President Obama Praises Supreme Court DACA Ruling, Encourages Voters to Elect Biden
Former President Barack Obama has praised the Supreme Court ‘s decision to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and said that he is happy for young people protected from deportation, according to ABC News.
In its decision, the Supreme Court said that the Trump administration failed to provide adequate support for its decision to do away with it. The DACA program, which was created during the Obama administration, allows undocumented children who were brought to the United States the opportunity to live and work without being deported. President Donald Trump has been trying to dismantle it, stating that Obama overstepped his authority, but the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s action was an “arbitrary” and “capricious” violation of the law.
Obama made a statement via Twitter after the ruling was announced.
Eight years ago this week, we protected young people who were raised as part of our American family from deportation. Today, I’m happy for them, their families, and all of us. We may look different and come from everywhere, but what makes us American are our shared ideals…
The former president followed up that Tweet by encouraging voters to elect former Vice President Joe Biden in November.
…and now to stand up for those ideals, we have to move forward and elect @JoeBiden and a Democratic Congress that does its job, protects DREAMers, and finally creates a system that’s truly worthy of this nation of immigrants once and for all.
And as can be expected from President Trump, he took to Twitter to voice his disapproval of the ruling and to encourage voters to re-elect him to a second term.
These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives. We need more Justices or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment & everything else. Vote Trump 2020!
Earlier today, the president stated that the Supreme Court “punted” on the ruling and that his administration plans on “submitting enhanced papers shortly.”
The Supreme Court asked us to resubmit on DACA, nothing was lost or won. They “punted”, much like in a football game (where hopefully they would stand for our great American Flag). We will be submitting enhanced papers shortly in order to properly fulfil the Supreme Court’s…..
BE Exclusive: Stephen Jackson on Justice for George Floyd, Getting Blackballed From the NBA, and More (Video)
In 2014, former NBA star Stephen Jackson released the song “America Da Beautiful,” featuring legendary rapper Scarface, where he rapped about systemic racism, compared the NBA to a planation, and blasted former NBA team owner Donald Sterling.
“Is this a court or is this a cotton field?” he rapped. “Dear Mr. Sterling, here’s a speech for you. I had a dream the Klan had a sheet for you,” he continued, likening Sterling to the notorious white supremacist group.
At the time, Jackson was an NBA veteran who had played for eight different teams, including the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, and helped the San Antonio Spurs win the 2003 championship. He was also a free agent who had been unexpectedly cut by the Clippers months prior in January 2014. A year later, Jackson announced his retirement from the NBA in July 2015. However, he wasn’t ready to leave the league. Rather, he says his 14-year NBA career came to an end because he was blackballed.
“As soon I get cut from the [Clippers], the Donald Sterling stuff came out,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE, referring to an infamous audiotape where Sterling was heard making racists remarks. As a result, the billionaire businessman lost ownership of the Clippers franchise and was banned from the NBA for life. The incident also fueled Jackson’s ammunition to speak out. “Having one racist owner in the league? I’d be naive to think he’s the only one.”
After releasing the scathing song and a provocative music video that included images of the Klu Klux Klan and lynchings, Jackson never received another opportunity to play in the NBA again.
“That video said a lot,” he said. An NBA player never made a video condemning racism in the league to that degree, he added. “I was taking a stance even before [Colin Kaepernick] was kneeling.”
“I spoke up when things were wrong,” he continued. “I did not think twice [about making the video] because I knew no other basketball player was going to take it to the level I took it. And that’s definitely the reason why I never got a job.”
The Fight for “Twin”
Fast forward to 2020, and the issue of racial injustice hit even closer to home. On May 25, Jackson’s lifelong friend George Floyd was killed after Minneapolis police officers kneeled on his neck and back for nearly nine minutes while he repeatedly cried out, “I can’t breathe.” Jackson, like the rest of the world, found out about Floyd’s death after watching a gruesome video of the incident. Never had he imagined losing the childhood friend he affectionately called “Twin,” to police violence and then subsequently becoming a leading figure in the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Seeing my brother, who I call my Twin, get murdered for the world to see, a lot of times I see myself down there as a black man. This is personal. And God doesn’t make mistakes. He knew that I would stand up and I would stand up the right way.”
Following Floyd’s death, Jackson quickly sprang into action, flying to Minneapolis to tell his friend’s story and participate in marches, rallies, and press conferences calling for justice. The officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck has been charged with second-degree murder, while the three other officers involved in his death have been charged with aiding and abetting.
“There needs to be swift justice,” Jackson told BE. “The world seen it. Everybody seen it. It was clear cut murder.”
It wasn’t long before the Houston native became a spokesman for Floyd’s family and voice for other families who lost loved ones to police violence. “I feel it’s my duty to help them, too. So, I’m trying to get justice for my brother, Breonna Taylor, and so many more. And get these laws and get these policies changed so we’re all treated like equals and not like animals.”
Bigger Than Basketball
Floyd’s death sparked an international movement to end police brutality and systemic racism at large. But even as Jackson and millions of protesters flood the streets demanding police reform, 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot in the back by Atlanta officers on June 12.
“There is no reason to shoot a man running from you. He’s not a threat. He’s not running at you. There’s no reason to shoot him in the back,” Jackson said about the killing of Brooks. “It was just dead wrong.”
He went on, noting that “since my brother’s been murdered, it’s been over 100 police shootings or murders of black men.” He added, “It has to stop now because if we don’t take advantage of this, if we don’t show that we’re serious about this moment as a race and as people that stand for love, we’ll never get this moment back and they’ll continue killing us.”
According to Jackson, in order to keep the momentum going, the NBA should cancel its plans to restart the 2019-2020 season at the end of July. “The moment we have right now, we’ll never get it back,” he argued.
His sentiments have been echoed by NBA stars like Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard, who have threatened not to play next month in order to keep attention on the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Everybody is going to watch the NBA and everybody is going to be focused on LeBron getting his championship,” he said.
Plus, according to Jackson, NBA team owners are more concerned about the profits they make from black players than black humanity. Their silence on the issues of racism and police violence, he says, speaks volumes and their message is loud and clear: “We don’t care about your livelihood. All we care about is [that] you come in and dribble the ball, throw passes, run up and down the field, and make us money and bring fans in. We don’t care that your little cousin just got shot by the cops. That doesn’t affect us.”
Knowing that the world is watching, Jackson says the fight for black lives is bigger than him and basketball.
“We have the chance to make change right now,” he said. “You can’t say you support black people, you love black people, [and] you love us playing basketball, but you don’t care about us as human beings.”
100+ Black Businesses to Support on Juneteenth and Every Day
At Black Enterprise, we celebrate Black businesses every day of the year. But as we pause to celebrate Juneteenth—and as much of the nation joins us for the first time—we feel there’s no better time to recommit ourselves to the fight for economic equality; to show support for our communities’ hard-working entrepreneurs; and to highlight the some of the amazing products being created by Black artisans, inventors, designers, chefs, and more.
Every year we put together a list of our favorite gifts from black-owned brands. There are plenty of ideas to help you (virtually) celebrate the grads, dads, and newlyweds. But there are also everyday items for your closet, your pantry, and your playroom. You can browse the 100 businesses on our most recent list broken down by:
But even our Ultimate Gift Guide is just a drop in the bucket. There are many more products and services available for when you’re being intentional about where, and with whom, you spend your money. Find our complete coverage of all things Black-owned here.
And since we’re finally at a moment when Black people, issues, and concerns are getting the mainstream attention they deserve, check out some of these recent roundups of Black brands across fashion, food, home decor, and more:
Allure’s Black-Owned Fashion and Lifestyle Brands You Need to Be Following
Glamour’s Black-Owned Businesses You Can Support Today and Every Day
Vogue’s Black-Owned Fashion and Beauty Brands to Support Now and Always
Marie Claire’s Black-Owned Brands to Support Today and Every Day
Food Network’s Black-Owned Food Brands That You Need in Your Kitchen
Entrepreneur’s Black-Owned Restaurants and Businesses You Can Support Right Now
Bon Appétit’s Black-Owned Restaurants Lists Circulating the Internet
Retailers, marketplaces, and shopping directories are also giving you new ways to discover Black brands. For example, you can now find a curated selection of Black makers on Etsy and filter your local businesses on Yelp.
Companies Across The U.S. Are Giving Employees Juneteenth Off
A bevy of companies and states are giving their employees Juneteenth off as the Black Lives Matter protests and police shootings have brought new awareness to the plight of African Americans in the U.S.
Juneteenth, a mix of the works June and nineteenth, is the oldest commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S. The unofficial holiday marks when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war was over the enslaved were now free. This happened two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
According to CNBC, companies across the country in technology (Google, Twitter), automobiles (Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Ford), banks (JP Morgan Chase, US Bank, Capital One) retail outlets (Target, Nike) and more have given their employees the day off.
JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon made the following statement in a message to customers, staff and other stakeholders : “Out of deep respect for the suffering that the Black community has endured over hundreds of years and in recognition of the high esteem in which we hold our Black community at JPMorgan Chase, we are closing all Chase branches at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 19 — known as Juneteenth.”
“ Juneteenth celebrates African American emancipation and freedom. Closing the branches enables many of our colleagues to join in the celebration and reflect on not only America’s achievements, but also its enduring effort to acknowledge its flaws and become a better nation.”
Twitter and Square gave its employees the day off and will honor the day as a permanent holiday going forward.
Both Twitter and Square are making #Juneteenth (June 19th) a company holiday in the US, forevermore. A day for celebration, education, and connection.https://t.co/xmR3fWMiRs
Nike CEO John Donahoe said in a letter to employees last week that Juneteenth will be an annual paid holiday, CNN Business reported.
“At Nike Inc., we aspire to be a leader in building a diverse, inclusive team and culture. We want to be better than society as a whole,” Donahoe said in the letter, adding that celebrating Juneteenth is an opportunity “to better commemorate and celebrate Black history and culture.”
Multiple sports leagues and teams are also allowing employees to take the day off. Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the league and all teams would observe the day as a holiday. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and other teams announced plans to give employees the day off. The NBA also has a list of events fans can participate in to learn more about the holiday.
Other companies giving employees the day off include Best Buy, Lyft, J.C. Penney, Mastercard, Postmates, Spotify, Workday, and Vox Media.
According to CNN, Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official state holiday, back in 1980. As of last year all but four states recognized it in some way. This year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam both announced plans to turn the day into a permanent paid state holiday.
The Collective Marks Juneteenth with “Vote To Live” Campaign to Register 250,000 Black Voters
The Collective Political Action Committee has announced a campaign to register 250,000 African American voters on Juneteenth.
According to a release, The Collective, a group dedicated to electing black candidates, will launch its “Vote to Live” campaign, an attempt to register 250,000 African American voters. The Vote to Live campaign is a data driven voter engagement program to reach African American voters through digital advertising, mail, and text messaging. The effort includes a partnership with the Conference of National Black Churches.
The effort, funded in part by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will focus on the battleground states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.
The campaign comes as the presidential election draws closer and as part of the response to the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks. On Thursday June 18, The Collective will launch an extensive digital voter registration campaign using online ads aimed at reaching unregistered Black voters.
On June 19, from 7 p.m. through midnight, The Collective will co-host a virtual event with Axis Replay to promote social justice initiatives. The event will include entertainers and professional athletes including rapper Young Jeezy and social media personality Desi Banks.
“The Black vote is powerful and when we vote, we change the course of history,” The Collective’s Founder and President Quentin James said in a press release. “We are living in a time when people are protesting for change that directly impacts the Black community, but protesting is only a start, the ultimate protest comes at the ballot box. Vote to Live is more than registering new voters, it’s a call to action and a demand for change.”
According to The Collective, 90% of elected officials are white and 95% of all elected prosecutors are white. Despite electing the most diverse U.S. Congress in history in 2018, Black voter turnout was at a 20-year low in 2016. The Collective believes all African Americans have a voice, and their vote is part of that voice.
A Black Taco Bell Employee Was Fired For Wearing A Black Lives Matter Face Mask
A Taco Bell employee in Ohio was fired for his support of Black Lives Matter and posted the whole ordeal on social media Wednesday.
According to MarketWatch, Denzel Skinner, who has been working for the national fast-food chain for eight years, said Taco Bell did not include anything in its face-covering policy that dictated what can and cannot be printed on a mask. However, when he showed up to work his shift at Taco Bell last week, a manager told him to take the mask off.
Skinner refused, citing the mask policy and began to leave when the manager said if he left he would be fired. Skinner continued out the door and was fired.
“All because I got a Black Lives Matter mask on; I get fired,” Skinner said while livestreaming the account on June 8. “This is crazy.”
“You can’t bring politics into the building,” the person can be heard telling Skinner as he left.
The video was quickly shared across social media, getting more than 1 million views. About 30 people joined Skinner in a peaceful protest last Friday, marching from a nearby Aldi to the Taco Bell where he was fired.
“No hatred towards Taco Bell, none whatsoever, but once again, I just want justice,” Skinner told WFMJ. “We need justice. All lives can’t matter until Black lives start mattering.”
In the video, Skinner said he doesn’t plan on requesting his job back and he will return if asked. Skinner said as a team leader, he always clocked in under 30 hours a week and was never eligible for paid vacation. Taco Bell responded to MarketWatch in an emailed statement saying its parent company chief people officer and chief diversity and inclusion officer both apologized to Skinner last week.
“We are disappointed to learn what took place in Youngstown. We are working with our franchisee that operates this location to understand what happened,” Taco Bell said in a statement Wednesday. “We are committed to fighting racial injustice and hosting open forums to give restaurant teams an opportunity to discuss racism in America. Our priority is to be an inclusive brand while keeping team members and customers safe.”
The fast-food chain added employees can bring in their own masks since supplies are low. Taco Bell only requires the masks are clean. “As this is a fluid situation, we’re in the process of considering the need to revise mask and uniform requirements to address recent concerns.”
The apology hasn’t calmed the waters for Taco Bell. The situation led to a backlash on social media Thursday as users on Twitter and Facebook began calling for a boycott of Taco Bell using the hashtag #TacoBellIsOverParty. Social media users have also called for boycotts of other fast-food chains owned by Yum including KFC and Pizza Hut.
Actress Lynn Whitfield Talks ‘Greenleaf,’ Divorce, and Her Own Journey of Faith (Video)
Since its 2016 premiere, loyal fans have followed the scandals, secrets, and lies within the Greenleaf family and their Memphis megachurch on OWN’s hit series Greenleaf. Although the faith-based series was a breakout hit, it ascended to new heights last fall. Season 4 of Greenleaf was the No. 1 original scripted series for African American women and total viewers on cable television, reports Deadline. It also ranked as the No. 4 original scripted series on cable for all women between 25 and 54, making OWN’s Tuesday nights the No. 1 cable network among African American women, households, and total viewers. Thus, there was no surprise that the announcement of the show’s fifth and final season triggered a fervent response from fans. According to The Hollywood Reporter,Greenleaf creator Craig Wright and executive producer Oprah Winfrey originally envisioned Greenleaf as a five-season story arch and discussed the possibility of a spinoff. However, plans for a spinoff were accelerated by the outpouring of support.
Lynn Whitfield, who plays Greenleaf matriarch Lady Mae, says she can’t attribute the secret behind the show’s success to one specific thing. “If I knew, I would do it every time,” she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. She is, however, well-aware of the key elements that resonated with its audience. “We try to tell the truth. I think that the story about people whose family business was a megachurch is something that resonates with our fans because they’re big churches everywhere now. And some of them are really doing the work of the Lord and some of them are really doing the work for themselves,” she said, adding “and I think our cliffhangers are really good.”
Whitfield teased that in its final season, the Greenleaf family will fight to save their church from being taken over by Bob Whitmore and Harmony and Hope Ministries. All the while, a litany of secrets, both past and present, threaten to tear the family apart even as they try to unite.
“You can expect, first of all, the Greenleaf family to come together because they’re fighting this church who’s taking them over,” she said. “Everybody’s mistakes have been exposed and everybody has consequences to their bad decisions.”
When Art Imitates Life
For Whitfield, playing the matriarch of the Greenleaf family is “where life and the magic of storytelling combine.” Like her character, whose marriage is in shambles, Whitfield says divorce brought her closer to God.
“When I went through a terrible divorce is when I really discovered my relationship, you know, a spiritual relationship with God,” said the actress, who was married to influential playwright and director Vantile Whitfield from 1974 to 1978. She later married English film director Brian Gibson in 1990 and divorced in 1992. “There’ve been times in my life where I knew that I couldn’t make it without God,” she said.
However, being a woman of faith has not blinded the Emmy Award-winning actress to the corruption that sometimes takes place in church pews and pulpits. “People need to question, is this leadership doing the right thing? Is it leading me to Christ or is it leading them to dollars?” she said. “Man will disappoint. But [with] God, even if you think it’s a disappointment, behind that is some kind of silver lining.”
The Next Chapter
During the time of the interview, Whitfield says she had no knowledge or insight into the Greenleaf spinoff series. “I can’t tell you anything. I just hope Lady Mae gets to show up,” she said.
Nevertheless, she’s excited for fans to watch how the story unfolds. “They’ve been so good and so loyal. They have stuck with us through all of these seasons. I can’t wait to share the fifth and final season with them.”
Greenleaf is produced by Lionsgate in association with Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Pine City. Along with Whitfield, it stars Merle Dandridge, Keith David, Kim Hawthorne, Lamman Rucker, and Deborah Joy Winans. The fifth and final season of Greenleaf premieres Tuesday, June 23 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.
Watch Whitfield’s full interview discussing the series, the effects of COVID-19 on the entertainment industry, and the fight for justice for George Floyd on BLACK ENTERPRISE’sThe New Norm With Selena Hill below.
D.C. Farmers Allege Well-Known Marketplace Repeatedly Denied Spots To Black Vendors
The protests around the death of George Floyd among numerous others in the last few weeks has sparked a new dialogue about race in America. One of those conversations is how racism affects black people in business and can affect their livelihood. A group of local farmers in Washington, D.C., believes that they were denied vendor spots at one of the most profitable markets in the city based on their race.
Forbes reports that a group of black farmers and food makers are accusing Freshfarm, owner of D.C.’s largest farmers market in Dupont Circle, of denying them vendor spots. Earlier this week the company wrote a post on Instagram encouraging their followers to shop at the black-owned producers and farms within their network. One of those entrepreneurs is Toyin Alli, the owner/chef of Puddin’, a street food vendor who sells comfort food such as their signature Brown Butter Bourbon Bread Puddin’ at local markets and from two food trucks.
Alli and several other black food producers have been talking about Freshfarm’s discrimination for years. She went on to say that she applied for one of the spots at the Dupont Circle market but was denied at every attempt with no explanation.
“If you truly valued your black-owned business vendors then why do we only represent less than one percent of vendors at your highest grossing market, Dupont Circle,” wrote Alli on her Instagram page.
Executive director Hugo Mogollon and deputy director Nony Dutton spoke with Alli by phone about the Instagram post. As a new member to the company and a person of color, Mogollon told Forbes he’s committed to doing better by their black vendors. “Our intention was to support the businesses but we missed the target,” he admitted.
NFL Legend Herschel Walker Wants to Send Americans Who ‘Don’t Want Any Police’ to ‘Countries That Don’t Have Police’
Former NFL player Herschel Walker, who is an avid Trump supporter, has a message for people who “don’t want any police.” He has suggested that he’d offer to meet with airlines to “make a deal to fly them to countries that don’t have police,” according to Fox News.
While the country is debating defunding the police, one of the rallying cries of the many recent protests for racial justice and police reform, many people aren’t even sure what that means. As CNN notes, some activists want a portion of local budgets reallocated from police to social services, while others are calling for the disbanding of police departments in favor of alternative models of maintaining law and order.
Walker was once was a player for the USFL (United States Football League)’s New Jersey Generals, a team that was owned by Donald Trump back in the 1980s. He played at the former Meadowlands Stadium for the Generals for two seasons in 1984 and 1985 before heading over to play 12 more years in the NFL.
Walker took his thoughts about the subject to his Twitter account.
I have an idea…
For all these people who don’t want any police, I’d love to meet with American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest and make a deal to fly them to countries that don’t have police. I want them to be happy! @CNN@FoxNews@DonaldJTrumpJr@POTUS@espn
We’re civilized people. Why can’t true congressmen/women and senators get together with leaders from all ethnic groups, both left and right, to find solutions… unless certain people in Washington don’t want to see a change. I’m volunteering myself as one of the black leaders.
The former NFL player, who started his football career playing for The New Jersey Generals of the defunct United States Football League (USFL), played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys (1986–1989, 1996-1997)), the Minnesota Vikings (1989–1991), the Philadelphia Eagles (1992–1994), and the New York Giants (1995).
Black Teenager Found Hanged in Texas Elementary School Parking Lot
There’s been a disturbing string of recent deaths of black men found hanged, all initially ruled as suicides. According to authorities, the latest one has taken place in Harris County, Texas, as the body of a black teenager was found hanging in the parking lot of an elementary school earlier this week according to The New York Daily News.
Based on a tweet sent by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, officials believe the teen’s death to have been a suicide.
“Based on security video, witnesses, and other evidence, preliminary indications are the male hanged himself. There are currently no signs of foul play. Cause of death is pending autopsy.”
Deputies were called to the parking area of a school in the 6600 block of Rosebrook, where a teenage black male was found deceased. Based on security video, witnesses and other evidence, preliminary indications are the male hanged himself. #hounewspic.twitter.com/XH78MEnf4u
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies found the deceased 17-year-old in the parking lot of Ehrhardt Elementary School in Spring, Texas, which is located just 22 miles north of Houston. The teenager’s identity has not yet been revealed.
According to ABC7, the school district issued the following statement:
“On Tuesday night, an individual was found in distress on the property of Ehrhardt Elementary School. First responders immediately began attempts to save the individual’s life. The individual did not survive. This matter remains under investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Klein ISD grieves this tragedy. The district offers the full support of our counseling team to all members of the Klein community. If you are in need of support, please visit kleinisd.net/gethelp.”
The teenager is the latest black male to be found hanging from a tree. Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department had initially stated that 24-year-old Robert Fuller had died by suicide. Another black man, 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch, was found dead in similar circumstances on May 31, also in California.
Both families have disputed that their loved one committed suicide and have demanded an investigation. According to TIME, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are “actively reviewing” the deaths.
