by Daniel Johnson

November 12, 2024

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Not Expected To Retire

Donald Trump's return to the presidency has pundits and insiders strategizing.

Though some have called for her resignation, 70-year-old Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is expected to stay put ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January 2025.

Sotomayor, the 2009 Obama-era appointee to the court, is the senior member of the liberal wing of the court.

One anonymous person close to Sotomayor told the Wall Street Journal, “This is no time to lose her important voice on the court. She just turned 70 and took better care of herself than anyone I know,” suggesting that progressives should find another way to protect the Constitution.

David Dayen, the editor of the liberal American Prospect magazine, and former MSNBC host Medhi Hasan are two voices who have called for the popular justice to resign. They argue that her choice to remain on the court could provide an opening for Trump to nominate another conservative justice to the court if she retires while Trump is in office.

Those arguments have their roots in Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death at 87 in September 2020, which allowed Trump to effectively pack the Supreme Court with conservatives, paving the way for rulings favorable to a conservative agenda.

Those concerns also prompted some to call for Stephen Breyer’s resignation in 2021. Breyer eventually retired at 83 in 2022, allowing President Joe Biden to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Law, who called for Ginsburg’s retirement during the Obama administration, said that the two women have entirely different political contexts.

“It is far more uncertain that the Democrats could confirm a successor than in summer 2014,” Chemerinsky told the WSJ. “And Sotomayor is 70,” he added.

Another of Sotomayor’s supporters is Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). When asked about this on NBC’s Meet The Press, Sanders indicated that Sotomayor should stay in her position on the court.

WATCH: Sen. Bernie Sanders says the idea that Justice Sotomayor should step down so President Biden can appoint someone younger before he leaves office is not a "sensible approach."@kwelkernbc: "Have you heard any talk of this?"@BernieSanders: "A little bit, yes." pic.twitter.com/jwVIvBmvym
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) November 10, 2024

According to Salon, another path that Democrats could take is “court-packing” or confirming as many federal judges as they can while they still have a Senate majority. In a statement, Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill) said he “aims to confirm every possible nominee before the end of this Congress.”

The statement continued, “Senate Democrats are in a strong position regarding judicial confirmations as we approach the lame duck session given that we have a number of nominees on the floor ready for a vote, and others still moving through Committee.”

Wheeler, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, told Salon that Democrats must be willing to use the tactics of their political foes if they want to exert any judicial influence.

“Democrats let through 13 Trump nominees after it was clear that he had lost the election,” Wheeler explained. “Fair play means that you should let through at least 13 Biden nominees, but that logic doesn’t work anymore.”

United And Unyielding: The Call To Collective Action In The Face Of Adversity

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 12, 2024

United And Unyielding: The Call To Collective Action In The Face Of Adversity

The Village Market is committed.

Written by Lakeysha “Dr. Key” Hallmon, EdD.

Before we look to the challenges and opportunities ahead, it’s important to pause and extend profound gratitude to Vice President Kamala Harris. Her unwavering commitment, sacrifice, and deep love for this country brought hope, promise, and light not only during her time in office but throughout the campaign trail. Her leadership has inspired many and reinforced the importance of resilience, vision, and service to our communities.

It’s natural to feel shaken right now. Take the time to honor the shock and grieve, but let us not forget that strength, unity, and progress await us on the other side. As we enter this next chapter under President-elect Trump’s leadership, the stakes have never been higher for Black-owned businesses and the communities they anchor. While uncertainty exists, this moment is not one for resignation but a call to action. It is a time to gather together, fight for each other, and recommit to our shared mission of resilience and economic empowerment.

Over the past years, we’ve faced significant challenges and celebrated countless victories. We’ve built ecosystems, fostered dreams, and nurtured Black businesses through a foundation that goes beyond commerce—it’s about collective resilience and unyielding support. Our mantra, “Support is a Verb,” isn’t just a tagline; it’s the heart of our approach, a reminder that progress requires deliberate action, not passive observation.

Why Now, More Than Ever, We Must Stand United
Progress in this country has not been without defining moments that hold a mirror up to reflect its darkness. For those who seek progress, it demands resilience, discipline, and a commitment to unity and purpose.

The current political landscape is a clear reminder that policies at the highest levels ripple through the smallest storefronts, shaping the daily realities of Black entrepreneurs. Even with President-elect Trump on his way into office, I still expect—and you should too—that elected officials prioritize small businesses, recognizing us as the backbone of our communities. Yet, we cannot rely solely on external support or legislative promises to drive our progress. We must make sure our collective voice is not just heard but felt.

At The Village Market, I often ask, “What is your verb?” It’s a question that challenges us to move beyond passive support and embody action—whether that means investing in Black businesses, showing up at city council meetings, advocating for policies that protect our community, or ensuring that our dollars contribute to more than just individual success. Business excellence must come with an intentional eye toward uplifting the whole community.

I urge every Black entrepreneur, leader, and ally to look beyond today’s headlines and focus on the long game. Stay informed about policies impacting our businesses, remain proactive in seeking resources, and engage in spaces where decisions are made. Let’s educate ourselves, our teams, and our communities about the power of our vote, dollars, and voices. This moment calls for an unwavering belief in our collective—for us to assess how we show up for each other. At The Village Market, we’re committed to providing spaces and opportunities for Black-owned businesses to thrive—not just survive. We will continue this work because we know that the future of our community depends on it.

To those who feel heartbroken by the election results: remember, we are a people of perseverance. Our history is filled with stories of triumph born from the depths of struggle. Now is not the time to waver; now is the time to rally. We are a village, and together, we are unstoppable.

Let’s fight for each other, invest in each other, and uplift each other. Let’s move forward as a community united by purpose and driven by action. Let’s cling to and be restored by love today and all the days to come.

Are you ready to go after it as a Village? Because I am.

About the Author:
Lakeysha “Dr. Key” Hallmon, PhD, is a mission-driven visionary and founder of The Village Market, an organization dedicated to empowering the Black community through collective wealth and economic resilience. Since 2016, she has served over 1,440 businesses and facilitated $8.3 million in direct sales to Black-owned enterprises. Her pioneering “Village Model” integrates grants, mentorship, technical assistance, retail platforms, and a focus on holistic wellness—setting a new standard for Black-owned business success. Guided by the mantra “Support is A Verb,” her work has propelled businesses from Atlanta to the Bahamas, transforming big ideas into thriving ventures.

Daytona Beach, Civil Rights Leader, Howard Thurman

by Daniel Johnson

November 12, 2024

Daytona Beach To Celebrate Civil Rights Leader Howard Thurman

Thurman mentored Martin Luther King Jr.

Howard Thurman, a Daytona Beach, Florida-born theologian, civil rights leader, and author will be celebrated by his hometown on Nov. 18 with an event featuring tours of Thurman’s 128-year-old childhood home.

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, there will also be a luncheon and a program featuring Kenyatta R. Gilbert, dean of the School of Divinity at Howard University as the keynote speaker.

Thurman, who died in 1981 at age 81, was a personal friend of Indian activist Mahatma Gandhi, and a mentor to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Thurman was also noted for being the pastor of the first interracial church, The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, which he founded in 1944.

Thurman was a key, if unheralded, figure during the Civil Rights Movement as he provided spiritual guidance to many of its leaders, including King and Vernon Jordan.

Thurman was selected as one of America’s 12 outstanding preachers in a nationwide poll Life Magazine conducted and was also named a 20th Century Saint by Ebony.

According to PBS, Thurman was raised in Daytona Beach by his grandmother, a formerly enslaved woman.

In 1925, Thurman became an ordained Baptist minister, and later became the pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin, Ohio; he was appointed as both the professor of religion and the director of religious life at Atlanta’s Morehouse and Spelman Colleges.

In 1932, after studying under Rufus Jones, a Quaker mystic who taught at Haverford College, Thurman began to publish religious work critical of white America’s “will to dominate and control the Negro minority” which he believed led Black people to harbor a crippling hatred of whites who would be their colonizers.

In 1949, after meeting Gandhi, Thurman published his seminal work, Jesus and the Disinherited, which laid out the basic principles of a nonviolent civil rights movement as interpreted through the New Testament gospels.

In the book, Thurman argued that Jesus was at the core, a liberating figure whose message could be used to create a praxis of revolutionary nonviolent resistance to injustice.

Eventually, Thurman would pass on this belief to King and James Farmer, the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality. (CORE)

Vassar College also credited Thurman with shaping its record on human rights during an event in February 2024 that honored him via the research of four students on Thurman’s legacy at the school.

by Daniel Johnson

November 12, 2024

President-Elect Donald Trump’s Possible Day 1 Agenda

Donald Trump has promised to make a lot of changes on the first day of his presidency. How many of them can he actually implement?

Although Donald Trump has made a series of troubling, Democracy-threatening promises when he becomes president in January 2025, the reality may differ from his proclamations due to the sheer number of things that he would need to do to make good on his threats.

According to The Associated Press, Trump has indicated that he wants to begin mass deportation, roll back the Biden Administration’s policies on education, fire thousands of federal employees, and pardon the insurrectionists who rioted at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

In addition, Trump has indicated that he wants to close the United States border and to “drill, drill, drill” on his first day.

According to Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, “tens of” executive orders will be issued during the first week, a tool Trump utilized during his first term to bypass Congress.

Trump also wants to fire Jack Smith, the special counsel who has been prosecuting two federal cases against him, on day one.

Smith, however, is busy trying to wrap up those cases ahead of Trump’s inauguration due to the Justice Department’s policy that sitting presidents not be prosecuted.

Trump has made overtures to the insurrectionists, calling them “unbelievable patriots” and promising to help them on “the first day we get into office.”

In March, Trump said via Truth Media, his social media platform, “I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them probably got out of control.”

Trump has also promised to end Biden-era protections for transgender students on day 1, noting in May that he has the power to do so unilaterally.

“We’re going to end it on day one,” Trump said. “Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re going to change it—on day one it’s going to be changed.”

Trump has also promised to “sign a new executive order” on day one that cuts federal money for schools “pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto the lives of our children.”

Trump, or at least his national spokeswoman, has indicated that he could end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

During an appearance on Fox News, Leavitt said that Trump’s purported brokerage of a peace deal between the countries, which “includes, on Day 1, bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table to end this war.”

According to Georgetown Law professor Stephen Vladeck, an expert on constitutional law and national security law, said what Trump has promised and what he can do are dependent on what will be upheld by the court system.

“Yeah, I mean, as soon as the president takes the oath of office, he or she can sign pieces of paper promising to do lots of things. I think the real question with a lot of what former President Trump is proposing is how much of that would actually require exercises of legal authority that would then be challenged in court. I mean, that was what happened with his first travel ban back in 2017—hard to imagine that wouldn’t happen again if that’s where we are come January of next year,” Vladeck told NPR in October.

According to The Los Angeles Times, Trump’s plans regarding energy, foreign policy, and packing his government with loyalists through reinstating Schedule F could reasonably be expected to go into effect on day one; others, like closing the border and immediately deporting people, cannot logistically be carried out on his first day.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 11, 2024

Wesleyan University President Slams Trump Policies, Pledges To ‘Redouble’ DEI Initiatives

Michael Roth noted that he intends to combat Trump's discriminatory policies at the institution.

Wesleyan University’s president, Michael Roth, has condemned Donald Trump’s policies in a new letter to the school’s community, vowing to implement more DEI initiatives in the Connecticut school.

Roth released a statement to the school’s website on Nov. 6 as Trump secured enough electoral votes to return to the Oval Office in January. Roth noted, however, that he intends to combat Trump’s discriminatory policies at the institution.

“The work in this new political context is to continue to maintain Wesleyan’s commitment to an education based in boldness, rigor, and practical idealism,” Roth wrote. “That work has never been more important. The University will do everything it can to protect the most vulnerable among us.”

He condemned Trump’s plans for mass deportations, which could impact Wesleyan’s undocumented student population. In light of this, Roth reiterated the liberal arts school stance against the Trump administration’s immigration policies in 2016.

“Wesleyan will remain committed to principles of non-discrimination, including equal protection under the law, regardless of national origin or citizenship. The University will not voluntarily assist in any efforts by the federal government to deport our students, faculty, or staff solely because of their citizenship status. Today, the work to defend the most vulnerable has never been more important,” he added.

Despite growing attacks against DEI programs across U.S. school, with the movement fueled by Trump, Roth affirmed that its Office of DEI will remain open.

“We will redouble our efforts to enhance belonging while we cultivate a greater pluralism…The campus must strive to be the home of an ecosystem of genuine intellectual diversity,” he continued. Cultivating an environment in which people can pursue ideas and forms of expression without fear of retaliation has never been more important.”

sean combs, Twitter/X, elon Musk, investor, diddy

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 11, 2024

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Wants Out Of Brooklyn Jail, Offers ‘Far More Robust’ Bail Package To Judge

The disgraced media mogul's trial is set to start in May.

Sean “Diddy” Combs wants to leave the Brooklyn jail where he has been detained since September. The disgraced media mogul has offered a “far more robust” bail package.

In his new offer obtained by ABC News, Combs, 55, is willing to undergo round-the-clock security monitoring at his house. This would accompany a “near-total” restriction on who he can speak with besides his counsel.

The judge denied Combs’ first bail package, citing prosecutors’ evidence that he would be dangerous to the community and potentially intimidate witnesses. However, his defense believes these even stricter limitations would eliminate these risks.

Combs’ attorneys claim that his current detainment at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn prohibits a complete preparation for his upcoming trial. For example, the jail lacks Combs’s resources to review the evidence against him. .

“Despite the MDC’s best efforts to facilitate the defense team’s needs, the current arrangement makes trial preparation impossible—as evidenced by the recent multi-agency sweep of the facility and resulting lockdown,” according to the filing.

Moreover, the filing questioned the integrity of the case, and criticized the allegations prompted by federal prosecutors.

“The government clearly misled the court and concealed the true facts during the initial bail hearing. In other words, the government’s allegations are incredibly weak and contradicted by the testimony of its witnesses and the discovery received to date.”

Despite his defense, Combs is still under legal and public scrutiny for the accusations of sexual trafficking, assault, and abuse. The mounting allegations led to his federal indictment in September. He also has additional charges for bribery, kidnapping, and forced labor, among others. In addition, pretty much all of Combs’ business associates have dissolved their relationships.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is set to begin May 5.

by Daniel Johnson

November 11, 2024

Veterans Day: Major General Frederic Davison Blazed A Trail In The US Army

'...If the individual digs in hard enough, demonstrates sufficiently high enough his potential and his capability, he can’t be denied.'

Major General Frederic Davison blazed his own trail in the United States Armed Forces, eventually becoming the first Black person to reach the Army’s highest peacetime rank and to command an Army division.

According to The Dig, Davison began his rise through the military ranks at Howard University when he was made an Army Second Lieutenant through his participation in Howard’s ROTC program.

After graduating in 1938, Davison received a graduate degree in zoology in 1940, just before being called to active duty in 1941 during World War II.

At first, Davison served as platoon leader of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, the Buffalo Soldiers, that division was the only Black military division to see combat during the war.

Eventually, Davison became a commander of the 336th and 371st regiments; in the 336th, Davison served with Edward Brooke, a fellow Howard alum who would eventually serve as the first Black person elected to the United States Senate.

Following the war, Davison was given the duty of commanding the 365th Infantry Regiment and also served in West Germany as an executive officer of the 370th Armoured Infantry Division.

He also became one of the first Black people to graduate from the Army War College, which is responsible for training senior military and civilian leaders in global national security protocols.

Davison also served during the unpopular Vietnam War as a commander of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, which was responsible for defending the United States II Field Force in Long Binh, Vietnam which remains one of the largest Army command headquarters in United States military history.

The 199th’s bravery in combat missions earned them a Valorous Unit Award for extraordinary heroism and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry from the South Vietnamese government.

After receiving those honors, in 1968, Davison was promoted to Brigadier General, following in the footsteps of Benjamin O. Davis Sr. and Jr., and he became the third Black person to achieve that rank.

He also became the first Black person to command white soldiers in combat. After his promotion, when asked about America’s racial progress on ABC News, Davison gave a somewhat hopeful answer.

“We have, I believe, the finest society that has come into being in the history of man,” Davison said. “However, we have human beings that are operating that society. They’re good, they’re bad, they’re indifferent. Consequently, in various situations, there are occasions, many occasions, where people are discriminated against and where there are not equal opportunities. However, bear in mind that any society must eventually evolve from poor to good to the finest. I think we have reached a pretty high state in the United States.”

Davison continued, “I believe that opportunity is there. It’s not entirely equal as yet. It is equalizing as we go along. Until such time as it is completely equalized, it means that the individual Negro might have to do more than his fair share to get the acknowledgment he needs and the acknowledgment that he deserves. On the other hand, I think he must meet this challenge, and it is, in fact, a challenge that must be met if he is to succeed. My only word is, if the individual digs in hard enough, demonstrates sufficiently high enough his potential and his capability, he can’t be denied.”

Later, in 1971, Davison was promoted to major general, becoming the first Black person to achieve this rank, the highest peacetime permanent rank in the United States Army.

This rank carried a two-star designation, and Davison also received command of the 8th Infantry Division, which made him the first Black division commander.

Later, Davison would become the commander of the Washington Military District, a division responsible for planning the defense of Washington, D.C.; additionally, that division is responsible for all of the ceremonial duties at Arlington National Cemetery and others in the nation’s capital.

After Davison retired from the Army in 1974, he returned to his alma mater, where he served as an executive assistant to Howard’s president, James Cheek, until 1985.

Davison also promoted housing assistance in Washington, D.C., after his military career concluded. The General Frederic Davison House, a homeless shelter and recovery house, is named in his honor.

Davison died on Jan. 24, 1999, after battling a kidney ailment at the age of 82. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 11, 2024

Kamala Harris Ex-Comms Director Argues Why President Biden Should Step Down

Jamal Simmons believes it would forge an easier path for the next woman who tries to become president.

Kamala Harris’ former communications director, Jamal Simmons, thinks Joe Biden should step down to appoint Harris as the 47th president.

According to Politico, Simmons made his case on CNN’s State Of The Union on Nov. 10. Noting Biden’s labeling as a “transitional figure,” Simmons argued how he could further establish this by relinquishing power to Harris in his final months as president.

“Joe Biden has been a phenomenal president. He’s lived up to so many of the promises that he’s made. There is one promise left that he can fulfill: Being a transitional figure,” Simmons said on the news commentary program.

If Biden follows Simmons’ suggestion, Harris would become America’s first woman president. Donald Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 6, eventually winning all of the battleground states.

“He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris the president of the United States,” Simmons said. “He could absolve her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat.”

Harris has not publicly or reportedly said she wants this to occur.

“It would dominate the news at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things in the public we want to see,” Simmons said. This is the moment for us to change the perspective of how Democrats operate.”

The Trailblazer podcaster doubled down on his sentiments on social media. He urged that it would forge an easier path for the next woman who tries to become president.

Joe Biden has been amazing but he should fulfill one last promise – to be transitional. Biden should resign and make Kamala Harris the first woman president. It’d turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over Jan 6 make it easier for next woman to run. #trailblazepodcast
— Jamal Simmons (@JamalSimmons) November 10, 2024

“It’d turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over Jan. 6, make it easier for next woman to run,” he wrote.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 11, 2024

Aldis Hodge Excited About His Take on Alex Cross: ‘You’re Going to Get A Whole New Experience’

Alex Cross is back, and this time, Aldis Hodge is taking the lead.

James Patterson’s iconic character Alex Cross returns in the first-ever television adaptation of the crime thriller series with the talented Aldis Hodge in the lead role.

Amazon Prime’s new series, Cross, centers on the renowned detective and forensic psychologist Alex Cross (Hodge), who taps into the minds of both killers and their victims to hunt down murderers. Hodge also serves as a producer on the series, working alongside showrunner and executive producer Ben Watkins.

As an in-demand actor in Hollywood, Hodge can’t take every offer that comes his way. But he was more than happy to take on the responsibility of following in the footsteps of Cross’s predecessors, Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry.

“It feels really incredible,” Hodge tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I mean, we have open opportunities to sort of reintroduce or kind of introduce for the first time in this way.”

Hodge applauds Watkins for “brilliantly” opening up the entire world of Cross in ways that are sure to please die-hard fans of the book series.

“If they’ve read the books, they’re going to get a new expansive experience where they’re invited into the entire universe of his family life, his friends, is dealing with his own personal issues like trauma and grief,” Hodge teases.

“You’re going to get a whole new experience,” he adds. “And a lot of the detail that you’ve been wanting for so long.”

The series also stars Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, and Samantha Walkes. Casting the show was a thrilling experience for Watkins, who was eager to create a series with a Black man in the lead role.

“When’s the last time we had a single male, Black male lead detective show?” he says. “I mean, I know, but everybody I asked that question, they can’t tell you in America.”

It was also a victory for Watkins, who had always envisioned Hodge for the role of Cross but initially thought the Hidden Figures star wouldn’t be available. Watkins instructed his casting team to find a “Hodge type” for the part, only to be thrilled when Hodge not only became available but was eager to reintroduce Alex Cross in a fresh, exciting way.

“It was an awesome meeting of the minds and the match made in heaven,” Watkins said.

Fans can anticipate quality time to indulge in the new series as it has already been greenlit for Season 2. Press play above for the full interview and catch Cross when it premieres November 14 on Prime Video.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 11, 2024

Clara White Mission Honors Black Veterans With First Memorial Service In Jacksonville Cemetery

The Veterans Day occasion will mark the first time the burial ground will honor Black veterans.

The Clara White Mission will honor Black Veterans with a Flag and Wreath Memorial Service at Pinehurst Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. This Veterans Day occasion will mark the first time the burial ground has honored Black veterans.

The Nov. 11 service will recognize the Black soldiers who served in both World Wars and were laid to rest at the cemetery.

“Many of these veterans served at a time when they faced segregation and discrimination, yet their courage and sacrifice were instrumental in the fight for freedom,” officials said in a release obtained by News4. “Their stories embody resilience and dedication, and the Clara White Mission is proud to highlight their contributions as part of Jacksonville’s rich African American history.”

Moreover, the event will highlight Jacksonville’s distinct Black history, which includes Clara White Mission. Established in 1907, the Eartha and Clara White Mission facility is the oldest Black mission in Florida. Today, the nonprofit continues the advocacy of its founders. It works toward reducing homelessness in the area by focusing on sustainable food programs, job training, and housing opportunities.

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The mission’s inaugural event at Pinehurst will also feature historian and speaker Ennis Davis. In the news release, he stressed that preserving the histories of these deceased veterans adds to the rich tapestry of Black life in Jacksonville.

“Each headstone represents a chapter of resilience and an untold story of those who served with honor despite the challenges they faced,” explained Davis. “This memorial allows us to acknowledge and celebrate their contributions to our nation.”

Clara White Mission events continue to uplift the local Black community. For more information, visit its website.