BET, The National Urban League, and other civil rights organizations have joined together to host the first-ever National Black Voter Day.

National Black Voter Day takes place today, Friday, Sept. 18, and all organizations tied to the effort will seek to aid Black citizens against suppression tactics ensuring their vote counts in the various elections taking place in November.

“The final stretch is always the most important part of any race, and with just 100 days until Election Day, there’s no time like the present for BET to go ‘all in’ with National Black Voter Day,” BET Networks President Scott Mills said in a statement. “We are rallying all the resources and relationships we have to mitigate the undeniable efforts being made to disenfranchise the African American community, a voting bloc ubiquitously understood to influence elections. We will use the current momentum of the fight against systemic racism to galvanize those marching in protest to march to the polls in November.”

With the help of the National Urban League (NUL), National Black Voter Day will break down the necessary steps to make Black voices heard, including securing and checking voter registration, making a voting plan, and encouraging friends and family to vote.

NUL President Marc Morial said teaming up with the biggest name in Black television and civil rights groups will ensure the organization reaches as many Black voters as possible.

“We will be launching a grassroots effort in probably about a dozen cities to put people in the communities on the ground, using everything from canvassing to organizing, to door-to-door leaf footing, and social media to register, educate and mobilize people to vote,” Morial told BET.com, adding his organization will use BET’s social media accounts to amplify the effort and educate voters.

Other organizations involved in the effort include the NAACP, Color of Change, When We All Vote, Black Voters Matter, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The Collective PAC, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Election Protection, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and The National Action Network.

One of the biggest reasons for the effort is voter suppression. Concerns about voter suppression, particularly in the Black community, have been a widely debated topic since a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibited certain states and localities from making changes to voting laws without obtaining federal approval or “preclearance.”

Many pointed to voter suppression when  Stacey Abrams lost to Brian Kemp in Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election.

In addition to voter suppression, the coronavirus has lead to less voting precincts, which must institute social distancing requirements with fewer poll workers and machines.

Voting lines are of particular concern for Morial, who called them “an orchestrated effort to suppress the vote to make it more difficult for Black people to vote.” In order to fight this Morial feels voters should have all the information necessary about their state’s mail-in ballot and early voting options.

BET has also lined up multiple stars to produce voting PSAs to be distributed on BET’s platforms, those of its sister channels MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central and of media partners including The Root, The Skimm, Entertainment Tonight, Bounce, and Black Enterprise.

Stars that are taking part also include Twenties actor Jonica T. Gibbs, Tyler Perry’s Sistas actor Mignon, Rhapsody, National Urban League CEO Marc H. Morial, Blavity Inc. founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun, and others. Sports stars including Blake Griffin, Caron Butler, Udonis Haslem, and Dwane Casey and more are also participating.

• News

by Dana Givens

September 17, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Criticizes Trump For Early Shutdown of Census Count

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The COVID-19, or novel coronavirus pandemic, has made collecting data for the 2020 Census difficult, especially under the guidance of the Trump administration. On Wednesday, during an online conference, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms called out the administration’s plan to slow down in-person data collection for the Census Bureau, calling it a political move in light of the upcoming November presidential elections.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the state of Georgia tied with Mississippi for the worst response for the 2020 Census. If the data is not correctly gathered, the U.S House Oversight and Reform Committee, revealed that the state of Georgia could lose nearly $75 million in annual funding that goes toward healthcare, job training, and education throughout the country if 1% of responses are undercounted.

“We are getting help from every conceivable corner,” said Marilyn Stephens, an assistant regional Census Bureau manager to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Every mayor in the state of Georgia, every congressional representative, both senators, the governor’s office―everybody is all hands on deck.”

Only 85% of households throughout the state have been counted according to the latest figures from the U.S Census Bureau. The only U.S. state to perform worse was Alabama, with 82.3% of households counted. The city of Atlanta, where the mayor resides, has a 57.7% self-response rate.

“Given that we are in the midst of a pandemic, given the natural disasters that we are facing, it really is inexplicable that we wouldn’t take as much time as we need to get these numbers,” Lance Bottoms told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an online discussion.

“This is a political play because it does speak to representation in Congress. And the higher the numbers are―especially in urban communities―the more representation that we have in Congress. And that is certainly not something the Trump administration I’m sure is supportive of.”

Earlier this year, WNBA small forward Maya Moore had opted to sit out a second season to fight for the release of Jonathan Irons, whom she believes was wrongfully convicted of burglary and assault. Now, according to Good Morning America, she is legally married to Irons.

The newlyweds made their announcement to the world when they appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday to share exclusive details of their love story that came out of friendship after she helped free him from prison following a wrongful conviction that had him imprisoned 23 years ago.

“We wanted to announce today that we are super excited to continue the work that we are doing together, but doing it as a married couple,” Moore said. “We got married a couple of months ago and we’re excited to just continue this new chapter of life together.

 

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Grateful to announce this new chapter of life! What a miracle ❤️🙏🏽❤️

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Irons, now 39, was only 16 years old when he was accused of breaking into a home in St. Louis and allegedly shooting the homeowner during a burglary. The victim testified in court that Irons was the person responsible, but there were no witnesses, fingerprints, footprints, DNA, or blood evidence to connect Irons to the crime. Along with there being no tangible evidence, the officer who interrogated Irons did so alone and did not record the conversation.

Moore’s decision to sit out a second season while still being under contract with the Lynx comes at a time when the WNBA announced that they are increasing the average salary of their players to nearly $130,000 and a maximum salary above $500,000. Despite walking away from a six-figure salary, Moore had no regrets.

“Basketball has not been foremost in my mind. I’ve been able to rest, and connect with people around me, actually be in their presence after all of these years on the road,” she said back in January of this year. “And I’ve been able to be there for Jonathan.”

Earlier this year in March, in a Jefferson City, Missouri, courtroom, Irons learned his conviction was overturned by a state judge with the WNBA star behind him. The inmate, with Moore’s help, was appealing a 50-year sentence for a crime he says he never committed. Judge Daniel Green issued a ruling that vacated the guilty verdict, and ordered Irons to be released from a maximum-security prison after 23 years.

GMA anchor Robin Roberts had announced during the interview that her production company, Rock’n Robin productions, has teamed up with ESPN Films to produce a documentary about Moore and Irons’ story.

• Politics

by Dana Givens

September 17, 2020

Barbados Will Be Removing Queen Elizabeth As Its Head Of State

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On Tuesday, the government of Barbados announced that it will move forward to become a republic and will effectively remove Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain as the head of state. In a speech by Parliament, the government said that it will aim to complete the process just in time for the 55th anniversary of the country’s Independence from Britain in November 2021.

“Barbados has developed governance structures and institutions that mark us as what has been described as, ‘the best governed Black society in the world.’ Since Independence, we Barbadians have continuously sought to improve our systems of law and governance to ensure they best reflect our characteristics and values as a nation,” said the Hon. Sandra Mason in her opening speech for Parliament about this new direction.

“Barbados’ first prime minister, the Rt. Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, cautioned against loitering on colonial premises,” she added. “That warning is as relevant today as it was in 1966. Having attained Independence over half a century ago, our country can be in no doubt about its capacity for self-governance. The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind. Barbadians want a Barbadian head of state. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving. Hence, Barbados will take the next logical step toward full sovereignty and become a Republic by the time we celebrate our 55^th anniversary of independence.”

As one of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean, many saw the queen’s role as head of state as one of the remnants of imperialism after the island gained its independence in 1966.

According to the BBC, Buckingham Palace is reportedly unaware of the decision but said it was not out of the blue. Barbados would simply follow other countries, including Guyana, Dominica, and Trinidad and Tobago, in moving away from the colonial past to form a republic.

• Education

by Derek Major

September 17, 2020

Two HBCU Presidents Join COVID-19 Vaccine Trial, Recommend Students Do The Same

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Two presidents of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in New Orleans have announced they are participating in a vaccine trial for COVID-19.

The HBCU presidents, Walter M. Kimbrough of Dillard University and C. Reynold Verret of Xavier University of Louisiana, made the announcement earlier this month and are encouraging students to do the same. The announcement immediately conjured up conversations about a common distrust of medical institutions among Black Americans due to past transgressions.

However, President Verret said that when a vaccine comes, it’s up to Black citizens to make sure it will work for them.

“We’re protecting our communities,” Verret told NBC News. “It is important to have people like us in these trials. We all know someone who has passed or been hit with COVID-19. When a vaccine comes, we want it to be available and to work on our community. Participating in trials is the only way to do so. We only have 1 or 2 percent; we need 10 to 15 percent participation.”

The HBCU presidents wrote in their letter to students that “Overcoming the virus will require the availability of vaccines effective for all peoples in our communities, especially our Black and brown neighbors. . . It is of the utmost importance that a significant number of Black and brown subjects participate so that the effectiveness of these vaccines be understood across the many diverse populations that comprise these United States.”

The letter went on to say the presidents “recall unethical examples of medical research. We remember the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which misused and caused harm to African Americans and other people of color, undermining trust in health providers and caretakers.”

The reaction to the announcement was swift and strong. One person posted on Twitter,  “The students from HBCUs should definitely sign up for vaccination experiments — right AFTER students from Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford.”

But Black scientists, doctors, clinicians, and physicians praised the HBCU presidents for stepping up and pushing Black students to join the trial.

“Genetics related to racial differences make it essential that we be involved in broad-based and diverse clinical trials of medications and vaccines,” Dr. Larry Graham, a retired pulmonologist in Atlanta, told NBC News. “We must be sure it works in Black folks. This can only be determined by our inclusion in the research-based trials of such vaccines.”

Verret and Kimbrough say they understand the public ire, but they believe some of it is about politics because of the rush to furnish a vaccine by multiple companies. The HBCU presidents insist they are not making a political statement but instead making it clear Black people need to be part of these trials for the vaccine to work for them.

“I will use this analogy: If you jump off a cliff, you’re going to hit the ground,” Verret said. “You can jump off a cliff with a parachute or you can jump off without one. I want the parachute. A vaccine is the parachute. I want it for my children, for my neighbors. That’s all this is about.”

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 17, 2020

Black Nurse Claims Mass Hysterectomies and Medical Neglect Are Being Performed at ICE Detention Center

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A Georgia nurse has come out as a whistleblower when she decided to speak out about a pattern of unnecessary, mass hysterectomies at an ICE detention center, according to CNN.

Dawn Wooten, who previously worked at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Georgia, has filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security inspector general this past Monday. She is being represented by the Government Accountability Project and Project South.

In the complaint, she has detailed a high rate of hysterectomies and alleged medical neglect.

In a report by Blavity, Wooten was interviewed Monday by MSNBC host Chris Hayes and she explained what migrant women told her while she worked as a nurse at the detention center.

“I had several detained women on numerous occasions that would come to me and say ‘Ms. Wooten, I had a hysterectomy. Why?’ I had no answers as to why they had those procedures. One lady walked up to me this last time around between October 2019 until July 2. She asked ‘What is he? Is he the uterus collector? Does he collect uteruses?'” Wooten stated to Hayes.

“And I asked her what does she mean. She said, ‘Everybody that I talk to has had a hysterectomy.’ You just don’t know what to say. I don’t have an answer for why they would come to me and ask, ‘Is he the uterus collector?'” she added.

“The allegations put forth in this whistleblower complaint point to an alarming pattern of unsafe conditions and a lack of oversight at privately run ICE facilities,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, in a statement. He also added that allegations of hysterectomies being performed on women without consent is “incredibly disturbing.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has put out a written statement on the allegations.

“If true, the appalling conditions described in the whistleblower complaint—including allegations of mass hysterectomies being performed on vulnerable immigrant women—are a staggering abuse of human rights. This profoundly disturbing situation recalls some of the darkest moments of our nation’s history, from the exploitation of Henrietta Lacks, to the horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, to the forced sterilizations of Black women that Fannie Lou Hamer and so many others underwent and fought.

“The DHS Inspector General must immediately investigate the allegations detailed in this complaint. Congress and the American people need to know why and under what conditions so many women, reportedly without their informed consent, were pushed to undergo this extremely invasive and life-altering procedure.

“It is also essential that we get answers regarding ICE’s egregious handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in light of reports of their refusal to test detainees including those who are symptomatic, the destruction of medical requests submitted by immigrants and the fabrication of medical records.

“Reports such as these point to the urgent need to overhaul our unaccountable detention system and its horrific misuse by the Trump administration, to ensure that these abuses cannot ever again happen.”

In response to the alleged mass hysterectomies, ICE has also released a statement.

“ICE takes all allegations seriously and defers to the (Office of the Inspector General) regarding any potential investigation and/or results. That said, in general, anonymous, unproven allegations, made without any fact-checkable specifics, should be treated with the appropriate skepticism they deserve,” the agency stated.

• Black Lives Matter

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 17, 2020

Grand Jury Returns Indictment of White Bar Owner Who Killed 22-Year-Old Black Man During Protests in Omaha

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On Tuesday, an Omaha, Nebraska, grand jury indicted the white bar owner who fatally shot a Black man during protests for racial justice earlier this year in May, according to NPR.

Twenty-two-year-old James Scurlock was fatally shot outside of a bar in Omaha by bar owner Jake Gardner during a protest against police brutality. Local station KETV reported that police officers responded after they heard gunshots and found Scurlock suffering from a gunshot wound on the scene. He was taken to Nebraska Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

After the shooting, Nebraska Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine had said that prosecutors in his office, homicide detectives, and everyone who reviewed all the evidence agreed that Gardner shot Scurlock in self-defense. “The actions of the bar owner were justified.”

But Kleine quickly reversed course and requested a grand jury and special prosecutor to review the case, stating that he hoped it would restore public faith in the justice system.

This past Tuesday, special prosecutor Frederick Franklin had announced that the grand jury had reached a decision and charged Gardner with four counts: manslaughter, attempted first-degree assault, terroristic threats, and use of a firearm in connection with a felony.

At a news conference, Franklin admitted to drawing the same conclusion as Kleine initially determined until gaining facts about the case.

“But I can tell you that there is evidence that undermines that,” he said. “[And] that evidence comes primarily from Jake Gardner himself.” 

According to KETV, Franklin stated, “The grand jury returned an indictment today against Jake Gardner. They were able to able to get evidence into Mr. Gardner’s state of mind, as a part of what was presented to them through this investigation.”

“There was evidence that was gathered and presented to the grand jury about activity that Jake Gardner was engaged in prior to even coming in contact with James Scurlock,” he said. “Evidence to reasonably be construed as an intent to use a firearm for purposes of killing someone. You will want to know what it is, and I can’t tell you about it. But what I can tell you is that that evidence comes primarily from Jake Gardner himself.”

State Sen. Justin Wayne, who is representing the Scurlock family, told reporters that the indictment is something to appreciate rather than celebrate.

“While this family is thankful, this family is also still frustrated that it took this process to occur,” he said.

Wayne also said the process still has “a long way to go.”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said his campaign will seek to cancel the commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s municipal debt and make broad investments in the island if elected.

On a press call with reporters Tuesday, Biden’s campaign said the former vice president would work to extend federal benefits to Puerto Ricans, protect workers’ pensions from budget cuts, and ensure that “debts illegally issued are canceled.” Additionally, Biden plans to increase investment in the country’s electrical grid and infrastructure, which is still suffering from Hurricane Maria.

• Entrepreneurship

by Dana Givens

September 17, 2020

Meet The Founders Behind The New Startup Incubator For Black-Owned Beauty & Wellness Brands

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The beauty and wellness space has a lot of room for growth in the area of diversity and inclusion. While many entrepreneurs have been able to successfully enter the field, many still struggle with their operations due to the lack of resources for Black-owned businesses. Now, two founders are creating a new kind of space to have these businesses thrive.

Jae Joseph and Brianna Wise are the founders of the Black Apothecary Office (BAO), a new concept model incubator servicing Black creatives and startup businesses in the beauty and wellness space. The idea is to help create a space for brands to shape and develop their identity to build a viable business that they can pitch to investors.” We are currently experiencing a revolution where the prominence of Black art, Black power, and Black culture is allowing Black creatives to control their own narratives and celebrated stories,” said Joseph in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“[BAO was] established to provide significant access to Black and Latinx-owned brands in the fields of beauty, wellness, and telehealth. I am on a mission to reverse structural barriers to racial equity in these specific markets. We want to influence the consumer to not only “Buy Black” but “Build Black,” he added.

“Our products will have the same shelf marketability to be placed next to any L’oreal, Coty, or Proctor & Gamble products. Minority entrepreneurship matters. It matters most when it is both profitable and community-transforming. During this presidential election year, candidates need to be challenged to talk about minority business participation.”

Participants in the three-month program, consisting of insight panels to weekly sessions, will be able to develop their brand from conception to launch; each learning about the different areas of business from financial literacy to digital marketing. “During the 3-month program, we will be developing a specific plan within the sectors of Branding & Legal Services, Operations, Financial Literacy, Sales & Marketing, Digital Marketing, & Networking. At the completion of the program we will provide funding allowing the business to take next steps toward their launch,” said Wise to BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“We will also be providing a marketplace to host the brands, allowing them to gain maximum exposure. Our goal is to build a foundation and a family with the brands that we bring on. We want them to feel a strong community so that they will never feel alone on their journey to building their own legacy. Because Jae and I value family so much we want to share the same love and energy to each and every person that is placed in our lives.”

 

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Introducing, @BAO.COMMUNITY, Black Apothecary – a NEW concept model incubator for black creators, collaborators, and disruptors in the beauty and wellness space. BAO’s mission is to connect and provide brands with venture capital to successfully grow and develop for future retail alignment with ongoing mentorship. As collaborators, we will do our part to amplify black voices and talent in the beauty & wellness space and give them the mentorship and tools to continue to be successful! While we are tirelessly working to further this program and initiative, we hope to inspire your support with a donation via the ⁣Link In Bio! .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #beautytips #motivation #blackbeauty #wellness #empoweringwomen #supportblackbusiness #community #office #melaninpoppin #beautylaunchpad #bao.community #theblackapothecaryoffice

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