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Bill from CA Senator Holly Mitchell to Bar Secret Grand Juries in Police Deadly Force Cases Signed into Law by Governor Jerry Brown

By goodblacknews on August 13, 2015
Both measures were part of a spate of proposals introduced by lawmakers earlier this year on police accountability; some of the more controversial bills dealing with body-worn cameras or reporting on use-of-force incidents have stalled in the Legislature.
Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) offered the grand juries measure in response to high-profile incidents in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City, where grand juries declined to indict police officers for the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, respectively.
Mitchell said her bill, SB 227, would help make judicial proceedings more transparent and accountable. Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties already have opted not to use grand juries when an officer’s actions may have caused someone’s death.
“One doesn’t have to be a lawyer to understand why SB 227 makes sense,” Mitchell said in a statement.  “The use of the criminal grand jury process, and the refusal to indict as occurred in Ferguson and other communities of color, has fostered an atmosphere of suspicion that threatens to compromise our justice system.”
The measure was opposed by law enforcement groups, including the California Assn. of District Attorneys, which argued the grand jury system was a useful prosecutorial tool.

Dubuque Barber Courtney Holmes Gets Kids Reading with Free Haircuts

By goodblacknews on August 12, 2015

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Courtney Holmes gives free haircuts to reading youths (photo by Mike Burley/Telegraph Herald via AP)

DUBUQUE, Ia. —Children who read books to a local barber have received a free haircut as part of a community event in Dubuque to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.
Barber Courtney Holmes traded the tales for trims on Saturday during the second annual Back to School Bash in Comiskey Park, the Telegraph Herald reported.
Tayshawn Kirby, 9, of Dubuque, read from “Fats, Oils and Sweets,” by Carol Parenzan Smalley, informing Holmes that the average person eats 150 pounds of sugar each year. Before Tayshawn’s 10-year-old brother, Titan Feeney, took his turn in the barber chair, he told his brother the new look was great.
“I just want to support kids reading,” Holmes said.
St. Mark Youth Enrichment gave away books during the event, some of which were read to Holmes. Outreach coordinator Beth McGorry with St. Mark said she enjoyed watching Holmes help young children sound out the words they didn’t know yet.
Caitlin Daniels, grade-level reading coordinator with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, also helped struggling readers in the barber chair.
“It’s great. All the kids, they want to have a good haircut to go back to school,” she said. “They’re paying through reading.”
The city’s acting resource manager, Anderson Sainci, coordinated the event, which involved nonprofits and other community partners.
More than 100 people learned about free resources and before- and after-school opportunities available to families and students. The first full day of classes in Dubuque is Sept. 1.
article by Associated Press via desmoinesregister.com

Early Recording Found of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

By goodblacknews on August 12, 2015

“It is awe-inspiring and gives you goosebumps on your arms,” Jason Miller, a poetry professor at North Carolina State University, told USA TODAY Network about hearing the recording for the first time.
King gave the speech on Nov. 27, 1962, before a crowd of about 1,800 people in Rocky Mount, N.C. While the Rocky Mount speech is not as well known, it includes many similarities to the famous August 1963 version King gave from the Lincoln Memorial.
The Rocky Mount speech was covered by local newspapers, but an audio recording was not known to exist until Miller found it while researching his book Origins of a Dream: Hughes’s Poetry and King’s Rhetoric. The book explores the connection between Langston Hughes’s poetry and King’s speeches.
The box where the tape was found was rusted and the plastic reel was broken, but the recording itself was in great shape and has been digitized, Miller said. The tape is 55 minutes long and includes three of King’s most famous phrases — “Let freedom ring,” “How long, not long,” and “I have a dream.”
Miller said that kind of intentional rhetorical practice is a sign of a “master orator.”  In the process of researching, Miller was able to confirm that Hughes’ work, and specifically the poem “I dream a world,” influenced King’s speeches.  “They knew each other, exchanged letters and Dr. King incredibly revered Langston Hughes,” he said.
Understanding what inspired King’s words and how they changed over time is important, according to Miller. “It sheds light on what is easily the most recognizable speech in American history,” he said.
And the message of King’s Rocky Mount speech holds up today, he said.  “The central part of Dr. King’s speech was talking about access to the ballot and voting rights,” he said. “And as you know that’s as important today as it was in 1962.”
Miller is working on an online annotated version of the Rocky Mount speech that will be published for the public in November.
article by Lori Grisham via usatoday.com

Michael Brown Remembered With March, Moment of Silence on 1-Year Anniversary

By goodblacknews on August 9, 2015
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Michael Brown Sr. leads a march on August 8, 2015 in Ferguson, Mo. (SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES)

One year after unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by Darren Wilson, a white ex-officer in Ferguson, Mo., family and activists gathered Sunday to commemorate the shooting that touched off a movement against police violence.
Scores gathered Sunday to participate in 4.5 minutes of silence, and a silent march to Greater St. Mark’s church, according to The Associated Press. The march was scheduled to get just before noon at the site where Wilson gunned down Brown on Aug. 9, 2014. “A grand jury and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November,” writes the news outlet.
The events are among several this weekend in Ferguson and nearby St. Louis.
The still grieving Michael Brown Sr., Brown’s father, led a march of about 100 people on Saturday. He called for a nonviolent weekend.  “I want to have a peaceful weekend,” said Brown, according to KSDK. “No drama, no stupidity.”
In a recent NPR interview at the White House, part of which aired Sunday, President Obama told Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep that had Ferguson flared up in his first term, he would have addressed it, brushing back criticism that he failed to address issues of race after entering office.
“That I don’t buy,” Obama told NPR.”I think it’s fair to say that if, in my first term, Ferguson had flared up, as president of the United States, I would have been commenting on what was happening in Ferguson.”
Read more at Yahoo News, KSDK and NPR.
article by Lynette Holloway via theroot.com
Archive of African American Women Soldiers’ Letters Donated to Harvard University

Archive of African American Women Soldiers’ Letters Donated to Harvard University

By goodblacknews on August 8, 2015

Myraline Morris Whitaker (Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer)
Maryline Morris Whitaker (Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer)

Maryline Morris Whitaker is the founder of the Sister Soldier Project, a grassroots organization that provides hair care products to African American women soldiers to help them comply with the militaries requirements for hair. “If hair is longer than your ears, it has to be pulled back and tucked under, and as a Black woman I just don’t understand how that happens without the right product,” Whitaker says.
In 2008, Whitaker raised enough money and donations to send 1,000 packages of hair care products to African American women serving in combat areas overseas. She received a large number of thank you letters from the women soldiers. “These women never complained,” said Whitaker, commenting on the letters she received. “They just talked about their lives in the service. They were happy to be there. They talked about the families they left behind, and they’d send pictures of their children.”
Whitaker realized that she had a treasure trove of letters documenting the experiences of African American women serving overseas in the armed forces. She volunteered to donate the archive to the Smithsonian museum but the museum was not interested.
But Whitaker found a home for her archive at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. The Schlesinger Library holdings date from the founding of the United States to the present and include more than 3,200 manuscript collections, 100,000 volumes of books and periodicals, and films, photos, and audiovisual material. The library holds many collections from African American women including Mildred Jefferson, the first Black woman graduate of Harvard Medical School, author June Jordan, civil rights activist Pauli Murray, and author Dorothy West.
article via jbhe.com

Dr. Dre to Donate 100 Percent of Royalties from New Album to Build Performing Arts Facility for Compton Youth

By goodblacknews on August 7, 2015

Dr. Dre (Getty Images)
Dr. Dre (Getty Images)

NEW YORK (AP) — Dr. Dre says he will donate royalties from his new album to the city of Compton for a new performing arts facility.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio, Dre said he spoke to Compton Mayor Aja Brown about ways to give back to the city with the release of his first album in 16 years.
The rapper, whose real name is Andre Young, said Thursday he “decided to donate all of my artist royalties from the sale of this album to help fund a new performing arts and entertainment facility for the kids in Compton.”
“Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre,” inspired by the N.W.A. biopic “Straight Outta Compton” which opens Aug. 14, will be released Friday. Dre said he hopes “everybody appreciates all the hard work I put into this album.”
“I’m honored that Mr. Young has decided to make a significant investment in his community,” Brown said in a statement. “He clearly has a heart for Compton, especially our youth. I believe this performing arts center will provide a pathway for creative expression, exposure and training to the myriad of industries that support arts, entertainment and technology — while providing a much-needed safe haven for our youth.”
Brown added that the center would be a therapeutic outlet for youth suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Compton” can be streamed exclusively on Apple Music starting Friday. Dre called the album his “grand finale.”
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

President Obama Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act

By goodblacknews on August 7, 2015

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says all Americans owe a debt to the sharecroppers and maids and ordinary Americans who were brave enough to try time and again to register to vote in the face of violence and oppression.
He says without them, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 wouldn’t have been signed into law 50 years ago Thursday.
At a White House event marking the anniversary, Obama said those rights are being whittled away today by voter ID laws and other attempts to discourage voting. He called on Congress to update the law in response to court decisions.

Read President Obama’s full op-ed on the Voting Rights Act on Medium.com here 

But Obama says attacks on their voting rights aren’t the main reason Americans don’t vote — many just don’t bother.
He declared Sept. 22 National Voter Registration Day and urged everyone to get registered.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Applications Open for the 2016 Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort

By goodblacknews on August 7, 2015
Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2015 (photo via Courtesy Walt Disney)
Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2015 (photo via Courtesy Walt Disney)

High school students nationwide can now apply at DisneyDreamersAcademy.com to be among 100 selected to participate in the 2016 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE, the innovative, outside-the-classroom, educational mentoring program at Walt Disney World Resort.

Entering the search for its ninth class of Dreamers, Disney Dreamers Academy continues to hold true to its mission to inspire and fuel the dreams of teens, help them discover a world of possibilities and help them prepare for the future. Each year, students participate in hands-on, full-immersion workshops related to a variety of career paths, ranging from animation to zoology. Each participant learns important skills such as communication techniques, leadership values and networking strategies.

Engineers
2015 DDA members participate in engineering project. (Photo by Lori Lakin Hutcherson)

It all takes place in the very magical and creative setting of Walt Disney World Resort. Dreamers are taken both on stage and behind the scenes, where Disney theme parks become vibrant ‘classrooms,’ leading to career discoveries, the pursuit of dreams and fun memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Disney Dreamers are exposed to motivational speakers and celebrities who share their stories and provide insight on how to achieve success and DREAM BIG. Dreamers have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other students from across the nation while they gain first-hand knowledge from Disney experts and world-renowned entrepreneurs and executives.

“We’re excited to welcome back Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE for the ninth year,” said Tracey D. Powell, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts vice president of deluxe resorts and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion. “This program stands out for its ability to motivate and inspire teens to think big and achieve their dreams. By applying for Disney Dreamers Academy, high school students from across the country are taking a step toward an experience that can change their lives.”

RELATED: Walt Disney World Resort, Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine Host 8th Annual Disney Dreamers Academy to Inspire High School Teens

Applicants must answer essay questions about their personal stories and their dreams for the future. Students are selected based on a combination of attributes, including a strong character, positive attitude and determination to achieve their dreams. 

Motion Picture Academy Re-elects Cheryl Boone Isaacs as President

By goodblacknews on August 5, 2015
Cheryl Boone Isaacs has been reelected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Boone Isaacs, a veteran Hollywood marketer and longtime academy insider, was reelected Tuesday evening by the group’s 51-member board of governors.
Boone Isaacs, the first African American president of the movie industry’s most prominent organization, will enter her third one-year term. She is eligible to stay in the role for a total of four years.

In addition, Jeffrey Kurland was elected first vice president; John Bailey, Kathleen Kennedy and Bill Kroyer were elected to vice president posts; Jim Gianopulos was elected treasurer; and Phil Robinson was elected secretary.
Boone Isaacs and the academy’s board will have the task of selecting producers for the 2016 Oscar telecast and making decisions about the ambitious new Academy Museum, scheduled to open in 2017.
As head of CBI Enterprises Inc., Boone Isaacs has consulted on marketing efforts for such films as “The Artist,” “The King’s Speech” and “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” Starting in September, she will serve as an adjunct professor at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange.
article by Rebecca Keegan via latimes.com

Commanding Officer Kim Royster To Become Highest Ranking Black Woman In NYPD History

By goodblacknews on August 5, 2015

Deputy Inspector Kim Royster has been nominated for the Freedom Medal Award for getting guns off the street.
Future NYPD Deputy Chief Kim Royster

There’s a new boss in charge over at the New York Police Department and she’s making history with her seat at the top of the totem pole.
Kim Royster is currently the Commanding Officer in the NYPD’s Public Information Office and is set to be promoted to Deputy Chief at the end of this month, which will make her the highest ranking African-American woman in the history of the NYPD. As her history with the department goes, Kim is a 30-year NYPD veteran who first got her start in 1985 as a police administrative aid and has since worked her way to her current position as commanding officer.
Among Kim’s most notable accomplishments is her reputation for being the “driving force” behind NYC’s gun buy-back program, which has been credited with the removal of over 8,000 weapons off of the streets, according to the New York Daily News.
The million dollar question, of course, is how much of an impact Kim will be able to have on making necessary changes within the NYPD in the wake of the current tension between police and the Black community, and the answer is that she’ll reportedly be in a position to make things happen at her discretion. A “high-ranking source” tells the NYDN that as the Deputy Chief, one of Kim’s primary responsibilities will be to over see the recruitment process for the police academy and remain involved with the process through its’ completion.
Congratulations to Kim Royster on her promotion. We look forward to seeing ways in which she is able to bring about a change for the better within the NYPD.
article via clutchmagonline.com