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“New Direction for Democracy”: Dena Crowder’s 6-Minute Power Shot on the Importance of Listening to Black Voices (WATCH)

“New Direction for Democracy”: Dena Crowder’s 6-Minute Power Shot on the Importance of Listening to Black Voices (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on January 22, 2021

In today’s “Power Shot,” TEDx speaker, Power Lab performance coach, and GBN’s “This Way Forward” contributor Dena Crowder breaks down how white supremacy is the ideology behind the biggest threat to democracy in the United States.

Crowder clearly and concisely explains how Black people have been and continue to be essential to preserving and re-defining democracy, why Black voices must be listened to, and gives deeper context for why #BlackLivesMatter. Check it out:

Check out Dena’s other Power Shots below:

R.I.P. Henry “Hank” Aaron, 86, Baseball Legend and All-Time Home Run Record Holder for 33 Years (VIDEO)

R.I.P. Henry “Hank” Aaron, 86, Baseball Legend and All-Time Home Run Record Holder for 33 Years (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on January 22, 2021

There is no dearth of tributes, short or long, circulating about Henry Louis Aaron (aka “Hank”, “The Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank”) in honor of his life and legacy, which is as it should be.  Below are some links to some of them, as well as some information on his career highlights.

If you only have time to watch one thing today, GBN encourages you take four minutes and check out the moment when Aaron, while playing for the Atlanta Braves, broke Babe Ruth‘s all-time home run record on April 8, 1974. As Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully says:

What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the deep south for breaking the record of an all-time baseball idol and it is a great moment for all of us and particularly for Henry Aaron.

Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Aaron’s 755 career home runs stood as the Major League Baseball record for 33 years, and he still holds many MLB offensive records to this day.

Over the course of his 23 seasons in the MLB, Aaron hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, andis one of only two players to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times.  In 1982, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

To read more about Aaron:

It’s Official! Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are the Vice President and President of the United States of America (WATCH)

It’s Official! Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are the Vice President and President of the United States of America (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on January 20, 2021

It’s official! Former U.S. Senator Kamala Devi Harris and former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. now occupy the offices of Vice President and President of the United States of America.

This peaceful transfer of power occurred on the same steps of the U.S. Capitol that were only two weeks ago swarming with a mob of domestic insurgents seeking to overthrow the process that led to today.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor swore in Vice President Harris and Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Biden.

Lady Gaga sang the National Anthem with a dramatic gold dove pin affixed to her breast, Jennifer Lopez put forth a medley of “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful” with a small nod to her own “Let’s Get Loud” mixed in with some words in Spanish, and Garth Brooks offered an a cappella take on “Amazing Grace.”

The most unexpected performance highlight came from inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, 22, who stirred the audience with her spirited recitation of “The Hill We Climb.”

President Biden’s first official speech is below:

Amanda Gorman, 22, Set to Become Youngest Known Inaugural Poet in U.S. History

Amanda Gorman, 22, Set to Become Youngest Known Inaugural Poet in U.S. History

By goodblacknews on January 19, 2021

Amanda Gorman, 22, is set to become the youngest inaugural poet in memory when she recites her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President-elect Joe Biden‘s inauguration tomorrow, according to thehill.com.

In 2014, Harvard University graduate Gorman became the the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles. Three years later she was named the country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate. She will carry on the tradition for Democratic presidents of having celebrated poets read an original piece at inauguration ceremonies.

According to The Associated Press, Gorman said she had been recommended to Biden’s inaugural committee by incoming first lady Dr. Jill Biden. 

Gorman’s poem will follow in the line of noteworthy works by celebrated poets such as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou. Angelou’s “On the Pulse of Morning,” written for the 1993’s inauguration of President Clinton, sold more than 1 million copies when published in book form.

To read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/534419-biden-chooses-black-female-activist-as-youngest-known-inaugural

MUSIC MONDAY: An MLK Day 2021 Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: An MLK Day 2021 Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 18, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

More than 50 years after his death, I can only wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would think of the upheaval of 2020; of the push back on the sentiment that “Black Lives Matter,” and a white supremacist insurgency in our nation’s capital.

Would-be nazis and neo-confederates beating and murdering police on their way into storming the people’s house. We have come far as a nation, and yet what Brotha Ta-Nehisi Coates calls the “beautiful struggle” continues unabated.

As well all celebrate, serve, and/or reflect on this special of American holidays, here’s a collection of music for your mind, heart, and soul. (And in some cases, dat booty too.)

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:6i4lJaCQX6aes5CpV1judl”]

Many are classics that inspired the Freedom Riders during the civil rights movement, and others were written in the wake of George Floyd‘s murder and the protests that followed.

For my money 2020 was a good year for films by and Black people, as well as the sounds from them. One Night In Miami, Sylvie’s Love, Soul, and the Small Axe series to name but a few. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Da 5 Bloods both featured posthumous performances by the great Chadwick Boseman.

Here’s more than 17 hours of music to help steel you for the days, weeks, and months 2021 is certain to bring.

I plan to be back with more next week, y’all. Stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
Apple Launches New Racial Equity and Justice Initiative Projects Nationwide

Apple Launches New Racial Equity and Justice Initiative Projects Nationwide

By goodblacknews on January 13, 2021

[Photo courtesy apple.com: Jared Bailey, a senior at Morehouse College, has integrated Apple’s coding and creativity curricula into his public health and community service work as part of the school’s partnership with Apple, a collaboration that is expanding further with the launch of the Propel Center.]

Today, Apple announced a set of major new projects as part of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) to help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of color.

These efforts include the Propel Center, a first-of-its-kind global innovation and learning hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); an Apple Developer Academy to support coding and tech education for students in Detroit; and venture capital funding for Black and Brown entrepreneurs.

“We are all accountable to the urgent work of building a more just, more equitable world — and these new projects send a clear signal of Apple’s enduring commitment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“We’re launching REJI’s latest initiatives with partners across a broad range of industries and backgrounds — from students to teachers, developers to entrepreneurs, and community organizers to justice advocates — working together to empower communities that have borne the brunt of racism and discrimination for far too long. We are honored to help bring this vision to bear, and to match our words and actions to the values of equity and inclusion we have always prized at Apple.”

MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 11, 2021

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

For many of you riding along with these weekly playlists, some of these “points” may sound familiar.

The popular narrative of the originals of Rhythm & Blues and Rock and Roll leans heavily on the hardscrabble southern bluesman narrative.

The mythic trip to the crossroads and the juke joint circuit stories promoted by so many historians and rock legends leaves out the urban sophistication of Jump Blues artists and their contribution to the music we all love today.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”spotify:playlist:47GWb0G3Bhgp82EcW5QqHt”]

Jump blues evolved from the music of big bands like those of Lionel Hampton and Lucky Millinder. These groups of the early 1940s produced musicians such as Louis Jordan, Jack McVea, Earl Bostic, and Arnett Cobb that would start their own smaller groups.

These Jump groups became hugely popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Artists such as Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Helen Humes, T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Billy Wright, Wynonie Harris, Buddy Johnson, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and others produced hard-driving dance music that contributes mightily to the birth of Soul and Rock.

This is another collection that comes with a “Rumpshaker Warning” Enjoy!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
CNN’s Abby Phillip to Become Network’s Senior Political Correspondent and New Anchor of “Inside Politics Sunday”

CNN’s Abby Phillip to Become Network’s Senior Political Correspondent and New Anchor of “Inside Politics Sunday”

By goodblacknews on January 11, 2021

Journalist and political commentator Abby Phillip will become the anchor of CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday” from 8-9 a.m. ET on Sundays, beginning January 24th. Harvard grad Phillip has also been named the network’s senior political correspondent.

Phillip’s new roles at the news network were announced among several other changes to the anchor line-up for its Washington-based programs. Phillip will take over for anchor John King, who will continue to host “Inside Politics with John King” weekdays from 12-1 p.m. ET.

Beginning in April, Jake Tapper’s program The Lead with Jake Tapper will expand to 4-6 p.m. ET nightly. In addition, he will continue in his role on Sunday mornings, now co-anchoring State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. He will also serve as the network’s lead anchor for all major Washington events.

Wolf Blitzer will continue to anchor the network’s signature evening newscast, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, now airing from 6-7 p.m. ET nightly. The program will be seen around the world, simulcast on the CNN US and CNN International networks. He will also have a principal anchor role for all major breaking news and continue to host CNN special reports.

Dana Bash has been named co-anchor of the network’s Sunday morning newsmaker show, now called State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Tapper and Bash will each anchor two Sundays a month, beginning January 24th. In addition, Bash will continue as the network’s chief political correspondent and will also host quarterly primetime interview specials.

[Photo: Abby Phillip courtesy CNN]

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

By goodblacknews on January 8, 2021

Yesterday on Instagram, Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation announced applications are open for housing relief via naacp.org.

The application is available on the NAACP website and will end on Thursday, January 21st at 11:59PM.

“The NAACP is committed to helping ensure African Americans maintain their wealth and financial security during this unprecedented time of COVID-19,” the site reads. “We are partnering with BeyGOOD to provide one hundred grants up to $5,000 each to families who are delinquent in their home mortgage or rental payments.”

“When we were faced with the pandemic caused by COVID-19, BeyGOOD created a plan to make a difference,” the BeyGOOD site says. “We assisted organizations across the country that were providing people with basic needs like food, water, household supplies, and COVID testing. We also provided mental health support.”

To read more about the grants and to apply, visit https://www.naacp.org.

Bianca Smith Earns Coaching Spot with Red Sox Minor League Team, Becomes 1st Black Woman Pro Baseball Coach

Bianca Smith Earns Coaching Spot with Red Sox Minor League Team, Becomes 1st Black Woman Pro Baseball Coach

By goodblacknews on January 2, 2021

[photo: Bianca Smith via Twitter]

Bianca Smith is set to score some baseball history.

The Boston Red Sox organization is hiring Smith as a minor league coach, according to the Boston Globe. MLB confirmed Smith will be the first Black woman on record to coach baseball at the professional level.

Smith, who most recently was an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University in Wisconsin, will mainly work with infielders at the Red Sox’s minor league facility in Fort Meyers, Florida.

Smith’s pro baseball experience includes interning in the operations departments for the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, in addition to working in amateur administration for MLB.

Smith played softball for her Ivy League alma mater Dartmouth from 2010-12 before working as director of baseball operations at Case Western Reserve University from 2013-17 and as an assistant coach with University of Dallas in 2018, according to the Globe.

To read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/31/sports/red-sox-hire-bianca-smith-minor-league-coach-making-her-first-black-woman-coach-mlb-history/