Keisha Lance Bottoms’ Competition For Georgia Governor Is A Pastor Named Olu Brown
Pastor Olu Brown is a newcomer to politics, but aims to represent all of Georgia in his campaign.
A new name has entered the race to be Georgia’s next governor. Methodist pastor Olu Brown will run against former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the quest to lead the Peach State.
Brown shared the news of his candidacy May 20 on Instagram, encouraging supporters to join his Instagram Live session the following day to learn more about his campaign.
Brown, a Texas native according to his website, now calls Georgia home while fostering his own faith-based community. After earning a Master of Divinity degree from Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Brown became the founding pastor of Impact United Methodist Church in Atlanta’s East Point neighborhood in 2007.
His over a decade-long leadership grew the church to over 5,000 online members, making Impact United among the top five fastest-growing Methodist churches in 2018. Although he retired from his role as lead pastor in 2022, he has built a career in mentorship and guidance through his coaching and consulting company, Culverhourse LLC.
With his go-to phrase “Normalizing Next,” Brown has officially began his gubernatorial run alongside Bottoms and fellow Georgia politician, state Sen. Jason Esteves, who is focusing on “kitchen table issues,” according to WSB-TV. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is the lone Republican running thus far.
“Georgia is more than metro,” he told WSB-TV. “Two, don’t forget about us, and three, come back. That’s how we’re going to win over and that’s how we’re going to cross the aisle and that’s how we’re going to win.
Brown will host a campaign kick-off event May 31. More information on his events and policies can be found on his official campaign website.
Ebonie Ward Champions Black Creativity And Ownership With Grand Opening Of 550 RMG
Ebonie Ward officially opened the doors to 550 RMG
On May 17, Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward was buzzing with celebration as entertainment executive and entrepreneur Ebonie Ward officially opened the doors to 550 RMG, her company’s new headquarters, 11th & Co. The 10,000-square-foot multiuse space represents a return to her hometown and a bold investment in Black creativity, collaboration, and community.
“In all honesty, it really means everything,” Ward said of owning the new headquarters outright. “You work so hard to achieve a certain level of success. I’ve been in the business for 13 years, and I’ve rented a lot of spaces. I’ve partnered with a lot of other companies and brands, but to have something of my own… it just feels very different.”
Ward’s journey in the entertainment industry spans over a decade, including managing rap superstars like Future, Gunna, DDG, and Flo Milli. As one of the most influential Black women in music, she’s known for combining her sharp business acumen with a deep commitment to community, culture, and mentorship.
550 RMG is the new home of five Black-owned businesses, including 11th & Co, the creative agency Six Degrees, the production collective Genius Club, the nonprofit initiative A Seat At The Table, and the upcoming Nine Distribution, a new distribution company set to launch in September 2025.
“It gives me so many capabilities to help so many more people,” Ward said. “Especially other Black women who have an interest in being in the music business, entertainment business, television, music, film… It allows me to open myself up and support so many other people.”
Ward has a long history of collaboration with the founders of the businesses housed at 550 RMG.
“I’ve worked with B. Wright[ Brian “BWrighteous” Wright] since 2011 when he was at Morehouse,” she shared. “I used to own a sneaker boutique on Peter Street, and I was selling his t-shirts. We’ve been working together for years, and this enables us to support each other’s businesses in a more intentional way.”
The new facility is also a space where creativity and community coexist. Designed by Atlanta-based interior designer Annysa LaMantia, 550 RMG includes a recording studio, editing and production bay, wardrobe showroom, open kitchen, patio, and multiple conference rooms.
“The studio is where the magic is made,” Ward said, though she also emphasized the importance of the space’s versatility. “I really wanted to pull energy out of this space. I wanted the versatility of having the open space for people to collaborate and be communal, but also have a space where people could be focused and have some level of privacy.”
The intention behind 550 RMG is deeply rooted in service. “To me, that’s really what it’s all about—community,” Ward said. Her nonprofit, A Seat At The Table, recently hosted its third annual dinner celebrating HBCU scholarship recipients. “I’ve always been about music, art, philanthropy, fashion, and finance. That’s what I call my big five. But philanthropy holds such a near and dear place in my heart.”
Ward’s commitment to community care is as comprehensive as her business acumen. From events supporting women who have experienced loss during Mother’s Day, to breast cancer awareness programming in October, to significant financial investment in scholarships for young Black women attending HBCUs, her work through A Seat At The Table is changing lives. “I’m a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and service is always first. But more so, service with a mission,” she said.
Building a team of powerhouse Black women is also a major part of Ward’s legacy. While Ward serves as CEO, owner, and manager of the business, her right-hand, Jenna Tyson, is chief marketing officer (CMO), Alexandria Kindle is 11th& Co’s chief financial officer (CFO), Krishna Lee is EVP of Touring & Logistics, and Zita R. Brack is the firm’s in-house legal counsel.
“I’m nothing without them,” Ward said. “As much as I’m celebrated, if I could put them on a pedestal—on every pedestal that I’m on—they would be right beside me. I saw it and I sought a lot of them to come in and work with me because of how incredible I thought they were.”
With the launch of Nine Distribution on the horizon, Ward is laying the groundwork for a more equitable music industry. “Independence is thriving,” she said. “You don’t have to be signed to a major label now to succeed, but to be able to operate a business, it takes a team. That’s what we’re going to be able to do differently—you’re able to come into an incubated system where everything is already operating.”
550 RMG was born out of necessity as much as vision. “I wanted a one-stop shop,” she said. “There wasn’t a facility or business where you were able to do everything all in one.”
While work commitments require Ward to travel regularly to Los Angeles, returning to Atlanta to build 550 RMG felt essential. “You have to be the change that you want in the world,” she said. “If I’m not providing people with jobs, with resources and tools, then I’m not truly creating opportunities. Black women need to see that it’s possible.”
University Of Minnesota Closes Antiracism Center After Founder’s Plagiarism Controversy
Following Hardeman's May 14 resignation date, University of Minnesota announced its Antiracism Center will close by May 30.
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is closing operations at its Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity after founder Rachel Hardeman resigned from her tenured position last week following plagiarism allegations.
Founded in 2021, the center approaches its May 30 closure after nearly four years of operation. Hardeman has already reached her May 14 resignation date, which was confirmed in her resignation agreement with the university in March. Hardeman found herself at the forefront of a plagiarism scandal after being accused of copying and pasting from a dissertation in 2019. Social Epidemiologist Brigette Davis blasted Hardeman, who was her mentor, in an April LinkedIn post for allegedly plagiarizing verbatim from her “dissertation prospectus paper entitled: ‘The impact of prolonged sociopolitical conflict on birth outcomes.’”
“I was not made aware of this until Rachel and CARHE leadership convinced me to leave my postdoc early and join the team in late 2022,” Davis wrote. The alleged plagiarism was discovered in Hardeman’s “Community Events and Pathways to Inequities in Birth Outcomes.”
The educator addressed her accuser in a February 2023 email obtained by Minnesota Public Radio. “I f***ed up,” Hardeman wrote. “I moved quickly and thoughtlessly in throwing together a proposal,” which Davis explained, Hardeman submitted to the National Institutes of Health for a grant to study police violence and its connection to adverse birth outcomes for Black women.
“I threw your stuff in thinking I’ll edit, I’ll talk to Brigette and see what she thinks, gauge her desire to be involved in this or future iterations, etc and then failed to do so getting swept into the momentum of a deadline and then fully forgetting where it all came from,” Hardeman wrote to Davis in 2023.
According to Inside Higher Ed, Hardeman said the university deemed her action as an “honest error.” However, Davis said in her LinkedIn post, “I had been told by Rachel that the ‘work was too important,’ and that if I said anything, it would cast doubt on the empirical study of racism overall.”
Hardeman’s resignation agreement with the university removed her right to sue the institution, which agreed to issue her a reference letter and permitted her to spend university funds on work-related travel, executive and leadership coaching, and any media and crisis management training. Funds were available to Hardemen until her 14 May resignation date.
Hardeman reportedly planned to exit her tenured faculty position with the university over a year ago. She cited several reasons, which included university leadership pushing back against her efforts to build a sustainable center that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota donated $5 million to open. “I wasn’t just doing the work, I was the work, and for some people, I suspect that that was hard to reconcile,” said the resignee.
Although Hardeman claimed she “was the center,” postdoctoral associate Jé Judson begged to differ. The former Antiracism Center worker, who joined in 2022 along with Davis, spoke out on her blog and accused the professor of running the center “into the ground, abusing, exploiting, and neglecting many early career scholars along the way,” Judson stated, “We kept her research enterprise running for 18 months while she was off collecting honoraria and awards, talking about her pain and her innovation.”
— Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity (@CARHEumn) November 17, 2022
The School of Public Health informed employees via email that the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity would be closing this month. It noted an “organized transition of roles and continuing research.”
Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Ranks No. 6 on Fast Casual’s’ Top 100 List
Founded by Derrick Hayes, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks became the first majority Black-owned brand named on the esteemed list
Big Dave’s Cheesesteak’s is the first majority Black-owned brand to earn a spot on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers and Shakers, landing at #6.
It’s a major accomplishment for founder Derrick Hayes, who launched the company out of a gas station.
“As one of the youngest Black men to ever make the Top 100 “Movers & Shakers” list, the impact and inspiration that this award will have on future entrepreneurs who come from a similar background is not lost on me,” Hayes said in a statement. “It’s an honor that my passion and purpose for this brand is being recognized, and I couldn’t do it without my incredible team and valued franchise partners.”
Big Dave’s earned its spot on the Fast Casual Top 100 list after a tough year. Hayes was forced to shut down and relocate the Atlanta headquarters due to a severe flood. Throughout the process, Hayes remained open about the challenges, receiving an outpouring of support from fans as he worked to reopen.
The West Philly native named the award-winning food franchise after his late father, Derrick Hayes Sr. Big Dave’s received its first big break when Grammy-winning artist and fellow Philadelphian, Eve, gave it a shout out after visiting his original location.
Since launching in 2014 from that 700-square-foot gas station in Dunwoody, Georgia, Hayes has grown the brand independently across the Southeast, including Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as into major sports venues like Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Orlando’s Kia Center.
Awarded annually since 2006, the Top 100 award honors the top 100 brands and 25 executives who are leading the fast-casual restaurant industry. View the full list here.
Dr. George Fraser, John Hope Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, And Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson To Be Honored At 2025 Black Men XCEL
Four distinguished business leaders will be honored at the BLACK ENTERPRISE 2025 Black Men XCEL Summit.
The 2025 BLACK ENTERPRISEBlack Men XCEL honorees have been announced, with Dr. George Fraser, John Hope Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, and Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson set to be celebrated for their groundbreaking contributions to community progress.
The annual celebration honoring influential Black men in leadership returns to the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida, from Oct. 15–17. On May 20, BLACK ENTERPRISEunveiled this year’s lineup of trailblazers recognized for their contributions across business, sports, and community impact.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to pay well-deserved honor to men who are gifts to the world,” says BLACK ENTERPRISE President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr.
“Their examples are a proper tribute to past XCEL Award honorees and powerful motivation to aspiring honorees to come. They are living embodiments of the Black Enterprise mission of elevating excellence.”
NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald Jr. will be honored for his impactful work across sports, philanthropy, and finance. Regarded by many as one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, Fitzgerald continues to show his prowess beyond the field as a founding general partner of Trenches Capital, a private equity firm investing across diverse sectors.
He also serves as president of Larry Fitzgerald Enterprises (LFE), his platform for values-driven business and charitable efforts. In 2005, he established the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation in memory of his mother, who passed from breast cancer in 2003. The foundation focuses on empowering underserved communities worldwide, supporting youth development, and providing resources to families affected by breast cancer.
John Hope Bryant will be honored for his business, finance, and community empowerment leadership. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, the nonprofit he launched in response to the 1992 Rodney King riots to promote economic uplift in underserved communities.
Hope Bryant also leads Bryant Group Ventures and The Promise Homes Company and co-founded Global Dignity. A trusted adviser to top business and government leaders, he has authored several bestselling books on financial empowerment. His public service includes roles under Presidents Bush and Obama, where he focused on financial literacy and economic inclusion for underserved populations.
Dr. George C. Fraser will be honored for his visionary leadership in networking and entrepreneurship, focusing on uplifting Black professionals. A prolific author of influential works like Race for Success and Success Runs in Our Race, Fraser has transformed how professionals build meaningful connections.
As founder of the acclaimed PowerNetworking Conference, hailed by Forbes as one of the “top five conferences not to be missed,” Fraser has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion while creating spaces that elevate collaboration, leadership, and community empowerment. His latest book, The New Flex: The Art of Being Unapologetically Black, highlights his continued influence and unwavering commitment to empowering Black professionals.
Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson will be honored for his lifelong dedication to service and transformative leadership. He began his pastoral journey at Rising Mount Zion and St. James Baptist Churches before becoming Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in 1975, where he has led the congregation into becoming one of the nation’s most progressive faith communities.
A global servant, Rev. Richardson has traveled across five continents and championed community empowerment through founding the Coalition for the Empowerment of People of African Ancestry. His advocacy helped Mount Vernon elect Westchester County’s first predominantly African American school board in 1997.
BLACK ENTERPRISE 2025 Black Men XCEL is where excellence meets legacy. Join us in Orlando, FL | Oct. 15–17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. For a limited time only, use code MEMORIAL25 to save on registration.
NYC Tops U.S. Cities In Post-Pandemic Return To Office
New York City is leading major cities in getting staffers back inside the office full-time.
The financial capital of the world is leading the charge to get workers back into the office after the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data from Placer.ai, New York City has nearly rebounded from the pandemic’s remote work shift, with April office building visits down just 5.5% compared to April 2019, the NY Post reports. The numbers position NYC as the national frontrunner in the return-to-office movement.
While most major U.S. cities saw an uptick in office visits compared to the previous month, their April attendance still lagged behind 2019 levels by an average of 30.7%. Cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco trailed New York, with office visits remaining 42% to 44% below pre-pandemic numbers.
Research shows office attendance in NYC’s busy Manhattan is back to 94.5% of pre-pandemic levels. Key areas include Park and Sixth Avenues, Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, and around the World Trade Center, where office lobbies and sidewalks are as lively as they were before March 2019.
This is great news for developers and landlords, as major new leases and expansions since January—from companies like Amazon, Aquarian Holdings, Amalgamated Bank, and several law firms—reflect a strong demand for office space that seems largely unaffected by ongoing hybrid work trends.
Industry insiders are also seeing a shift for real estate developers, as top executives at major firms like publicly traded SL Green and privately held Related Companies report that, since mid-2024, the work-from-home model is no longer influencing landlord or tenant decisions. The findings underscore a sharp shift back to in-office work as demand for traditional workplace models rises.
After going fully remote in 2020, many companies adopted hybrid setups in recent years, requiring staff to come in only a few days a week. But recently, corporate giants like Amazon, Dell, and Walmart have implemented full return-to-office (RTO) mandates, calling employees back five days a week. A 2024 study of S&P 500 companies found that firms were more likely to issue RTO mandates following stock declines, aiming to boost productivity and improve financial performance.
After making history as the first Black president at LSU, Tate will officially take over as President of Rutgers University on July 1st, 2025, according to Rutgers’ Knight Report. The respected social scientist and higher education leader will replace Jonathan Halloway when he exits his post this summer.
Tate, an alumnus of Northern Illinois (BS), the University of Texas at Dallas (MA), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D.), will take the helm of one of the nation’s largest universities. Rutgers serves over 69,000 students across campuses in New Brunswick–Piscataway, Newark, and Camden, New Jersey. Rutgers’ May 19 announcement came days after they revealed their plans to announce a new president.
Rutgers’ athletics department is excited to welcome Tate following his successful run at LSU. During his four-year tenure, the LSU Tigers secured national championships in baseball (2023), women’s basketball (2023), and gymnastics (2024). The football program also thrived, producing the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels, and five Top 10 NFL Draft picks.
LSU Athletics has also emerged as a national leader in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, boasting some of the highest-earning athletes across multiple sports. According to On3’s NIL Evaluation, LSU featured the nation’s top-earning gymnast, Livvy Dunne (No. 4 among all athletes), the top women’s basketball player, Flau’jae Johnson (No. 50 overall), and standout quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (No. 6 overall).
His role at Rutgers follows his history-making leadership as LSU’s first Black president and chancellor when he was appointed to succeed former LSU president F. King Alexander in 2021. Before joining LSU, he served as provost at the University of South Carolina, overseeing academics for 13 schools and colleges, including two medical schools.
Tate’s selection at Rutgers comes months after the school cancelled an HBCU conference, citing Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Ryan Clark Feels Robert Griffin III Isn’t Qualified To Speak On Angel Reese Since He’s Married To A White Woman
Clark defended Reese during a segment on “The Pivot" podcast.
A flagrant foul between the WNBA’s Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever has sparked reactions from sports analysts, including attacks on each other.
The latest: Ryan Clark suggested that former NFL star Robert Griffin III’s take isn’t relatable since he is married to a white woman.
The rivalry between the basketball stars, which dates back to college, was showcased during a May 17 game. Reese received heightened—and racist—backlash from fans over her reaction to what was labeled a flagrant foul by Clark, who pushed Reese.
On X and his Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast, Griffin claimed “it’s so obvious Angel Reese hates Caitlin Clark.”
He added on X, “After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.”
After watching Caitlin Clark’s flagrant foul on Angel Reese and the aftermath, there is no way Angel Reese can continue the lie that she doesn’t dislike Caitlin Clark. I know what hatred looks like. Angel Reese HATES Caitlin Clark. Not some basketball rivalry hate either. Hate.
Clark defended Reese during a segment on The Pivot podcast, calling Griffin’s “knows hate when ‘he’ see(s) it” irresponsible. While speaking to his co-host, Fred Taylor, he said Griffin isn’t having conversations at home about the struggles of Black women and Black women athletes.
“Caitlin Clark is the most important player in the WNBA. And a ton of her fandom has come along with some racial bias or some racial pieces to why people love her so much,” Clark said. “And so now, if you’re RGIII, when is the last time within your household you’ve had a conversation about what she’s dealing with? You haven’t been able to do that because in both of your marriages, you’ve been married to white women.”
RGIII saying he could recognize “hate when ‘he’ see(s) it”, when referring to Angel Reese’s feelings toward Caitlin Clark was irresponsible, but not at all surprising. Clark’s the biggest star in women’s basketball, & deservedly so. No need to beat up Reese to add shine to it.… pic.twitter.com/u2IDFwctf0
The ESPN analyst reminisced that when he worked with Griffin “he would make all of these sort of corny jokes about milk and how much he loved it and how important it was. And he always points out on social media the color of his wife’s white skin. As if the color of her skin is what makes her special. As if the color of her skin is what makes her a good wife.
“I’ve met the lady, I’ve had a conversation with her,” Clark added. “I think she’s more than that. But it also leads to what Black women deal with a lot from Black men who have chose to date or marry outside of their race. They always feel like they have to go the extra mile to prop up the woman that they married or the woman that they’re with over Black women by denigrating Black women.”
Social media users supported Clark’s claims by reposting some of Griffin’s past posts. One user screenshot four posts where the former Washington Guardians player highlighted his love for “milk,” including one from January 11, also known as National Milk Day.
It wasn’t long before Griffin caught wind of Clark’s comments.
“Let me be clear. It is wildly inappropriate, wrong, and extremely low to weaponize and attack a person’s wife, marriage, and their family because you disagree with a sports take,” he wrote in a lengthy social media post. “I didn’t make it personal with Angel Reese. I didn’t drag her family. I didn’t question her soul. I spoke about basketball. But Ryan? You crossed the line. You made it personal and some.”
Estate Of Whitney Houston To Commence North America Concert Tour In September
The North America concert tour commences Sept. 20 with additional dates to be announced throughout 2025 and 2026.
The Estate of Whitney Houston has announced a series of year-long events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the late singer’s iconic career in music and entertainment, which started with her 1985 debut album. Whitney Houston was released on Feb. 14, 1985.
To commemorate Houston’s legacy, according to a press release, the estate and its partner, Primary Wave Music, are planning the series, which will include the upcoming “The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration” North America tour this fall.
The concert tour is scheduled to travel to several performing arts centers across the country. ‘The Voice of Whitney” will feature original master, remastered recordings of Houston’s vocal set and some of her historic performances. Fans will also get inside scoop from never-before-seen video footage and interviews.
The late singer also narrates the entire concert, organizers say.
“There’s so much excitement happening around this tour, even the discussions and plans to take the tour internationally, where there’s a great amount of interest, which is where Whitney did a majority of her concert tours throughout her career,” said Pat Houston, executor of The Estate of Whitney E. Houston and President of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation.
The tour’s first stop: The Cincinnati (OH) Music Hall on September 20 featuring the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Wiley. Other stops will be in North Carolina, California, Indiana, Illinois, and Arizona.
Fans have already packed venues to attend “The Voice of Whitney,” which premiered last August at The Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Philharmonic, conducted by Sean Mayes. In November 2024, the concert tour continued at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Steven Reineke. Ahead of the highly anticipated North America fall concert tour, Mayes will conduct the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony in Music City on June 25.
February 15 marked the 47th anniversary of Houston’s debut performance at New York City’s historic Town Hall, where she performed “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical Annie at 14 years old. The sounds of Houston made their way back to the concert hall during “The Voice of Whitney’s” premiere at the venue this year. Conducted by Mayes, the 35-member Pops of Color Orchestra performed an exclusive special performance of “Tomorrow.”
Additional dates will be announced throughout 2025 and 2026. For more information, visit the website and follow Houston’s social media channels.
Democratic Leaders Stand With Rep. LaMonica McIver After She’s Hit With Federal Assault Charges By DOJ
Rep. Alma Adams said the charges against McIver are an indication of the Trump administration’s issue with Black women.
Several Black leaders of Congress are speaking out against the federal assault charges pushed on Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) by the Department of Justice (DOJ) after a May 9 rift between protestors and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Reps. Alma Adams (NC), Joyce Beatty (OH), and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) say the charges are political payback
According to ABC 7,Alina Habba, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said misdemeanor charges against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested outside of the Delaney Hall immigration detention center at the time of the scuffle, were being dismissed.
“The citizens of New Jersey deserve unified leadership so we can get to work to keep our state safe,” Habba said.
The assault charges come after McIver was seen on video going back and forth with authorities during the May 9 protest that turned ugly. Sporting a red jacket, McIver can be heard telling officers not to put their hands on her. In a statement, the New Jersey congresswoman pointed the blame at the Trump administration and said the charges are “meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight.”
“This administration will never stop me from working for the people in our district and standing up for what is right,” McIver said. “I am thankful for the outpouring of support I have received, and I look forward to the truth being laid out clearly in court.”
President Donald Trump agreed with McIver’s arrest.
“The days of woke are over. That woman—I have no idea who she is—that woman was out of control…The days of that crap are over in this country,” he told reporters. “We’re gonna have law and order.”
Trump on arrest of Rep. LaMonica McIver: "Give me a break. Did you see her? She was out of control. Those days are over. The days of woke are over. That woman — I have no idea who she is — that woman was out of control … the days of that crap are over in this country. We're… pic.twitter.com/9jAFMvL1va
Beatty said the Trump team is trying to criminalize McIver for standing up for transparency. “The charges against her are a politically motivated stunt—an abuse of power meant to punish oversight and silence dissent,” she wrote on X.
Adams went further.
“This administration seems to have issues with Black women lawmakers doing their job,” the congresswoman said. “I will continue to stand with Rep. McIver until these blatant, ridiculous, racist charges are dropped and proudly thank her for her courage.”
This administration seems to have issues with Black women lawmakers doing their job. I will continue to stand with Rep. McIver until these blatant, ridiculous, racist charges are dropped and proudly thank her for her courage.
— Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (@RepAdams) May 20, 2025
Despite having the charges against him dismissed, Baraka wrote, “I stand with LaMonica, and I fully expect her to be vindicated.”
