Last week, President Biden named nineteen Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, including posthumous recognition of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. He was the first NAACP Field Secretary in Mississippi.
Mr. Evers worked to set up an NAACP office there. In the early 1960s, he organized high-profile boycotts of merchants in Jackson. In 1962, he instrumentalized the campaign to admit African American student James Meredith to the University of Mississippi.
Medgar Evers fought for his country in World War II and returned home to lead the fight against segregation in Mississippi. He was 37 when he was murdered at his home by Byron De La Beckwith.
United Nations agencies issued a joint warning on Friday that time is running out to prevent starvation in Sudan’s Darfur region due to intensifying clashes around the northern capital of El Fasher, which are hindering efforts to deliver lifesaving aid.
Since fighting erupted last April between rival militaries, Sudan has witnessed shocking levels of violence, plunging the country into a devastating humanitarian and protection crisis.
Close to 25 million people – more than half the population – are estimated to need assistance, with approximately 17.7 million people facing “acute” levels of food insecurity.
The crisis, described as being of “epic proportions” by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is exacerbated by limited access to vulnerable communities due to ongoing fighting and authorities’ restrictions, particularly in Darfur, while the fighting rages on between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The latest escalation of violence around El Fasher has halted aid convoys from Chad’s Tine border crossing. Authorities in Port Sudan are preventing aid transport via Adre, the only other viable cross-border corridor from Sudan’s western neighbor.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Deep-seated racial and economic tensions will be present in the new chapter of Baton Rouge’s history because of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s historic decision approving the creation of the City of St. George. The decision follows a protracted legal battle initiated by affluent white residents seeking to carve out their own municipality from the broader cityscape, citing concerns over governance, public safety, and educational quality.
Encompassing a sprawling 60-square-mile expanse in the southeast of East Baton Rouge Parish, St. George is poised to emerge as an autonomous entity with its own mayor and city council, catering to an estimated population of 86,000 residents. Advocates tout the move as necessary to address high crime rates and underperforming schools.
However, critics argue that the decision heralds the creation of a de facto segregated enclave, further entrenching racial and economic disparities within the Baton Rouge community. The polarizing debate underscores broader societal challenges and raises profound questions about equity and inclusion. It also has all the earmarks of America’s dark history of racial segregation, which preserves the economic advantages and social dominance of whites and the politically powerful, who have utilized legal and societal barriers to maintain their elite status over other communities.
In Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, an African American student protested segregation by sitting at a drugstore lunch counter designated for whites only. Demonstrators staged a famous protest at a Woolworth store in New York City in 1960 to denounce segregation at the chain’s Southern lunch counters. Racial segregation has been pervasive worldwide among mixed-race communities, excluding regions like Hawaii and Brazil with significant racial integration. According to Brittanica, while social discrimination exists in these areas, formal segregation does not. Conversely, in the Southern United States, the segregation of Black and white individuals in public spaces was legally sanctioned from the late 1800s to the 1950s under the Jim Crow laws. In response, African Americans initiated the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s to dismantle racial segregation. The movement culminated in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provided robust protections against discrimination and segregation in voting, education, and public facilities. Meanwhile, the genesis of St. George dates back nearly 15 years, when residents initially sought to establish an independent school district. Over time, the ambition evolved into a broader push for municipal independence, culminating in a decisive 2019 ballot initiative in which 54 percent of residents voted in favor of incorporation.
Legal wrangling ensued, with Baton Rouge city officials contesting the move, warning of dire fiscal consequences and service disruptions. While lower courts initially sided with Baton Rouge, the state’s Supreme Court ultimately overturned their rulings, endorsing the viability of St. George’s internal budget to sustain essential public services.
Nevertheless, lingering concerns persist regarding the economic fallout. A 2014 study by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber projected a substantial budget deficit for the remaining portions of Baton Rouge, raising apprehensions about the city’s capacity to uphold public services post-separation.
“My goal from the very beginning—and it will always be my goal — is to advocate for a united Baton Rouge,” Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome told reporters. “I am committed to serving the residents of St. George.”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Bishop William J. Barber II, president and senior lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, alongside Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, led a press conference on Monday at the National Press Club to unveil plans for the “Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington, D.C.: A Call to the Polls and to Vote.”
Scheduled for June 29th, the assembly aims to commence four months of outreach efforts targeting 15 million poor and low-wage infrequent voters nationwide. According to the study “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Poor and Low-Income Voters in the 2020 Elections,” approximately 85 million eligible voters in the United States are classified as poor or low wage, constituting at least 30% of the electorate. In battleground states, the percentage climbs to over 40%.
“This is movement time,” declared Bishop Barber. “We are here this morning to mobilize the power of over 33 million infrequent voters, poor and low wage, to demand attention to their concerns in the political arena.” Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis echoed this sentiment. “Our goal is to center the desires and political agenda of those who are often left out of the conversation,” Theoharis stated. The coalition, comprising representatives from over thirty state coordinating committees, religious organizations, labor unions, and advocacy groups, seeks to mobilize the substantial voting bloc to demand political candidates’ endorsement of a moral agenda addressing the poverty and low-wealth crisis, which claims 295,000 lives annually. “Poor and low-wage voters are saying in this season that if you want these votes, talk to poor and low-wage folks,” said Bishop Barber. Rev. Mark Thompson, who also works for the National Newspaper Publishers Association, was among the many coalition members who addressed the issues during the news conference, which aired live on C-Span and at BlackPressUSA.com. Thompson highlighted the interconnectedness of poverty with various social issues. “Wherever there is a lack of health care and voting rights, LGBT rights and immigrant rights, there is an abundance of poverty,” he asserted. “Wherever there is a lack of jobs and labor unions and sensible gun laws in women’s bodily autonomy, there is an abundance of poverty.” He continued: “Wherever there is a lack of racial justice and legal rights, criminal justice reform, access to adequate legal representation, an alternative to incarceration and police reform, wherever those things are in lack, there is an abundance of poverty. Wherever there is a lack of what is now under attack, diversity, equity, and inclusion, affirmative action, investment in education, a lack of educational opportunities, there is an abundance of poverty. Wherever there is lack of religious tolerance, racial harmony, and beloved community, there is an abundance of poverty.” The event’s organizers emphasized their commitment to empowering impoverished and low-wage individuals, aiming to amplify their voices in the political discourse. Rev. Thompson concluded, “I contend we do not need to ask permission to finish Dr. King’s work. He did not retire. It is our duty to pick up his baton and move forward. They always talk about the people who don’t want to vote. They never talk about the impoverished and low-wage individuals. We want to lift them and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others.” As the nation gears up for the 2024 elections, Bishop Barber, the Poor People’s Campaign, and its allies assert that they are poised to make their presence felt, advocating for policies that address the systemic issues perpetuating poverty and economic inequality across the country. “We want to lift them up and bring them forth. If we address these issues, we will address all these others,” Thompson insisted.
Rally held in Tuscaloosa in support of Mercedes Benz workers
By Pat Bryant A big battle between workers at Mercedes Benz Vance plant near Tuscaloosa, Ala and its German employer is about to come to a head. Voting begins on whether workers will be represented by the United Auto Worker (UAW) on May 13 through 17 and results will be announced May 17 by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). UAW has been on a roll. Southern worker oppression, tough and unapologetic, seems crumbling. A rather festive weekend of worker support events attracted community supporters in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. The United Auto Workers has filed a complaint with the NLRB of illegal company captive employee meetings and firing of workers who are advocating for unionization. Spokesman for Mercedes denies those allegations. This union battle follows a massive win of workers at the Tennessee Volkswagen plant, another German auto giant in which workers chose the United Auto Workers by a landslide. In Alabama, the main issue is pay and use of “temp workers”. A company spokesperson would not comment on pay structure. Unionizing workers catch more hell in the South with elected leaders promising industrialists to provide docile workers in anti-union environments, nearly free land and no or low property taxes, and companies sometime keep state withholding taxes. But feeling the power grip over workers slipping Governor Kay Ivey spoke in the media to company officials: “you need to fix this” referring to the system of threats and intimidation unique in the South. Alabama is a right to work state. That means every attempt of workers to organize is met with crushing company and government opposition. Employers can use the capital punishment for workers—firing—with no recourse. Workplaces that have unions provide a level of protection against unreasonable employer actions complained of at Mercedes Benz. Conversations with workers and community leaders show excitement and anticipation. Several Democratic Party leaders came to support workers in weekend events in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. The festive events with barbeque, music, and gelato in toasty heat. Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, Alabama Democratic Party assistant chairperson Tabitha Isner, Birmingham’s Joshua Raby, the party Disability Chair were among many others that mixed with community leaders supporting workers. Senator Jones said he was expecting as big a landslide in Alabama as at the Volkswagen vote in Tennessee. Austin Brooks, an employee has been at the plant two years was excited. But Brooks says workers are frightened to the extent that many will not take a union flyer. Austin says employees are temps for a year, and if they don’t rub anybody the wrong may become permanent. 10 year employee Jacob Rines, was a temp worker at Mercedes for 5 years 2 months and 19 days before he was hired full-time. The six foot six husky guy may have rubbed someone the wrong way. The present campaign is his second time supporting unions at the factory. The rapid pace that workers have signed cards to unionize, he says, is amazing. He contributes worker excitement to the Big Three Automakers, GM, Ford, and Chrysler, contracting last year with United Auto Workers in a big 25 percent and higher pay raise. “It is proving that with a union we can win and get our fair share of representation”, Rine said. Dr. Pam Foster, a medical doctor and medical school professor, said she is excited about the “possibilities of a union victory in Alabama”. She is a Alabama leader in the Poor People’s Campaign that will bring its leader the Rev. Dr. William Barber to Mercedes’ Vance factory on May 13th, the day voting begins. Barber’s presence will certainly boost a vote for unionization. The South’s continued history of slavery, division and oppression of workers, is on the line. Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Mississippi governors released a joint letter recently urging their followers to hold the line and not allow United Auto Workers to win at Volkswagen, Mercedes and other southern plants. That did not work in Tennessee. Now local chambers of commerce, some elected and appointed officials are busy trying to hold the line, reportedly through fear and intimidation tactics. There are anit-worker videos and ads on television outlets, radio stations, Facebook, Instagram and newspapers. State and company pressure for a no vote is on. Former crimson tide and NFL cornerback Antonio Langham was at a rally held at Tuscaloosa’s Christian Community Church and encouraged workers. Langham said NFL players got better health care because of the NFL Players Association fighting for workers against team owners. With the UAW, workers can do the same, he said. No one that this writer met in a two-day swing through Alabama seemed to know much about Mercedes Benz history. The company has unions in its German factories. Its existence in Alabama seems contingent on keeping an anti-union environment. The company seems to have decided to go along with the South’s program. Fear in the workplace is an example. The company has a history of going along with the program. When Hitler rose to power in 1932 Mercedes factories had 6,000 plus employees. As Hitler made war in Europe Germany’s troops captured hundreds of thousands of Jews and others. 60,000 became slaves in Mercedes factories. The auto giant had 68,000 plus workers by the end of WWII. The company apologized in the 1980’s and paid a small $12 million reparations to its victims. The company did not respond to questions about its WWII history. *Pat Bryant is a long time southern poet, community organizer, and journalist reporting and writing about the southern civil rights and human rights movement
Eutaw, AL – Ms. Miriam Leftwich, on behalf of the Greene County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., presented a donation to Dr. Marcia Pugh, Chief Executive Officer, for equipment and supplies. Greene County Health System appreciates and welcomes all community support. Pictured center: Dr. Marcia Pugh and Miriam Leftwich.
Back row left to right: Vera Rice, Ashley Polk, Lakisha Gill, and Marquita Walton. Photo Credit: Andrea Woods
Preparing for the 49th annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival
By Carol Prejean Zippert
Just four months before the annual community celebration of the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, scheduled for August 24 -25, 2024 on the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square in Eutaw, and phone calls, texts, emails, and other contacts are pouring in with the perennial question: We’re having the Festival this year, right? The inquiries are more a declaration than a question. So, yes community, we are preparing for the 49th Black Belt Folk Roots Festival. The festival was organized in 1975 to pay tribute to those persons recognized as bearers of the folkway, traditions and culture of the West Alabama Region, exemplified through their creations in craft, music, dance, storytelling and foodways. Recently, in observance of National Small Business Week, Representative Terri Sewell toured small businesses in her 7th Congressional District, stopping for lunch at Travis Chicago Style, a locally owned food truck in Birmingham known for their Polish Sausage and Bear Burgers. Travis Holmes is a regular at the annual festival. During the two-day festival activities, the line of folk eager for his delicacies is unending, continuing long after the day’s programs are closed down. Many of the festival’s founding elders, the bearers of the culture, have transitioned, signaling a greater need to preserve the stories of struggle, perseverance and the joy shared in How we made it over. Saturday’s Ole Timey Blues recounts hardship and pain. Sunday’s Ole Timey Gospel lifts the spirit in the joy of faith and hope. The grateful music is accented by the colorful crafts that adorn the grounds as well. There are fewer quilts, baskets and other traditional crafts of the earlier years, but the young folk come with their own brand of “handmade.” They bring a variety of handcrafted jewelry and other adornments; home made soaps in exotic scents but with useful purposes. They bring art works depicting their views of the world, or just living in a day. They offer decorative items to cheer a body and a home. But the young crafters come and claim the festival in their own ways. Belt Folk Roots Festival will again feature the Kid’s Tent with hands-on art workshops. The Kid’s Tent is a special adventure for children at the festival. They don’t have to do “grown folk stuff.” They have their own piece of the celebration. Various art supplies are provided for the children to work at their own creations, which they can keep. The Kid’s Tent also offers pottery making, face painting and games. There are costs in producing the festival and we are grateful for the contributors who value the festival, including the Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Power Foundation, Black Belt Community Foundation, grants from Legislators, other non-profits and local merchants. We appreciate the support of local and county government. This festival in unique in that there is no admission charge, simply because it is a community celebration. It would be like charging your family a fee to come home for Thanksgiving. The festival brings people together because they need and desire to be together. So, yes community, we are preparing for the 49th annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival.
On Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 1:30 PM, on the old Greene County Courthouse lawn the Mayor and City Council of Eutaw, Alabama, held ‘Tony Rice Day’ to commemorate one year since the tragic death of Rice, a city worker, who died while repairing a sewage pipe in Branch Heights.
At the ceremony, one of his city worker colleagues said, “Tony was a wonderful person. He always had a cheerful, smiling, and friendly disposition to everyone. He was a great role model for the other city employees.”
Mayor Latasha Johnson proclaimed the day as ‘Tony Rice Day’ in Eutaw. She praised Rice for his dedication and loyalty to the city. “He was one of our best employees. He knew everyone in the city and was kind to everyone he worked with. He would wash his truck so often to keep it clean and looking good that I was worried that he would wash the paint off the truck.” Mayor Johnson gave his wife, Mrs. Decharo Rice, a plaque from the city.
Mrs. Rice thanked the city and his fellow employees for helping her to recover from the loss of her husband. She said, “I am still a broken person from this tragedy, but I am working to celebrate this day for him and you in love, joy and peace.”
At the end of the ceremony, which featured singing solos from some of the staff and friends, the audience released blue and white balloons to honor Rice. The City of Eutaw provided a box lunch for all who attended.
Haiti’s transition council took power in a ceremony on Thursday, formalizing the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry as the Caribbean country seeks to establish security after years of gang violence wreaking chaos and misery. Henry’s finance minister, Michel Patrick Boisvert, will be interim prime minister until the transition council appoints a new head of government, a cabinet and a provisional electoral council set to pave the way for an eventual vote. “Today is an important day in the life of our dear republic, this day in effect opens a view to a solution,” Boisvert said after the nine-person transition council were sworn in on Thursday morning. Regine Abraham, a non-voting council member, thanked Haiti’s security forces and international mediators, and said the council would focus on security, a national consultation on constitutional reform, preparing for elections, rebuilding the judiciary system and the economy. “We are seeing the total collapse of our institutions and failure of a government,” she said. Port-au-Prince residents have “literally been taken hostage,” she added. “Facing this unprecedented crisis, the entire population has recognized the urgent need of a firm hand to take us out of this spiral of despair and destruction.” Even as the council was sworn in, local media reported houses being set on fire and shooting in the capital’s downtown and Delmas areas, posting photos of columns of gray smoke rising above the skyline and videos of families leaving the area with their belongings. Armed gangs, equipped with weapons trafficked largely from the United States, have for years tightened their grip on the capital and sought to topple Henry. Since he pledged to resign last month, they have called for a broader “revolution”. Earlier this week, gang leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier warned members of the transition council to “brace” themselves”. Unverified voice recordings circulated on social media over the weekend in which Cherizier appeared to order his soldiers to indiscriminately burn houses in Lower Delmas, an impoverished part of the capital where he grew up. At the ceremony, hosted amid tight security at the prime minister’s Villa d’Accueil office, Boisvert and members of the transition council were flanked by top police and military officials. Henry announced last month he would resign once the council was in place, initially expected to happen within a couple of days but delayed amid disagreements as to who should sit on it. Henry had left Haiti in late February seeking support for the country’s outgunned police but was left stranded in Puerto Rico as the gangs threatened to completely take over the capital. Boisvert has served as acting prime minister in Henry’s absence. The transitional government’s mandate runs until February 2026, by when there are slated to be elections, and cannot be renewed. No date has been set for its naming of a new prime minister or council president. ‘Complex interregnum’ “We just hope the council will quickly choose a president or coordinator in order to move onto the second phase, which is the appointment of a prime minister and the members of government,” said James Boyard, a security expert at the State University of Haiti. “The new transitional government has a lot of work ahead of it, and alongside security all the issues are urgent.” Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, warned of tensions within the council as different factions jostled for power, and a “long and rocky road ahead.” Local organization Together Against Corruption (ECC) published a letter calling on the new authorities to be financially transparent to “prove their will to help build a government that breaks with the past.” The council’s installation is seen as a key step towards the deployment of a multinational security mission Henry requested back in 2022 and the United Nations approved more than six months ago. Though, Kenya offered to lead this mission, plans were put on hold last month pending the establishment of a new Haitian government. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the new authorities to implement new governance arrangements swiftly to allow for the mission’s deployment. The mission has received less cash and fewer troops than the U.N. has said it needs. The council members must, as per the decree installing them, support the mission’s “accelerated deployment.” But some Haitians are wary after previous international interventions left behind a deadly cholera outbreak and sexual abuse scandal. Others hope the mission could help restore much-needed security and pave the way for eventual elections. According to U.N. estimates, more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence from January through March, while hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced and millions are facing catastrophic hunger. Key ports have been closed for more than a month, but on Thursday Florida-based non-profit Hope for Haiti said a first humanitarian flight since the capital’s airport shut down had landed in Port-au-Prince: a U.S. military plane bringing 20 pallets of rehydration solution for cholera patients. Separately, Haiti’s national police said it received a shipment of equipment paid for by Haiti’s government and flown in by U.S. authorities. Foreign diplomats hailed the ceremony as an important step to restore security, and Kenyan President William Ruto said the nation stands “ready and willing” with its counterparts to “rapidly execute the security support infrastructure.” “Kenya assures the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti of its full support as it shepherds the country through this complex interregnum,” Ruto said on X. The council members installed were the same as announced last week: seven voting members, all men, including representatives from various political parties as well as former diplomats, a barrister, and a businessman, and two non-voting observers: a pastor and former government adviser. “We continue the fight for the transformation of our country,” former central bank governor Fritz Alphonse Jean, one of the council members, said on X. “The country needs the talents of all its sons and daughters here and in the diaspora for the construction of the new Haiti.”
By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor
Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), who was formally targeted for defeat by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) won her primary challenge on April 23. Rep. Lee won easily over a primary candidate recruited by AIPAC, 61 percent to 31 percent. On the last weekend of the primary campaign, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigned alongside Lee. Along with the NRA and Planned Parenthood, AIPAC is one of the most powerful and influential lobbying groups in U.S. politics. Back in September 2023, it was revealed that AIPAC was recruiting candidates to primary Black members of Congress who spoke out in support of stipulations on U.S. aid to Israel. Israel receives over $3.3 billion annually from the U.S. AIPAC has many Republican donors but the group has also funded members of the CBC. The list includes Maryland Rep. Rep. Glenn Ivey, House Democratic Caucus Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Rep. Valerie Foushee of North Carolina, Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown, and New York Rep. Rep. Ritchie Torres. Though Torres’ Bronx New York district is 54 percent Hispanic and 30 percent Black, with an average household income of only $42,000, Torres is one of the loudest and most energetic defenders of Israel in the U.S Congress. Rep. Lee, who represents parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, is the first member of “The Squad” to face a 2024 primary challenge during the 2024 election cycle. Lee’s district is 72 percent white and 15 percent Black. Her decisive victory will likely signal how strong progressive power is currently and how voters view the current conflict in the Middle East. Rep. Lee supports Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. After the October 7, 2023 attack by the militant Palestinian terrorist group Hamas that killed over 1,300 Israelis, the Israeli government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas. Since October 2023 over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces. Many elected officials on the left are defining Israeli’s military reaction against Palestine “genocide.” “The Squad” in congress is made up of the most progressive Democrats who often speak out on what they view as anti-corporate politics focused on principle. But their positions on the Middle East, which tend to speak out against the decisions of the Israeli government, have put them at odds with AIPAC. Rep. Lee’s challenger, a member of the local City Council, Bhavini Patel, made her vocal support of Israel a cornerstone of her campaign. She was critical of Congresswoman Lee for her position on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Other members of “The Squad” such as Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), are also facing primary challengers supported and funded by AIPAC. In Michigan, over 100,000 voters cast their vote as “uncommitted” in order to register a protest against President Biden’s policy on Israel and in favor of a ceasefire. That 13 percent of the vote was a wake-up call for the Biden Administration on Middle East policy. Regardless, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate voted to send $26 billion to Israel and $60 billion to Ukraine on April 20 and April 23. Rep. Summer Lee voted against the total of $95 billion in tax money going overseas to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The legislation also included a ban on the social media app TikTok unless they change their leadership structure. Leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus has been almost silent on AIPAC’s funding against incumbent CBC members. Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and speaks on Crisis Comms on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke
