December, 2018 - Greater Diversity News

Trump Signs Executive Order Freezing Pay of Nearly 2 Million Federal Workers

It is shocking that federal employees are taking yet another financial hit. As if missed paychecks and working without pay were not enough, now they have been told that they don’t even deserve a modest pay increase.

First Comment on Deaths of Two Young Kids in US Custody, Republicans Falsely Blame Democrats and Child’s Father

“No empathy. No compassion. No sorrow. No regret,” wrote The Intercept‘s Mehdi Hasan in response to Trump’s tweets. “He doesn’t even pretend to care about the death of two innocent kids…”

IN MEMORIAM: Cigars and Whiskey – America’s Oldest Veteran, Richard Arvin Overton, Dies at 112

He was there at Pearl Harbor, when the battleships were still smoldering. He was there at Okinawa. He was there at Iwo Jima, where he said, ‘I only got out of there by the grace of God said former President Barack Obama…

Because of the CBC, the Farm Bill Includes Millions for HBCUs, Black Farmers, and Rural Communities of Color

In 1986, on her award-winning “Control” album, singer-songwriter Janet Jackson asked: “What have you done for me lately?” This is a question the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is asked a lot. Well, here’s our latest answer to that question…

Congressional Black Caucus Issues Release on Russian Interference

During the 2016 presidential election cycle, hundreds of thousands of minority voters were disenfranchised before they even had a chance to walk into the voting booth. As a recent report produced for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence makes clear…

Booker Thankful for Support in the passage of Historic Anti-Lynching Bill

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again,” Booker said as he thanked the Senators who agreed in a historic moment to stand up as one and make lynching a federal crime.

Women Are Changing the Face of the Once Male-Dominated Funeral Industry

The 38-year-old Grammy and Billboard Award winner is among a growing number of women who are beginning to overshadow the typical “man in the black suit” funeral director…

NAACP Joins Ferguson Activist in Demanding Answers in Alleged Hanging Death of Son

The St. Louis County NAACP is joining the McKinnies family in the call for transparency and justice regarding the murder of Danye Jones.

First Member of Congress Calls for Trump’s Resignation Amid Month of Chaos

During an interview on the Scott Dworkin report, Rep. Gwen Moore said that President Trump “resigning is a dignified way for him to leave as opposed to being impeached…

Sharon Caples McDougle, NASA’s Modern Day “Hidden Figure”

During her career she was recognized with the Astronaut “Silver Snoopy” Award, Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award, USA Employee of the Month Teamwork Award…

Trump, Furloughs & Federal Sector Labor Unions

We have been through shutdowns before. They are not fun, particularly for federal workers and federal contract employees. While federal workers eventually get paid…

A 2019 Challenge in Memory of Robby Gregg

I’m writing about Robby because his memory has challenged me to make a 2019 resolution. I am going to endeavor to listen more, especially to people I disagree with.

Living in America While Being Black, Today and Into 2019

The buying power of the African American community is $1.1 trillion, but it only circulates 6 hours in our community … Asians keep a dollar in their community 120 times longer…

EDUCATOR SPOTLIGHT: Rebecca Francis

Francis has visited over 25 high-performing schools across the nation to learn what it takes to make award-winning, high-quality public charter schools.

How Us Demographics Changed in 2018: Five Essential Reads

The end of the year is a classic time for reflection. But, in today’s turbulent news cycle, it can be hard to keep track of what happened last week, let alone what was going on way back on Jan. 1. How is the U.S. changing, on a grand and gradual scale? How are Americans different than they were last year, or last decade, or last century?

CBP Orders Medical Checks After Eight-Year-Old Boy Dies in US Border Patrol Custody on Christmas Day

U.S. Customs and Border Protection ordered medical checks on every child in its custody Tuesday after an 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died, marking the second death of an immigrant child in the agency’s care this month.

Who Stands With People Over Lobbyists, Progressive Campaign Pressures Democrats to Vote on Medicare for All

With a deep-pocketed coalition of industry lobbyists, former Obama and Clinton campaign officials, and establishment Democrats already crafting their talking pointsand formulating their strategy to undercut Medicare for All….

Ahead of Swearing-in New Jefferson County Sheriff Credits Faith, Family and the Black Press

“Family and faith and the Black Press,” Pettway said as he prepared for his Jan. 11 swearing-in ceremony as the first African American in Jefferson County, Alabama which includes Birmingham, ground zero for the Civil Rights…

Facebook Joins Community Activists and Civic Leaders in Baltimore to Lower Violent Crime

In 2017, even though violent crime (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) decreased nationwide, violent crime increased in Baltimore, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting.

From Slavery to Civil Rights and Environmental Racism

Today’s environmental policies not only target people of color when it comes to the placement and operation of unhealthy facilities, they also exclude people of color from being a part of the policy making process — even though they are impacted…

Dallas Mavericks’ Cynthia Marshall: A Woman for All Seasons

I wake up every morning to do the best I can do for people. I may not get it right every day. But I work hard to bring people together and be a light in this world and deal with the dark forces in the world.

Gospel Singer Byron Cage Celebrates 30 Years in Ministry

Celebrating 30 years of music ministry, Grammy-nominated, Stellar Award-winning gospel music artist Bryon Cage is performing a holiday extravaganza Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. The celebration concert will commence at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA

Finally, Senate Makes What Should Be an Obvious Choice: Recognizing Lynching as a Federal Crime

More than a century after legislation to recognize lynching as a crime was first introduced in Congress, a bill was unanimously passed in the Senate on Wednesday…

Five-Month-Old’s Pneumonia Provokes Condemnation of ‘Ice Boxes’ Asylum-Seekers Are Forced Into

Days after another child died, baby’s diagnosis of pneumonia is bringing more attention to the conditions in which immigrants are held after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border…

Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole States ‘The Time Is Now’ – NCNW To Reinstate Presence with Press

When esteemed civil rights activist, Dorothy Height, departed the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) people wondered what would become of the iconic organization

Could False Accusations Threaten the #MeToo Movement?

The success for proponents has been increasingly measured in terms of the career, stature, title or reputation loss experienced by the growing group of the (mostly men) accused in the media and a much smaller…

Mount Vernon’s Youngest Mayor Fighting City’s Oldest Problems

There’s a new boss in town: Richard Thomas, who in 2015 won the general election for mayor by a landslide 74 percent of the popular vote….“In four to five years, I see myself as governor…”

Join the Crusade to Save Bennett College from Losing Accreditation?

Bennett College has a unique history, and it is a history that must be preserved. It will only be maintained if folks who love women, women’s history, and the elevation of Black women’s voices…

The Final Adult Has Left the Room, James Mattis Resigns

Markets tank, shutdown looms, turmoil mounts as Secretary of Defense James Mattis, the last of the “Axis of Adults,” finally quits. His fiery resignation letter…

Eight Apps to Get Your Budget Right

Managing (and saving) money can seem like the ultimate chore. With each paycheck, we promise ourselves to get our finances in order, pay down debt and not make any of the bad spending decisions…

What You Need to Know About the Criminal Justice Reform Bill Being Debated in the Senate

As you know, we’re committed to reforming our criminal justice system and eliminating its deeply rooted racial disparities. That’s why we’re closely watching the Senate debate and why we want to keep you informed about this bill.

ESSA: A Roadmap for Achieving Equity in Education

State education chiefs and their in-state partners at teaching and research institutions plus educators on the front lines have a real chance to make a difference for black students and other minorities. But do they have the courage…

Monitor Reports: Flaws Are Still Harming African-American Children

Despite the duration of the Memorandum of Agreement and the notable progress in many areas, the structure of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County remains deeply flawed, enabling a culture of intimidation…

EPA Pushes for More Coal-Fired Power Under the Trump Administration

During a recent press conference held at the Environmental Protection Agency, acting EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, announced more rollback regulations on coal-fired power plants.

‘Being People-Funded Frees Me to Put People First’: Ocasio-Cortez Touts Highest Portion of 2018 Small-Dollar Donors

“Being people-funded frees me to support policies that put people FIRST, and speak openly about closing lobbyist loopholes,” Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) declared Tuesday, responding to a new analysis…

World’s Journalists Have Never Faced ‘As Much Violence and Abusive Treatment’ as This Year

The pledge “would establish the right to reliable news and information, define the global information and communication space as a common good of humankind, make online platforms accountable, and create an international group experts…

‘Turns Out,’ Says Ocasio-Cortez, ‘Everyday People Like It When We Fight for Everyday People’

The findings are stunning but also come with a couple caveats, namely that most people haven’t heard much about the Green New Deal, and they may not know of its connection to incoming representative [Ocasio-Cortez]…

Prada Rolls Out Sambo Style Figures and Black Twitter Rolls Over Prada

The viral social media backlash that followed prompted the company to pull all of the items worldwide as calls for a boycott slowly built during discussions on Twitter. Prada’s first statement in reaction to the criticism on Twitter didn’t help.

Will a New Consumer Bureau Director Heed the Agency’s Mission?

What happens over the next five years will test the mettle of those who fought to create an agency given the mission to protect consumer finances against profiteers who argue that baseline protections for consumers are an unnecessary burden to business.

IN MEMORIAM: Rep. Maxine Waters Statement on the Death of Nancy Wilson

I am heartbroken by the passing of my beloved friend, the legendary Nancy Wilson. Nancy was a ‘song stylist’ without peer. Her unmatched mastery of numerous genres of music, including jazz, R&B, gospel, blues, soul and pop, has etched her name in history…

FILM REVIEW: The Green Book

GREEN BOOK is based on a true story about classically-trained black jazz pianist, Don Shirley (played by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali), and Tony Lip, a mob club bouncer who got his nickname based on his ability to talk his way out of almost any situation, played by Viggo Mortensen.

Visionary Freedom Fighter Don Rojas Recounts a Life of Service

Don Rojas has made major contributions to the struggle for freedom in Black communities across the globe. As the first communications director for the NAACP, he used his resources to support social justice movements…

How Zip Codes Relate to Achievement Gaps and Future Lives of Students

There are several factors that contribute to success in adulthood. However, routinely we find that early childhood education and the empowerment of excellent teachers plays a pivotal role. Students from economically-disadvantaged areas have a plethora of obstacles…

Federal Court’s ‘Disastrous’ Affordable Care Act Ruling Only Bolsters Case for Medicare for All

A federal judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) violates the U.S. Constitution alarmed healthcare advocates Friday, but left most unconcerned that the judge would succeed in taking away health coverage…

Study Shows Right-Wing Attacks on Refugees Based on ‘White Nationalist Propaganda’—Not Facts

The report, published in the Lancet on Wednesday, follows a number of xenophobic, fear-mongering segments on Fox News in which media personalities—after spending weeks claiming that the group of refugees was made up of criminals…

Tips From Negotiation Experts for Truly Happy Holidays

Each year it seems our travel gets more and more out of control. Between the multiple holidays, family we need to visit distributed all around the country and the rounds of parties for work and with friends…

Women’s Rights Are Still Not Explicitly Recognized in Us Constitution

Women’s rights advocates argue that sex discrimination is a pervasive problem that could be resolved by the ERA. Even though the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment prohibits states from denying…

White Churches Have a Moral Responsibility to Stand Up

Today, for example, the racial wealth gap exposes a stark difference. The median wealth of a white household (median means half are above and half below) is 12 times greater than that of a black household.

NAACP Poll Reveals How Black Voters Cast their Ballots

With voter fraud and voter suppression the talk of the midterms, the Advancement Project at the NAACP national office joined with the African American Research Collaborative to provide the first comprehensive analysis of how Black voters voted this cycle and

Applying Racial Bias During Jury Selection is an American Tradition

“The assertion that there is no substantial differential racial impact in jury selection, however well intended, has been largely discredited by research and diminished by detached observation,” said Dr. Lorenzo Morris, a professor of Political Science at Howard University.

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