West Virginia Town Seeks Dismissal Of Discrimination Lawsuit Filed By Former Police Chief
Lamon Simpson's suit claims then-mayor Barbara Beatty told him to reconsider his position if he couldn't handle being called the n-word.
On Aug. 28, the town of Rivesville, West Virginia, moved to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed by former Police Chief Lamon Simpson in Marion Circuit Court.
According to the Times West Virginian, Simpson filed his lawsuit on June 24, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated and discriminated against while employed by the town’s police department. Simpson’s representation, Sean Cook, told the outlet that his client faced several incidents of racially based harassment as well as inequitable treatment. One of those times included a phone call he received in which a caller inquired if he was the “n-word chief.”
In the suit, Simpson alleged that the mayor of the town at that time, Barbara Beatty, told him if he couldn’t handle being called the n-word, he needed to think about leaving his position.
The town’s response to the claims in Simpson’s lawsuit appears to be a point-by-point rebuttal and a call for the court to completely dismiss Count III of Simpson’s lawsuit, arguing that no policy or employment practice discriminated against Black people.
Attorney Jeffery M. Cropp wrote in the town’s motion to dismiss, “In his complaint, Plaintiff has not identified any employment practice or policy that caused a disparate impact on African Americans or on any other class protected by the West Virginia Human Rights Act.”
Cropp continued, “Rather, the crux of his Complaint is that Defendant discriminated against just him.”
In addition to this, according to court papers, the town either flatly denied Simpson’s allegations or claimed not to have knowledge of information related to some of his assertions in his complaint. The town denied that Beatty told Simpson to rethink his employment if he couldn’t deal with hearing the n-word.
The town of Rivesville denied claims that its population of Black and other people of color is small, despite Census data supporting those claims. According to reports, the town mentioned an incident in which a firefighter suggested that Simpson was stopping too many white people.
Notably, although the town’s response seems meticulous, it also left out several key details, like why they actually fired Simpson or why they replaced him with Nathan Lanham at a higher pay than Simpson received. It only said that there was a legitimate business reason for the change.
Cook, Simpson’s attorney, issued a statement to the outlet, affirming his desire to fight for his client against the town’s litigation efforts.
“We are committed to ensuring that justice is served and that Mr. Simpson is compensated for the unlawful actions taken against him,” Cook said. “No individual should face discrimination or retaliation for upholding the law and performing his duties with integrity.”
Group Receives $1.5M Grant To Increase Black Representation On Medical Boards
The grant comes from healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente.
The Black Directors Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA), a healthcare nonprofit organization that brings together board directors, senior executives, and educators to address healthcare disparities affecting Black people, was awarded a $1.5 million grant by Kaiser Permanente to continue that work.
According to a press release, the grant will support BDHEA’s Board Diversification and Inclusion Project, which aims to create diverse hospitals and other healthcare boards.
The press release also states that the three-year grant funding period will significantly impact the organization’s goal of eliminating health disparities in Black communities. This, in collaboration with its alliances with Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and U.S. World News Report, puts BDHEA in a position to advance its model.
According to BDHEA Executive Director Deborah Phillips, “Representation matters, and it is crucial to ensure diverse voices are heard in boardrooms across the healthcare sector. Our work extends beyond representation and invites diverse perspectives and ideas to identify critical health equity solutions.”
Dr. Ronald L. Copeland, Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president and chief Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity officer, echoed Phillips’ statement.
“To achieve health equity, we must commit to working together to make sure everyone has access to high-quality care,” Dr. Copeland said. “Through BDHEA’s efforts, we hope to strengthen and empower community health centers and nonprofit hospitals to reduce, if not eliminate, all preventable and unjust health disparities, with trustees who are steadfast advocates for their communities.”
According to a March 2024 Ernst & White study, healthcare disparities remain a concern despite efforts to create health equity, returning value for patients and industry organizations. The study noted that more work is needed to achieve the goals of increased health equity. According to U.S. News And World Report, Black people make up approximately 12% of board members, which is close to the 14% Black representation in the American population. Their reporting also notes it is skewed toward Black men; they make up 66% of Black board members, while Black women make up 34%.
According to the report’s summary, “While there is evidence of progress, Black representation on healthcare boards has not achieved the critical mass needed to activate the diversity ‘domino effect’ that will ultimately create meaningful value for the communities served by these organizations.”
According to BDHEA Board Chair Caretha Coleman, the grant represents an opportunity to create a pathway for justice in healthcare and medicine.
“Our duty as healthcare board members extends beyond oversight; it’s a commitment to the heart of care,” Coleman said. “This grant empowers our shepherds of health equity to forge a path toward justice, ensuring that those facing the harshest conditions and barriers find high-quality, equitable care.”
Survey Reveals Five Distinct Political Groups Among Black Voters
Organizers say identifying Black voter groups helps refine engagement strategies.
A new survey sheds light on the diverse perspectives of Black voters and their approaches to various election issues.
The Guardian reports that Sojourn Strategies’ survey identifies Black voters as falling into one or more of five categories: legacy civil rights voters, secular progressives, next-gen traditionalists, rightfully cynical, and race-neutral conservatives.
“These clusters indicate that there are incredible differences within the Black community, in terms of how people think about democracy and their role in our democracy,” said Katrina Gamble, CEO of Sojourn Strategies.
The survey of 2,034 registered voters and 918 unregistered voters found that 41% were legacy civil rights voters who tended to be over 50 years old and had high rates of voter turnout. This group tends to believe their vote can drive positive change.
In contrast, a group considered more cynical, making up 22% of respondents, was the youngest and least likely to vote. Shaped by their experiences with racism and encounters with law enforcement, they felt their votes carried less weight compared to what the older generation believed.
The next-gen traditionalists, the most religious and least educated group, featured millennial and Gen-Z voters. They composed 18% of respondents and were a low-voter turnout group with a moderate belief in the power of voting.
The secular progressives make up a relatively small group—12%. The group is also the most likely to vote and generally composed of highly-educated women voters.
The last group, the race-neutral conservatives, is mostly male and is the second-oldest and most conservative group. That group represents 7% of the respondents and has a moderate voter turnout rate with the tendency to point to systemic barriers to voting on personal choice.
According to Sojourn Strategies, several groups have engaged voters with campaigns tailored to increasing their participation in the civic process. These groups include the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, New Georgia Project, Black Leaders Organizing Communities in Wisconsin, Michigan’s Detroit Action, Faith In Florida, and POWER Interfaith in Pennsylvania.
“When Black people feel powerful, they vote,” Gamble explained in an April 2024 op-ed in The Hillwritten with Terrance Woodbury. “When they feel powerless, they don’t. Just dumping millions of dollars into advertising, especially at the last minute, won’t empower Black voters to effect change with their votes. Instead, investments should be made in Black-led power-building organizations already deeply engaged with their local communities.”
Gamble continued, “Ultimately, candidates need to treat Black voters like the sophisticated political agents they are. They must understand the nuances and differences in Black political thought and behavior. They will have to court them and persuade them. And they need to start now, not after Labor Day.”
WinChileOnline.com: El Nuevo Portal de Casino y Apuestas en Línea para Chile
El mercado de los casinos en línea y las apuestas deportivas en Chile está en auge, y WinChileOnline.com surge como una opción destacada para quienes buscan una experiencia segura y adaptada al público local. Con una amplia variedad de juegos, promociones exclusivas, y métodos de pago pensados para los chilenos, WinChile Casino se convierte en una opción ideal para los entusiastas del entretenimiento digital. En este artículo, exploraremos las características y ventajas de esta plataforma para aquellos interesados en disfrutar del casino en línea y las apuestas desde la comodidad de su hogar.
Una Plataforma Diseñada para el Usuario Chileno
WinChileOnline.com ha sido desarrollada pensando en las necesidades y preferencias del jugador chileno. A diferencia de muchas plataformas globales, aquí los usuarios encuentran una experiencia completamente en español y métodos de pago que se ajustan a sus necesidades locales, como WebPay y transferencias bancarias en pesos chilenos. Esta personalización elimina las barreras de idioma y cambio de divisa, haciendo que las transacciones sean mucho más accesibles y seguras.
Además, la atención al cliente está disponible en español y con un enfoque en resolver las inquietudes comunes del mercado chileno. Desde consultas sobre juegos hasta asistencia técnica, el equipo de WinChileOnline.com se dedica a brindar un servicio cercano y efectivo que responde a las expectativas de sus usuarios.
Variedad de Juegos para Todos los Gustos
El catálogo de WinChileOnline.com abarca una impresionante variedad de juegos que promete satisfacer a todo tipo de jugadores. Los amantes de las tragamonedas encontrarán títulos clásicos y modernos, incluyendo tragamonedas 3D con gráficos envolventes y temas diversos. Proveedores de renombre como Microgaming y Pragmatic Play respaldan la calidad de los juegos, lo que asegura una experiencia entretenida y justa.
En cuanto a los juegos de mesa, WinChileOnline.com ofrece múltiples variantes de blackjack, ruleta, baccarat y póker. Estos juegos están disponibles en formatos de alta calidad y ofrecen opciones de apuesta para principiantes y jugadores experimentados. Además, el casino en vivo permite a los usuarios disfrutar de una experiencia más inmersiva al jugar con crupieres reales en tiempo real, lo que añade un toque de autenticidad al ambiente digital.
Apuestas Deportivas en Vivo
Para quienes disfrutan de las apuestas deportivas, WinChileOnline.com ofrece una sección completa dedicada a esta actividad. Los usuarios pueden realizar apuestas en una amplia gama de deportes, incluyendo fútbol, baloncesto, tenis y otros eventos populares en Chile y el mundo. La plataforma también cuenta con apuestas en vivo, lo que permite a los jugadores ajustar sus apuestas mientras los partidos están en curso, brindando una experiencia dinámica y emocionante.
Esta flexibilidad en las apuestas deportivas atrae tanto a los aficionados al deporte como a los jugadores que buscan aprovechar los cambios en tiempo real. Con una interfaz intuitiva y cuotas competitivas, WinChileOnline.com se convierte en una opción ideal para quienes buscan disfrutar de la emoción de las apuestas deportivas en línea.
Promociones y Bonos Exclusivos para Jugadores Chilenos
WinChileOnline.com sabe que los bonos y promociones son importantes para mejorar la experiencia de juego, por lo que ofrece incentivos exclusivos para sus jugadores. Los nuevos usuarios pueden obtener un atractivo bono de bienvenida al registrarse, que les permite explorar los juegos de la plataforma con un saldo adicional. Además, la plataforma incluye giros gratis en tragamonedas seleccionadas y promociones regulares para que los jugadores maximicen su potencial de ganancias.
Para los jugadores más frecuentes, WinChileOnline.com ha desarrollado un programa de fidelidad donde cada apuesta suma puntos que pueden ser canjeados por bonificaciones y premios especiales. Este programa permite a los usuarios leales disfrutar de beneficios adicionales y mejorar su experiencia de juego a medida que acumulan puntos.
Seguridad y Regulación de WinChileOnline.com
Uno de los aspectos clave de WinChileOnline.com es su compromiso con la seguridad de los jugadores. La plataforma cuenta con una licencia emitida en Curazao, lo que garantiza que cumple con los estándares internacionales de regulación y ofrece un entorno de juego transparente y seguro. Además, todos los datos de los jugadores están protegidos con encriptación SSL avanzada, asegurando que la información personal y financiera esté completamente resguardada.
WinChileOnline.com también se somete a auditorías de terceros para asegurar la aleatoriedad y equidad de sus juegos. Estas revisiones periódicas verifican que cada juego funcione de manera justa y aleatoria, brindando a los jugadores la tranquilidad de saber que están participando en una plataforma confiable y bien regulada.
Juego Responsable: Una Prioridad en WinChileOnline.com
WinChileOnline.com fomenta el juego responsable y ofrece herramientas para ayudar a los usuarios a mantener el control de su actividad en el sitio. Los jugadores pueden establecer límites de depósito y recibir recordatorios sobre el tiempo de juego, lo que les permite gestionar sus apuestas de manera consciente. Además, para quienes sientan que necesitan un descanso, el casino proporciona opciones de autoexclusión que les permiten tomarse un tiempo sin acceder a la plataforma.
El equipo de atención al cliente está capacitado para ofrecer información sobre prácticas de juego responsable y asesoramiento a los usuarios que lo requieran. De este modo, WinChileOnline.com promueve una experiencia de juego segura y saludable para todos sus usuarios, recordando siempre que el entretenimiento debe ser la prioridad.
Métodos de Pago Confiables y Rápidos
Para facilitar la experiencia de los jugadores chilenos, WinChileOnline.com ofrece una variedad de métodos de pago locales que permiten realizar transacciones en pesos chilenos. Desde tarjetas de crédito y débito hasta sistemas como WebPay y transferencias bancarias locales, los usuarios pueden elegir la opción que les resulte más cómoda y conveniente. Además, todas las transacciones están protegidas con tecnología de encriptación avanzada, asegurando que cada depósito y retiro se procese de manera rápida y segura.
La rapidez en los retiros es otra ventaja destacada de WinChileOnline.com, ya que los jugadores pueden recibir sus ganancias sin largos tiempos de espera. Si los usuarios tienen alguna consulta relacionada con los pagos, el equipo de soporte está siempre disponible para ayudar y ofrecer una experiencia fluida.
Proceso de Registro Sencillo y Rápido
Registrarse en WinChileOnline.com es un proceso rápido que permite a los nuevos jugadores comenzar a disfrutar de sus juegos favoritos en cuestión de minutos. Los usuarios solo deben completar un formulario con sus datos básicos, verificar su cuenta y realizar un primer depósito para empezar a jugar. La plataforma es muy intuitiva, y su diseño facilita la navegación para encontrar los juegos y apuestas deseadas.
La optimización para dispositivos móviles permite que los usuarios disfruten de WinChileOnline.com desde cualquier lugar. Esto significa que los jugadores pueden acceder a sus tragamonedas, juegos de mesa y apuestas deportivas preferidas ya sea en casa o en movimiento, aprovechando al máximo cada momento de entretenimiento.
Un Compromiso con la Experiencia del Jugador Chileno
WinChileOnline.com demuestra un firme compromiso con la experiencia de juego adaptada a los jugadores chilenos, combinando seguridad, calidad y conveniencia en una misma plataforma. Desde su extenso catálogo de juegos y su enfoque en el juego responsable, hasta sus métodos de pago locales y promociones exclusivas, el sitio ofrece una experiencia completa y personalizada. Los jugadores pueden disfrutar de la emoción de los casinos y las apuestas deportivas en un entorno diseñado para satisfacer sus expectativas.
Si estás en busca de una plataforma de casino en línea y apuestas deportivas que valore y entienda las necesidades del jugador chileno, WinChileOnline.com es la elección ideal. Únete hoy y explora un mundo de entretenimiento seguro, emocionante y accesible, donde cada jugador puede disfrutar de la mejor experiencia desde la comodidad de su hogar o en cualquier lugar donde se encuentre.
North Carolina State Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr. Dies At 75
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said in a statement that Alexander's legacy will live on after his death.
North Carolina State Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr. died on Sept. 6 after serving in the state’s legislature for much of the past 20 years, according to his family.
WRAL reports that Alexander formerly served as president of the North Carolina NAACP and was a dedicated activist before he began a career in politics in 2008. Alexander followed in the footsteps of his father, Kelly Alexander Sr., who became the chairman of the national NAACP in 1984 after serving as the North Carolina chapter president between 1948 and 1984.
In a statement, the family expressed their shock at the 75-year-old’s death.
“Kelly’s unwavering commitment to his city, district, state, and this nation has been both profound and heartfelt throughout the years,” his family wrote in a statement on Sept. 6. “This loss has come as a shock to us, and we kindly ask the public for privacy as we process this and plan to celebrate his life in the coming days.”
Official statement from the Alexander Family-
It is with deep sadness that the Alexander family shares the passing of our brother, brother-in-law, friend, and community leader, North Carolina Representative Kelly Alexander Jr., who left us this morning. pic.twitter.com/cIphJdMN9L
Alexander was also remembered fondly by North Carolina politicians.
Chatham County Rep. Robert Reives said in a statement that he considered Alexander a valuable mentor.
“Kelly was an incredible mentor for me personally from the day I walked into the General Assembly,” Reives wrote. “He taught me a lot about life and politics during many late nights spent in Raleigh at the Legislative Building. He always spoke about the future and how we could continue to improve North Carolina.”
Alexander was known as an advocate for anti-poverty and criminal justice reform, particularly marijuana legalization, which he fought for alone for years before finally receiving support earlier in 2024.
According to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, who was the House Speaker in North Carolina during the early 2010s, Alexander was integral to making North Carolina the first state to compensate people who the state sterilized in the 20th century.
So saddened by the passing of Rep. Kelly Alexander. It was a pleasure to work with him in the NCGA, and he was instrumental in the effort to make North Carolina the first state in the nation to provide compensation to eugenics victims. Susan and I are praying for his family… https://t.co/zGjf9W0fOI
“So saddened by the passing of Rep. Kelly Alexander. It was a pleasure to work with him in the NCGA, and he was instrumental in the effort to make North Carolina the first state in the nation to provide compensation to eugenics victims. Susan and I are praying for his family during this difficult time,” Sen. Tillis wrote on X.
According to the Associated Press, Alexander retired from the legislature in December 2023. In a radio interview, he said his health issues would make it difficult for him to run for re-election in 2024.
Charlotte area Democrats will select someone to finish Alexander’s term through the end of 2024. Funeral services for the late Rep. Alexander have not yet been announced.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said in a statement that Alexander’s legacy will live on after his death.
“Charlotte mourns the loss of Kelly M. Alexander, a true pillar of our community. As director of Alexander Funeral Home, he provided comfort to countless families. Kelly was a civil rights leader, following in his father’s footsteps as NC NAACP president, and a tireless advocate for equality. As a fellow graduate of the government program at UNC Chapel Hill, I witnessed his compassion for community service,” Lyles wrote.
She continued, “His legacy of service, compassion, and fighting for justice will forever inspire our city. My heart goes out to his loved ones and all whose lives he touched.”
Louisiana Conservatives Criticize District Attorney For Criminal Justice Reform Efforts
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams, elected in 2020, has focused on addressing the legacy of the city's inequitable treatment of its Black citizens.
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams is facing criticism from Louisiana’s conservatives over his use of criminal justice reform policies that he claims have been created to correct prosecutorial and police misconduct in the city.
According to Salon, Williams, who was elected in 2020, has focused on addressing the legacy of the city’s inequitable treatment of its Black citizens while the state more broadly deals with high incarceration rates.
This focus has placed him in the crosshairs of Louisiana’s Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill and other conservatives, who claim he is abusing his power as district attorney.
“The job is to enforce the law and not make the law,” Murrill said. “If the district attorney had a disagreement regarding policy, that’s not a basis for relief.”
However, Maybell Romano, a Tulane University professor of law, told Salon that the criticism of Williams is in line with pushback created for other progressive district attorneys across the country.
Romero said the pushback in such cases is “political pushback” for district attorneys who challenge “hard on crime, very pro-police officer, very pro- ‘Let’s convict as much as we can and as many people as we can, and never shall we reconsider whether this was fair or not’” approach favored by conservatives.
Romero continued, saying that across the nation, the pattern is familiar. “It’s mostly Democratic, elected district attorneys who are getting this pushback from largely right-leaning Republican legislatures.”
To the professor’s point, Williams asserted to the AP that his use of the practice is simply following through on his campaign promises.
“This is not just waking up and saying, ‘Hey, let’s try something new,” Williams said. “This is listening to the community and answering and trying to deliver.”
Will Snowden, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, told Salon that Williams is trying to keep people out of his office unless they commit violent crimes.
“I often describe the criminal legal system as the catch basin for the failures of the other systems. So when our education systems fail, or when our access to housing fails, or when our access to jobs fail, those systems’ failures can direct more people to have contact with the criminal legal system,” Snowden told Salon. “And I think D.A. Williams is aware of that relationship. And so not only is he laser-focused on prosecuting people for committing violent crimes, but he’s also aware that there needs to be more advocacy and investment at the front end of the system to prevent people from coming to his office in the first place.”
Condemned South Carolina Inmate Lets Lawyer Choose His Execution Method
Freddie Owens asked his lawyer to choose his execution method because, as a Muslim, he viewed participating in his own death as akin to suicide.
On Sept. 20, South Carolina prison inmate Freddie Owens is scheduled to be executed. He elected to have his lawyer choose the means. Attorney Emily Paavola chose lethal injection as the method of execution, informing South Carolina prison officials to prepare it as an alternative to the firing squad or electric chair. Owens’ execution is set to be the first in the state since 2011.
Owens had initially been given the choice but refused to make the decision himself, stating in court documents that selecting his method of execution would be akin to suicide, which goes against his Muslim faith.
Paavola was tasked with deciding on behalf of her client, and according to the Associated Press, she approached it with careful consideration. In a statement following her choice, Paavola expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency from prison officials regarding the lethal injection drug. She voiced concerns over whether the drug would cause Owens to suffer unbearable pain, fearing it could result in cruel and unusual punishment.
“I have known Mr. Owens for 15 years. Under the circumstances, and in light of the information currently available to me, I made the best decision I felt I could make on his behalf. I sincerely hope that the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ assurances will hold true,” she wrote in the statement.
Despite her uncertainties, Paavola had to decide because the state would have sent Owens to the electric chair by default, which is against his wishes.
Attorneys for 46-year-old Owens have filed several legal motions since his execution date was officially set in late August, but so far, there have been no delays, and they have exhausted many of their viable options.
The Supreme Court is still deliberating a pending request from Owens, who has sought a delay in his execution to allow his lawyers additional time to argue that his co-defendant in the original trial lied. Owens claims that the co-defendant received a deal to avoid the death penalty or a life sentence by testifying that Owens was responsible for fatally shooting a store clerk named Irene Graves during a 1997 robbery gone wrong.
Owens’ lawyers argued that the store’s video didn’t clearly show who pulled the trigger and killed Graves and that the original trial lacked any scientific evidence, leading to the requirement of beyond a reasonable doubt not being met in his conviction. Owens allegedly confessed to the killing to his mother following the robbery.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office wrote in a court filing, “Owens has had ample opportunity to litigate claims regarding his conviction and sentence. He is due no more.”
Owens and his lawyers have one more avenue to attempt to keep Owens from being executed and have contacted the South Carolina governor — who alone has the power to grant clemency and reduce a death sentence to life in prison instead.
Gov. Henry McMaster commented on the appeal and stated that he intends to maintain the tradition of governors before him when making his decision. He plans to announce his final decision as a call to prison officials in the death chamber just minutes before Owens’ execution is to be carried out.
The Salerno Colored School is a one-room schoolhouse that Black children used in the early 1900s.
A Florida one-room school house in Port Salerno has been approved for a historic marker by state officials. The 1934 Salerno Colored School could be looking at more awards in the upcoming years in recognition of its rich history.
Chair of the school for the Martin County Black Heritage Initiatives, Holly Griffin, toldTreasure Coast Palm, “We have this incredible structure. People should know it’s there.”
Her organization strives to improve current race relations by preserving and teaching Black history so that the surrounding area can better understand the legacy the Black community has had on Port Salerno.
The school was officially dedicated by the county Board of Public Instruction on Feb. 22, 1934, as a project headed by the Civil Works Administration. The one-room elementary school was one of the first in Martin County for Black kids and is only 25-by-31-foot. At the time, Black children were still not allowed to attend school with white children, so the Salerno Colored School was a place to support Black education.
Griffin and others have been pushing to open the school again for educational programming and to further connect to the rich history of the space.
“It’s important to remember the past,” Griffin explained. “Going back and touching the past is bringing us closer to who we are.”
According to an interview with Treasure Coast Palm, Boyize Herring was a student at the Salerno Colored School in the 1950s. He recalled that the teachers taught first through fourth grade in the same schoolhouse.
“It was pretty strict, [but] I call myself very fortunate to be able to live to see the school receive a historical marker,” Herring said.
The Salerno Colored School could potentially be looking at a place on the National Register of Historic Places next, despite being rejected in the past.
Julie Preast, a historic research volunteer who is in charge of completing the application for the marker, said the school was trying to get listed under a different criteria than the first time.
Martin County Black Heritage Initiatives initially applied for the National Register of Historic Places designation based on the building’s architecture, but it was rejected because a small portion of the original building had to be reconstructed in the past.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Surprising Harvard Drama Class Moment With Matt Damon
Jackson and Damon, scene partners, did a reading from 'Waiting for Godot.' It didn't go as you would expect.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson revealed in a Sept. 1 interview that she had the acting bug long before she made history as the first Black woman to sit in the high court.
In fact, she told CBS Sunday Morning that during her time at Harvard University, she was paired up with renowned actor Matt Damon in a drama class.
Damon, who is well known for his role in the Bourne films, was in the same drama class as Jackson before he became an Oscar nominee for acting and a winner for co-writing Good Will Hunting.
Jackson told CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell that the two performed a scene from the play Waiting for Godot.
“We were never in an actual performance, but we were in a drama class together and we were paired as scene partners for… and he’s not going to remember this, of course,” Jackson said. “The reason why I remember it is because he [Damon] was already kind of well-known around campus and off campus, so it was kind of exciting to be his scene partner for a particular class.
“As I recall, we had to do the scene, we had to memorize a part of it, and we did it together, and it’s a two-person play, a two-person scene,” Jackson recalled. “And at the end, the professor said, ‘Ketanji, you were very good. Matt, we’ll talk.'”
Jackson added, “I was like, ‘Oh my god, I was better than Matt Damon in a scene.’”
Damon left Harvard without graduating, but did OK, starring in a string of big movies such as Good Will Hunting, The Martian, and Saving Private Ryan. He told the Associated Press in 2022 that he did not recall his performance with Jackson but that the connection was still “so cool.”
Ebony Ladies Golf League Empowers Black Women To Pick Up The Club
The group was founded by 14 women in Chicago who wanted to pave the way for women of color on the course.
The Ebony Ladies Golf League is dedicated to its mission of growing and diversifying the sport of golf. President Tracy Raoul recently told CBS News Chicago that its goal is to continue welcoming new members into this empowering community.
In March, the organization celebrated its 50th anniversary. Raoul, who has been president since 2021, acknowledged that while golf can feel intimidating to newcomers, the Chicago-based group is focused on breaking down those barriers and helping more women step onto the course with confidence.
“Golf is a great sport,” Raoul explained. “It’s great physically. It’s a mental game. You have to know how to let go of that bad stroke and move on to the next one.”
Raoul said the Ebony Ladies Golf League’s has seen a surge in membership since 2022, going from 46 ladies to 81 total members.
“Many of them did not ever pick up a golf club,” she added. “I wanna grow the game and see more African American women playing this game.”
Even well into the early 1900s, there was a significant need for women of color in the golf game.
“At one time, African Americans were not allowed to play this game,” Raoul said. “They could caddy, and if they played, unfortunately, they had to play with subpar materials and equipment.”
She added, “Walter Speedy and his three gentlemen sued the Park District because they couldn’t play at the public course, Jackson Park. So, they sued and won. In 1910, those men started playing.”
It still took a long time for women to have a place on the courses, and even longer for women of color. Thankfully, Raoul said, she sees a trend of more young golfers bringing Black girls and boys, which she thinks will help diversify the future of the game.
