christina Lyn Garner, 42, were charged with first-degree murder in the March 15 killing of Justin Peoples, 30, NBC News reported.

The charges carry a “special circumstance,” over the possibility that Peoples “was intentionally killed because of (Peoples’) race, color, religion, nationality or country of origin,” a March 18 complaint read.

If found guilty on the hate crime charges, the suspects face a prison term of life without the possibility of parole. In determining if race were a factor, prosecutors reviewed photos of a Swastika and the words “white power” tattooed on Jones’ body.

A third person, Christopher Dimenco, 58, was also charged in connection with the murder. Dimenco was hit with accessory to murder charges for helping Garner and Jones “avoid or escape” arrest, CBS News reported.

Peoples was shot and stabbed multiple times after walking into a Chevron gas station in Tracy, California, to get quarters for his girlfriend who wanted to do laundry.

The girlfriend, who stayed behind in their car, recalled seeing Justin Peoples enter the gas station before the suspects followed him inside, Peoples’ father, Maurice Peoples, said.

“He had the heart of a lion to survive but he just didn’t make it,” Maurice Peoples said.

Justin Peoples worked as a youth pastor at a local church and two jobs delivering auto parts and packages. He leaves behind two sons, ages 11 and 2, his father said.

“It doesn’t make a difference what color you are. Some are Black, some are brown, some are light-skinned….We have all colors, but we know the human race is the number-one color we need to be fighting for,” Peoples’ aunt Berniece Bass said.

• Men

by Derek Major

March 22, 2022

Family Of Manuel Ellis Reaches $4 Million Settlement In His Wrongful Death While in Police Custody

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Pierce County, Washington, has reached a proposed settlement of $4 million with the family of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died in police custody in March 2020.

According to CNN, the Pierce County Council is set to vote on approving the settlement.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, named six defendants, including the City of Tacoma, Pierce County, six Tacoma police officers—three of whom are still facing criminal charges—and two Pierce County sheriff’s deputies.

As part of the settlement, the claims against the county and its deputies will be dropped, but the lawsuit will proceed against the others. Matthew Erickson, one of the attorneys for Ellis’ mother and sister, said the family is happy with the settlement after a two-year fight for justice.

The magic of Deion Sanders, a.k.a “Coach Prime,” continues to shine at Jackson State University. The Tigers will be the first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and universities) to have a nationally televised spring football game.

According to Jackson State University Athletics, the 2022 Jackson State University football spring game will be televised live on Sunday, April 24 at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.

“Being the first HBCU to have our spring game nationally televised is a monumental leap in the right direction for Jackson State and all HBCU’s,” SANDERS said. “It’s time that we’re seen, heard, and recognized.”

The football game will be free and open to the public as the 2021 Southwestern Athletic Conference football champions will conclude the spring practice season at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Meanwhile, tickets for the 2022 JSU football season are on sale Monday t oFriday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium box office. Tickets can also be bought online at ticketmaster.com.

After Coach Prime agreed to coach the Jackson State University football team, it became a family business. Shelomi Sanders, his daughter, has committed to joining her father at Jackson State University, the Clarion-Ledger reported, attending the HBCU along with her siblings, Shedeur and Shilo.

In his first year, Deion won the FCS coach of the year after taking the football team to the Celebration Bowl. Although the team lost, it was the first time it made it to the championship. Meanwhile, Shedeur, his starting quarterback, was named FCS freshman of the year as he led Jackson State to its first SWAC title since 2007. His brother, Shilo, a junior this upcoming season, and a defensive back for the football team, led the Tigers in interceptions.

Just an unreal rebuilding job by Deion Sanders.

Jackson State was 18-37 the 5 years prior to his arrival.

14-4 since, plus the first SWAC Championship since 2007@DeionSanders @21standprime pic.twitter.com/3HEYgO9GIJ

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 5, 2021

• News

by Atiya Jordan

March 22, 2022

Florida Burger King Worker Arrested After Shooting At Customer Who Reportedly Threw Mayonnaise At Her

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A Florida Burger King employee has been taken into custody after Miami-Dade police said she opened fire on a customer Thursday.

As reported by NBC Miami, the incident took place at the fast-food restaurant at 4727 Northwest 167th Street in northwest Miami-Dade.

Shateasha Monique Hicks, 30, faces charges for discharging a firearm in public. On Friday, she was being held on a $1,000 bond, according to Miami-Dade jail records.

An arrest report reveals the testimony of a witness, who told officials he saw the shooting from inside the restaurant. He also recalled Hicks getting into a verbal dispute with a customer in a car at the drive-thru window.

A relative of Hicks’ told the news outlet that the customer threw mayonnaise in her face.

The witness continued to report that the customer then drove off and parked in the parking lot. Hicks left the restaurant, went to her car and grabbed a gun, then fired five shots toward the person’s car as they drove away.

“She started jumping up and down, ran outside, and started shooting at him,” a witness named Kevin told WSVN. “He took off after that and then she got in her car and followed him.”

After Hicks fled the scene, police discovered the car was abandoned and eventually tracked it down. They recovered a gun on the floorboard, as well as five bullet casings in the Burger King parking lot.

To date, the customer was not found and his condition is unknown.

A Burger King spokesperson released the following statement Thursday evening:

“We are horrified to learn of the events that unfolded at this location. This unacceptable behavior does not align with our brand values of safety and security. Our franchisee is cooperating with local authorities. As this remains an ongoing investigation, we aren’t able to share additional details at this time.”

50 Cent made a big impact in hip-hop when he debuted with his single, “How to Rob,” in 1999 as a rapper on Columbia Records.

Nearly a quarter-century later, he has proven he can make more impactful moves. With several dramatic of his series on Starz doing well in the ratings, 50 is applying pressure to the cable network to renew the popular Power spinoff, Power Book IV: Force.

The entertainer again took to Instagram to lambast Starz on being slow to renew the highest-rated debut show in the network’s history, Power Book IV: Force, showing a video of a “fan” upset at the news of not seeing any of 50’s series on Starz for six months.

50 Cent wrote: “FORCE is the highest rated premier of any show on the network. when they take to long to green light it, it pushes the production time line back. after tonight’s episode there are 3 left, April 10 it’s a wrap. 🤷🏽‍♂️then 6 months till i have anything new. @bransoncognac @lecheminduroi“

 

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Earlier this month, the Wankster rapper expressed his disappointment with Starz after discovering that it renewed the drama Hightown for a third season and hadn’t done the same for him. He took to his Instagram account to discuss how he felt slighted by the network.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Cent is nearing the end of his overall deal with Starz this September. Sources have said that Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch is preparing to negotiate a new overall deal for 50 Cent and wants to sign him long-term, unlike the original four-year contract he signed with former Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in 2018. Under that agreement, Starz included a commitment to three series produced under his G-Unit banner.

Force, launched Feb. 6, is the third spinoff from the original Power series. Force set a premiere ratings record for Starz. The series, which features Joseph Sikora continuing his role as Tommy from Power, debuted with 3.3 million cross-platform viewers. That was bigger than the finales of Showtime’s Dexter: New Blood and Yellowjackets, as well as HBO’s The White Lotus.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

Aunjanue Ellis Says Will Smith Advocated for Higher Salaries for ‘King Richard’ Cast

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Actress Aunjanue Ellis is giving Will Smith credit for going above and beyond to ensure that the King Richard cast performed well and were paid well.

Ellis, who played the role of Venus and Serena Williams’ mother, Oracene Wright, recently appeared on The Breakfast Club and confirmed the reports about Smith giving the entire cast bonuses following the film’s release and its success.

“He did, but I think what’s important to say about that…and I think it’s important that I say this. As I said, after you get the job, the fight is not over,” Ellis explained.

“You know you have to fight for equal pay and that kind of thing. I did that job, and I’m thankful for it, but I could have gotten paid better. So I told him this, and he did something about it.”

Not only did Smith make sure his onscreen wife was paid more, but he saw to it that the entire cast received a salary bump.

“As a result of his doing, his responding to the letter that I wrote to him, not only did he address that with increasing my pay, but the other actors in the movie also got their pay increased, which is the proof of when the Black women do well, everybody does well,” Ellis said.

Ellis’ role in King Richard garnered her first Academy Award nomination in the best supporting actress category. She was also nominated for SAG Awards, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

The Lovecraft Country star has praised Smith for his treatment toward the cast and the jewels he shared.

“What surprised me most about him was the first day that I went into rehearsal with him, he had Post-It notes of every scene broken down of the entire movie…I just thought, ‘He doesn’t have to do that,’ ” Ellis told People of Smith.

“It just shows his level of commitment even at this stage of his career. I was so impressed by that.”

“The other thing that I loved about him and the experience of working with him is that it’s an education in how to be a great superstar, how to be a great movie star,” she continued. “But with him, it’s really an education in how to be a great man. That’s not celebrated enough.”

• News

by Atiya Jordan

March 22, 2022

New Orleans Residents Living On Toxic Landfill Win $75M Settlement Against City, Housing Authority

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The current and former residents of a New Orleans neighborhood built on a toxic landfill won a $75.3 million judgment for emotional distress and property damage against the city and the other developers of the Gordon Plaza subdivision.

Orleans Civil District Court Judge Nicole Sheppard‘s ruling on Monday stated that the 5,000 residents are entitled to the money, according to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.

She determined that the city, the Housing Authority of New Orleans, and the Orleans Parish School Board, were liable for the ramifications of building two residential communities—Gordon Plaza and Press Park— and Moton Elementary School atop the Agriculture Street landfill. The site was so contaminated, it was named a federal Superfund site in 1994. These sites call for the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up hazardous material contaminations in the area.

“This is a big deal for the residents of Agriculture Street,” Suzette Bagneris, a lead attorney representing residents, told the Associated Press. Bagneris initially filed the lawsuit in 1993 while she was still in law school. “Thirty years down the road, to see this come to an end, it’s an emotional moment.”

Many Black families still reside in the heavy polluted area and risk being affected with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. According to a Toxics Release Inventory prepared by the EPA, African Americans and other minority groups make up 56% of those living near toxic sites such as refineries, landfills, and chemical plants.

Gordon Plaza homeowner Jesse Perkins said he’s pleased about the judgment but skeptical about how much it will actually help residents relocate.

“It’s good news that will hopefully get some of us off this nasty landfill,” said Perkins, a member of Residents of Gordon Plaza Inc., a nonprofit representing the subdivision’s residents.

Additionally, another concern for the residents is the city’s track record of more than 560 outstanding judgments and settlements in state and federal courts, some dating back 25 years, according to a Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate analysis. Residents doubt receiving compensation.

Bagneris told The New Orleans Advocate the $75 million will be distributed based on determinants, including the number of years each resident lived in the affected places and the locations of their homes. This means if someone lived in Gordon Plaza for 20 or more years, they could receive $25,000 and 20 percent of the value of their home.

However, most of the houses have little value due to their location.

“My property taxes were $57 last year. That gives you an idea of the value of my house,” Perkins said.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

South Carolina Brings Back Death By Firing Squad

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As many push for the American government to do away with the death penalty completely, the state of South Carolina has upped the ante on the controversial practice, bringing back death by firing squad.

On Friday, the state Department of Corrections said revisions to the death chamber where the executions will take place were completed, The New York Post reported. State legislation put in place on May 14, 2021, made the electric chair the primary form of execution in the state and allowed inmates the option to choose between lethal injection or death by firing squad.

The new death chamber sits in Columbia and cost $53,600 to build. It holds a metal chair with restraints that faces a wall with a rectangular opening where three shooters can carry out the sentence.

Prisoners will have a hood over their heads and be allowed to make a final statement. Witnesses will be able to watch the execution behind bullet-proof glass.

The return of death by firing squad comes after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences because of the state’s inability to obtain lethal injection drugs, Fox News reported.

State Sen. Dick Harpootlian (D) introduced the firing squad option and argued that it presented “the least painful” execution method to the inmate.

“The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while,” Harpootlian said. “If we’re going to have it, it ought to be humane.”

State officials added protocols for carrying out the executions. The three shooters will all be volunteers who are employees of the Corrections Department. Their rifles will be loaded with live ammunition and their weapons trained on the inmate’s heart.

South Carolina is one of eight states that still uses the electric chair for death sentences. It is one of four to allow a firing squad, along with Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Utah. Only three prisoners in the United States have been executed using a firing squad since 1976; all took place in Utah.