• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

June 14, 2021

Federal Judge Pauses $4 Billion Federal Relief Program For Black Farmers As White Farmers Cry Discrimination

---

A federal judge in Wisconsin ordered a temporary stop to the $4 billion federal loan relief program addressing decades of inequities farmers of color have experienced after a group of white farmers filed a legal challenge crying discrimination.

Judge William Griesbach issued a temporary restraining order last Thursday blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture from moving forward with the relief payments.

NBC News reported Griesbach said the white farmers “are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim” that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “use of race-based criteria in the administration of the program violates their right to equal protection under the law.

The program would pay up to 120% of direct or guaranteed farm loan balances for American Indian, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Black farmers. The program was part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan.

“This is a big deal for us,” John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, told CBS MoneyWatch in March according to CBS News. “We see this as a great opportunity to help thousands.”

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative group, filed its suit in April on behalf of white farmers saying the program violates their constitutional rights. The institute represents 12 farmers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Oregon, and Kentucky.

The program is also being fought by several large banking groups who complained that by giving the money to minority and Black farmers and allowing them to pay down their debts early, the banks are losing out on interest income they were expecting to receive.

Federal officials have twice settled lawsuits filed by Black farmers accusing them of discrimination. Black farmers have to deal with less access to credit and technical support, which makes it harder for them to update equipment, purchase seed, operate their farms, and buy more land. Black farmers have also had to deal with racial bias at almost every level of government, which has pushed them off their land.

According to Boyd, there were more than one million Black farmers at the turn of the century, but today there are less than 50,000.

White farmers received most of former President Donald Trump’s $9.2 billion bailout funds for farmers last year. Whiter farmers received $6.7 billion, Latino farmers received $100 million, and Black farmers received $15 million, according to the USDA

Several lawmakers are trying to help minority and Black farmers through legislation. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced the Justice for Black Farmers Act, which will address discrimination and injustices committed against Black farmers by the USDA.

Booker and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) introduced legislation requiring the USDA to track and publicize information on race and gender of all recipients of farm assistance from the agency. Additionally, the Farm Subsidy Transparency Act would require disclosure of farm subsidies, farm loans, crop insurance, disaster assistance, and funding through the Coronavirus Food Assistance program.

When it comes to comedy, it’s an unwritten rule among comedians that “stealing” a joke is somewhat commonplace and sometimes expected. But to a point!

In fact, Micah Sierra “Katt” Williams is digging up old bones and accused Cedric Antonio Kyles, who is better known as “Cedric the Entertainer,” of stealing a joke that was written more than 30 years ago. Both comedians have made their mark in the industry and are well respected. So Ced took offense and tried to clear the air by responding to Katt’s claims via his Instagram account.

Katt Attack

“To all my peoples hitting me about the @kattwilliams commentary, I say no sir !! That joke has roots, tied into so many other of my jokes… To know me is know most of my jokes a very similar animated, characters acted out sense of humor. I’ve had jokes stolen, I’ve had similar premises to others as well, but that joke has DNA thats over 30 yrs old specifically from Me. Cigarette hanging from the lip and all.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cedric The Entertainer (@cedtheentertainer)

According to The Source, during a recent interview with The Morning Hustle Radio Show, Williams stated that Cedric The Entertainer had stolen a space shuttle joke and made it his closing joke for “The Kings of Comedy” tour that he had done with Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, and D.L. Hughley.

“When it initially happened to me, it crushed me because the comedian was already bigger and more famous than me and he took my closing joke and made it his closing joke on Kings of Comedy,” Katt stated.

He added: “The reason it hit so bad was that I was in the theater. I paid my money to go see Kings of Comedy and to see my joke being there and not me was about as disrespectful as it gets in our craft and I took it really personally with Cedric The Entertainer at that time.”

Katt sure took a long time to address these claims!

Massachusetts, specifically Boston, has a track record of turning statewide celebrations into nationally recognized ones.

Evacuation Day, March 17,  in Suffolk County, commemorates the evacuation of British troops from Boston following the siege of the city in the American Revolutionary War.

If the date looks familiar, it should because it’s repackaged with the Catholic holiday St. Patrick Day. In Suffolk County, it is customary to wear black and green to remember Irish Americans and Americans who sacrificed their lives.

April 19 is Patriots’ Day which commemorates the Revolutionary War battles at Lexington and Concord, Mass. Again, if the date looks familiar, it is because Patriots’ Day falls on the same day as Marathon Monday, aka the Boston Marathon, aka the nation’s most notable marathon.

Patriots’ Day is observed in Maine, Wisconsin, Connecticut, North Dakota, and it is encouraged in Florida.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Christian Spencer

June 14, 2021

Unbothered Black Woman Called ‘f–kin’ Black B-Word’ By Racist ‘Karen’ At A Ross Store

---

A Black woman gave a masterclass on how to remain cool, calm and collected under fire.

A viral video on Sunday shows a Black female manager at Ross calmly dealing with being cursed out by an angry and seemingly racist and irate white woman customer.

Although “Karen” was not heard using a racial slur, she did go off on a tirade hurling slurs at the manager, who is Black, as if the nasty words would shame her. But the Black manager had time and clearly wasn’t shook by “Karen’s” vile language.

Related stories: CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST ‘CENTRAL PARK KAREN’ FOR FALSELY ACCUSING BLACK MAN OF ‘THREATENING’ HER

It is not clear when or where the incident took place, or what caused the incident, or how it escalated to the level of the white woman yelling and making a scene in the clothing store.
Celebrities like Loni Love of The Real, even appealed to Ross to give the Black woman a raise for her grace under pressure.

Hey @Ross_Stores please find the unbothered Queen and give her a raise… also Sis with the Goddess braids was ready…. #Karenstrikesagain pic.twitter.com/uvS27lY0aE

— Loni Love (@LoniLove) June 13, 2021

According to one of the original reports, the incident happened in St. Louis and there is an active GoFundMe for the manager who is going through tough times during the pandemic.

Social media sympathized with the calm manager who patiently handled the disrespectful and racist attitude of “Karen.”

“You are prejudice, and you are an ugly motherf–kin’ [b-word], is what you are,” the angry white woman said.

After she was told by the unbothered manager to “please leave,” the white customer could not help herself when she threatened the Black manager while collecting her belonging. “Oh I’m leaving. You’re going to be leaving soon too, I promise you that, you f–kin’ nobody [b-word].”

“Call it racism!” “Karen” said, acknowledging that her actions were horrible. “F–k you, you f–kin’ Black [b-word],” “Karen” yelled on her way out.

The very last thing the woman said was an inaudible remark about the Black manager being a “monkey” and sitting on her porch.

The video was reposted on several platforms, but on TikTok, user @maddens.mama, who claims her name is Presley Altieri, the sister of the manager, received more than 1.5 million views and 250,000 likes from the 32-second clip.

The caption reads, “Karen tests my sister the MANAGER. Seek help boo.”

“My sister is the manager at a Ross location in St. Louis, MO. She does NOT get paid enough to be treated like this. The way she handled this situation is admirable!” Altieri said on GoFundMe, requesting $1,000 from people.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

June 14, 2021

Attorney General Merrick Garland Announces Expansion Of Justice Department’s Voting Rights Unit, Vows To Fight GOP Voter Suppression

---

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday the Justice Department will dramatically increase its focus on voter suppression, doubling the number of lawyers in its civil rights division.

“We will use all existing provisions … to ensure that we protect every qualified American seeking to participate in our democracy,” Garland said in a speech Friday.

The attorney general compared the announcement to former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who boosted the number of lawyers in the DoJ to fight southern states, who were making it harder for Black Americans to vote in the 1960s.

Garland, a former Supreme Court nominee, said he will hire additional trial lawyers who will review and scrutinize the more than 100 voter restriction bills introduced in Republican-controlled states. The lawyers will challenge the laws and practices in court and will prosecute anyone found to intimidate or threaten violence against election officials.

The expanded unit will also monitor the post-election audits that have been growing in those states and will monitor upcoming redistricting efforts to call out discriminatory practices.

The voter suppression bills and audits came after former President Donald Trump’s election loss, his more than 50 failed lawsuits, and multiple recounts that only widened his loss. Since Biden was sworn in, Georgia, Florida, and other Republican states have introduced bills limiting absentee and mail-in ballots, early voting, and some make it illegal for food and water to be passed out to voters waiting in line to vote.

Garland’s announcement comes as President Biden is facing increased pressure by civil rights groups and members of his own party to challenge these laws and protect the voting rights Black Americans literally died to gain.

Republicans have said the laws are to protect against election fraud but have not provided evidence to show any fraud has taken place. Last fall, after the election, Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling defended the election results through two audits and numerous death threats to him and his wife. Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also defended the election results telling 60 Minutes the election was the safest in U.S. history.

Philadelphia native Trey Brown is turning his birthday money into multiple store locations and a seven-figure business.

The 15-year-old is the owner of SPERGO,  a lifestyle clothing brand focused on inspiring individuals to keep going and follow their dreams. At only 12 years old, Trey wanted to find a way to help kids stay out of trouble and create a better life. He used his some of his birthday money to invest in his first batch of empowerment T-shirts. He sold out within seven days, igniting a fire within him to create an entire clothing brand.

Philadelphia Native Opens Second Store in Less Than 2 Years

SPERGO’s boutique fashion collection sells hoodies, sweatsuits, boxer briefs, and accessories for men, women, and children. Recently, Trey opened a second clothing store in The Pentagon City Mall located in Washington, D.C. His first location was opened in Philadelphia after receiving a $25,000 business grant from Diddy last tear.

Trey has sold over 30,000 units of merchandise since launching the brand in 2018, according to the company website. He has grossed more than $200,000 in sales for several months in a row. Many celebrities have sported the SPERGO brand including Shaquille O’Neil, Sean Combs, and Meek Mill.

Trey has often shared that being a teen entrepreneur has come with pros and cons. “Some people don’t take me seriously,” Trey told Philly Mag during an interview in 2019. “They kind of look over me when it comes to business deals or opportunities that they give to older people. But I let my work speak for me in those cases.”

He adds, “In the beginning, a lot of my friends laughed at me, but I always empowered myself. I would always tell myself that I am powerful, I am strong, I am amazing. They always laughed at me for that, but now they all want to do it, too. A lot of people counted me out, but I make sure I always get a seat at the table.”

Trey Lands Deal With Philadelphia 76ers

Trey’s persistence has paid off. Earlier this year, he landed a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s part of the ‘Buy Black Program’, an initiative focused on scaling local black-owned businesses.

“I started SPERGO three years ago, and I would never have imagined that I would be officially stamped a 76ers partner by my home basketball team,” Trey said about the partnership,  Baller Alert reported.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by TREY BROWN (@ceotreybrown)

Trey is enjoying consistent wins this year but it wasn’t always like that. He’s heard plenty of no’s, laughs, and people who didn’t believe in the vision. But Trey was determined to keep going and execute his vision.

“I don’t really get discouraged because I feel that “no” means next opportunity,” Trey told Philly Mag. “I believe that if I continue working hard the next opportunity is on the way.”

• News

by Derek Major

June 13, 2021

Top Democrats Demand Answers On Trump Officials Records Seizure

---

Reuters – Top Senate Democrats on Friday demanded two former U.S. attorneys general testify about reported subpoenas of records of members of Congress by former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department, while a White House official criticized the actions as “appalling.”

Trump’s Justice Department subpoenaed Apple Inc for data from the accounts of at least two Democrats on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in an attempt to find out who was behind leaks of classified information, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Dick Durbin said Trump-era Attorneys General Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions should be subpoenaed if necessary to compel them to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the secret seizure of data, calling it a “gross abuse of power.”

“Former Attorneys General Barr and Sessions and other officials who were involved must testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee under oath. If they refuse, they are subject to being subpoenaed and compelled to testify under oath,” Schumer and Durbin said in a statement.

They added that the Judiciary Committee, which Durbin chairs, would “vigorously investigate this abuse of power,” and that the Justice Department’s inspector general should also investigate.The Justice Department’s internal watchdog will probe the efforts, a department official said on Friday.

Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, said the report illustrated the kind of abuse of power in the former administration that prompted Democratic President Joe Biden to run against Republican Trump.

“Obviously, the reports of the behavior of the attorney general under Donald Trump are appalling,” she told CNN.

Biden has made a point of marking the independence of the Justice Department, saying it serves the people, not the president.

Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he had been spied on.

“In May, I was notified by Apple that my records were among those sought by — and turned over to — the Trump administration as part of a politically motivated investigation into his perceived enemies,” Swalwell said in a statement.

The records of the committee’s chairman, Representative Adam Schiff, were also sought, according to the Times. Schiff said in a statement Thursday that the Justice Department had informed the committee last month that the investigation was closed. He said the Justice Department’s inspector general should investigate.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Lisa Lambert and Jonathan Oatis)

• News

by Derek Major

June 13, 2021

President Biden Will Route $2 Million In Border Wall Funds To Military, Construction Site Cleanup

---

Reuters – President Joe Biden’s administration will return more than $2 billion in funds allotted under former President Donald Trump to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to the military and devote other remaining money to construction site clean up, the White House budget office said on Friday.

The move will return funds to 66 military projects spanning 11 states, three U.S. territories and 16 countries, the White House said in a related fact sheet. The projects include $79 million to renovate a U.S. military school in Germany and $9 million for a firing range in Indiana.

Trump, a Republican, made the wall a signature part of his presidency, saying it was needed to stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. During his four years in office, Trump secured about $15 billion for the project, including $10 billion in redirected U.S. military funds.

Biden, a Democrat, issued an executive order on Jan. 20 – his first day in office – that paused wall construction, saying “a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”

The Biden administration said on Friday that it would use its legal authority to stop any new border wall construction while calling on Congress to redirect existing resources to technology-based border security.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said on Thursday that his state would build its own border wall, but whether he has the resources and legal authority to do that remains unclear. Abbott and other Republicans have criticized Biden in recent months for rolling back Trump restrictions as the number of migrants arriving at the border has reached the highest monthly levels in two decades.

After Congress declined to provide money that Trump had requested for wall construction, his administration redirected funds appropriated by lawmakers for other purposes in order to pay for the project. Democrats accused Trump at the time of exceeding his power as president.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 13, 2021

State Autopsy Confirms Andrew Brown Jr. Died of Gunshot Wound to the Back of his Head

---

A police killing of a Black man, described as an “execution” by members of the victim’s family, died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to the state autopsy report.

According to CNN, based on a state autopsy report commissioned by the family, Andrew Brown Jr. died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head. The report also listed the cause of death as a homicide.

Back in February, the attorneys and family of Andrew Brown Jr., had labeled his death in North Carolina as an “execution.’’ The family spoke at a press conference after they were allowed to see just 20 seconds of police bodycam video of the incident that resulted in Brown’s death at the hands of law enforcement.

Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed the 42-year-old Brown while executing a search and arrest warrant at his place of residence in April in Elizabeth City, NC.

According to FOX 8, the attorneys for Brown’s family issued a written statement following the release of the autopsy.

“The autopsy results prove what we’ve always known to be true: Pasquotank County deputies executed Andrew Brown Jr. with a kill shot to the back of the head,” the attorneys said. “The false narrative that DA Womble has attempted to weave is completely discredited by this autopsy report.

“Despite law enforcement’s and the district attorney’s best efforts to hide the facts in this case, and paint Andrew as a villain, we are confident that the truth will be revealed and justice will prevail. We will continue to demand release of video footage from the day Andrew was killed, and we won’t stop fighting for transparency and accountability from law enforcement and the district attorney. From what we’ve seen thus far from both parties, we have a long way to go.”

Last month, a North Carolina prosecutor said that he will not bring criminal charges against sheriff’s deputies for the fatal shooting of Brown, a Black man, outside his home last month, saying that the killing was justified because Brown endangered their lives by driving toward them.

Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble said he had concluded his investigation and found no wrongdoing by the deputies.

The state of New York is gearing up to officially celebrate Juneteenth as a state holiday after passing a bill to commemorate the emancipation of slavery last October.

Alicia Hyndman, the NY State Assemblywoman of District 29 in Queens sponsored the legislation that produced the bill. Now Hyndman is gearing up to lead an official Juneteenth in Queens Festival next weekend.

To produce the event, Hyndman worked with a committee of Queens elected officials, Queens historians, professors, theater and dance directors, and senior community members. Not only will the event celebrate the history of Black people in America, but it will also help ease Queens locals back into normalcy following a year in quarantine.

She noted how the increased support for racial equity following the killing of George Floyd helped to finally move the bill along after it laid dormant for a couple of years.

“I think the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, the protest, the civil unrest, which moved the legislation in the state of New York and moved this bill, led us to where we are today, which is that Juneteenth is a recognized state holiday in New York state,” Hyndman told Black Enterprise.

In the week leading up to the festival, there will be five virtual panel discussions with themes of Black liberation, songs of freedom, and The Black Migration to Queens.

Hyndman stresses how important it is to honor the Juneteenth holiday with education as well as celebration.

“It’s not a day off, it’s a day of education, as far as I’m concerned for Queens residents and for state residents,” she said. “This is a day to make sure that while we are celebrating our culture, we are educating because there are a lot of adults that don’t know about this, especially children.”

With holidays like Juneteenth being celebrated in the U.S., it sends a message across the globe that Hyndman doesn’t want to go ignored.

“This holiday to me means that this is continuous, not just here, but I’m sure a lot of people, my friends in England are really proud, they’re like, well, what is Juneteenth? I’m excited for them to see because we’re able to share this platform,” the Assemblywoman and London native explained.

“If we could talk about Christmas and Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving has nothing to do with us, but we celebrate it, Juneteenth should be just as celebratory,” she added.