Former ATL Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Reminds Trump: ‘You Can’t Fire Someone Who Has Already Resigned’
Lance Bottoms suggested Trump should pay more attention to the other pressing issues facing the U.S.
Atlanta News First reports that Former White House Export Council member and former Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms reminded President Donald Trump that she resigned weeks ago after Trump claimed he fired her.
Using his infamous “You’re Fired!” catchphrase from the show The Apprentice, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to “fire” Lance Bottoms and other members of the Biden-Harris administration on Jan. 21. The now former White House employees include Chef Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition; Ret. Gen. Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council; and former State Department official Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars board.
Trump claims the group doesn’t “align” with his “Make America Great Again vision.” Lance Bottoms reminded Trump that it’s impossible to fire someone who has already resigned.
“A day late and a dollar short … My resignation from the President’s Export Council was submitted January 4, effective yesterday,” Bottoms wrote in response.
“You can’t fire someone who has already resigned. Of all the things happening in the world, not sure why I’m on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am following his inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor.”
She recommended that Trump pay more attention to the other pressing issues facing the U.S., such as the growing wildfires in Los Angeles.
“No matter how you voted, I think we can all agree that targeting me, along with a man who is feeding displaced people in Los Angeles and a decorated military General in the early morning hours via social media is not the best use of time for the President of the United States,” she said.
Several supporters joined Lance Bottoms in shifting the indicted president’s focus back to other issues by congratulating her on a job well done in the White House.
“He behaves like a toddler …thank you for your service sis,” @vanilla_sky81 wrote.
Another user questioned how someone could be officially fired on social media. “How you fire someone via social media???,” @tarratresha said.
Host of Sirius XM’s “The Reecie Colbert Show” @reeciecolbert said the script is the same as that of Trump’s first term. “New term. Same script of using Black women and brown men as red meat for his rabid base. I’m so disgusted we are back to waking up,” the media personality wrote.
She was later appointed to the role of principal national advisory committee on international trade in July 2023. She then joined Biden’s official campaign in June 2024, just weeks before he handed the baton to former Vice President Kamala Harris to run as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Despite Musk’s assertions, the proof is in the pudding. Neo-Nazis across the world have responded to Musk’s gesture with glee.
According to Nick Martin, an investigative journalist who tracks extremist groups, Musk’s gestures were unmistakable Nazi salutes.
“The entire neo-Nazi movement seems to be eating it up,” Martin told Wired.
“He gave two unmistakable Nazi salutes and they got the message loud and clear.”
Evan Kilgore, a Holocaust denier and far-right political commentator, who likely would have been banned from Twitter in the past, which Musk bought and rebranded X, indicated his pleasure via a post on the platform.
“Holy crap…did Elon Musk just Heil Hitler at the Trump Inauguration Rally in Washington DC…This is incredible.” Kilgore followed it up later, writing, “We are so back.”
Musk has been criticized for his overt embrace of far-right ideology, recently he has promoted Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany, and in an interview with the party’s leader, Alice Wiedel, earlier in January, Musk indicated that he believes the conspiracy theory that Hitler, a Nazi, was actually a communist.
Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.
People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. https://t.co/0gLdMCU3UV
In a bizarre move, the Anti-Defamation League, a group purportedly dedicated to combating anti-semitism, indicated in a post on Musk’s platform that it does not believe Musk’s salutes were Nazi salutes, which actual Nazis have applauded as a mainstream moment for their brand of hate.
The ADL’s statement was widely panned, including a quote tweet from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who indicated that the organization had abandoned its post.
“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”
50 Plus 1 Sports Will Invest $70M To Save Saint Augustine’s University
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) removed the HBCU’s membership following significant financial issues, including a $32 million debt and an IRS battle.
In December 2022, Saint Augustine’s University was placed on probation after failing to meet accreditation standards. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) removed the HBCU’s membership following significant financial issues, including a $32 million debt and an IRS battle.
“We were introduced to the University back in October, and from that very first moment, our first statement was that we wanted to help the university keep its land and be self-sufficient,” Monti Valrie, founder and CEO of 50 Plus 1 Sports, tells BLACK ENTERPRISE
Based in Miami, 50 Plus 1 Sports is one of the nation’s fastest-growing stadium and mixed-use development firms. It’s the first national sports financing and development firm to require 50% minority and women participation in every project the company finances or partners in.
50 Plus 1 Sports and Saint Augustine’s University agreed on a ground lease: a long-term agreement between a landowner, in this case, the university, and the tenant, which is 50 Plus 1 Sports. The agreement allows 50 Plus 1 Sports to develop on the university.
Valrie says his company invested the ground lease payment upfront, enabling the university to clear its debt and move forward. For the first 10 years, there is a 65/35 split on revenue between 50 Plus 1 Sports and SAU. Years 11 through 99 include a 60/40 split on revenue.
“Our estimates at year 50 are over a billion dollars back to the university in revenue split,” says Valrie. “This gives the university the opportunity to carry out their mission in the community.”
Valrie says while his company is based in Florida, the partnership with the university is a “homegrown project.” This means an overwhelming majority of the workforce needed as development happens will come from the Raleigh area.
An Uphill Battle With Raleigh Business Leaders
The investment from outside of North Carolina comes after what Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Boulware says have been roadblocks from Raleigh business leaders.
In February 2024, Boulware says the school asked for financial assistance from Durham-based Self-Help Credit Union, a national financial institution on a mission to “create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents, and low-wealth families and communities.”
“At that time, we talked to them probably for four months, asking for their assistance and helping with finance donations and a loan opportunity,” Boulware says. “They said they didn’t really have an appetite for it.”
Boulware says the credit union changed its tune after the university’s land, which sits within one mile of the Governor’s Mansion, was appraised for roughly $207 million. The credit union joined other local investors interested in loaning the university between $20 and $30 million, Boulware says.
The deal would have required the land be removed from the university’s name and two board members removed. Business investors would also choose the president of the university and the board chair. The university, however, would receive no revenue share, according to Boulware.
Business Leaders Tell Saint Augustine’s To Merge With Other HBCU
In a June 2024 letter obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE that Boulware sent to students and staff, he discussed the challenges SAU faced with leadership changes and financial status.
“One example of our difficulties occurred during a business meeting with influential Raleigh business leaders,” he writes.
“In attendance were a television station owner, a former editor of the local newspaper, a prominent local developer, and executives of another local higher educational institution. After exchanging pleasantries, the owner of the television station stated, ‘Let’s get to the bottom of this: Raleigh doesn’t need two Black universities. We need the two to merge. I don’t care what you call it. However, we need them both on SAU’s property because we need downtown land to expand the development footprint.'”
(Boulware confirmed to BLACK ENTERPRISE that local leaders wanted Saint Augustine’s to merge with Shaw University.)
“Additionally, the local developer stated, ‘You have no leverage in this situation. You need to consider this as an option,'” Boulware wrote in his letter. “The developer informed us that the Raleigh business community shared similar sentiments, thus limiting our access to financial resources.”
University leaders rejected the proposal, according to Boulware, favoring an “immediate short-term financial solution” to address payroll, student refund compensation, and more.
The short-term fix? Saint Augustine’s received a $7 million loan from Gothic Ventures, LLP to pay off its debts. The loans have a 24% interest rate and a 2% loan management fee. Martin Eakes, who leads Self-Help Credit Union, called the deal “abusive” and “predatory” in a recent interview with WUNC.
“The question I always had in my mind was, ‘Why wasn’t the university able to go out and secure a loan that covers some of the debt?’” says Valrie. “When you look at it deeper, there wasn’t anybody willing to help the university.”
Where Does Saint Augustine’s University Go From Here?
According to Board Member Sophie Gibson, the agreement between 50 Plus 1 Sports and Saint Augustine’s would resolve debt, provide critical operational funding, establish a revenue sharing model that secures universities financial sustainability for decades to come, and bring in opportunities for students, scholarships, community engagement, and economic development beyond the university and into Raleigh.”
The university is waiting for the attorney general to approve the 50 Plus 1 Sports agreement. The school received a letter from SACSCOC on Jan. 15 stating it has 10 days to respond on the sustainability of the university.
Making The Case For A Thoughtful Approach To DEI: Addressing Misconception And Reality
Policymakers should prioritize refining and enhancing these programs.
Written By William Michael Cunningham
Recommendations to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, supported by the incoming administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), rest on a flawed understanding of their purpose, impact, and beneficiaries. Black-owned firms receive a relatively small percentage of the $133 billion in diversity-focused federal contracts, underscoring the need to improve, not eliminate, these programs. Additionally, while it is my belief that agencies like the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) can sustain budget reductions without major harm, such reductions must be implemented with great care given both the agency’s historical challenges and its potential for meaningful impact.
The Misallocation of Diversity Contracts
Critics of DEI programs often believe that their benefits are distributed with the largest share of diversity contracts going to Blacks. This is incorrect. White women, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American firms get the bulk of these contracts. The disproportionate distribution highlights systemic barriers that persist for Black entrepreneurs within the very framework meant to promote equity. Instead of dismantling DEI programs, efforts should address these structural flaws, ensuring that the intended beneficiaries, including Black businesses, receive a fair share of the resources.
Moreover, eliminating these programs entirely would disproportionately harm Black businesses while leaving entrenched inequities among other groups unaddressed. The solution lies in reforming and refining these programs to make them more effective rather than abandoning them altogether.
The Role of the MBDA: A Vital Resource, Even With Constraints:
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has historically operated with limited resources and has nonetheless provided valuable support to minority entrepreneurs. While its current impact is constrained by internal personnel issues and a modest budget, the MBDA’s programs have demonstrated the ability to help businesses access capital, build capacity, and create jobs in underserved communities.
Arguments that MBDA’s budget could be eliminated without significantly impacting the US economy overlook the agency’s impact. This work has been critical in promoting economic development in historically marginalized communities, but underfunding has limited its reach. Further budget reductions would cripple an agency already stretched thin and undermine its ability to fulfill its mission.
Evaluating the Broader Impact of DEI Programs
It is also important to address the skepticism surrounding the broader impact of DEI initiatives. Critics often point to the perceived inefficiency of such programs, but the data tells a different story. Federal diversity contracting and small business development initiatives have historically driven economic activity in underrepresented communities, creating jobs and fostering innovation. Even if their implementation is imperfect, the benefits of these programs far outweigh their costs.
Rather than reducing funding or eliminating these programs, policymakers should focus on improving transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Programs must be better aligned with their intended outcomes, ensuring that resources are directed to those who need them most, including Black-owned businesses that continue to face systemic barriers.
A Path Forward: Reform, Not Retrenchment
The debate around diversity programs should not be reduced to a binary choice of maintaining the status quo or eliminating them entirely. Instead, we should focus on refining these initiatives to maximize their impact. This includes:
Ensuring Equity in Distribution: Reforming federal contracting processes to address disparities in how contracts are allocated and ensuring that Black-owned businesses receive a fair share.
Strengthening Programs: Rather than reducing, efforts should be made to modernize programs, leveraging data to demonstrate their tangible impact and refine their delivery.
Increasing Accountability: Implementing mechanisms to monitor the outcomes of initiatives and adjust them to ensure they achieve their intended goals.
Targeted Investments: Directing resources to communities and businesses that are demonstrably underrepresented or disadvantaged, promoting equity.
The proposed elimination of diversity programs, including cuts to Commerce and Transportation Department budgets, would represent a significant step backward in the fight for economic growth. While it is true that the current allocation of resources requires reform, dismantling these programs altogether would harm the very nation they are designed to help.
Instead of retreating from equity and inclusion, policymakers should prioritize refining and enhancing these programs. With thoughtful reform, these initiatives can become more efficient, equitable, and impactful, driving economic growth and creating opportunities for all Americans. In the pursuit of fiscal efficiency, we must not lose sight of the moral and economic imperative to build a society where everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed.
Rev. Al Sharpton Puts The Call Out To Boycott Companies Eliminating DEI Initiatives In Honor Of Dr. King’s Legacy
Think we should join in?
WTOP reports that civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton has called for a boycott of all companies eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to end DEI programs on the federal level.
During the National Action Network’s (NAN) rally at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C., on Martin Luther King Day, Sharpton touched on Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy and his issue with eliminating practices deflecting from it.
“Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life, shed blood and died to open up America for everybody. Blacks, whites, gays, straight—it didn’t matter,” Sharpton said. “DEI was a remedy to the racial institutional bigotry practiced in academia and in these corporations.”
The rally took place just miles away from the inauguration.
Trump said he feels the target of DEI programs is to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.” However, the definition of DEI relates to providing a more inclusive and equitable society.
Since the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling to overturn affirmative action in college admission practices, dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including Walmart, Harley-Davidson, McDonalds and Meta, have eliminated DEI programs established years ago.
According to Fox News, Sharpton sent a message to anti-DEI participants, reminding them why it was put in place to begin with. “Why do we have DEI? We have DEI because you denied us diversity, you denied us equity, you denied us inclusion. DEI was a remedy to the racial institutionalized bigotry practice in academia and in these corporations.”
“Now, if you want to put us back in the back of the bus, we are going to do the Dr. King-Rosa Parks on you,” he added. “You must have forgot who we are. We are the ones that you took everything, and we are still here.”
“In 90 days, we are going to announce the two companies that we’re going after, and we’re going to ask everybody in this country—Black, white, brown, gay, straight woman, trans—don’t buy where you are not respected,” Sharpton said.
Sharpton is open to continuing the DEI discussion with leaders, including Trump—but not without other civil rights leaders present. “I will not do a photo op,” he said.
Ex-Georgia Prosector To Stand Trial For Allegedly Hindering Investigation Into Ahmaud Arbery’s Death
Johnson has been accused of hindering the investigation and trying to prevent the McMichaels arrest.
A former Georgia prosecutor accused of hindering the Ahmaud Arbery case will now face trial for her alleged misconduct.
Previously, Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson reportedly used her leverage to prevent one of the men involved in Arbery’s killing from getting arrested. Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was out jogging in the coastal Georgia neighborhood of Satilla Shores when three white men pursued and fatally shot him after mistaking him for a burglar.
Father-son duo Gregory and Travis McMichael, as well as their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Neither of the McMichaels received the possibility of parole while also getting an additional 20 years.
Arbery’s case made national headlines, and Johnson’s alleged involvement in delaying the arrest of the McMichaels also attracted attention. The elder McMichael was a former police officer who worked directly under Johnson as an investigator.
Now, state prosecutors want to hold Johnson accountable for her alleged role in hindering the case, according to NPR. Arbery’s father, Marcus, emphasized how Johnson’s “hurtful” actions could have prevented his late son from receiving justice.
“We put our lives in their hands,” said the frustrated parent. “You get a powerful spot like that and don’t do the job? It’s hurtful.”
With this new trial regarding Arbery’s case, the father says it is for “100% justice for Ahmaud.” However, Johnson has consistently denied any wrongdoing on her part.
Despite this, state prosecutors have provided evidence of call logs between McMichael and Johnson after Arbery’s fatal shooting; some were made merely days after the murder. Johnson will also face questions on whether she followed protocol. Johnson reportedly asked a district attorney in a nearby jurisdiction to aid in the case. However, she made the call before notifying the attorney general’s office.
Community outrage and advocacy played a major role in the progression of Arbery’s trial. The public release of video footage on Arbery’s chase and killing also prompted statewide officials to take over.
Now, the community and Arbery’s supporters are keeping an eye on Johnson’s trial. They hope the matter will result in additional justice for all the controversies surrounding his death and its aftermath. Additionally, they hope it will shed light on how prosecutors could perpetuate the systemic injustices that led to the preventable deaths of Arbery and others.
“We want better systems; we want better outcomes,” says Elijah Bobby Henderson, co-founder of A Better Glynn, a civic engagement coalition created due to Arbery’s murder. “Make improvements to the systems that had failed on that day and that have historically failed in Glynn County.”
Jury selection for Johnson’s trial will begin on Jan. 27.
Former Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie G. Thompson Condemns Trump Pardon Of Violent Rioters
Thompson’s statement comes just days after former President Joe Biden issued a pardon for him and other members of the House committee.
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), the former chair of the Jan. 6 Committee, released a statement condemning President Donald J. Trump after he issued pardons for more than 1,500 violent rioters, including leaders of alt-right groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
“With these pardons and grants of clemency, President Trump has started his second term just like he finished his first: with lawless contempt for our justice system and our democracy. Many of these criminals were convicted of violent crimes against law enforcement,” Thompson wrote in a statement released on X.
“All have been found guilty or pleaded guilty of crimes against the United States—and all tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power on January 6 in servitude to Donald Trump and the Big Lie. To be clear, none were solely protesting or expressing their First Amendment rights. None are victims and none are hostages.”
Former January 6 Committee Chairman Thompson Statement on President Trump Pardoning Over 1500 Criminals pic.twitter.com/ApBMiJGLAN
Trump referred to the rioters as “hostages” after he issued approximately 1,500 pardons just hours after he was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Jan. 20, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
According to CNN, the group includes Julian Khater, who pleaded guilty to assaulting US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick; Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton; and Robert Palmer from Florida, who attacked officers with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole.
He also issued commutations to cover the sentences for 14 far-right extremists who are members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. Several were charged or convicted with seditious conspiracy.
Thompson’s statement comes just days after former President Joe Biden issued a pardon for him and other members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack.
Biden spared the congressman, along with former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the committee’s vice chair; Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and retired Gen. Mark Milley.
The names were seemingly listed on a list curated by Trump and his allies of “enemies” who may have crossed him politically or pushed to hold him accountable for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
In a joint statement, Thompson and his fellow pardoned colleagues thanked Biden as they claim their families “have been continuously targeted not only with harassment” just for “simply for doing our jobs and upholding our oaths of office.”
Cheney and Thompson shared similar sentiments that Trump will never be able to live down the horrific events in 2021 down, regardless of the rioters pardons.
“Donald Trump, his enablers, and all those who broke the law that day will never be able to erase the stain of their dishonor,” Thompson said. “History will remember.”
Trump Signs Executive Order Recognizing Only Sex, Not Gender; Also Ends Federal DEI Programs
One order now only recognizes two biological sexes instead of gender.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump began a sweep of eliminating progressive policies through multiple executive orders.
One declared that the United States now only recognizes two biological sexes, male and female. Part of the Trump administration’s “restoring sanity” agenda, the effort requires the government and official documentation, including passports and licenses, to use the term sex instead of gender.
Under the order, deemed as “Defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government,” taxpayer funds can no longer be used for gender-affirming or transitional health care. Furthermore, the ruling aadds “privacy in intimate spaces,” removing those not biologically considered a woman from women’s prisons and single-sex shelters for the group.
“Accordingly, my Administration will defend women’s rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male,” detailed the order.
The sweeping regulation directly retracts policies made to ensure the federal recognition of trans and nonbinary people. President Joe Biden had legalized the marking of a gender-neutral “X” on one’s passport. Now, agencies and federal employees must adhere to these new changes in the coming weeks, removing any language that promotes anything other than the “biologically distinct sexes.”
His other executive order cracking down on inclusive policies also eliminated “radical and wasteful” federal DEI programs. The order deemed Biden’s federally mandated programs as “illegal” and “immoral.” Specifically, Trump mentioned Biden’s EO 13985 on “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”
“Pursuant to Executive Order 13985 and follow-on orders, nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted “Equity Action Plans” to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government,” Trump’s new order stated. “The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”
Trump has now ordered the removal of all initiatives and mandates promoting these equity plans. This ruling also extends to “environmental justice,” left in quotes, programs, and offices. This will also incur a further investigation into revised roles to see if renaming occurred following Trump’s win to ensure their future under his new administration.
The order will terminate all DEI, DEIA, and environmental justice positions and programs in all federal agencies and departments. Leaders must begin taking action on this matter to address “shameful discrimination” within 60 days.
HBCU Grad Is The 1st To Complete Mercy Corps Unique Internship Program
Maleika Stewart has become the first HBCU graduate to complete a unique internship program between the non-governmental organization (NGO) Mercy Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Maleika Stewart has entered a space where it’s rare to see people from her background. The HBCU grad has become the first participant to complete a unique internship program between the non-governmental organization (NGO) Mercy Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for graduates from minority-serving institutions.
The Spelman College graduate worked as a Knowledge Management intern in Liberia, where she was the go-to person in their communication efforts. Her work increased enrollment and attendance for vulnerable and underserved children.
“The most invaluable takeaway was the introduction to the sector,” Stewart told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“I didn’t have a clue about what I was going to do post-graduate experience […], and now, I don’t want to leave the industry.”
Finding Her Calling Through Networking
Stewart, an English major and photography minor, found the opportunity after networking during a meeting with the International Studies Department at Spelman College. She was looking for international communication opportunities after graduating, but they can be challenging to find.
A volunteer she connected with during the meeting informed her about the Mercy Corps and USAID opportunities on LinkedIn. It was a competitive process for Stewart, who was selected from a pool of more than 300 students.
“I believe that because I had studied abroad before […] was so determined and had a positive attitude during the interview process, I stood out,” Stewart said.
During the internship with Mercy Corps and USAID, she single-handedly became the go-to person for all communications-related priorities. Stewart was responsible for communicating with government officials and creating and updating brochures, fact sheets, and program sheets for Liberia’s homegrown school feeding program. She also created photography, videography, multimedia content, and more for other Mercy Corps programs.
Stewart is most proud of presenting in front of the U.S. Ambassador in Liberia.
“In that moment, I highlighted all my achievements and told him about my plans. I never met an ambassador before, so it was a phenomenal opportunity,” says Stewart.
What’s Next For The HBCU Grad
In an industry that white men overwhelmingly dominate, Stewart plans to stay within the sector. Even though she is the first, she doesn’t want to be the last and hopes her experience inspires more HBCU students to apply.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Stewart said. “Traveling the world with an international NGO does not happen often for HBCU graduates. This why the program exists and why it was created.”
Stewart wants the next generation of students like herself to be a part of the solutions that help make the world a better place by venturing out into the world.
A Mercy Corps representative confirmed with BE that the organization plans to continue the partnership with USAID HBCUs and HSIs.
“We think it’s really important to offer this opportunity to undergraduate students, especially from these institutions, to be able to come and also give back to the sector,” Sophie Dresser, director of programs at Mercy Corps, says. “We’re looking forward to continuing this as an organization.”
South Carolina Teens Arrested In Connection To Brutal Murder Of Ka’Niyah Baker
Coroner Naida Rutherford provided the exact cause of death for Baker at a press conference, and made it clear that her death was in no uncertain terms, a homicide
Two teenagers in Columbia, South Carolina, have been arrested in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Ka’Niyah Baker, who was found dead in a vacant home on Jan. 15. According to law enforcement, the murder of Baker has been described as “heinous, vicious and monstrous.”
According to News 19, Coroner Naida Rutherford provided the exact cause of death for Baker at a Jan 18 press conference and made it clear that her death was, in no uncertain terms, a homicide.
“The manner of death is not an accident, and this is not a suicide,” Rutherford said. “This is a horrible homicide.”
Rutherford continued, noting that photo identification was of no avail when it was time to identify Baker’s body. It took DNA evidence for that to occur.
“Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed, and burned,” Rutherford said before adding that the official cause of death for Baker was blunt force trauma.
Ka’Niyah Baker (13) was reported missing by her foster parents on January 13th in Hopkins, South Carolina. Her body was discovered two days later in an abandoned house.
The details are heartbreaking. Ka’Niyah was bludgeoned, stabbed, and set on fire. Two teenage girls (both… pic.twitter.com/pczGnF2Pdm
According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, they alerted the public that the 13-year-old was possibly in danger after she went missing on Jan. 13; Baker was not originally from Columbia and was in the care of a foster parent.
Her body was discovered after Columbia-Richland Fire crews discovered a body at the scene of a fire they responded to; police eventually ruled the death as suspicious and later confirmed that the death of Baker was going to be investigated as a murder.
According to Richland County Police Chief Skip Holbrook, two juveniles were arrested, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl, who both had a history with the police department.
Holbrook also had pointed advice for parents, as the area has had an issue with violent crime perpetrated by minors. Both unnamed minors are expected to be charged as adults.
“I think you gotta be nosy and be involved in your children’s lives and know where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing,” Holbrook said.
On Jan 18, Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson issued a statement in response to the death of Baker.
“Ka’Niyah’s death has shaken me at my core. In our beautiful city with so much growth and prosperity, we must continue to ensure that all of our children are protected and surrounded with the resources they deserve and a sense of hope, no matter their circumstances,” Wilson said.
District 2 City Councilman Edward McDowell Jr also provided his own statement regarding the murder of Baker, saying the city needed to come together in this tragic moment.
“This is a tragedy that should have never occurred in District 2 or anywhere in our community,” McDowell said. “The pain we feel as a city is profound, but it’s in these moments that we must reflect on our collective responsibility. As a community, we must remain accountable, vigilant, and aware of our surroundings. Every one of us has a role in protecting our youth and shaping a future where such tragedies do not happen. We must be active agents of change and oversight for our young people, and we must come together to support their well-being.”
