President Donald Trump is trying to turn the debate over a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border back to his political advantage as his signature pledge to American voters threatens to become a model of unfulfilled promises. Trump will hold his first campaign rally since November’s midterm elections in El Paso, Texas, on Monday as he […]
Posted inNews
Court upholds order to unseal records in notorious lynching
A historian who has spent years looking into the unsolved brazen lynching of two black couples in rural Georgia more than 70 years ago hopes some answers may finally be within his grasp. A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a lower court ruling to unseal the transcripts of the grand jury proceedings that followed […]
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Descendants from last US slave ship gathering in Alabama
The years have been hard on Africatown USA. Established by the last boatload of Africans abducted into slavery and shipped to the United States just before the Civil War, the coastal Alabama community now shows scarcely a trace of its founders. Industrial development choked off access to the Mobile River and Chickasaw Creek, where generations […]
Posted inElection Central
Cory Booker says having ‘run something’ distinguishes him in pack
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker says having been a big city mayor distinguishes him from his rivals for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Asked during a campaign stop in Marshalltown, Iowa, what separates him from fellow Sens. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, he said it’s that he’s “run something.” Booker was mayor of Newark from 2006 […]
Posted inElection Central
Blackface, other insensitivities ran rampant in ’80s culture
At the time Virginia’s future political leaders put on blackface in college for fun, Dan Aykroyd wore it too — in the hit 1983 comedy “Trading Places.” Sports announcers of that time often described Boston Celtics player Larry Bird, who is white, as “smart” while describing his black NBA opponents as athletically gifted. Such racial […]
Posted inNews
Alabama NAACP criticizes state ruling on police shooting; Feds investigating shooting death of Emantic Bradford Jr.
The Alabama NAACP is criticizing the state’s decision not to prosecute a police officer who killed a black man in a case of mistaken identity. A statement from the civil rights organization says Attorney General Steve Marshall’s decision essentially tells Alabama’s black residents their lives don’t matter. And the Alabama president of the NAACP, Bernard […]
Posted inElection Central
Donald Trump defends work ethic after private schedules leak
President Donald Trump is pushing back against criticisms that a leak of his private schedule suggests he is not working hard. Trump tweeted that it “should have been reported as a positive, not a negative.” He also suggested that when the term “executive time” appears on his schedule, it means he is “generally working, not […]
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US Supreme court takes abortion vote, but key tests still to come
Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are reacting cautiously to a 5-4 Supreme Court vote blocking Louisiana from enforcing new abortion regulations. They agree that the crucial tests of the court’s stance are still to come. Depending on the viewpoint, the vote represented a temporary victory or setback — but not proof as […]
Posted inArts and Culture
TV show ‘Extra’ suspends host A.J. Calloway to investigate misconduct
A.J. Calloway, a host on the syndicated entertainment news show “Extra,” was suspended Saturday as his parent company investigates sexual misconduct allegations. The company said it had investigated prior accusations against Calloway and found no suggestion of workplace misconduct. But he was suspended after Warner Brothers became aware of additional allegations that will be published […]
Posted inSports
Baseball trailblazer, Civil Rights icon Frank Robinson dead at 83
Frank Robinson, a trailblazing figure who was Major League Baseball’s first African American manager and one of its greatest players during a career that spanned 21 seasons, died Thursday after a prolonged illness, according to pro baseball’s premiere website, MLB.com. Robinson was 83. The Hall of Famer hit 586 home runs and appeared in 14 […]
Posted inSpiritually Speaking
Washington: ‘I never realized how valuable I was to Satan’
I know it must be hard for many of us to realize we’re in the middle of a battlefield. I know I find it difficult at times to acknowledge that Satan wants me as a victory trophy, while God invites me to be a living testament to His eternal love. I don’t remember ever being […]
Posted inSports
Umontuen: ‘Can someone support Kaepernick while playing and watching football?’
During Super Bowl Week in Atlanta, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams were preparing to do battle at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Meanwhile, another battle raged on: The National Football League vs Colin Kaepernick and the battlegrounds were at various locations throughout the city. As the week began, the legendary mural depicting Kaepernick in […]
Posted inFeatured Stories
#BlackHistory2019 | Paving The Way: Big Bethel AME’s trailblazing impact in metro Atlanta
Atlanta is home to numerous historical Black churches that have not only served as safe spaces for African Americans to congregate, but also have spearheaded the way for the betterment of African American people, education, social and civil justice. It is imperative to reflect on those churches’ efforts during Black History Month as an homage […]
Posted inElection Central
Blackface scandal doesn’t surprise people of color
In the brightly lit Vintage Barbershop in northwest Detroit, Thomas Carter carefully trimmed the graying hair of a customer as he was asked about photos that depict whites wearing blackface. He paused and slowly scanned the shop where about a half-dozen black men of various ages awaited their turn. “It’s not funny to me. It’s […]
Posted inElection Central
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms names Carmen Chubb the City of Atlanta’s new chief of staff
On Tuesday, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the appointment of Carmen Chubb as the new chief of staff for the City of Atlanta. As chief of staff, Chubb will serve as one of the highest-ranking advisors to the Mayor, overseeing key City functions, top personnel, policy, and legislative matters. Chubb has been scheduled to start her new […]