Push to Rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge After Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Increases
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2020

Push to Rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge After Civil Rights Icon John Lewis Increases

Following the death of civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) on Friday, calls to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he was once brutally beaten during the civil rights movement, have picked up drastically, according to Essence.

An online petition to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep. Lewis on change.org has accumulated more than 477,970 signatures.

“It’s far past time to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon that nearly gave his life on that bridge,” said Michael Starr Hopkins, who started the petition. “Edmund Pettus was a bitter racist, undeserving of the honor bestowed upon him. As we wipe away this country’s long stain of bigotry, we must also wipe away the names of men like Edmund Pettus.

“The Edmund Pettus Bridge, now a National Historic Landmark, was the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. The televised attacks were seen all over the nation, prompting public support for the civil rights activists in Selma and for the voting rights campaign. After Bloody Sunday, protestors were granted the right to continue marching, and two more marches for voting rights followed.”

On Sunday, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (R-SC) appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and spoke about renaming the bridge after Lewis in place of Pettus, the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and a Confederate general.

“I think you ought to take a nice picture of that bridge with Pettus’s name on it, put it in a museum somewhere dedicated to the Confederacy, and then rename that bridge and repaint it, redecorate it the John R. Lewis Bridge,” Clyburn said. “I believe that will give the people of Selma something to rally around. I believe that will make a statement for people in this country that do—we do believe in that pledge, that vision of the country that’s in the last phrase of the pledge: ‘with liberty and justice for all.’ Edmund Pettus was a grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Take his name off that bridge and replace it with a good man, John Lewis, the personification of the goodness of America rather than to honor someone who disrespected individual freedoms.”

Roger Stone: ‘I Can’t Believe I’m Arguing With This Negro’ After Black Host Asks About Trump’s Commutation of his Prison Time
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2020

Roger Stone: ‘I Can’t Believe I’m Arguing With This Negro’ After Black Host Asks About Trump’s Commutation of his Prison Time

Saturday night, Morris O’Kelly had Trump ally and confidante Roger Stone on his radio show, The Mo’Kelly Show. After a series of questions directed to Stone about having a commutation of his prison sentence by President Trump, Stone grew agitated and, apparently, not realizing he could still be heard, blurts out, ‘I can’t believe I’m arguing with this Negro, ’ according to The Mo’Kelly Show.

O’Kelly states on his website:

“Political operative and provocateur Roger Stone returned to The Mo’Kelly Show after recently being released from federal custody, thanks to the commutation of his sentence by President Trump. No questions were off the table. To that end, every question was answered.

“Truthfully? You decide.


“To that end, at one point in the conversation Stone became so irritated at my line of questioning he almost ejected from the conversation altogether. You can even hear him CLEARLY say to someone else in the room with him…

“I can’t believe I’m arguing with this Negro.”

“(Ain’t this some s–t.)

“The audio is, what it is. Stone could have reached for any pejorative, but unfortunately went there. He denies saying it…but the audio is, what it is. At the end of it all, despite never having introduced race into the conversation, ever…Stone offered an unfiltered, unvarnished one-sentence expression of how he saw the journalist interviewing him.

“He didn’t see me as a journalist, not as a professional, not a radio host…but a “Negro” first and foremost.  Thirty years as an entertainment professional, twenty of them in radio. “Negro” was the first pejorative uttered. The low-calorie version of the N-Word.

Listen to the full interview below:

Listen to “Roger Stone Melts Down on The Mo’Kelly Show” on Spreaker.

Black Men Guard Black Woman’s Home From Racist White Neighbors on Long Island, NY
by Derek Major

July 20, 2020

Black Men Guard Black Woman’s Home From Racist White Neighbors on Long Island, NY

After a Black woman claimed she was being harassed by her neighbors, a group of Black men have begun providing security overnight to ensure her safety.

According to Blavity, Jennifer McLeggan moved into her Valley Stream, New York, home nearly three years ago and has been receiving threats from her white neighbors ever since.

“I feel like I’m terrorized. It’s a nightmare living next to him,” McLeggan told CBS New York.


McLeggan, a registered nurse, said her neighbors, Michael McEneaney, 82, his son John, 57, and the son’s girlfriend have been harassing her since she moved into the house. McLeggan said they’ve thrown feces over a fence into her yard, left dead animals on her property, spit on her yard, used a blowtorch on her home, and told her they want her to go back to where she came from.

McLeggan was eventually fined by the city for having feces in her yard, but she purchased a camera system and caught the neighbors on tape leading to a $5,000 judgment against the pair in her favor. The Nassau Police Department said officers have responded to 45 complaints regarding McLeggan and her neighbors.

However, that didn’t stop them.

After the continued harassment, McLeggan put a long message on her front door, detailing the incidents.

When the post went viral, several Black men responded. Anthony Herron Jr. from Queens immediately reached out to McLeggan to see if he could help. During their conversation, McLeggan told Herron he could pray for her, but he decided that wasn’t enough.

“I didn’t feel comfortable with that. I’m religious as well, but we don’t know what can happen. I take threats to Black women very seriously,” Herron told Blavity.

Herron offered to sit outside her house to guarantee that her neighbors would not harm her or her property and has been doing so since. After a couple of days, Herron’s friends joined him to make sure he was safe as well.

The men who have joined Herron typically stake out McLeggan’s house from sundown to sunup. McLeggan said some of the harassment has happened in the early hours of the morning.

“I can feel a little bit better knowing that the sun is up and if something happens, it’s in broad daylight,” Herron said.

McLeggan added she’s more than touched by the help of the men.

“These are men who have jobs. Men who are dealing with COVID just like were dealing with COVID,” she said. “But they took time to make sure my baby and I are safe.”

She praised Herron, who also goes by the nickname “Flow.”

“Flow has really stepped up to the plate,” McLeggan said. “He is a really good man and I don’t even know him from yard. He doesn’t ask for anything. He doesn’t even take a cup of water for me.”

Since the Black Lives Matter protests have begun as a result of the death of George Floyd, there has been a rash of racially-based incidents across the country. Lowe’s was forced to apologize after a woman complained about an employee wearing a Black Panther t-shirt. In Baltimore, a woman and her son were refused service at a seafood restaurant, due to the son’s athletic clothing.

This Texas Entrepreneur Is Converting An Ice Factory Into A Boutique Hotel
by Dana Givens

July 20, 2020

This Texas Entrepreneur Is Converting An Ice Factory Into A Boutique Hotel

The hotel industry has been forced to strategize the future of its operations as the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic continues across the U.S. As some states slowly begin to open back up so are local hotels. For one entrepreneur based in Forth Worth, Texas, it was a chance to transform an abandoned ice factory into a unique boutique hotel.

Jonathan Morris is the owner of Hotel Dryce, which is scheduled to open later this year. The idea for the hotel came from Morris’s desire for travelers to see and experience his city like locals. “Developing a hotel in Fort Worth has been a dream of mine for several years now. I’ve always thought of it as an opportunity to present the city to visitors in a way that allows them to experience Fort Worth the way we do as locals,” says Morris in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. 

Hotel Dryce via hoteldryce.com

“When the Dry Ice warehouse went up for sale, I couldn’t resist the entrepreneurial urge to reimagine the space as a hotel that helped define our growing city. I’m driven by the opportunity to create and fully curate the hotel experience that I would want if I were visiting Fort Worth,” he explains. “The aesthetic will be a lot like Fort Worth itself, a laid-back space that thrives on being approachable. We’re working with local artists to bring to life a visual representation of Fort Worth’s “lo-fi” vibe. Every detail matters.”

Despite the setbacks caused by the coronavirus health crisis, Morris still plans to move ahead with his plans, pushing out his opening to early 2021. “The construction phase of the hotel project has continued through the pandemic. So far we haven’t been slowed down,” Morris explains. “Planning has largely shifted to safely and responsibly open Hotel Dryce in early 2021 in what we hope to be a post-COVID-19 world. We’re still several months from completion, but creating a clean and safe environment will be more imperative than ever before.”

The 21-room hotel will be located in the city’s cultural district and will allegedly be the first boutique hotel in the city in over 100 years. “This is an opportunity to tell the world who Fort Worth is in a fresh new way,” says Morris. “As much as I love my city, we are desperate to grow beyond what we’ve been and into a future that makes room for new ideas that make this a better place to live, work, and create.”

CMS Energy Names Angela Thompkins as Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
by Dana Givens

July 20, 2020

CMS Energy Names Angela Thompkins as Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer

The energy sector has a diversity problem and has reported having trouble recruiting women and minorities with expansive backgrounds in technology, engineering, or mathematics. According to a policy study done by Columbia University, women represent between 22% to 34% of the workforce in the energy industry with the percentage growing smaller and smaller as the positions become higher in rank. Within the clean energy sector, that number is higher with women making up 32% of the workforce in wind and solar energy. Last week, Consumers Energy announced its recent appointment of Angela Thompkins as the vice president and chief diversity officer starting next month.

Thompkins duties will include monitoring the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy in addition to partnering with leaders within the organization to improve those results. She will be transitioning from executive director of Inclusion and Strategic Talent Sourcing within the company where she will also be responsible for building relationships with different communities and organizations to scout for diverse talent for the company. Thompkins joined the energy corporation back in 2013 after holding different leadership positions across various industries including food distribution and nonprofit legal services.

She also serves on several boards including the Michigan Chapter of American Association of Blacks in Energy and the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion. Her career began as a prosecutor for the city of Detroit, graduating from Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University Law School.

“Angela has a true passion for her work and is a champion for her co-workers and our company,” said Cathy Hendrian, senior vice president of People and Culture at CMS Energy and Consumers Energy in a press release. “Angela’s extensive background and wealth of experience helps her understand the unique perspectives we need to build a stronger, more inclusive organization while ensuring every voice within the company is heard.”

Trump To Dispatch Federal Law Enforcement Agents To American Cities
by Derek Major

July 20, 2020

Trump To Dispatch Federal Law Enforcement Agents To American Cities

President Donald Trump plans to dispatch federal law enforcement agents to American cities to stop “unrest” this week.

According to Mother Jones, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Fox News of Trump’s plan Sunday.

“Attorney General Barr is weighing in on that with [acting Homeland Security] Secretary [Chad] Wolf, and you’ll see something rolled out this week, as we start to go in and make sure that the communities—whether it’s Chicago or Portland or Milwaukee or someplace across the heartland of the country—we need to make sure their communities are safe,” Meadows said.

Meadows went on to discuss the federal presence in Portland, Oregon. The Department of Homeland Security and the US Marshall’s Service are defying multiple requests by local officials and are policing Black Lives Matter protests to make arrests. Also, Border Patrol teams have detained people, and federal agents have reportedly used tear gas against protesters.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has told Homeland Security and Trump he wants federal agencies out of his city, but his calls were ignored.

“The only response has been from the interim secretary of Homeland Security,” Wheeler told NPR. “He’s basically told us to stuff it. The problem we’re experiencing here is we have an already heightened situation. It’s already tense.”

Federal agencies have countered saying a Trump June 26 executive order directed them to protect statues, monuments, and the Hatfield Federal Courthouse. The Border Patrol said its agents have been deputized to help the Federal Protective Service guard federal facilities, a role that the DHS secretary has statutory power to give them.

Meadows also suggested the Trump administration wants to broaden its legal justification to allow federal agencies to expand their presence in other locations, including Chicago, which currently has a gun violence problem.

“The statues are one thing, but it’s really about keeping our communities safe, and the president is committed to do that,” Meadows said.

The plans are sure to draw rebukes and maybe even legal challenges from Democrats and progressive groups.

On Sunday, the chairs of three House committees—Judiciary, Oversight, and Homeland Security—asked Justice Department and Homeland Security inspector generals to investigate the “use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment-protected activities in Washington, DC, Portland, and other communities across the United States.”
Federal Judge Sides With Mo’Nique in Pending Discrimination Lawsuit Against Netflix
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2020

Federal Judge Sides With Mo’Nique in Pending Discrimination Lawsuit Against Netflix

Comedian and actress, Monique Angela Hicks, known professionally as Mo’Nique, won a small victory is her pending lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix, according to Deadline.

The streaming company was trying to get the suit thrown out but California’s Central District Court ruled late last week that Mo’Nique’s discrimination lawsuit against Netflix can move forward. Judge Andre Birotte Jr. stated that “Mo’Nique plausibly alleges that, after she spoke out and called her initial offer discriminatory, Netflix retaliated against her by shutting down its standard practice of negotiating in good faith that typically results in increased monetary compensation beyond the ‘opening offer’ and denying her increased compensation as a result.”

As previously reported, the suit says that Netflix offered her the sum of $500,000 to do a one-hour comedy special, yet, she complains that the price is a substantial difference from the multimillion-dollar deals it has given to some of her counterparts like Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and Ellen DeGeneres.

She’s suing Netflix for unspecified damages and for an injunction forcing the company to change its discriminatory policies. The lawsuit is for race and gender discrimination.

“While Netflix argues that the novelty of Mo’Nique’s claim and the absence of on-point legal authority for it should bar her retaliation claims outright, the Court disagrees,” the U.S. District Court judge also stated.

Mo’Nique’s lawyer, David deRubertis, said in a statement to USA Today that Netflix was seeking to convince the court that shutting down “good-faith negotiations because she raised concerns about pay discrimination is not retaliation under the law.”

“The court disagreed,” deRubertis said. “Today’s ruling is an important victory for Hollywood talent who, just like all other workers, need protections against retaliation if they raise concerns about pay discrimination during the hiring process.

“Employers in the entertainment industry need to take pay discrimination concerns seriously, fix them if the concerns have merit, and never retaliate against those who have the courage to speak up about equal pay.”

U.K. School Hires 10-Year-Old Nigerian Tech Genius As Its New Coding Instructor
by Dana Givens

July 20, 2020

U.K. School Hires 10-Year-Old Nigerian Tech Genius As Its New Coding Instructor

The tech field yields a large portion of high-paying salary jobs with numerous career paths. However, marginalized communities are shut out of these job opportunities due to the lack of resources and access. One remarkable young Nigerian girl managed to defy the odds and was recently hired by a school in the United Kingdom to teach others about coding.

Emmanuella Mayaki is a 10-year-old coding and programming prodigy who recently received her first job at the Southfield Primary School in Coventry, England, as the after school coding club teacher. According to Face 2 Face Africa, she will be responsible for teaching other kids her age about the basics of coding  including HTML and CSS. The school selected her for the job because of her extraordinary skill and knowledge in the area.


Mayaki’s passion for technology started at 7 years old, where, in another two years she would obtain a diploma with a specialty in multiple software programs including Advanced PowerPoint, Desktop Publishing, and Advanced Excel. She is still actively learning other coding languages and programs to expand her knowledge even further.

“In the club, there are currently about nine pupils. Hopefully, the club will increase its members in September,” she said in an interview with Face 2 Face Africa. 

“Today, my Academy App among others is already on Google Play store where I pass on knowledge of coding and graphics. I remember at age seven, I set a target to become a professional web designer and analyst at age nine, and I have accomplished it,” she added. “In the first week, I was pretty nervous because I had never taught a group of children. Although, my experience was sublime because I gained experience and I also enriched my skills. My observations were that not everyone grasps how to do it on their first try and there are some that they rush through it in a breeze.”

NASCAR Fans Booed Black Driver Bubba Wallace and Cheered After He Crashed on Racetrack
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2020

NASCAR Fans Booed Black Driver Bubba Wallace and Cheered After He Crashed on Racetrack

Black Nascar driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace is receiving backlash after speaking out against the display of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events, which helped lead to the elimination of Confederate flags at its events.

During last week’s qualifier in Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway for NASCAR’s Cup Series All-Star Race, NASCAR fans booed Wallace at the introduction of his name and later cheered when he crashed on the racetrack, according to AP Sports Jenna Fryer.


The reporter gave an account via Twitter about the day’s happenings.

Twitter user, Dustin Tanner even questioned if NASCAR said anything about another driver laughing at the fact that Wallace crashed.

To which she responds:

According to USA Today, Wallace slammed into the wall after Michael McDowell driving No. 34 Ford made contact with the right rear of Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet.

Although Wallace believes the crash was McDowell’s fault, Front Row Motorsports, McDowell’s team, and The NASCAR Foundation are auctioning the bumper off on eBay. All of the proceeds will benefit Motor Racing Outreach (MRO), which the foundation described as “providing spiritual support to drivers and their families” and “the center for children who travel with their racing families, providing a safe place to play and learn at the track.”

Arizona Police Shoot Black Man in Front of Fiancee and Kids While His Hands Were Raised (Video)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 20, 2020

Arizona Police Shoot Black Man in Front of Fiancee and Kids While His Hands Were Raised (Video)

Police officers in Arizona shot three beanbag rounds at a 26-year-old Black construction worker in front of his fiancée and their children late last week, according to ABC15 Arizona.

The incident, which took place in Mesa, Arizona, was captured on video by a neighbor. In the video clip, the man, Lorenzo Jones, can be seen emptying his pockets and giving his keys to his fiancée, Tenisha Gaston, while several young children were standing beside him. Despite putting his hands up and complying with the officer’s orders, Arizona police officers shot bean bags directly at Jones. As the young lady and children are screaming, they continue to shoot him three more times.


A video, caught on a mobile phone by a neighbor, Shampall Williams, was posted on Facebook.

“This is not right, said Gaston. “What’s going on in the world, and now I am dealing with this.“

Gaston witnessed the shooting as she and her children were standing with him as he was being shot.

“He is a good man,” Gaston said, “My kids were scared.”

Gaston met with a local pastor and a lawyer last Friday.

“There was no need for this,” said civil right attorney Benjamin Taylor. “Under the law, he was complying. He had his shirt off, no weapons on him. He wasn’t a threat.“

“In policing, we see a lot of excuses when we talk about force and excessive force and what was justified and what was not,” said Pastor Andre Miller. “Nobody reasonable is saying ‘Yeah, I would have shot this guy.’”

Jones has been charged with aggravated assault on an officer, three counts of aggravated assault on a minor, resisting arrest, marijuana possession, assault causing fear of physical injury.

In a statement, Mesa police chief Ken Cost said, “They [the officers] felt that he was armed and dangerous.” “It would be premature for me to comment on the split-second the officer made the decision.”

He stated that a use-of-force review should take about a week and he is not “going to jump to a conclusion on that until I have all the information.”

“We understand that any time force is used it raises a lot of questions. Less-lethal tools are exactly that, less lethal, and were developed to prevent violent actions, protect the public, save the lives of suspects as well as officers,” Mesa police said in Friday’s statement.

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