Civic Engagement Headlines
The Cocoa Wars: Transition to Economic Justice – GDN Exclusive
Africa and the European Union are engaged in a literal trade war over the profits that come from the cocoa industry. Sixty percent of the world’s cocoa is grown in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, African countries. It is estimated that
Read MoreIt’s A Family Affair: Part 2 A Call to Action
In September, Greater Diversity News (GDN), the home of The New Black Student Movement (The NBSM), announced its effort to promote family memberships in the NAACP. We believe that the NAACP represents a cause greater than any individual—community, or family,
Read MoreThe “Godmother of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) – Congresswoman Alma Adam
In Congress, Congresswoman Alma Adams is known as the “Godmother of HBCUs .” After joining the US House of Representatives in 2014. Since the founding of the caucus, Rep. Adams has proposed landmark HBCU legislation, and passed many of
Read MoreJohna Speller: The New Generation of Leadership Development – GDN Exclusive
Can a 17-year-old be a leadership guru? If anyone thinks that it is not possible, Johna Speller is testing that limited thinking. She has been a life member of the NAACP since age 3! She knows the challenges of living
Read MoreThe New Generation of Leadership: Siani-Simone Is Much More Than Talk – GDN Exclusive
Siani-Simone Ammons, Secretary of NC NAACP Youth & College Division “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” This quote by Maya Angelou, one of the favorite writers of high school senior Siani-Simone Ammons, speaks to
Read MoreBlack Student Governor Page Week Program in North Carolina
Page Program Description Established in 1973, the Governor’s Page Program gives high school students from all over North Carolina the opportunity to come to Raleigh for a week of hands-on participation in their state government. We want the Page Program
Read MoreWhat Is Humanizing Education? Part 4: Correcting Course Away from Standardized Testing – GDN Exclusive
Why do we educate our children? Since schooling began, the answer has been jobs. However, schools designed primarily for jobs no longer have practical value. The landscape is changing rapidly as noted in a 2019 Oxford Economics report on
Read MoreThe New Generation: READ for Change – GDN Exclusive
Just ask Alejandro Ibrahim, a senior at North Carolina Central University, about the Black Community and fasten your seatbelt! He is well-read; he values dialogue; he is a man of action and deep reflection and he truly cares! Gun violence,
Read MoreMaking History a Family Affair – A Meaningful and Primary Way in Which History Comes Alive
Genealogy is “a family affair!” It is a meaningful and primary way in which history comes alive. People today keep their ancestors alive when they learn and share their stories. History’s lessons await us all and family genealogy is a
Read MoreHow a 2013 Us Supreme Court Ruling Enabled States To Enact Election Laws Without Federal Approval
Black Voters Matter demonstrators march during a voting rights rally on June 19, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images Since 2019, legislators and election officials in Florida have revised, passed and enforced restrictive voting laws
Read MoreNAACP Youth and College Division (YCD) Launches Its Midterm Election Podcast Series – A GDN Exclusive
President of the North Carolina Youth and College Division of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Johna Speller, continues her critical student engagement, voter education, registration, and mobilization efforts through a series of planned podcasts designed to
Read MoreSuper Mario 3 – Mario Benavente Wins City Council Seat for District 3 Fayetteville NC
“I feel just as grateful as I did today. On the evening of July 26th, the morning of August 5th, and about 6 hours ago – when told for the 3rd time that six votes held strong. I am honored
Read MoreIssues to Action: The New Black Student Movement – A GDN Exclusive
The Black Community faces many issues, such as Race and Justice, Education Innovation, Environmental & Climate Justice, Economic Justice, Health and Well-being, Next Generation Leadership, Advocacy & Litigation, and more. Over the decades, perhaps none has been more critical than
Read MoreAbout The New Black Student Movement (NBSM) A GDN Exclusive
The New Black Student Movement (NBSM) evolved from a Greater Diversity News (GDN) initiative created to educate, organize, and mobilize student voting. The strategy was to develop as an organizational strategy and not to be an organization. The project created
Read MoreThe US Supreme Court: What Is Its Role and Its Powers?
The US Supreme Court is in the news around the world. The reason: a series of decisions which are already having – and will continue to have – a massive impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. The Dobbs v
Read MoreNNPA and Transformative Justice Coalition Announce National GOTV Campaign Targeting 10 Million More Black Voters
Ahead of the all-important 2022 midterm elections, reports show that more than 55 million Americans remain unregistered to vote – and about 10 million are African Americans who are eligible to vote but who are unregistered. Whether the reason is
Read MoreUS Congress Could Use Reconstruction-era Civil Rights Powers To Protect Black Lives Today
The man in the White House doesn’t believe in racial equality. He is erratic, vain, and conspiratorial. In a speech to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, the president mentioned himself 200 times in 60 minutes. The House of Representatives voted to
Read MoreJuneteenth Celebrates Just One of the United States’ 20 Emancipation Days – And the History of How Emancipated People Were Kept Unfree Needs To Be Remembered, Too
The actual day was June 19, 1865, and it was the Black dockworkers in Galveston, Texas, who first heard the word that freedom for the enslaved had come. There were speeches, sermons and shared meals, mostly held at Black churches,
Read MoreVice President Kamala Harris Talks Voting Rights, Racism With Black Press Publishers
Vice President Kamala Harris held an exclusive discussion with publishers from the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents the Black Press of America, to discuss various issues from voting rights to Roe v. Wade and racism in the United States.
Read More“It’s a Family Affair:” NAACP Membership – A GDN Exclusive
[fvplayer id=”1″] I am encouraging Black parents to purchase NAACP memberships for their children that are 25 and younger. It is also a good idea to buy one for yourself if you’re not already a member. The NAACP represents a
Read MoreWhat Is Humanizing Education? A Greater Diversity Exclusive Part 3: A Pledge to All Children
“Not…by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Is this the ideal to strive toward? Interestingly, these words are being used to suggest that, based on the color of their skin, Black children should not
Read MoreNew Analysis Highlighting Economic Progress and Socioeconomic Barriers Facing Black Americans
The Congressional Black Caucus is committed to advancing Black families in the 21st Century through addressing the economic disparities that have plagued our communities for generations, creating opportunities that combat poverty, and closing the worsening racial wage and wealth gaps
Read MoreWhat Is Humanizing Education? Part 2: Good Intentions Alone, Not Enough – GDN Exclusive
Doing to others, particularly children, what was done to us is often not a choice. It is our inheritance and we pass it along because it feels normal, not necessarily because it is healthy. In the biblical sense, such an
Read MoreGeorgia State Legislators Break Up Communities to Deny a Voice to Voters in Communities of Color
The SPLC released the following statement in response to Georgia’s new congressional and state legislative district maps from Poy Winichakul, Staff Attorney for Voting Rights: “The maps crafted by Georgia’s state legislature with little to no opportunity for transparency or
Read MorePreparing for the Voting Rights Battle Ahead in Early 2022
In 2021, 440 bills to restrict voting access were introduced in 49 states. Nineteen states passed 34 new laws making it more difficult to vote. There have been no cases cited demonstrating evidence of any widespread voter fraud. But the
Read MoreThe Third Reconstruction: Finishing the Job
Educate, organize and mobilize: (Reprint of Dec. 2014 article) GreaterDiversity.com provides ongoing commentaries and news to get the masses of people to take a critical look at where we are politically and economically in North Carolina, why we are where
Read MoreThey Call It “Political” But What Is It Really? GDN Exclusive
This is something we hear often, “I’m not political.” What does one mean when they say this? I suggest what they really mean is that they are unsure of what they do know or don’t know about politics, or they
Read MoreLeandro: Helping Our Community Help Itself
“I don’t want to ride my bus because they are loud and I get home late. I have bipolar disorder and ADHD and more…When I was put into the EC classrooms, I gave up hope on trying to learn and
Read MoreStudying Political Science Motivates College Students to Register and Vote – New Research Shows
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Community college students who take political science classes are more likely to register to vote, turn out to vote and understand constitutional checks and balances. That’s
Read MoreThousands March on For Voting Rights, D.C. Statehood
Marchers rallied in the nation’s capital and cities across the country, demanding passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the For the People Act, and for D.C. statehood. “Our country is backsliding to the unconscionable days of Jim
Read MoreOUR VOICES: Miles to Go Before We Rest, Fighting Voter Suppression
For members of Texas Legislature and those who work in its orbit, the days since the 87th Regular Session ended on Memorial Day have been anything but a summer break or a return to our lives as part-time lawmakers. During
Read MoreWhat A Difference: What Does Injustice and Disparity Look Like in Practice?
Fayetteville State, a Historically Black University (HBCU), gets a new Chancellor. Outrage ensues. What was the outrage about? Was the outrage legitimate? How long did the outrage last? Did it even matter? Is the outrage over? Let us look
Read MoreFrom the Archives: This Way to Fair Share: The Politicians, Political Parties and Voters
This week we look at the necessary parties and the roles that they’ll have to play if economic equity for voters of color is to become a reality. The issue of fair share was a major topic of discussion at
Read MoreVirtual Events: Join this Discussion – The New Black Student Movement
Join this discussion sponsored by the FSUNAA Civic Engagement & Advocacy Committee Coverage and promotion by Greater Diversity News (GDN) When: May 28, 2021, 4:30 pm Where: Virtual Purpose: To discuss strategies to defeat voter suppression, new Jim Crow legislation
Read MoreNorth Carolina NAACP Youth and College Advisor Endorses “A Call to Colors” New Black Student Movement Strategy
“The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination.” And to this end, North Carolina
Read MoreA New Decade, A New Politics, A New Economics – Institutionalizing Civic/Voter Engagement – GDN Exclusive
In the 2018 and 2020 midterm and general elections, the politics of deliberate and systematic voter suppression created an enormous backlash at the polls as millions of voters were registered, educated, and mobilized (VREM) to Get Out the Vote (GOTV)
Read MoreQueens for a National Cause – (Elections 2020 in Review) – GDN Exclusive
Marching to the beat of their own drums at their own pace, HBCU students across the nation have prepared themselves for this moment their entire lives. The sound of HBCU marching bands is a tune that has been played for
Read MoreNew Economics for a New Generation of Constructive Collective Action – GDN Exclusive
There is an issue of great significance to African Americans historically created and maintained by Corporate America from the beginning of the establishment of this country. The history is well-known and not debatable. That issue is Economic Inequality or Economic
Read MoreThe HBCU Call to Corporate America – GDN Exclusive
For more than 400 years, Black Americans have sought economic equity and political inclusion. Notwithstanding the fact that the pursuit of our ambitions has proven to be very elusive, we must continue to explore new ideas and strategies on how
Read MoreHBCU Millennials Are Energized to Vote! Believing in Hope and the Possibility of Change
“HBCU students are ready to support whoever has their best interest at heart,” Marshall said. “As an HBCU alum—history shows that HBCU students have always been engaged when it comes to the political process. The difference is always with likable candidates.”
Read More18 Georgia NAACP Branches to ‘Party at the Polls’ in Pivotal State
ATLANTA – In one of the most unique get-out-the-vote efforts this year, 18 Georgia NAACP branches over 19 counties have launched an ambitious plan to get more than 40,000 African American voters to the polls across the state on the
Read MoreMiss NCCU Launches Greater Diversity News HBCU Voting Outreach Research Project – “A Call to Colors” GDN Exclusive
To Imani Johnson, the Greater Diversity News (GDN) HBCU Voting Outreach Project is a way for students at historically Black colleges and universities to connect during times of civic outreach, and learn from each other “…to engage, to enlighten and
Read MoreI Have a Felony Conviction. Can I Vote? Voting Rights Projects
While many states have some restriction on felon voting rights, most states restore the right to vote to people after they complete their sentences. In fact, up to 17 millionAmericans with past convictions can vote right now…
Read MoreVoter Resurgence 2020: Absentee Voting – Start Your Voting Efforts Today!
You can start your 2020 voting efforts today! If you want to vote with maximum social distancing, Absentee Voting (AV) in North Carolina can be the way to go. Typically in North Carolina, approximately 4% – 5% of the ballots
Read MorePandemic Can Not Stop NCCU CEAC Voter Efforts – A GDN Exclusive
On Saturday, August 8th, the National HBCU Alumni Foundation’s 6th Annual Leaders Conference Civic Engagement and Advocacy Committee (CEAC) Summit will convene virtually. Hosted by the North Carolina Central University Alumni Association, Inc. (NCCUAA), this year’s theme is “Expanding Alumni
Read MoreTeachey, NC Mayor Supports ACTC – GDN Exclusive, Vol. II, Part XXVII
On November 5, 2019, history was made in the small, southwest Duplin County town of Teachey – population 431, size one square mile. It was the night of the general election, and by just one vote – 33-32 – Leonard
Read MoreAlpha Kappa Alphas Celebrate 30 Years of Service Sigma Tau Omega Chapter – GDN Exclusive
It has been thirty years this month since the Sigma Tau Omega (STO) Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was chartered in Cary and Western Wake County to “…provide service and solve problems” for the local community. Chapter President
Read MoreYvonne Lewis Holley Vies to Make history as First Black NC Lieutenant Governor
A GDN Election 2020 Special When the smoke cleared after the March 3rd primaries two months ago, suddenly, the prospect that North Carolina’s next Lieutenant Governor would be an African American became real. True that briefly, there was the question
Read MoreThe Future of Law Enforcement in North Carolina
The Future of Law Enforcement in North Carolina The recent protests demanding change in our current law enforcement policies to end systemic racism and over policing are bearing fruit. Just this last week, Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin and Police
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Black Political Engagement – The MWBE Imperative: Fair Share for People of Color
My objective in writing about voter apathy and suppression is to help with a community dialogue that will lead to greater engagement in communities of color and, thereby, more significant economic opportunity. A parallel objective is to promote voter participation
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