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Posts tagged as “President Barack Obama”

Civil Rights Activist Dorothy Height to Be Honored on 2017 U.S. Postage Stamp

By goodblacknews on November 28, 2016
Dorothy Height U.S. postal stamp, 2017.
Dorothy Height U.S. postal stamp, 2017. BLACK HERITAGE: DOROTHY HEIGHT STAMP IMAGE © 2016 UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

article via theroot.com

The U.S. Postal Service just announced civil rights leader Dorothy Height will be honored as the 40th stamp in the Black Heritage Forever series. The painting of Height is based on based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
Height was a tireless activist who dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality. She lived a remarkable life that was in service to her community but African-American women in particular. Although she rarely gained the recognition granted her male contemporaries, she became one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century. She was the president of the National Council of Negro Women for forty years and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
In 1990, Height, along with 15 other African Americans, formed the African-American Women for Reproductive Freedom. She served as national president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority from 1947 to 1956; was the chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; and an honored guest at the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, where she was seated on stage.
Height is the 15th African American woman to appear in the series. The stamp will be available in 2017.
To read full article, go to: http://www.theroot.com/blog/the-grapevine/dorothy-height-to-be-honored-on-2017-u-s-postage-stamp/

Tennessee Corrections Center Official Resigns After His Racist FB Posts Come to Light

By goodblacknews on November 16, 2016

David Barber, deputy director of the Shelby County Corrections Center in Tennessee, resigned after derogatory posts from his Facebook account came to light. (Courtesy of Shelby County)

article by Cleve R. Wootson Jr. via washingtonpost.com
David Barber kept his Facebook profile set to private, but anyone who was friends with him could see the very public nature of his job — right next to the racist posts that made him lose it. Barber, Deputy Director of the Shelby County Corrections Center in Memphis for the past 17 years, resigned amid a growing controversy over the posts.
One featured a picture of President Obama next to a man in a Ku Klux Klan mask and said “The KKK is more American than the illegal president.” Another post, according to the Memphis Flyer, is about the Obama family claiming they had been discriminated against because they’re black.
According to the newspaper, Barber commented, “Arrest convict hang and confiscate all assets.” The posts were shared from the page of a group called “the Free Patriot,” which posts conservative-tinged news stories.
To read more, go to: A Tenn. jail official called the KKK ‘more American’ than Obama. Now he’s out of a job. – The Washington Post

CA Attorney General Kamala Harris Becomes 2nd Black Woman Elected to U.S. Senate

CA Attorney General Kamala Harris Becomes 2nd Black Woman Elected to U.S. Senate

By goodblacknews on November 9, 2016

Newly-elected U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (photo via essence.com)
Newly-elected U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (photo via essence.com)

article by Yolanda Sangweni via essence.com
California Attorney General Kamala Harris made history Tuesday night when she won the Senate race and became the second Black woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
Harris, an Oakland native, will replace Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, who intends to retire 23 years as a California senator. The last African-American woman elected to the senate was Carol Moseley Braun (D, Illinois) who served one term, from 1993-1999.
The Howard University graduate’s platforms included criminal justice, abortion rights and immigration reform. She beat out fellow Democrat, Rep. Loretta Sanchez for the hotly contested race.
A career prosecutor, Harris, whose mother is Indian and father is Jamaican, not only becomes the second Black woman in the senate, she’s also the first Indian woman in the position. For her run, Harris won endorsements from President Barack Obama and California Governor Jerry Brown.

In an interview with ESSENCE earlier this year, Harris, 52, pledged “to ensure our children have a fair shot in school and in life by passing universal prekindergarten legislation.”
“This issue is important to all, but for Black women, poor women, working women, it’s about economic empowerment,” she added.
Harris joins two African-American men in the 100-member Senate: Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey). “Kamala is one of the most exciting leaders in the country right now,” Booker told ESSENCE. “She brings an incredible combination of life experiences and skills that are sorely needed on issues like prison reform, empowering victims, addiction and violence. And she has actually run [and managed] something, and shown herself to be a creative problem solver.”
With additional reporting by Donna Owens.

Donella Wilson, 107-Year-Old Daughter of a Slave, Ready to Cast Her Vote Once More

By goodblacknews on November 8, 2016
Donella Wilson
Donella Wilson WISTV SCREENSHOT (photo via theroot.com)

article by via theroot.com

Donella Wilson, at 107 years old, has never missed a local or national election since she cast her first vote in the 1940s.  And Wilson, who was born in South Carolina to parents who were former slaves, says she is ready to cast her vote one more time and perhaps make history once again.

“I never thought I would live to see a day like this,” Wilson told WISTV.com. “I’m over 100 years old!”
Wilson has had to struggle some recently to retain her right to vote. She had to secure a new ID and registration card, but now she is ready and prepared for her opportunity to say something, and is heading to the polls, not just to back up her beliefs, but to remember those who came before who fought for the right she currently has.
“We couldn’t spell ‘vote,’” Wilson told the news station. “We didn’t know what the word meant other than we had an opportunity to say something and cast a vote, praying as we go along, that the vote could count to help us as a Negro race.”
Wilson said she remembers President Barack Obama’s historic election, expressing how “proud and thankful” she was to witness it.
And she hopes to witness history once again on Tuesday, saying that she planned to cast her vote for Hillary Clinton.  “I’m looking for her to be our first female president,” she said. “I think it’s an honor, a precious gift from God.”
To read more, go to: http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/11/107-year-old-daughter-of-a-slave-ready-to-cast-her-vote-once-more/

President Barack Obama Signs Rape Survivor’s Bill of Rights Into Law

By goodblacknews on October 8, 2016
President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House June 13, 2012, in Washington, D.C.
President Barack Obama(MARTIN H. SIMON-POOL/GETTY IMAGES)

article by Angela Bronner Helm via theroot.com

President Barack Obama signed the Survivors Bill of Rights Act into law on Friday, after being passed by Congress on Wednesday night. The Senate passed the bill in May.

The law was drafted in support of sexual assault survivors and provides specific rights to those who are survivors of rape in relation to law enforcement, counseling and how rape kits are handled.
Mother Jones reports that as of 2014 more than 100,000 rape kits have languished for years in police warehouses and crime labs, going untested.
Erykah Badu actually did a July concert in Detroit to raise money so that the more than 10,000 rape kits found in a warehouse in 2009 could be tested.
Fusion reports that the new legislation means that survivors will have access to sexual assault counselors, more information about their rights and will be able to track when and where their rape kit is tested by law enforcement, if they choose to submit one.
According to Mother Jones, survivors can no longer be charged fees or prevented from getting a rape kit examination, even if they have not yet decided to file a police report. The kits must be preserved, at no cost to the survivor, until the applicable statute of limitations runs out. Also, survivors will now be able to request that authorities notify them before destroying their rape kits, and if they choose to keep the evidence, it has to be preserved. Survivors will also have the right to be notified of DNA profile matches if a hit comes up on the kit.
The bill was partly drafted by 24-year-old Amanda Nguyen, a rape survivor who currently is a White House deputy liaison at the State Department. Nguyen is also founder of the sexual assault survivor advocacy organization, Rise.
Read more at Mother Jones and Fusion.

Carnival Corporation to Donate $2 Million to Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture

Carnival Corporation to Donate $2 Million to Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture

By goodblacknews on October 4, 2016
Carnival CEO Arnold W. Donald (center) rings New York Stock Exchange Bell (photo via zimbio.com)
Carnival CEO Arnold W. Donald (center) rings New York Stock Exchange Bell (photo via zimbio.com)

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson 

Carnival Corporation, parent company to the Carnival Cruise Lines run by Chief Executive Officer Arnold W. Donald, is donating $2 million to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture through its philanthropic arm, Carnival Foundation. 

Eleven years in the making and built at a cost of $540 million, the museum opened Sept. 24 on the National Mall with a dedication ceremony featuring remarks by President Barack Obama and a three-day music and spoken-word festival called “Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration.” In recognition of the gift, NMAAHC has designated Carnival Corporation a Founding Donor of the museum.

“The National Museum of African American History & Culture is a celebration of the many contributions African Americans have made to the history, culture and community of the United States,” said Linda Coll, executive director of Carnival Foundation. “The organizations that Carnival Corporation supports through Carnival Foundation reflect the great value the company places on diversity and inclusion in the communities that we touch, and we are honored to be a part of this new museum.”

The 390,000-square-foot National Museum of African American History & Culture is located on a 5-acre site adjacent to the Washington Monument. Its 12 inaugural exhibitions feature more than 3,000 objects and cover topics ranging from military and sports history to performing arts and the western and northern migration.   

About the National Museum African America of History & Culture
The NMAAHC is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the museum has collected nearly 40,000 artifacts. Nearly 100,000 individuals have become charter members of the museum. When the NMAAHC opened on Sept. 24, 2016, it became the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

About Carnival Foundation
Carnival Foundation oversees the many philanthropic endeavors of Carnival Corporation and its 10 affiliated cruise line brands as well as its employee-driven service group, the “Friends Uniting Neighbors” (F.U.N.) Team. Although Carnival Foundation’s contributions are spread to communities where the brands operate, the company primarily focuses on organizations based in South Florida, where Carnival Corporation is headquartered. Through monetary and in-kind donations, innovative philanthropic programs, employee fundraisers and hands-on volunteer initiatives, Carnival Foundation and the brands of Carnival Corporation support a variety of organizations.

Jack and Jill of America's Youth Turn Loose Change into $35,000 Donation to Support Barack Obama Presidential Library 

By goodblacknews on September 22, 2016
getting-ready
Jack and Jill of America Youth Prior To Presenting $35,000 Donation to the Obama Foundation (Photo courtesy of Jack and Jill of America)

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

 Jack and Jill of America, Inc.’s youngest members collected pennies, nickels and dimes as part of their Loose Change Program that resulted in a $35,000 donation to the Obama Foundation, in support of Chicago’s Barack Obama Presidential Library. Mothers and families of Jack and Jill of America in Chicago came together to present the foundation with the donation in a private celebration.

“The Mid Western Region was incredibly honored to present this donation that not only honors the first African-American US President, Barack Obama, but makes an impact in a community that needs positive reinforcements and contributions,” says Mid-Western Regional Director Nadine Gibson. “As advocates for childhood literacy, Jack and Jill understands the important role public libraries play in communities.”

The Loose Change program was initiated as a giving opportunity for our youth ages two through 12, to make a significant impact in underserved communities.  The Mid-Western Region received the donation collected in 2015 and selected the Barack Foundation as the recipient of choice. 

“We are excited about this giving opportunity.  Now, each time we visit the Library we will know that Jack and Jill helped to make a positive contribution to its development and commitment to the community,” says Mid-Western Regional Teen President, Kellen Love.

For more information on how you can make a donation, or to find out more about Jack and Jill of America and its chapters, visit jackandjillinc.org.

Netflix Buys Young Barack Obama Movie ‘Barry’ at Toronto Film Festival

By goodblacknews on September 18, 2016

Devon Terrell in “Barry” (photo via variety.com)

article by Dave McNary via Variety.com
Netflix has bought worldwide rights to “Barry,” a week after the young Barack Obama movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie is set in New York City with Obama as a college student faced with questions about race, culture, and identity.
“Barry” premiered in the Special Presentations section at the Ryerson Theater on Sept. 10.  Variety‘s Owen Glieberman said in his review, “Set in 1981, when Obama was a 20-year-old college student who moved to New York to transfer to Columbia University, the film is rooted in the murky, drifting, sleep-late-and-get-stoned-and-do-whatever nature of college life that the movies almost never get right. This one does, and that’s one reason it feels bracingly authentic.”
Devon Terrell and Anya Taylor-Joy were cast as the leads in “Barry” in March. Vikram Gandhi, whose “Kumare” won the 2011 audience award at SXSW, directed from a screenplay written by novelist Adam Mansbach, who wrote “Go the F**k to Sleep.”
To read more, go to: Toronto: Netflix Buys Young Barack Obama Movie ‘Barry’ | Variety

President Barack Obama Calls on Americans to Embrace Diversity on 9/11 Anniversary

By goodblacknews on September 11, 2016

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and others, pause on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington as they observe a moment of silence to mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. President Barack Obama is joining the nation in remembering the nearly 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11 attacks 15 years ago Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. Obama is observing the somber anniversary with a moment of silence in the White House residence at 8:46 a.m. EDT. That’s when the first of four hijacked airplanes were slammed into the north tower of New York City’s World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and others, pause on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington as they observe a moment of silence to mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. President Barack Obama is joining the nation in remembering the nearly 3,000 people who died in the Sept. 11 attacks 15 years ago Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

article via abcnews.go.com
President Barack Obama on Sunday marked the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by calling on Americans to embrace the nation’s character as a people drawn from every corner of the world, from every religion and from every background. He said extremist groups will never be able to defeat the United States.
Obama spoke to hundreds of service members, and relatives and survivors of the attack that occurred at the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Defense Department’s headquarters, killing 184 people. The youngest victim was only 3 years old.
In all, about 3,000 people lost their lives that day as a result of the planes that crashed into New York City’s World Trade Center and in a Pennsylvania field.
The president said extremist organizations such as the Islamic State group and al-Qaida know they can never drive down the U.S., so they focus on trying to instill fear in hopes of getting Americans to change how they live.
“We know that our diversity, our patchwork heritage is not a weakness, it is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths,” Obama said. “This is the America that was attacked that September morning. This is the America that we must remain true to.”
Obama spoke on warm, mostly sunny morning, noting that the threat that became so evident on Sept. 11 has evolved greatly over the past 15 years. Terrorists, he said, often attempt strikes on a smaller, but still deadly scale. He specifically cited attacks in Boston, San Bernardino and Orlando as examples.
In the end, he said, the enduring memorial to those who lost their lives that day is ensuring “that we stay true to ourselves, that we stay true to what’s best in us, that we do not let others divide us.”
“How we conduct ourselves as individuals and as a nation, we have the opportunity each and every day to live up to the sacrifice of those heroes that we lost,” Obama said.

Los Angeles Neurosurgeon Dr. Lindsey Ross Accepted into Prestigious White House Fellows Program

By goodblacknews on August 28, 2016

Lindsay Moss (photo courtesy Cedars-Sinai)
Dr. Lindsey Ross (photo courtesy Cedars-Sinai)

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center resident neurosurgeon Lindsey Ross, MD, a member of Cedars’ Neurological Surgery Residency Program, has won a coveted position as a 2016-2017 White House Fellow.
Ross will spend the next year in Washington DC working in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and participating in roundtable discussions with top government leaders, including President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
“I feel so grateful for this opportunity. I know I will learn a great deal about healthcare, leadership and policymaking next year, which I hope to bring back to Cedars-Sinai and the greater Los Angeles community that we serve,” Ross said.
The White House Fellows Program was founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to offer extraordinary leaders firsthand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Graduates include former Secretary of State Colin Powell, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta.