Memphis-based, HBCU Receives Largest Beneficial Endowment in the School’s 158-Year History


LeMoyne-Owen College, the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Memphis, Tennessee, has been named the beneficiary of an endowment of $40 million, one of the largest gifts to any HBCU and the largest for the school in its 158-year history. The endowment was created from assets from the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, an organization that works to strengthen the community through philanthropy.

Like other colleges across the country, LeMoyne-Owen College is working to ensure their students, many of whom are first-generation college attendees, return to school following the pandemic. Recent initiatives include partnerships to provide Wi-fi access and electronic devices to students for remote learning, emergency assistance for displaced students and scholarships for students in need.

“Even before the pandemic, there has been transformative work happening at LeMoyne-Owen College,” Bob Fockler, Community Foundation of Greater Memphis president says. “The college offers unique opportunities for African-American students, and we are committed to ensuring that work continues to benefit students and their families for years to come.”

The endowment fund is a major stepping stone on the path toward advancements in the quality education the College can provide for a larger number students, at a critical time when HBCUs nationally face unique funding challenges and equity issues. LeMoyne-Owen College has the lowest tuition rate of any of the private colleges in the state of Tennessee, nearly 90 percent of students qualify for financial aid or currently receive Federal Pell Grants.

“Many of our students and their families were already struggling, even before COVID-19. Recent demonstrations have heightened our awareness and commitment to do more to address the inequality and racism that has led to their financial challenges and the critical need to create a more equal and just world,” says Dr. Carol Johnson Dean, interim president of LeMoyne-Owen College. “The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis has generously and courageously helped LeMoyne-Owen College take a huge step forward in educating our future leaders and providing a stronger financial foundation from which to grow.”

Florida Sheriff: ‘I’ll Deputize Gun Owners If Violent Protesters Erupt’

Florida Sheriff: ‘I’ll Deputize Gun Owners If Violent Protesters Erupt’


A sheriff in Florida said Wednesday he is ready to deputize gun owners if protests become violent.

Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels issued the warning in a video he posted on the Sheriff’s Office YouTube channel Wednesday.

“If we can’t handle you, I’ll exercise the power and authority as the sheriff and I’ll make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in the county,” Daniels said. “I’ll deputize them to this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility.”

The sheriff did not say whether any protests were planned in the county, which is located in Jacksonville, Florida. Additionally, protests happening across the country have largely been incident-free in the last month.

Last month, a Black female police officer in Fort Lauderdale was caught on camera berating a white officer after he shoved a Black woman protesting on her knees.

In Daniels’ video, he said he would protect peaceful protests, but added if anyone starts “tearing up Clay County, that is not going to be acceptable.”

“The second you step out from up under the protection of the Constitution,” Daniels continued.

According to the Florida Times-Union, Daniels, the county’s first Black sheriff, is currently under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) due to an alleged affair Daniels had with a fellow officer when he worked at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a subsequent false arrest of that officer.

Daniels, a first-term sheriff, is also up for re-election and being challenged by six opponents, including Atlantic Beach Police Chief Michelle Cook, former Clay County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Director Ben Carroll, and Mike Taylor, a former FDLE agent and state attorney’s investigator who has earned the endorsement of former Gov. Jeb Bush.

The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, who was killed when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than 8 minutes.

Netflix and Ava DuVernay to Focus on Kaepernick’s HS Years in ‘Colin in Black & White’


Streaming giant service Netflix announced that filmmaker Ava DuVernay and social activist/former professional football player Colin Kaepernick have joined together to present a limited series on Kaepernick’s high school years titled, Colin in Black & White.

The series will focus on the former San Francisco 49er quarterback’s formative high school years, which will give meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today. Emmy Award® Nominee Michael Starrbury is writing and will serve as executive producer, along with DuVernay and Kaepernick who will appear as himself as the narrator of the series.

“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture, and for him, personally,” said DuVernay. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports, and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix.”

“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” said Kaepernick. “We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face. We explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years. It’s an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.”

“We’re proud to bring Colin’s experience and his creative vision to life as he joins Ava to share his powerful story and message with all our members around the world,” said Cindy Holland, vice president, Original Content, for Netflix. “It is an unparalleled union of two strong and defining voices coming together to tell the story about what it’s like to be Black in America.”

The six-episode series provides an introspective look at Kaepernick’s early life as a Black child growing up with a white adopted family. It will also focus on his journey to become a Super Bowl quarterback while defining his identity.

This series reunites Starrbury and DuVernay, who worked together on Netflix’s acclaimed When They See Us, which received 16 Emmy Award® Nominations, including a nomination for Outstanding Writing for the duo, and was recently honored with a Peabody Award®.

Master Investor Ian Dunlap Shares How to Capitalize During the Crisis (Video)


Ian Dunlap is an investment expert with one of the highest win percentages in the country and the founder of Red Panda Academy. Using completely custom formulas and algorithms, he says he has identified how to get safe returns whether the market is booming or in a crash.

On this episode of The New Norm with Selena Hill, Dunlap shares fundamental insight about investing and trading during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s some of the advice he shared.

Start Investing Now

“Regardless if the market is going up or going down [or] going sideways — because there’s a lot of discussions on if we’re going to have a V recovery or if we’re going to have a W — the most important thing is [that] investing has to be the first bill that we pay,” he said.

“If you invest in the market every single month, you will have some money there…to help you, your family, your relatives that all need help during these trying times.”

Think Long Term

Rather than trying to get rich quickly, Dunlap says investors should focus on building wealth over a long period of time.

“You have to invest for the long term. I know everyone wants to get rich from trading and we always hop on Instagram and see some guy in a rented Lamborghini in a rented house talking about how much money he made from trading. But the real wealth is going to be in long term investing,” he says.

For example, Apple, Inc. “is averaging a 1200% return over 10 year period,” even in amid the pandemic. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I would have wished that I would have been in it 10 years ago.”

He added, “how much different would life have been for all of us and all of our friends [if] our grandmothers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles knew to invest back in the 80s and 90s? Our lives would be dramatically different.”

How to Invest

“I would invest every single month,” he stressed. “Yes, some months are going to be scarier than others.”

According to him, tech companies are the best stocks to invest in.

“Technology runs our lives,” he said. “Technology rules the world, he added, pointing to tech giants Apple, Microsoft, Google, Netflix, and Tesla. “Tech is the way to go.”

How to Get Started

Dunlap recommends that first-time investors read MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins, which breakdowns complex financial concepts and includes expert advice.

“Tony Robbins sat down and talked with the top investors in the country and they distilled their wisdom into the book,” he said. “It’s the best and probably the only book that you need.”

Dunlap also suggests Robinhood, a commission-free investing app for beginners, and TD Ameritrade, an electronic trading platform, for those who are more familiar with the stock market.

“I know it seems very complicated at first, but start with Robinhood or TD Ameritrade and then after that, you need to focus on buying quality companies like Apple [and] Microsoft, two companies that we all know and love. And then I recommend an index fund.”

Lastly, Dunlap urges people to invest at least 20% of their annual earnings in stocks. “I recommend 20% of your yearly income should go into the market.” He added, “If I could do it all over again, before having a child, I probably would have put 50% in.”

Watch Ian Dunlap’s full interview on The New Norm with Selena Hill below.

 


Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Black Lives Matter Is A Marxist Organization

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Black Lives Matter Is A Marxist Organization


Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called Black Lives Matter a “Marxist organization” that “has been planning to destroy the police for three years.”

According to the New York Post, Giuliani, who serves as Trump’s personal lawyer, made the comments in a press conference outside the White House lawn. Giuliani also added he’s outraged by current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to paint Black Lives Matter outside Trump Tower in New York.

“Black Lives Matter is a Marxist organization run by three avowed Marxists—go check. Black Lives Matter has been planning to destroy the police for three years. They’ve finally gotten stupid Democrat mayors to agree with them,” Giuliani told reporters.

Giuliani also blasted de Blasio, calling him a regressive mayor.

“Right now murder is up 58% under the regressive Democrat mayor who is typical of Democrat mayors all over the country. They are a disaster. They are a danger to their people,” he said.

De Blasio and the New York City Council agreed to a deal to cut the New York Police Department budget by $1 billion Tuesday. However many lawmakers in the city believe the cuts didn’t go far enough.

Other Republicans have also taken shots at the Black Lives Matter movement in recent weeks. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tried to blame the protests for the coronavirus spikes across the country.

“When I looked at that drone view of [Los Angeles], where it was almost a mile-long shoulder-to-shoulder of people, and they’re expressing, they’re vocal . . . and now we’re finding that’s the easiest way to transmit to one another, the long periods of time next to one another,” McCarthy told CNBC Monday.

However, a study released by researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research stated in its report “we conclude that predictions of broad negative public health consequences of Black Lives Matter protests were far too narrowly conceived.”

The protests this summer were sparked by the death of George Floyd. Since then there have been protests in over 300 cities in America. There have also been a significant number of protests abroad.

Trump Still Refuses To Rename Army Bases Named After Confederate Leaders

Trump Still Refuses To Rename Army Bases Named After Confederate Leaders


President Trump is standing by his refusal to rename military bases that are named after confederate leaders, saying their history is too storied.

According to the International Business Times, calls to rename Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and Fort Benning in Georgia have intensified during the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd. However, Trump’s stance on the issues has not wavered.

“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump wrote on Twitter last month. “The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars. Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”

Army spokesperson Col. Sunset Belinsky said at the time that Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Defense Secretary Mark Esper are willing to consider the issue.

“The secretary of defense and secretary of the Army are open to a bi-partisan discussion on the topic,” Belinsky said in a statement last month, according to Politico.

Trump’s stance could set up a clash on the issue. The senate is currently debating the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision to rename the bases. A bipartisan group of of House lawmakers is also looking to add a provision changing the names as part of its defense legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), called Trump’s threat “typical bluster” Tuesday and dared him to try to veto the bill. Trump announced he would several hours later, in a tweet calling out Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who drafted the provision.

“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!”

Warren’s provision would create a commission charged with issuing recommendations for renaming Army installations that bear Confederate names. The Pentagon would have three years to install the changes, including the removal of other Confederate names and symbols from ships, aircraft, streets, and other Defense Department property.

“The Confederate soldiers who betrayed the United States to fight for the Confederacy were fighting for the institution of slavery. Plain. Simple. Ugly,” Warren said on the Senate floor Monday. “It is time to put the names of those leaders who fought and killed U.S. soldiers in defense of a perverted version of America where they belong, as footnotes in our history books, not plastered on our nation’s most significant military installations.”

White Georgia Police Officer Breaks the Wrist of Innocent Black Man

White Georgia Police Officer Breaks the Wrist of Innocent Black Man


A Black man who was slammed to the ground in a case of mistaken identity is suing the Valdosta Georgia Police Department, according to The Associated Press.

The confrontation caught on police bodycam video shows a Black police officer talking to the victim, Antonio Arnelo Smith, as he is responding to the officer’s questions after handing him his driver’s license. A white police officer is seen coming up behind Smith and in an unprovoked move, he aggressively grabs Smith from behind and viciously slams him face-first onto the ground, breaking his wrist in the process.

“Oh my God, you broke my wrist!” the 46-year-old Smith yells out as two more white police officers join in and handcuff him. As he is lying on the ground, the Black officer tells them that the man they were initially looking for on an outstanding warrant was just picked up down the street and that he had just started talking to Smith.

The incident, which took place on Feb. 8, ended without Smith being arrested or charged. Now, Smith has filed a lawsuit suing all four officers involved as well as Valdosta’s police chief, mayor, and others. He said that the police officers used excessive force and violated his civil rights.

“When you see that video, you can’t help but say this is a travesty,” said Nathaniel Haugabrook, one of Smith’s attorneys. “Nobody should be done that way.”

“Obviously it has some racial tones to it,” Haugabrook said.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court, seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The city of Valdosta issued a statement that stated that police were responding to a report that a man was harassing customers and asking for money outside the drug store and they found two suspects who fit the description. Officers questioning one of them learned he had an outstanding arrest warrant. The other one happened to be Smith.

The city said that an officer, identified in the lawsuit as Sgt. Billy Wheeler, approached Smith mistakenly believing he was the wanted man, and “advised him to place his hands behind his back.” He then stated that Smith “began to resist by pulling his arms forward and tensing his body,” prompting Wheeler to take him to the ground, the city said.

Based on the bodycam footage, that wasn’t the case at all.

Although the city had access to the body cameras, they only released the cam footage of the officer who grabbed Smith, which doesn’t clearly show the takedown because the camera is pressed to Smith’s back. Only after the Valdosta Daily Times published a video supplied to them by Smith’s attorney, did officials release the video posted above.

BLM Protests Did Not Cause Spike In Coronavirus Cases

BLM Protests Did Not Cause Spike In Coronavirus Cases


A team of economists published a study showing the protests against systemic racism did not cause a significant increase in coronavirus infections.

According to Forbes, the study was released in June by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The data is backed up by coronavirus testing data in cities where protests were held. The protests initially worried health experts, who believed protesters yelling and screaming in close proximity would quickly spread the virus.

However, the researchers found “no evidence that urban protests reignited coronavirus case growth during the more than three weeks following protest onset.”

The study not only found no evidence, but determined “cities which had protests saw an increase in social distancing behavior for the overall population relative to cities that did not,” leading to “modest evidence of a small longer-run case growth decline.”

“In many cities, the protests actually seemed to lead to a net increase in social distancing, as more people who did not protest decided to stay off the streets,” Dhaval Dave, the study’s lead author told the AP.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tried to blame the protests for the coronavirus spikes across the country.

“When I looked at that drone view of [Los Angeles], where it was almost a mile-long shoulder-to-shoulder of people, and they’re expressing, they’re vocal . . . and now we’re finding that’s the easiest way to transmit to one another, the long periods of time next to one another,” McCarthy told CNBC Monday.

The researchers wrote in the study’s abstract “we conclude that predictions of broad negative public health consequences of Black Lives Matter protests were far too narrowly conceived.”

In late June, it was reported the FBI used an advanced spy plane to conduct long-range surveillance on Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C.

Black Lives Protesters and the American Civil Liberties Union are now suing the Trump administration for shooting tear gas at protesters in D.C.

KKK Member Who Shot Daughter’s Black Boyfriend Is Freed On $500 Bail

KKK Member Who Shot Daughter’s Black Boyfriend Is Freed On $500 Bail


A white man who is reportedly a member of the hate group the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) shot his daughter’s Black boyfriend several times and after being arrested, was released on just $500 bail, according to News One.

Patrick Creath Jr., 43, has been charged with malicious wounding, along with use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, in connection with the shooting that took place in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on June 19th.


A woman who identified herself as the cousin of the victim posted her outrage on Twitter.

A Change.org petition has been started to upgrade the charges to a federal hate crime. The petition was looking to obtain 25,000 signatures and is close to its goal.

"KKK member Patrick Fontaine Creath Jr shot his white daughters black boyfriend, three times June 19, 2020 in Virginia Beach VA. The 43-year-old Patrick Fontaine Creath Jr., stayed at the scene. He was taken into custody and charged with felonious assault and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The outcry for justice on social media is great. Pictures of the black young mans injuries have circulated showing the tragedy that took place on the afternoon of June 19, which are horrific.

"Patrick Fontaine Creath Jr was released from jail on $5000 bond. His behavior was a hate crime and should be prosecuted as such. This petition is to bring change to the injustice to the young man that sustained injuries due to racism. Had this situation been vice versa, the black young man that was shot would still be behind bars without the possibility of bond.

"This story also has not received the attention it deserves on local or national news. The charges should be upgraded to federal hate crime charges with no bond. Please sign the petition to bring justice to the injured young man. The time of turning a blind eye to racism and hate is over. No longer will we tolerate being treated as less than human. We demand justice!"

White Woman Calls Police on Black Neighbors for Building Patio on Their Own Property

White Woman Calls Police on Black Neighbors for Building Patio on Their Own Property


A white woman apparently caused a ruckus by calling the police on a Black couple in New Jersey after questioning if they had a permit to build a patio on their own property and then accusing them of assault, according to NJ.com.

The Black couple, Fareed Nassor Hayat, an attorney and law professor at the City University of New York, and his wife, Norrinda Hayat, say they were approached by their next-door neighbor, a white woman, outside their Montclair home earlier this week and she kept asking them if they had a permit to install a stone patio on their property.

Fareed posted about the incident with Susan Schultz, with video, on his Facebook page.


“It has happened again. White entitlement and black hate embodied in Susan who lives on Marion Road and works at the EPA, called the police to lodge a false report of assault against me when told to leave our property. Susan, aka ‘Permit Karen,’ came onto our property three times within thirty minutes to demand to know if we had the proper permit to install a stone patio in our backyard, on the other side of the fence of her yard. When asked if a permit was required by law, she said she didn’t know, but insisted we answer her questions and submit to her demands, or she would call the police to force us to stop improving our home.”

As seen in the video clip, Schultz falsely states that she was attacked.

Lisa Korn, a neighbor who lives directly across the street from the Hayats, stated she watched the entire incident and was appalled by the accusation.

“When I heard that, I was like, oh, no, no, no, that’s not what happened,” Korn told NJ Advance Media. “And this is not the way you handle a dispute. You don’t call the police. Are you kidding? In this climate, you called the police? Really?”

Korn is seen in the video clip telling Schultz not to approach her without a mask.

Montclair Police reported the incident in their police blotter, writing, “The dispute was related to work being done on the property of one of the residents. There were no complaints signed by either party involved, however, the incident is under investigation at this time.”

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