By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

Turman’s career began at the age of 12 as Travis Younger in the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play, A Raisin in the Sun. The production featured many legendary actors, including the iconic Sidney Poitier, who would remain Turman’s long-time mentor in the entertainment industry.

It’s fitting that Turman’s star will be placed near Poitier’s.

While Turman may be best known for his role in the hit TV series A Different World, the award-winning and prolific actor, director, producer, writer, and composer boasts a diverse and extensive body of work that spans all media and genres for more than half a century.

Turman’s early work includes films like Cooley High (1975), A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich (1978), Attica!, and Minstrel Man.

Modern audiences can tune in to watch Turman as Toledo in the 2020 film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, or more recently as Richard in the top-rated Netflix release, Straw.

Black Press USA spoke with Turman recently about his star on the Walk of Fame and the cyclical (and cynical) nature of Hollywood, including politics and race.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Target continues to look for love in all the wrong places. As the retailer grapples with falling sales, declining foot traffic, and an escalating boycott, it has poured resources into celebrity deals and high-profile partnerships without directly addressing the harm Black communities say it caused.

Target has also conspicuously failed to engage Black-owned media outlets, bypassing the very platforms that have long served as trusted voices within the communities most affected by its decisions.

Boycotts and other actions began against the chain after Target quietly pulled back from its $2.1 billion diversity, equity, and inclusion pledge—announced after the murder of George Floyd—to expand Black-owned brands, diversify leadership, and improve the shopping experience for Black customers. Instead, organizers and clergy say the company has attempted to buy goodwill through marketing campaigns and donations, while avoiding meaningful accountability.

In Minneapolis, civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong joined Monique Cullars-Doty and Jaylani Hussein to launch the boycott on February 1 with a press conference at Target’s global headquarters. In an open last month to the National Baptist Convention (NBC), the activists accused Target of abandoning Black communities under political pressure from the Trump administration, while simultaneously funding prosecutorial strategies that disproportionately targeted Black youth. The NBC agreed to a three-year and $300,000 deal with Target in June.

“This is about corporate complicity in mass incarceration and the systemic targeting of Black youth,” the letter stated. “Target’s complicity in mass incarceration is not just bad PR—it is a civil and human rights crisis. Black children were caged. Black families were torn apart. Black communities were devastated.”

This week, Levy Armstrong shared with Black Press USA that Target’s approach feels painfully familiar.

“Target has not only lost the trust of the Black community. They’ve also alienated a wide swath of progressive consumers—many of them women—who feel betrayed, disgusted, and done,” she stated. “We are still not shopping at Target. Until there is full transparency, accountability, and reparative action, this boycott remains ongoing and indefinite.”

Instead of addressing those demands, Target has turned to new celebrity collaborations. The company’s latest move was teaming up with streamer Kai Cenat and the AMP content collective to launch an exclusive personal care brand called TONE. The rollout, which included a livestream sleepover inside a Target store, drew swift backlash.

Journalist Jemele Hill compared the strategy to the NFL’s partnership with Jay-Z during the Colin Kaepernick controversy, describing it as an attempt to distract consumers rather than confront the underlying issues.

“Target is spineless. They don’t want to anger Donald Trump, so they won’t publicly apologize or rectify what they’ve done,” Hill wrote. “Instead, they’re going to keep throwing checks at certain members of the Black community, hoping we will lose our will to fight.”

Pastor Jamal Bryant, who leads the ongoing “Target Fast,” also criticized the company for focusing on influencer deals and festival sponsorships instead of direct engagement with the communities it promised to support.

“If @target would spend as much energy and resources meeting the demands of the target fast @targetfast40 as they are on influencers, paying preachers, and going to @essencefest, we would be further along,” Bryant posted. “Doing what’s right for our people is always made to feel like an inconvenience. Stand on business and don’t go back in until they handle us right!”

Even this year’s Essence Festival reflected the growing discontent. While Target hosted a major activation in the convention center, videos on social media showed much smaller crowds than in past years. Activists, including Bryant, Tamika D. Mallory, and Nina Turner, urged attendees to enjoy the festival but steer clear of Target installations.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing over 200 Black-owned newspapers and media companies, has attempted to engage with Target, but so far, nothing has materialized. Founded before the end of slavery in America, the Black Press will celebrate its bicentennial in 2027.

In Houston, Rev. Marcus D. Cosby of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church stated that history shows that economic pressure is often the most effective way to bring about change.

“Our history indicates that when we take our Black dollars away from the people who are oppressing us, we find progress and productivity,” Cosby told his congregation. “If you don’t want to take care of our people, we know how to take care of ourselves. Let the church say Amen.”

In Chicago, Rev. Jesse Jackson joined clergy outside a Target store to issue a warning that the movement will not fade away.

“We will remain steadfast. Target, we will not break,” Jackson said. “We will get used to not spending our dollars with you. We will fast as long as the day is and as dark as a night is, and we ask that you appeal to your better sense and talk to us because we’re not boycotting or protesting or fasting against people. We’re protesting and standing up for rights against your policies.”

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

Dr. John Warren of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint made his mark at the 2025 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) annual convention in Savannah, Georgia when he became the third person from the West Coast to lead the 85-year-old organization, whose members are mostly from the East Coast, South and Midwest.

Warren says he has been preparing for the job for more than 20 years.

NNPA members elected Warren at the conference held from June 26 to June 28.

In his new leadership role, Warren plans to bring a “new direction” to the Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents more than 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies across the United States.

“Now, I won’t telegraph all my plans,” Warren joked when California Black Media (CBM) asked him to share his vision for the organization founded in 1940 as the National Negro Publishers Association.

“I will say this: I will push to reinvigorate the NNPA, starting with each region,” said Warren, who is also an attorney, ordained minister, U.S. Army veteran and college professor. He has also served as a Washington, D.C. Board of Education member and U.S. congressional aide.

“I will bring people back — people who have pulled away over the years,” Warren continued. “There is a whole new board of directors elected with me. We will organize major training sessions before we begin our work, taking a close look at the organization’s priorities and operations, everything — budget, finance, programs, etc.”

Warren said there is a perception that the NNPA has been “a closed and selective network” serving the needs of only some members. He promises to change that, taking steps to “open the organization to all members.”

At the awards ceremony on June 27, the Sacramento Observer, received the conference’s top honor, the highest overall score across all awards categories with a cumulative total of 154 points.

The Observer earned first-place awards in Education Reporting, Business Reporting, Original Photography, Youth and Children Coverage, and Facebook Campaigns. It also ranked among the top three in several other areas, including Environment; Social and Criminal Justice; and Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle.

“Simply put: It feels really good to be honored in that way,” Larry Lee, publisher of the Sacramento Observer, told CBM.  “Our team works really hard to present news and information in a thoughtful and compelling way. Everyone in our newsroom strives for excellence. They are the winners — the people who take the time to create every story, every headline, every photo, every caption, every layout.”

Lee added, “I always tell our team that we don’t do what we do for awards, but it is always nice to be honored, to be recognized for our hard work.”

The Los Angeles Sentinel also received three honors at the NNPA Awards for Religion Section coverage (first place); Community Service Reporting (second place); and Video Campaign (third place).

Both Warren and Lee emphasized the “critical” need for the Black Press to continue covering and centering Black stories and engaging Black audiences in the historic tradition of the Black press. Freedom’s Journal, America’s first African American newspaper, was published in New York City almost 200 years ago in 1827.

“We inform and educate our readers. That’s what we do. That’s what I’ve always done. We are always teaching when we write stories,” said Warren, who first started working for the Black Press at 17. He is now 79.

Lee says he has confidence in Warren’s leadership.

“He is forward-thinking, smart, strategic and courageous,” said Lee.  “He has tremendous knowledge on policy issues — and hopefully his experience and insights can help position the NNPA in a way that continues to empower the Black Press.”

For Warren, focusing on helping to steer NNPA members as they continue to transition from print to digital is paramount. Although, he reminds them, “print is not dead.”

“We have to figure out ways to bring more resources and dollars to our sector — by innovation, with public policy. How can we help ourselves to be more sustainable as we continue to do the important work that we do?”

By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO

With President Donald Trump back in the Oval Office and his administration rolling out sweeping changes to federal agencies, civil rights protections, and public health programs, Democratic lawmakers reassure Black voters that they are advocating on their behalf.

In candid interviews with the AFRO during a roundtable discussion at the U.S. Capitol in June 2025, key U.S. senators laid out actions they say they are taking to resist Trump’s policies and push for progress.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats are waging battle on multiple fronts.

“We are fighting every day and we know how terrible President Trump is for our democracy, for working families, for people of color. He’s just the worst president we’ve ever had,” Schumer told the AFRO.

“We’re fighting on every front in the courts, where we have a huge amount of success. The previous two years we put in 235 new judges, two-thirds of which are women and two-thirds of which are people of color,” he added. “They’re our first line of defense when Trump breaks the law – which he does many times a day – we’ve been going to court. We have over 220 cases that we have filed.”

U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) said Democrats are working both publicly and behind the scenes to block key elements of the Trump agenda, particularly when it comes to federal appointments.

“Democrats are on the cutting edge when it comes to diversifying our ranks and fighting for the issues that matter to everyday people,” Alsobrooks told the AFRO. “The public doesn’t always see it, but we’ve been actively challenging [Trump’s] nominees. It’s absolutely unbelievable the people he’s nominated. Our role is to push back against these dangerous nominees.”

She also stressed that lasting change depends on grassroots movements, not just elected officials.

“The power comes from the people. The elected have a role to play. We’re going to play that role. But, the truest power comes from the people,” Alsobrooks said.

“When we think about the impacts that we’ve seen, we think about people like John Lewis; the real change happens because it rises from the people,” she added. “It’s not the elected people. We have roles to play, but the movements are the true act of resistance.”

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) acknowledged the discontent many Black voters feel toward the Democratic Party. He said that dissatisfaction has always existed and that it should be used as fuel and not a reason to walk away.

“Dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party is in the DNA of Black people. Fannie Lou Hamer said ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired,’ and yet she leaned into the Democratic Party,” Booker told the AFRO.

“I would be concerned if I didn’t walk into a Black barbershop, a Black church and didn’t hear frustration,” he continued. “[But] let’s not abandon the Democratic Party, but grab [it] by the scruff and drag it forward as a vehicle with which to deliver advancement for this country and African Americans in general.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) described his own efforts on the ground, including recent protests against Trump administration cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“CDC is based in Atlanta, and so not only have I challenged the administration on these reckless cuts, I have literally been on the street corner with other protesters,” Warnock told the AFRO.

“We have seen some of these CDC employees rehired. Hundreds of them were rehired as a result of me making noise,” he added. “We are seeing that we do get results.”

From legislation to litigation to grassroots organizing, Senate Democrats say they are mobilizing across institutions in response to a political landscape that, for many Black voters, feels increasingly urgent.

Read what we will cover next!

132 years ago, we were covering Post-Reconstruction when a former enslaved veteran started the AFRO with $200 from his land-owning wife. In 2022 we endorsed Maryland’s first Black Governor, Wes Moore. And now we celebrate the first Black Senator from Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks!

Observer Staff Report

The Sacramento OBSERVER has been selected for a national initiative that will support its planned expansion into Stockton, California — a move that represents a return to the Central Valley and a renewed commitment to serving Black communities through trusted, community-centered journalism.

The OBSERVER is one of 14 news organizations chosen for the GNI Growth Catalyst initiative, a program led by the Google News Initiative and Blue Engine Collaborative to support high-performing outlets exploring geographic growth. As part of the program, The OBSERVER will receive investment and strategic coaching over the next year to build a foundation for the new newsroom.

“We’re honored to be selected, and excited to begin planning the next chapter for The OBSERVER,” said Publisher Larry Lee. “Stockton has a vibrant Black community and a real need for reliable, culturally relevant news. We see this expansion as both a responsibility and an opportunity to do what we do best — listen deeply, report thoughtfully, and build trust.”

The expansion will focus on creating a digital-first news product for Stockton’s Black community, with plans to include original reporting, newsletters, multimedia storytelling, and in-person community engagement. Exact timing of the launch will depend on finalizing funding and operational logistics in the coming months.

“This is a full-circle moment,” said Lee, noting that The OBSERVER previously published a Stockton edition in the 1980s. “Now we intend to return with a renewed vision — built on digital storytelling, community engagement, and a deep understanding of what Black audiences need and deserve from local media.”

The new Stockton newsroom will focus on issues impacting Black residents in San Joaquin County — including health, education, housing, wealth building, public safety and justice and civic life — while also spotlighting culture, joy, and local excellence.

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

President Trump will meet with African leaders at the White House on Wednesday, about a week after he announced the peace deal with Rwanda and the Congo in the Oval Office.

During the first term of President Trump, he never traveled to Africa, and he referred to Africa and some Caribbean nations as “shit holes.”  However, in the first six months of this second Trump administration, there have been conversations with African leaders, including South Africa’s president, where Trump showed a video from upheaval in the Congo, saying it depicted an uprising against white Afrikaners in South Africa.

Greg Meeks, a Democratic New York congressman and ranking Democrat member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, explains the importance of the continent of Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.