Urban News Features

America Continues in Race Crisis – NAACP Calls Police Shootings ‘21st Century Lynching’ By Hazel Trice Edney

July 11, 2016

America Continues in Race Crisis – NAACP Calls Police Shootings ‘21^st Century Lynching’
By Hazel Trice Edney

NAACP President/CEO Cornell Brooks sent this historic photo with his statement on the police killings in Louisiana and Minnesota.

Alton Sterling was killed by police July 5.

Philando Castile was killed by police July 6.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - National outrage had just begun after the videotaped police killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. But the next day came the police killing of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., - live on Facebook. The back-to-back killings quickly too righteous indignation to decibel levels across the nation.

Then, amidst protests over the apparently callous shootings by police came the third blow – five police officers killed and nine wounded – shot down by a Black man - Micha Johnson, a military vetera - during a peaceful protest in Dallas.

These national tragedies – which quickly turned international as President Barack Obama spoke from Poland - has left America reeling this week.

In the wake of the shootings of Alton Sterling outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile inside a car in Falcon Heights, Minn., nearly 2,000 arrests have been made during protests in cities across the nation against continued police violence against Blacks.

Tensions have skyrocketed for police officers now under threat of retaliation. Civil rights and church leaders have also risen up to not only speak to the unprecedented chain of events but to call for immediate and lasting change.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez who shot Sterling this week claimed through his lawyer that he thought Sterling was a robbery suspect. Castile, 32, was shot after he told the officer that he was licensed to carry a concealed weapon; then obeyed police commands by reaching for his wallet to show his driver's license. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, videotaped Castile as he bled to death with her 4-year-old daughter in the back seat. Yanez is on administrative leave.

Officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II, involved in the shooting of Alton Sterling, have also been placed on administrative leave. They had responded to a 911 call from a homeless man, who said someone had waved a gun at him. The officers approached Sterling, who regularly sold CDs and DVDs in front of the store. The videotape shows the officers pulling Sterling to the ground and attempting to restrain him when one officer took out his gun and shot several times, killing the 37-year-old father of five.

The Department of Justice prepares to investigate both killings. Meanwhile, President Obama has sought to calm and console the nation in the midst of the chaos.

“We've seen activists and grassroots groups who have expressed concern about police shootings, but are also adamant in their support of the Dallas Police Department,” President Obama said during a press conference after the Nato Summit in Warsaw, Poland. He also praised Dallas for its successful police-community relations program that has become a model across the country.

That's the spirit that we all need to embrace. That's the spirit that I want to build on.”

President Obama announced that he will reconvene the task force that he set up after Ferguson, but will build it by “inviting both police and law enforcement and community activists and civil rights leaders” to the White House.

“I want to start moving on constructive actions that are actually going to make a difference, because that is what all Americans want,” he said.

Meanwhile the NAACP and other civil rights groups took to social media and other airwaves. NAACP President/CEO Cornell William Brooks issued a statement describing the killings of Castile and Sterling as lynching.

“There was a 21st century lynching yesterday. And the day before that, too,” he wrote July 8. “Activists created the NAACP more than a century ago to fight racialized violence. Then, we called it ‘lynching.’ Today, we call it ‘police brutality,’ but the effect is still the same — our lives are in danger. Endangered by some of the very people who are called to protect and serve us. We are all tense, angry, devastated, and grieving.”

Brooks continued, “We grieve for Alton Sterling. We grieve for Philando Castile. And we grieve with the rest of the country over the senseless loss of lives in Dallas, too — because the execution of police officers does not end the execution of black Americans, and it will not put us on the path to change.”

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the tragedies open new opportunities to intensify the addressing of issues that too often get dropped.

“The events of this past week underscore that violence disrupts the fabric of our nation. Now is the time for communities to work together to address systemic issues that plague our country - excessive use of force against African Americans, the proliferation of assault weapons, and hate,” she said in a statement.

According to the NAACP, those issues would be addressed by two policies that the civil rights group has been pushing.

“What will put us on the path to justice is the passage of the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act (LETIA) and the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA). Radical reform of policing practices, policies, and laws at all levels must be made — immediately — because the current system is taking too many lives,” Brooks said.

Micah Johnson, corned in a parking garage, was killed by Dallas police after he threatened to kill more officers. Dallas Police Chief David Brown, who is Black, approved the use of a robot carrying an explosive to kill Johnson. Brown later said the 25-year-old was carrying multiple high-powered guns, but no explosives. However additional arsonal was discovered in his home; including bomb-making materials, Brown said.

People of multiple races have shown up to protest in the wake of the latest police shooting of Black men. But Brooks said he takes no solace in the fact that “outrage over this 21st century form of lynching is not isolated to the black community.”

He said it is more necessary that unified action is taken by Americans of all races and ethnicities in order to “put an end to the epidemic of violence — gun violence in particular — in this country. Now is the time to come together as one in grief, in protest, and in pursuit of real, measurable change.”

Despite the widespread outrage, President Obama says race relations are not as bad as they appear.

“So when we start suggesting that somehow there's this enormous polarization, and we're back to the situation in the '60s - that's just not true. You're not seeing riots, and you're not seeing police going after people who are protesting peacefully. You've seen almost uniformly peaceful protests. And you've seen uniformly police handling those protests with professionalism,” President Obama said.

He concluded, “And so, as tough, as hard, as depressing as the loss of life was this week, we've got a foundation to build on. We just have to have the confidence that we can build on those better angels of our nature. And we have to make sure that all of us step back, do some reflection, and make sure that the rhetoric that we engage in is constructive, and not destructive; that we're not painting anybody with an overly broad brush; that we're not constantly thinking the worst in other people rather than the best. If we do that, then I'm confident that we will continue to make progress.”

CBC to Congress: 'Combat the State of Emergency in the Black Community' By Jane A. Kennedy

July 10, 2016

CBC to Congress: 'Combat the State of Emergency in the Black Community'
Chair Warns of 'Long Hot Summer' If No Action is Taken
By Jane A. Kennedy

CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield addressing the media after police shootings. (Courtesy Photo)

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - It was a week that few Americans will be able to forget. On July 5 and 6, respectively, two Black men - Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, and Philando Castile in Minnesota - were killed by police officers. Then, on July 7, Micha Johnson, a young African-American man who was reportedly angered by the deaths of Sterling and Castile, fatally shot five Dallas police officers and injured seven others.

“America is weeping. They are angry. They are frustrated. And Congress – and when I say Congress, I mean the Republicans in Congress – are refusing to address gun violence in America,” said CBC Chairman G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) at a Friday morning press conference, July 8.

The press conference, called to “combat the state of emergency in Black America”, according to a statement, pushed for “action to repair community trust, an increase in efforts to provide aid for law enforcement training, and the comprehensive implementation of true community policing, including police training and retraining.

While CBC members voiced their unequivocal support for law enforcement and have condemned the killings of the Dallas policemen as “despicable” and “hate-filled,” they were also careful to note that the majority of the 491 Americans killed so far this year by police were Black.

“Republicans, what on Earth are you, why are you recoiling and not giving us a debate on gun violence? Why not give it a hearing, give us a debate, give us an up-or-down vote on our legislation on gun violence? Why?” asked an exasperated Butterfield.

Since the mass shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub in June that led to the deaths of 49 people and injured dozens more, House Democrats and Republicans have been engaged in intense and largely fruitless debate about how to respond to the increasing amount of gun violence in the United States.

Democrats are calling for measures that would prohibit criminals and suspected terrorists on no-fly lists from purchasing firearms, ban the sale of military assault-style weapons, and expand mandatory background checks. GOP lawmakers have balked at their proposals, leading Democrats to accuse them of being more beholden to the National Rifle Association than to the American public.

Democrats grew so frustrated in the days following the Orlando shootings that they held an unprecedented sit-in on the House floor for nearly 26 hours, which their Republican colleagues reviled as a publicity stunt. But GOP lawmakers are also at an impasse within their own ranks about how to deal with gun violence, adding to delays on a vote.

After the Dallas shootings, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) shared on the floor his dismay over last week’s gun violence, but did not indicate when or how the chamber would respond legislatively or whether it would at all before the House adjourns this week for its summer recess.

“Every member of this body – every Republican and every Democrat – wants to see less violence. Every member of this body wants a world in which people feel safe regardless of the color of their skin. That’s not how people are feeling these days,” Ryan said after the House took a moment of silence for the Dallas police officers. “Sometimes we disagree passionately on how to get there, but in having this debate, let’s not lose sight of the values that unite us.”

Such sentiments did little to allay the concerns of CBC members, who repeatedly warned of the dangers of congressional inaction.

“The United States is on edge and we have to decide whether we’re going to go over the cliff of gun violence and senseless murders or are going to take a step back to find the space for peace and solidarity,” said Chicago Rep. Robin Kelly, whose hometown is mired in gun violence. “We have to be the leaders in finding the solutions to this gun violence problem. It’s the common-sense gun laws; it is police-community relations. It’s getting more African Americans in the law enforcement field. It’s the state of our communities. What are the root causes? Why are people picking up guns, not books or pens and pencils?”

Kelly, who has introduced legislation with Michigan Rep. Brenda Lawrence that deals with those core issues, said she hasn’t stood up for moments of silence for a long time, because “I feel like we stand up, we sit down and we don’t do anything. It is time to act. And it’s time to act now.”

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), who represents the district in which Sterling lived and died, expressed deep anger and placed the blame for future gun violence squarely on the shoulders of congressional lawmakers.

“If this Congress does not have the guts to lead, then we are responsible for all of the bloodshed on the streets of America, whether it be at the hands of people wearing a uniform or whether it’s at the hands of criminals,” he said.

He also chastised conservatives and Republican politicians who have blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for the Dallas shootings.

“People cannot use Black Lives Matter as a scapegoat,” he said “Those young people came together to protest. You can’t blame them for these incidents happening.”

Richmond and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday hosted an afternoon press conference with other young male CBC members to respond to the shooting deaths of Sterling, Castile, and other black men. They shared personal experiences and fears related to interactions with law enforcement and said that if not for their positions of power, one of them could become the next gun violence hashtag based on race.

“If we were to take off our suits and our ties, there are many police officers throughout the country that would treat us like lawbreakers simply because of the color of our skin,” Jeffries said, a sentiment echoed by his colleagues. “And if America is not ready to deal with that as a country, we will be finding ourselves here time and time again.”

Civil rights icon John Lewis, who like Kelly became very emotional during the Friday press conference, said that race should not matter and called on Americans to “respect the dignity and the worth of every human being.”

He said, “We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters, If not, we will perish as fools. We have too many guns. There has been too much violence. And we must act.”

In addition to the gun control measures proposed by Democrats, CBC members are calling for a meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director Jim Comey.

The CBC is also calling on Congress to stay in session until lawmakers have voted on a “no fly, no buy legislation” and expanded background checks.

Butterfield predicts, “If we fail to act, this will be a long, hot summer.”

S. C. State Univ.'s Accreditation Reaffirmed - HBCU Released From Probation By Zenitha Prince

July 10, 2016

S. C. State Univ.'s Accreditation Reaffirmed - HBCU Released From Probation
By Zenitha Prince

S. C. University Campus PHOTO: Courtesy/SCSU.Edu

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - After two years on probation, South Carolina State University, an HBCU in Orangeburg, S.C., has been removed from probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

“We are more than overjoyed with the news that SACSCOC has reaffirmed South Carolina State University’s accreditation by lifting probation. The end of the two-year probation indicates the university has made significant progress, having fully addressed the deficiencies for which the university was cited,” said SC State University Interim President Dr. W. Franklin Evans in a statement in June.

SACSCOC placed SC State on probation in 2014, citing deficiencies on nine accreditation standards. Within a year, the school had complied with all but four standards, all finance-related. By April of this year, the university was found to be in compliance in all areas except two, financial resources and financial stability. And, at the accrediting body’s June meeting, the university was able to offer convincing evidence that it had succeeded in meeting the outstanding requirements.

University Board Chairman Charles S. Way Jr. said South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and the General Assembly played a pivotal role in shoring up the HBCU’s finances.

“Forgiveness of the $12 million loan, renegotiation of a $6 million loan and other special appropriations granted to the university by the state of South Carolina surely helped us get the ox out of the ditch. We are grateful for the state’s on-going support,” said Way.

Evans also thanked alumni and private and corporate donors, as well as faculty, staff and students for their “sacrifices.”

He said, “When I think about the level of support the university has received, it is just overwhelming. We could never say thank you enough.”

AME Church Celebrates Bicentennial at 50th Quadrennial Conference in Philadelphia By Zenitha Prince

July 10,2016

AME Church Celebrates Bicentennial at 50th Quadrennial Conference in Philadelphia
By Zenitha Prince

AME Church Senior Bishop John Bryant is retiring. PHOTO: Trice Edney News Wire

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Two centuries ago, former Delaware slave Richard Allen and other Black worshippers formed the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, fleeing discrimination in the segregated Methodist Church.

Today, the AME Church has membership in 20 Episcopal Districts in 39 countries on five continents. And, from July 6-13, thousands of those AME congregants will return to the birthplace of their denomination to celebrate its bicentennial during the 50th Quadrennial Session of the church’s general conference.

“It is a significant moment for us to gather in Philadelphia,” said the Rev. Ronald Braxton, Presiding Elder of the Washington Conference, “Two hundred years for an African-American institution to survive but to also be thriving is pretty significant.”

The bicentennial milestone will be a key focus of the conference and has already been celebrated at pre-conference activities, including the dedication of a Richard Allen statue at founding church, Mother Bethel AME in Philadelphia, a torch run from Delaware to Philadelphia and a Bicentennial Banquet at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts on July 5.

Beyond the anniversary festivities, luncheons, worship services and other opportunities to fellowship, the general conference is the forum where much of the church’s business is conducted.

A chief part of that business is legislating new church by-laws, debating religious, community and even political issues and deciding on official church positions on those matters. This year, conference delegates—who are chosen at the annual district conferences—will have to grapple with 402 pages of legislation.

“I’m hoping that the church will make good decisions as it relates to our role in our communities, that we become that instrument of change and the motivator of a new order so our communities can become stronger,” said Rev. Braxton, who heads the Second Episcopal District’s delegation.

With a presidential election underway, conference attendees will also likely address political matters such as get-out-the-vote efforts and new impediments to voting—although the church does not make official candidate endorsements. Candidates have been invited to address the gathering, however. And, while none have confirmed their attendance, Rev. Braxton said, “We have never had a conference where the Democratic candidate has not accepted our invitation.”

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the quadrennial session, however, is the election of bishops and other officers. The elections process can be intense, with heavy campaigning leading up to the vote and much wheeling and dealing, sometimes to the last second.

This year, five bishops are retiring, including Bishop William DeVeaux, presiding prelate of the Second Episcopal District, which covers the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia area and Senior Bishop John Bryant, a native son of Baltimore. And, currently, 31 persons are vying for those five slots, including the Rev. Dr. Frank Reid III of Baltimore and the Rev. Dr. Harry Seawright of Prince George’s County, Md.

Of particular focus will be the dearth of women on the council of bishops. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, another Baltimore native who made history in 2000 when she became the first female bishop of the AME Church, is currently the denomination’s only female presiding prelate.

Braxton told the AFRO, “The church is concerned about that and will be looking at that during the conference.”

Crisis Erupts Over Police-Linked Killing of Kenyan Human Rights Lawyer

July 9, 2016

Crisis Erupts Over Police-Linked Killing of Kenyan Human Rights Lawyer

Protests against extra-judicial killings.

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Global Information Network

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Four police officers have been arrested in the torture/murder of a noted Kenyan human rights lawyer and two other men.

The Law Society of Kenya called it “a dark day for the rule of law” and a countrywide boycott of the courts has been called.

The respected lawyer disappeared with his client and a taxi driver after filing a charge of police brutality. The officers are being held without bail while an investigation is underway.

Lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda, and their driver disappeared on June 23 after making the court filing. Their bodies were found on June 30, floating in the Oldonyo Sabuk river. CapitalFM, a local media group, said the men had been tied up with ropes and their bodies mutilated.

A government pathologist said their deaths were the result of beatings with a blunt object and strangulation.

The incident has outraged the legal community where the rise of police killings has been a matter of concern.

"These extrajudicial killings are a chilling reminder that the hard-won right to seek justice for human rights violations is under renewed attack," said Muthoni Wanyeki from Amnesty International.

“Police are there to protect Kenyans and not to kill them,” said Yash Pal Ghai, director of the Katiba Institute, a Kenyan legal group promoting social transformation through the constitution.

This week, hundreds of Kenyans including lawyers, human rights activists and taxi drivers held a peaceful protest as lawyers began a week-long walkout that will paralyze court operations around the country.

The Department of Public Prosecutions issued a statement assuring the public and legal fraternity that any rogue elements in the department “do not represent what the National Police stands for.”

But activists replied that extra-judicial killings were creeping back, and the Inspector General of Police should “pack and leave if he cannot assure Kenyans of security.”

Mr. Kimani had been working at the International Justice Mission (IJM), a U.S.-based rights group, when he was killed. An online petition calling for justice for Kimani, his client, and their driver Joseph Muiruri had 24,594 signatures at press time. The petition can be found at www.IJM.org/JusticeinKenya

“In Kenya,” it reads in part, “it is far too easy for a corrupt or incompetent police officer to frame and imprison an innocent person, who must then wait in jail, often for years on end, for a chance to prove his or her innocence. This corrupt system has packed Kenyan prisons full of innocent men and women with no way out and no lawyer to fight for their release - and the police who abuse their power are not held accountable.

“Willie Kimani was working to protect the innocent from such abuse, and he was murdered while courageously pursuing that mission.”