• News

by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

US Representative Says It Is ‘Extremely Concerning’ Brittney Griner Has Been Blocked From US Embassy Contact

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Continuing coverage on the detainment of Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner in Russia, uncertainty about her well-being grows every day. Going on a month of imprisonment, the WNBA center was detained at an unclear date about a month ago and her physical location is still unknown, mounting on the heightened fear that she may become a political pawn, reports CNN. 

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and multiple U.S. representatives have called for her release, however, she still remains “without official government access to her​,” stated Texas Rep. Colin Allred, per the outlet. 

The U.S. Embassy has on multiple occasions seeked consular access to her but has been repeatedly denied for the duration of her detainment. Allred says this is “unusual and extremely concerning.”

“For Brittney’s sake, we don’t want her to become a part of this kind of political battle that’s going on, and we want to make sure that her rights are respected and that we are able to get access to her, and that she can get through the process and get home as quickly as possible,” Allred told CNN on Thursday.

Griner’s arrest came days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and as previously reported, a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee said it would “be very difficult to get Griner out of Russia,” considering the deadly conflict.

Griner has allegedly been in contact with her Russian lawyer, who has been communicating with her agent and family back in Texas.

Not only is Griner a Black woman in a foreign country at war, she is a gay woman in a notoriously anti-LGBTQ country.

“Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment,” said California Rep. John Garamendi. “Perhaps during the various negotiations that may take place, she might be able to be one of the solutions. I don’t know.”

More than 57,000 people have signed the “Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U.S.” petition on Change.org as of today.

• Uncategorized

by Yolanda Baruch

March 13, 2022

Pamela Moses’ Legal Team Wants Her Voter Registration Charges Dismissed

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A Memphis, Tennessee judge conceded for Black Lives Matter activist Pamela Moses to receive a new trial after she was sentenced to six years in prison for registering to vote, The Guardian reports.

On February 25, Judge Mark Ward, who previously sentenced Moses to prison in January, released Moses from jail on bond based on additional evidence not shared to Moses’ legal team, according to an email obtained by The Guardian.

Judge Ward accused Moses of deceiving her probation officer to sign documents that she was eligible to vote and deliberately submitted false documents.

“You tricked the probation department into giving you documents saying you were off probation,” said the judge at Moses sentencing.

However, the email that Judge Ward received through public records refutes his original claims against the civil rights activist.

In September 2019, a probation officer signed a certificate in error verifying that Moses completed her probation.

Moses’ legal team does not want her undergoing another trial and is calling for the D.A. to drop all her charges.

“We don’t want Ms. Moses to have to sit through another trial,” said Attorney Rodney Diggs. “We want all charges to be immediately dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office,” Action News 5 reports.

Though Moses is relieved that she is no longer in prison, she believes the justice system is using her case as a “scare tactic” to dissuade other people from voting, according to The Tennessee Tribune.

“It’s a scare tactic, what they did to me,” Moses said to the Guardian. “It’s like, ‘if she went to jail for that, we don’t need to do that. We don’t need to follow her because we’re going to be in jail for six years too.’ I would say it sends a confusing message to people who want to vote.”

She continues, “Why should people be worried if they’re going to be prosecuted for doing their civic duty?”

After the judge announced Moses’ new trial, the office of District Attorney Amy Wierich issued the following statement:

“The Tennessee Department of Correction failed to turn over a necessary document in the case of Pamela Moses and therefore her conviction has been overturned by the judge. When reporters or political opportunists use the word ‘state’ they need to be crystal clear that the error was made by the TDOC and not any attorney or officer in the office of the Shelby County District Attorney,” Action News 5 reports.

Avatar star Zoe Saldaña spoke with Entertainment Weekly about keeping her name when a previous manager advised her to change it to advance in Hollywood. 

“When I did Center Stage, I remember being discouraged by my management at that time to use my name,” Saldaña explained, “but their intention was never for me to stop being who I was. They celebrated who I was.”

She adds, “But my manager at the time was a former singer and a ballroom performer, and she did change her name as well, when she was a teenager back in the ’60s, I believe. And she said it’s what everybody does.”

While the 43-year old actress maintains there was no ill intent behind the suggestion, she admits that it was not the best advice based on today’s standards, “that was her doing the best that she wanted for me, but I still knew that I liked my name.”

Following in Saldaña’s footsteps is actress Thandiwe Newton, who is on a path for self re-discovery, she said to British Vogue for their May 2021 issue that she is reclaiming her name that stems from the African Zulu tribe that means “beloved.” 

“That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine,” said Newton of changing her name back to the original spelling after using Thandie Newton professionally for thirty years, according to IndieWire. 

Saldaña’s career continues to shine bright; since appearing in Center Stage, she has starred in such films as Crossroads, Drumline, The Terminal, Star Trek, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The mother of three also has 12 films in the pipeline, Avatar part two, three, four, and five, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, reports IndieWire.

Catch Saldaña in The Adam Project, a time-traveling action Netflix movie that co-stars Ryan Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Garner. 

The Adam Project is available for streaming on Netflix.

• News

by Yolanda Baruch

March 13, 2022

Cellphone Video Captures Deputy Placing His Knee On A Black Man’s Neck

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The Washington County Police Department in North Carolina fired a sheriff’s deputy after cell phone video footage caught the deputy placing his knee on the neck of a Black man, WITN reports.

Deputy Aaron Edwards arrested Gary Thomas for marijuana possession. The video, captured by Thomas’ girlfriend, shows the situation swiftly escalated into a violent altercation when Edwards put his knee on Thomas’ neck before dragging the man’s limp body inside a courthouse, according to The Huffington Post.

The police department terminated Edwards on Tuesday, said Washington County Manager Curtis Potter to WITN.

An internal investigation and a review of the deputy’s body camera, security footage, and eye witness accounts led to Edwards firing, said Sheriff Johnny Barnes.

Sheriff Johnny Barnes’ Facebook post read, “On March 2 2022, this office received a complaint against one of the Sheriff’s Office Deputies for excessive force against an arrestee. This office takes these complaints seriously, and we investigated the incident to the fullest extent possible. As a result , and in conjunction with the District Attorneys Office, The SBI has been called in to address any criminal involvement and those findings will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for his determination. As a result of the Sheriff’s Office Internal Investigation, and after reviewing all body camera and security footage along with interviews of those involved. The Sheriff’s Office has terminated the Deputy involved.”

The post also disclosed that District Attorney Seth Edwards and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation would determine if they would bring up criminal charges against the deputy, according to WITN.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

March 13, 2022

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The Democracy Collaborative (TDC) announced the non-profit organization’s newest addition.

Sili Recio will begin her latest position as the Senior Communications Director for The Democracy Collaborative on March 14. The brilliant leader is formerly the Vice President of Digital Strategy at MomsRising. She was promoted to the position in 2021. Prior to transitioning into the VP role, Recio served as the National Director of Social Media at the non-profit organization for four years. 

The Democracy Collaborative’s president, Ted Howard, expressed his excitement about Recio, citing her extensive professional background and experience as the reason for the appointment.

“Sili will bring exceptional skills to our team as a communicator, organizer, and deft manager of both people and projects. She is committed to our mission of systemic change and is excited to lead us in new ways of communicating our message.” 

Recio has almost two decades of experience in non-profit and for-profit spaces. Her vast knowledge of digital strategy, communications and project management has prepared the maverick for her new role at The Democracy Collaborative. 

When asked about her vision for TDC, Recio told Black Enterprise, “My vision for this organization is simple– to continue to lead a transformational narrative as the work of this organization is the fulcrum for the systemic change that is so desperately needed, not only in this country but the world over.”

“I am excited to lend my experience, creativity and voice to this passionate team as we work toward advancing TDC’s vision, theory, policy, narrative, and practice of its mission statement,” she added. 

In her spare time, the mother of an adorable 12-year-old daughter is also an accomplished author of the bestselling children’s book– “If Dominican Were A Color.”

Recio replaces Isaiah J. Poole, a prominent journalist and activist with 45 years of experience in communications. Poole will continue to collaborate with TDC as a consultant.

The Democracy Collaborative was co-founded by Howard and historian and activist Gar Alperovitz in 2000. The consortium was founded on the principles of “community.” The “research and demonstration lab for the democratic economy” advocates for community wealth-building and other strategies that move broad-based ownership and control of the economy forward.