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Rep. John Lewis Honored by USPS with New Commemorative Forever Stamp

The United States Postal Service celebrated the life and legacy of the late Rep. John Lewis (1940-2020), a long-term Congressperson and key figure in several pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, by issuing a Forever stamp on Friday with his portrait.

The issue date was marked with a ceremony at HBCU Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.

Michael Collins, Lewis’ former congressional chief of staff, spoke about Lewis’ passion for stamps.

“Whenever a new forever stamp came out, he was like a kid in a candy store, purchasing more than he could ever use. There were so many stamps. He loved too many to count. Generations of his staff in both the district and DC offices could tell you about the countless trips to every post office. From Atlanta to the house office building to buy stamps and post his mail,” Collins said.

“This commemorative stamp serves as a timeless reminder of his remarkable legacy and the enduring impact of his lifelong dedication to the betterment of our society,” Collins stated. “May it inspire and encourage all Americans to continue the necessary work and the ‘good trouble’ of building a more just and inclusive nation.”

A young John Lewis first reached out to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through a letter, which led to them meeting. Lewis’ son, John Miles-Lewis, considers his father being honored with a stamp as a full circle moment:

“From the son of sharecroppers to being a civil rights revolutionary, to be considered the conscience of the Congress. That’s a journey that started with an envelope, a letter and a stamp.”

News about the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #JohnLewis, and you can view the ceremony at John Lewis Commemorative Forever® Stamp Dedication Ceremony – YouTube.

Insights in telling the story of this stamp can also be found on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages at facebook.com/USPS, and twitter.com/usps.

“Look carefully at how the shadow falls on the right side of his face, illuminating the left side, in a way that seems to take the viewer from darkness into the light. A fitting tribute to a man who sought to awaken the conscience of a country,” said Ronald A. Stroman, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and dedicating official for the stamp. “The Postal Service is proud to celebrate Lewis — a national treasure — and to honor his legacy with the tribute of this Forever stamp that is as beautiful visually as was the spirit of the man whose image it bears.”

Among those joining Stroman for the ceremony were mistress of ceremonies Alfre Woodard; Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., professor and founding dean of the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College; John-Miles Lewis, son of John Lewis; Linda Earley Chastang, president and chief executive officer of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation; Michael Collins, chair of the board for the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.

The stamp features a photograph of Lewis taken by Marco Grob for the Aug. 26, 2013, issue of Time Magazine. Lewis’s name is at the bottom of the stamp. The words “USA” and “Forever” appear in the stamp’s top left corner. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Background on John Lewis

A key figure in some of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis was the face of the Nashville Student Movement, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, an original Freedom Rider, and one of the keynote speakers at the historic 1963 March on Washington. Even in the face of hatred and violence, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call “good trouble.”

Devoted to equality and justice for all Americans, Lewis spent more than 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he helped achieve in the 1960s. He was a staunch and unwavering believer in and advocate for nonviolent protests. The recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees, he was called a “saint” by Time magazine and “the conscience of the Congress” by his colleagues.

He served as executive director of the Voter Education Project; as associate director of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency that oversaw the Peace Corps and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA); and as a member of the Atlanta City Council. He was also the author of several bestselling books, including the “March” comic book series and the inspiring autobiography “Walking With the Wind.”

Elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, Lewis garnered the support needed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1991, sponsored the legislation that created the 54-mile Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail, and worked for more than a decade to establish the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

Black Harvard, Princeton, Cal Tech and University of Chicago Students Graduate At Higher Rates Than Classmates Overall

According to Forbes.com, statistics from a publicly-available U.S. Department of Education database reveal that six-year graduation rates (a commonly-used metric in higher education) for Black students are higher at Harvard and Princeton than they are for the overall student body (equal at Ivy League sister school Yale), as well as at other highly-selective private institutions like Cal TechUniversity of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, Case Western Reserve University, and Wake Forest University.

To quote the article:

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled race-conscious college admissions policies and practices unconstitutional. Affirmative Action opponents have long argued that admitting presumably unqualified applicants of color to highly-selective institutions sets those students up for failure because they can’t do the work.

If completing a bachelor’s degree is a reasonable measure of whether someone has what it takes to succeed in the Ivy League or at another highly-selective university, then federal data from the three institutions where admission slots are among the most coveted in the world confirm that Black students are indeed more than capable and deserving of the opportunities they earned.

At Harvard, it’s 98% for undergraduates overall and 99% for Black collegians. It’s also 99% for Black students at Princeton, compared to 97% of bachelor’s degree seekers there overall. Additionally, 98% of Yale students graduate within six years – the exact same for Black Yalies.

Read more: www.forbes.com/sites/shaunharper/2023/07/03/graduation-rates-higher-for-black-collegians-than-for-students-overall-at-harvard-and-princeton-equal-at-yale/

MUSIC MONDAY: “Summer Breeze” – Summer Songs Playlist for 2023 (LISTEN)

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

This July, as we endure the latest triple digit temperature heatwave, or navigate flight cancellations in our attempts at a vacation, we can always count on summer music to lighten the mood and keep our heads cool in the comfort of our own backyard.

So, with that in mind, we’re back again this holiday week with the latest update to our popular playlist entitled Summer Breeze – Soulful Summer Songs.” We introduced this playlist a few years ago and have been updating it annually with both new and old musical finds uncovered deep in the recesses of Spotify.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1xgE7qFwobhbEshljcxyPs?si=f9ead573a45d4295″]

The goal of the playlist is simple – find music by Black artists (or, in a few cases, soul-influenced artists of various ethnic backgrounds) that have the word “summer” in their song title – these songs are literally written about summer.

Some are big BBQ standards, like “Summer Breeze” by the Isley Brothers, Will Smith‘s “Summertime”, Sly & The Family Stone‘s “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “Summer” by War.

But many are lesser known from across the decades, from artists ranging from Nat King Cole and Nancy Wilson to Anderson.Paak and Aloe Blacc – all unified by their seasonal theme.

This year we’ve added 35 new songs, sprinkled throughout the list. Some are fresh out of the oven, like Chris Brown‘s “Summer Too Hot” and “Summer Renaissance” by Beyoncé. Others include older songs we found anew on Spotify since our last update, from name artists like Uncle Charlie Wilson (“Just Like Summertime”), Rick James (“Summer Love”), Tony! Toni! Toné! (“Til Last Summer”), reggae group Big Mountain (“Reggae Inna Summertime”) and Kelly Rowland (“Summer Dreaming”).

For this OG soul music fan, the most fun, perhaps, is uncovering via the magic of Spotify all sorts of artists new to my ears. Many are already successful with millions of monthly Spotify listeners, such as SiR (“Summer in November”), Fana Hues (a lovely cover of Stevie’s “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer”), girl group FLO (“Summertime”), Khruangbin (a cool new take on “Summer Madness”) and KYLE (“SummertimeSoul”). 

We’ve also got songs from newcomers like Kenya Vaun (“Summer”), Tay Iwar with Juls (“Summer Breeze”), and NoMBe (“Summer’s Gone” remix with Sonny Alven and Thutmose).

Spotify has opened up American ears to artists from all over the globe that we may never have heard before the internet. South Africa’s Soweto-born DJ Kent brings us the hypnotic “Summer Heartbreak.” Suriname-born Jeangu Macrooy (“Summer Moon”) has represented Netherlands in Eurovision. Pheelz (“Pheelz Like Summer”) is a prolific Nigerian producer/artist with a following in both his home country and throughout Europe. And from the UK comes newcomer Debbie, with her tune “Summer in December.”

Of course, we also had to dig for a few more deep classics. Those include the Chic-like British soul tune “Summer Grooves” by Mirage, doo-wop classics from Ruby & The Romantics (“My Summer Love”), The Danleers (“One Summer Night”), and The Tymes (“Summer Day”), and some newly found standards, including a lovely version of “The Summer Knows” from Leslie Uggams and Sarah Vaughan‘s “The Green Leaves of Summer.” And, love it or hate it, you simply must check out LGBT icon Sylvester‘s version of the Porgy & Bess standard “Summertime” in which the disco star merges Gershwin with Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.”

If you’ve enjoyed this playlist in the past, here’s the annual reminder to check in with it again for some fresh additions. And if you are new to it, check out all the above and more on what is now a full day’s worth of summer songs with a soulful sensibility to explore. Feel free to let us know in the comments your favorite “summer” songs, including any we’ve missed!

Enjoy!

MUSIC MONDAY: “Move on Up” – The Best of Curtis Mayfield (LISTEN)

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

This June 3rd was the 81st anniversary of Curtis Mayfield’s birth. Today, on Juneteenth, we offer Move On Up: The Best of Curtis Mayfield playlist to celebrate the Chicago native who made an indelible mark on popular music through his protest songs and on the movie soundtrack album in particular.

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0CutRP38OfPOv3ojI39Cpa?si=98026abc77084c71″]

As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Mayfield is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in soul and R&B music. His early days with The Impressions showcased his distinctive falsetto vocals and he penned hits like “I’m So Proud” “It’s All Right,” and “Woman’s Got Soul,” among others.

However, it was his solo career that solidified his place as a musical pioneer and visionary. Beyond his musical contributions, Mayfield was a vocal advocate for civil rights and social equality.

His songs, including “Move On Up,” “People Get Ready,” “Keep On Pushing,” “Choice of Colors” and “We’re a Winner” became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. They have empowered marginalized communities and inspired change for decades.

The soundtrack of Superfly was a smash by any measure. The record’s first single, “Freddie’s Dead” came out in July 1972, before the full album and the movie, and hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Mayfield also crafted and composed the 1976 soundtrack to Sparkle, on which Aretha Franklin recorded the now classic #1 R&B hit “Something He Can Feel.” En Vogue remade the song in 1992 and repeated that feat, along with taking their cover to No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart.

This collection features his many hits, collaborations, remixes of his work and covers made in tribute to his impact. Enjoy.

Happy Juneteenth!! Stay sane, safe, and kind. See ya next month, y’all.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Apple Adds $25 Million to Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, Increasing Financial Commitment to over $200M since 2020

This week, Apple announced its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), a long-term global effort to advance equity and expand opportunities for Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous communities, has more than doubled its initial financial commitment to total more than $200 million over the last three years.

Since launching REJI in June 2020, Apple has supported education, economic empowerment, and criminal justice reform work across the U.S., with recent expansion to Australia, the U.K., and Mexico.

Apple launched REJI at a pivotal moment in the U.S., as protests against racial injustice in the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor swept the nation.

“Building a more just and equitable world is urgent work that demands collaboration, commitment, and a common sense of purpose,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are proud to partner with many extraordinary organizations that are dedicated to addressing injustice and eliminating barriers to opportunity. And we’ll continue to lead with our values as we expand our efforts to create opportunities, lift up communities, and help build a better future for all.”

Apple has reported that REJI’s education grants have reached more than 160,000 learners through in-person courses and out-of-school offerings, while committing over $50 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to support science, technology, engineering, arts, and math opportunities.

With a focus on economic empowerment, REJI funds financial institutions — including venture capital firms, Community Development Financial Institutions, and Minority Depository Institutions — that support Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses.

As part of its expanding work, Apple also announced a new partnership with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBKA), a program of the Obama Foundation. Through this strategic partnership and funding, Apple aims to help close opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color by supporting training for community leaders and MBKA staff, expanding programming for boys and young men of color, and strengthening the MBKA network through targeted community impact microgrants. The program plans to train more than 500 leaders and engage over 50,000 youth across the U.S.

“Apple’s continued support of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance empowers the foundation to develop and implement new initiatives that create opportunities for our young people,” said Valerie Jarrett, the Obama Foundation’s CEO. “Together, we are building a more inclusive educational system that nurtures creativity, fosters innovation, and transforms the lives of boys and young men of color across the country. We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to our continued collective efforts to ensure all youth can reach their full potential.”

REJI’s criminal justice reform grants are reported to have supported providing legal services, safe housing, identification services, healthcare access, and other vital reentry services for more than 19,000 justice-impacted individuals.

To combat systemic racism, REJI and Apple have partnered with several community colleges — including the Los Angeles Community College District, Delgado Community College in New Orleans, and Houston Community College — to implement programs to help incarcerated and paroled individuals learn new skills, prevent recidivism, and create economic opportunity for parolees and probationers.

Apple has also made meaningful contributions to various nonprofit organizations that advance equity and justice, including the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Defy Ventures, Vera Institute of Justice, and The Last Mile.

To learn and read more about Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, check out its REJI Impact Overview.

U.S. Representative Cori Bush Introduces New Bill to Congress Calling for Reparations for Black Americans

According to npr.org, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D, Missouri) has introduced new legislation calling for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans, in an effort to see the federal government atone and attempt to compensate for the practice of chattel slavery for over 250 years and the generations of racist policies that have followed.

To quote from npr.org:

“The United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people,” Bush said in a Wednesday news conference attended by Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., as well as other stakeholders.

“America must provide reparations if we desire a prosperous future for all,” Bush said.

Rep. Bush’s resolution is the latest in a long line of congressional efforts by Democrats to compensate Black Americans for centuries of racial inequity. Similar language about reparations has been introduced in every legislative session since 1989.

“We know that we continue to live under slavery’s vestiges. We know how slavery has perpetuated Jim Crow. We know how slavery’s impacts live on today,” Bush said, citing the racial wealth gap, voter suppression, infant mortality rates and other negative health outcomes for Black people.

U.S. Congressmember Cori Bush (D, Missouri)

“It’s unjust and it wouldn’t happen in a just and fair and equitable society,” Bush also remarked. “Those are not the natural consequences of human society… They are directly caused by our federal government’s role in the enslavement and exploitation of Africans and Black people throughout our history.”

California is currently exploring reparations on a state level, San Francisco is proposing reparations to bring Black people back to the city, while Evanston, Illinois started offering a form of reparations in 2019 through its Restorative Housing Reparations Program.

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MUSIC MONDAY: “Bring It On Home” – A Famous Background Vocalists Playlist (LISTEN)

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

Happy springtime from your friend and selector, Marlon!

Here’s a freewheeling playlist, and a seemingly random collection of tunes. Though what they all have in common is famous folks, sometimes uncredited, singing backup.

In some cases it is an established artist leading a hand, like Stevie Wonder contributing to Jermaine Jackson’s “Let’s Get Serious,” or a then-unknown protege like Lou Rawls singing behind his childhood pal Sam Cooke on “Bring It On Home To Me.”

In some tracks, you won’t be able to pick them out. Though in others you will never be able to hear the same again without recognizing them. Here is a breakdown of each song and who’s helping out in the background. Enjoy!

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Wiw3WvesSmopQpyuoTybK?si=7f4c79d723884010″]

  1. “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke with Lou Rawls
  2. “Let’s Get Serious” by Jermaine Jackson was produced by Stevie Wonder (who also provided vocals)
  3. “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder with Luther Vandross and Philip Bailey
  4. “Don’t Lose Your Head” by Queen with Joan Armatrading
  5. “Step by Step” by Whitney Houston with original writer and vocalist Annie Lennox
  6. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface with Kenny G, Mariah Carey, and Shelia E.
  7. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell with Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson
  8. “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean with Beyoncé
  9. “State of Shock” by the Jacksons, with Mick Jagger
  10. “Young Americans” by David Bowie with Luther Vandross
  11. “Why Should I Love You?” by Kate Bush with Prince singing and playing guitar
  12. “There Must Be More to Life Than This” by Queen with Michael Jackson
  13. “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna with uncredited vocals by the song’s author, Taylor Swift
  14. “Partition” by Beyoncé with Justin Timberlake
  15. “Chain Reaction” by Diana Ross with Barry Gibb

There are certainly others, but I’ll stop here. Though if there are glaring omissions, lemme me know, and I’ll make additions.

See ya next month, and as always: stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Good Black News Wishes You and Yours Happy Mother’s Day 2023

Good Black News wants to take a moment on this day to honor and remember the women who gave us life, who nurtured and raised us, and also offered us solace, counsel, wisdom, humility and humor.

To all the mothers out there – be they Aunties, Grandmothers, Cousins or Friends – thank you for all you do. It might not always feel like it, but you are deeply appreciated.

For those of us who aren’t able to be with our mothers or mother figures in person due to circumstance, distance or transcendence — we are with you in voice, online and always – in spirit!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Philanthropist Jacqueline Avant Honored with Opening of Children and Family Center in Her Name

Activist and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant on Friday helped open the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center at the MLK Medical Campus in the Watts-Willowbrook community of Los Angeles, CA in memory of her mother.

“My family and I are thrilled and honored to celebrate the unveiling of the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center,” Nicole Avant said. “For over 50 years, my mom was dedicated to the mental and physical and spiritual health of the children and families in South Los Angeles and was on a mission to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate.”

Philanthropist and community leader Jacqueline Avant, spouse to legendary music industry executive Clarence Avant, was 81 years old when she was fatally shot during a home invasion in December 2021.

The three-story children and family center is a 50,000-square-foot facility that employs variety of programs to address the needs of at-risk children struggling with trauma, health and mental health problems. The first two floors of the center will be open to the community this summer, and the remaining floor is slated for completion by the end of the year.To quote from Marc Malkin’s Variety.com article:

The center opening and dedication attracted giants of the music industry, including Jerry Moss, Jimmy Jam, Phil Quartararo, L.A. Reid, Hollywood management powerhouse Benny Medina, real estate tycoon and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, actor Holly Robinson Peete and Nicole’s husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Los Angles Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell opened the ceremony before handing the mic to Dr. Janet Arnold-Clark, who detailed the lifesaving and affirming work being done at the center.

With the opening of the center, Nicole and her family have turned their focus from tragedy to helping others. “My friend Dionne said to me, ‘The greatest way you can honor your mom’s life is to live to the fullest. That is what you have to do,’” she says. “Your job is to live to the fullest because you don’t know how long you have on this earth, no one does. Sometimes you have three months, sometimes you have three years, you just don’t know. People remember you by your good works. That’s what people remember.”

Jacqueline Avant’s assailant, Aariel Maynor, was sentenced to life in state prison with a minimum of 150 years, after pleading guilty to Avant’s murder.

To read more:

MUSIC MONDAY: “Me Myself and I: Best of De La Soul” Playlist (LISTEN)

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

When De La Soul member David Jude Jolicoeur (aka Trugoy the Dove) unexpectedly passed away in February, anyone seeking to revisit the group’s best-known works would have come away baffled and empty-handed.

The scores of uncleared samples that defined De La Soul’s classic records made for a legal minefield when it came to making them available for streaming, until this March:

[spotifyplaybutton play=”https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1kRPAJoH5L1ZR4Bvf5u0hm?si=9d11edfb742f40e2″]

One of the giants of hip-hop’s “golden era” of the late ’80s through mid-’90s, De La’s penchant for playful creativity would fly in the face of the “gangsta rap” that dominated hip-hop at the time.

While most rapped about slinging drugs, they dedicated a track to telling the story of a drug-addicted family member and told the dangers of ignoring sexual abuse victims.

They would influence everyone from OutKast to The Pharcyde, Jungle Brothers to Childish Gambino.

For several years, the band’s catalog rights were tangled up in major label red tape from their time at Warner Bros. Records and Tommy Boy.

Me Myself and I: The Best of De La Soul” is a collection of some of their classic, their many collaborations (Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM and others), and guest appearances (Gorillaz, Ibrahim Maalouf, Potatohead People and others.)

Enjoy this deep dive into the influential work of De La Soul.

And until next month, stay sane, safe, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)