Florida, DeSantis, Black voters, redistricting

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 7, 2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis Refuses To Take Calls From VP Kamala Harris As Florida Braces For Hurricane Milton

Pick up the phone, DeSantis!

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is refusing to answer phone calls from Vice President Kamala Harris as the Sunshine State braces for Hurricane Milton’s abrasive impact, NBC News reported.

DeSantis’ team said they feel her calls are politically motivated and sources claim that is the reason the governor refuses to take the calls. “Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” a close aide to DeSantis said.

While Florida braces for Milton’s impact, some areas of the state are still living through the devastation left behind from Hurricane Helene in late September 2024. The team behind the failed presidential hopeful says the governor hasn’t spoken to President Joe Biden since Helene hit, however the reason behind that lands on DeSantis being on a plane at the time the call came through.

Biden made his way to north Florida in early October 2024 to survey the storm damage, but DeSantis was holding a previously scheduled press conference in a different part of the state, causing the two leaders to miss each other.

However, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Oct. 7 that the ball is in DeSantis’ court, according to ABC News. The first step for federal assistance is answering the phone. “If you have the president and you have the vice president reaching out to offer up assistance provided to your constituents, the people who live in your state, to make sure we are doing everything that we need to do from federal response — and we’re reaching out, offering our support, that’s where … it is up to [DeSantis] if he wants to respond to us or not,” Jean-Pierre said.

Despite the lack of communication between federal and state leaders, the press secretary said all the necessary teams are in place and ready for Milton’s landfall.

Milton has been labeled as a Category 5 hurricane, and residents are being urged to evacuate while there is still time. “Time is going to start running out very, very soon,” DeSantis said during a press conference. Over 50 counties on Florida’s west coast have been placed under state of emergency orders, with others under evacuation orders such as Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota.

Before Milton greets Florida’s shores, scheduled for Oct. 9 or Oct. 10., Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state to guarantee federal assistance to begin supplementing local efforts.

While DeSantis claims he has Helene’s aftermath “handled,” other state governors such as Georgia and South Carolina Republican Govs. Brian Kemp and Henry McMaster have praised the response from federal agencies. Kemp thanked the Biden Administration for the assistance, while McMaster labeled the response as “superb.”

RELATED CONTENT: At Least 90 People Died During Hurricane Helene

Ricard Moore, death row, execution, South Carolina

by Daniel Johnson

October 7, 2024

South Carolina Set To Execute Black Man As Controversy Swirls Over Racial Bias, Self-Defense Claims

Richard Moore is set to be executed for the 1999 murder of a store clerk.

On the heels of Missouri’s’s controversial execution of Marcellus Williams, South Carolina plans to execute Richard Moore on Nov. 1 for the 1999 murder of James Mahoney, who was working at Nikki’s Speedy Mart in Spartanburg County.

According to the Associated Press, like Williams’ execution, questions about the fairness of the justice system loom over this case. Moore, a Black man, is currently the only person on death row convicted by a jury without any Black people on it.

Lindsey Vann, Moore’s attorney, told the AP that Moore’s case carries distinction for another reason, he is currently the only person in modern South Carolina history sentenced to die after committing a murder in self-defense.

“Moore’s execution would not be an act of justice; it would be an arbitrary act of vengeance. Moore is not the ‘worst of the worst’ for whom the death penalty is supposed to be reserved. Instead, his death sentence is based on racial discrimination that the judicial system has so far failed to correct,” Vann said.

Moore plans to request that South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Henry McMaster reduce his sentence to life without parole. History is not on Moore’s side: no South Carolina governor has ever granted clemency to an incarcerated person in the modern era.

However, South Carolina’s death row population has dwindled in recent years. In 2011, the state had 63 condemned incarcerated persons, but currently has 31. Twenty have been removed from death row after successful legal challenges, while others have died while incarcerated due to natural causes.

According to Vann, the prosecution moved to eliminate Black jurors from the jury pool by asking extensive and disparate questions and when this did not reduce the number to zero, they struck the two remaining jurors from the pool for reasons that appear to be discriminatory.

Moore’s lawyers have maintained that he had no intention on killing anyone that night and was only acting in self-defense.

According to Moore, he went into the store unarmed looking for cocaine, but Mahoney, the clerk, pulled a gun on him. Moore wrestled the gun away from Mahoney, who then pulled a second gun. A shootout ensued. Moore was wounded in his arm; Mahoney was shot in the chest.

According to prosecutors, Moore left a trail of blood as he stepped over Mahoney twice while looking for cash.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 7, 2024

Kamala Harris Ramps Up Media Appearances With Interviews On ‘The View’ And With Howard Stern

As the final stretch to Election Day begins, viewers can expect to see Harris do several sit-down interviews.

Kamala Harris is getting some major screen time with the presidential election less than a month away, appearing on The View and Howard Stern’s radio show for interviews.

Deadline reported that Harris has booked numerous slots on major media platforms. Given her later start, the vice president has made multiple campaign stops, with her new focus on network appearances.

As the final stretch to election day begins, viewers can expect to see Harris on The View on Oct. 8 and as well as SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. Moreover, she will appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that night. Her campaign also announced a special episode of CBS’ 60 Minutes airing the day prior.

Harris will also speak to younger Americans by sitting down with Alex Cooper, host of the popular Call Her Daddy podcast. The episode will also be released this week, with the show sharing a teaser for the heavily-anticipated interview to its Instagram account.

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Harris also intends to connect with Latino voters at a Univision town hall on Oct. 10. This ramp-up of media appearances comes after Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, initially focused on in-person rallies and speaking engagements in key battleground states.

Before this influx of recorded interviews, Harris ventured across swing states, such as Arizona and Georgia, to speak with voters. As for Walz, he will also follow suit in his own schedule. He will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Oct. 7 in addition to an interview on 60 Minutes.

While Harris goes on a media blitz, another debate with Donald Trump seems unlikely. Despite the vice president offering a second opportunity to debate Trump following their Sept. 10 meeting, the GOP opponent deemed it “too late” to do so. Walz and Ohio Sen. JD. Vance had their vice-presidential debate on Oct. 1.

Darryl George, student, Texas, CROWN Act, Hair, Locs, Texas

by Daniel Johnson

October 7, 2024

Setback For Black Student In Hair Discrimination Case Against Texas School

A judge denied the request of student Darryl George for a restraining order against Barbers Hill Independent School District.

U.S. District Judge Jeffery Brown denied Black high school student Darryl George’s request for a restraining order against Barbers Hill Independent School District.

The Texas teenager’s legal battle over his hairstyle is ongoing, and the order would have shielded him from punishment if he returned to school with his dreadlock hairstyle.

According to NBC DFW, the 19-year-old George, now a senior, spent the majority of his junior year serving in-school suspension (ISS) over his hair, which officials argued had the potential to violate their dress code against shoulder length or earlobe length hair if he wore it down or it were to fall down. Brown denied George’s request, saying that the teenager and his lawyers waited too long to file their petition.

George’s request for a restraining order followed Brown’s dismissal of most of George’s claims in a federal lawsuit against the school district officials which claimed that they committed racial and gender discrimination against George in August.

Although Brown allowed the gender discrimination claim to stand, in his denial of George’s request, he also indicated that he believes the district will win in the remaining claim on the lawsuit.

The district has defended its dress code, saying that it teaches students “grooming and hygiene, instill(s) discipline, prevent(s) disruption, avoid(s) safety hazards and teach(es) respect for authority.”

Meanwhile, George’s lawyers argued in the federal lawsuit that the school’s dress code violated the CROWN Act, a Texas state law that prohibited race-based discrimination of hair, but a state judge ruled in February that the district’s punishment did not violate the CROWN Act.

According to the Houston Chronicle, George left the district because he did not want to endure another year of ISS.

As Allie Booker, George’s attorney, told the outlet, “After just two days of school, Darryl was placed in ISS and told he’d have to spend another year there,” Booker said. “This led to an emotional breakdown and we couldn’t keep sending him back. He had no choice but to withdraw, but he’s not giving up on returning.”

Booker continued, “His mother sacrifices every day to get him to and from Sterling High School and while we’re grateful to Sterling for accepting him, it’s not where he wants to be. We won’t stop fighting until he’s back at Barbers Hill. His mother made significant sacrifices to move to the neighborhood specifically for the school and the education it offers.”

Dylan Drummond, another of George’s attorneys, told the Chronicle that he eventually expects the case to end up before the Texas Supreme Court after alleging that the school district has a “long and documented history of discriminatory and retaliatory treatment of its Black male students.”

Drummond continued, “This is our final brief at the intermediate appellate stage. I say that because, given the district’s super-litigious track record, I expect this case to eventually wind up before SCOTX (Supreme Court of Texas).”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 7, 2024

Black And Latino Tennesseans Get Chance to Amplify Their Voices Through Storytelling

The storytellers share histories, dreams, and struggles.

The Tennessean continues to amplify the voices of the state’s Black and Latino through its StoryTellers Live Series.

In an effort to showcase the lives of Tennessee’s Black residents, the newspaper initially created and featured Black Tennessee Voices. Its success led to the creation of the Latino Tennessee Voices. Black people account for over a quarter of the state’s population. Additionally, 14% of the state’s residents identify as Latino.

The page and accompanying newsletters led to readers wanting more engagements to better connect. The Voices initiative merged with the Tennessean’s revived StoryTellers Live Series in 2022. The collaboration’s first event was at Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music that September.

The following month, they held their Latino-focused Storytellers series at Plaza Mariachi, an establishment for immigrants in the city. Now, the series are held annually for both identity groups.

Through this platform, storytellers share histories, dreams, and struggles across Tennessee. Their voices remain highlighted as part of the fabric for the Volunteer State. This year’s Black Voices event took place at Meharry Medical College, an HBCU in Nashville, on Sept. 17. Its Latino-focused iteration will be held at Trevecca Nazarene University later this year.

Since its inception, over 30 storytellers have showcased their experiences as local residents and people of color. Live shows receive support through sponsors, such as BlueCrossBlueShield of Tennessee to Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. Moreover, The Tennessean‘s departments and executives have contributed to bringing these storied events to life.

While they embark on new plans for 2025, The Tennessean and its Black and Latino Storytellers series continue. It hopes to expand its pledge to engage and uplift both communities, while remaining true to its original mission of allowing these groups to shape the narratives themselves.

Newark, water, lead pipes, Mayor Ras Baraka

by Daniel Johnson

October 6, 2024

Newark Mayor Says City Water Is Safe After Contractors Allegedly Lied About Replacing Lead Pipes

A construction company is accused of scamming the New Jersey city out of $10 million.

Newark, New Jersey’s Lead Line Replacement Program, once seen as a national model for infrastructure reform, hit a setback when prosecutors accused construction company JAS Group Enterprise of taking $10 million from the city not replacing some of the lead pipes it was contracted to remove.

This discovery blemished the program’s reputation, raising concerns about oversight and accountability in what was considered a groundbreaking effort to address lead contamination in Newark’s water system.

But Newark Mayor Ras Baraka maintains the city’s water is still safe to drink.

That’s because, he told NPR’s All Things Considered last week, the city’s plan to use a chemical, orthophosphate, to keep the pipes from corroding was working as intended, along with the distribution of water filters to residents.

“We’re proud of the work that we’ve done and we’re happy that we’ve come to an end. When the U.S. attorney identified initial sites, we went to those sites. We changed what they showed us immediately that day. We continue to do that as we go. I don’t want us to have this assumption that people were at risk of being exposed to lead because that never, ever was the case,” Baraka said.

Baraka stressed that the city’s drinking water was “absolutely” safe.

“In fact, the last test that we had came out at zero parts per billion for lead, which means that we have less lead or no lead in our water. Bottled water is allowed to have five parts per billion of lead in the water. We have zero in Newark,” Baraka said.

When asked if the alleged actions of JAS Group put residents at risk, Baraka replied, “No. I mean, we have orthophosphate in the water. We put it in, in 2019, which was the reason, we had the problem in the first place. Our own sodium silicate stopped working. So we had to replace that with orthophosphate. We did that in 2019. We’ve been in compliance since 2019 to the present. I mean, that’s what the NJ DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) and all of our testing has borne out.”

Baraka continued, “And the last test, as I told you earlier, came up with zero parts per billion. So the orthophosphate works, right? So even if we remove the lead service line, we still have to protect people who have old lead fixtures in their house. They might have sinks that have lead fixtures. They may have stuff under the sink with lead fixtures. And so the orthophosphate stops the lead from leaching into the water. And so it was working then and it’s working now.”

According to NBC New York, two central figures in JAS’ alleged scheme are CEO Michael Sawyer and Foreperson Latronia Sanders. Sawyer is accused of submitting photos of copper pipes to the city, claiming to the city that his company had used those pipes to replace lead pipes.

Sanders, meanwhile, is accused of falsely informing inspectors that there was no need to remove lead pipes through text messages and allegedly told crews to polish existing copper pipes so they would look like new pipes.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 6, 2024

HBCU-Backed High School To Open Next Fall In NYC

Students in this HBCU program, led by Delaware State University, can begin earning college credits during their freshman year.

A new high school in New York City will feature a first-ever early college program supported by an HBCU.

Students at the Queens-based high school can enroll in the program to earn college credits before graduation. In its partnership with Delaware State University (DSU), the school will begin admitting students next fall.

Moreover, it will complete NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks’ pledge for more accelerated high schools in the outer boroughs. In Banks’ annual State of Our Schools speech on Sept. 17, he mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ own HBCU background as inspiration for the inaugural program.

“We are following through on this administration’s promise to open three accelerated high schools in underserved neighborhoods,” explained Banks, as reported by New York Daily News. “HBCUs have produced so many of our country’s leaders, from scientists to executives, artists to athletes to politicians, including our Vice President Kamala Harris. I’m beyond proud that our students will soon benefit from and become a part of that legacy.”

Other accelerated high schools in New York City have faced criticism for admitting fewer Black students over the years. In light of this, Banks offered to create more schools in diverse areas to prioritize these scholars.

Students in this HBCU-led program can begin earning college credit during their freshman year while attending classes, virtual and in-person, taught by Delaware State professors. Upon graduating, students will have earned their associate’s degrees and guaranteed to DSU.

Giving kids an opportunity to get a leg-up getting an associate’s degree — and possibly graduate with their bachelor’s at 20 — it’s just mind-blowing,” shared the school’s founding principal, Asya Johnson. “It’s life-changing for a lot of people.”

Johnson also plans for students to embark on tours of HBCUs. Moreover, the school will offer internship and study-abroad opportunities supported by Delaware State. They also intend to infuse HBCU cultural elements, from athletics to a “house” system on the high school campus.

“We knew we had one left sitting on the table, and we really wanted to be super innovative, do something outside the box,” explained Shawn Rux, senior executive director of new school development and design, to the news outlet. “And the reality is this: There are many students in New York City who attend HBCUs, but they never really get the magic sauce until they get to the campus. So we really wanted to bridge that gap.”

Admitted students will also receive a “Success Coach,” a member of DSU’s faculty, to guide them through their academic journey. The majority of those enrolled will hail from Southeast Queens.

Applicants must have their course grades, a two-minute video about themselves, and writing prompts considered for acceptance. Families have until Dec. 4 to apply.

by Daniel Johnson

October 6, 2024

Supreme Court To Determine Whether Straight Whites Face Tougher Standards In Bias Claims

A woman maintains she was discriminated against because she's straight and white.

The Supreme Court will review a reverse discrimination case after a 2023 Ohio court ruling that found Marlean Ames, a straight white woman, did not provide sufficient evidence to support her claim that she was discriminated against because of her race and sexual orientation. Ames contends that she was unfairly treated specifically because she is white and straight.

Ames’ request to review the ruling centers on an argument that the court asked her to make evidentiary showings beyond what is required of minorities who file discrimination claims.

According to Law.com, Ames alleges that her boss, a gay woman, didn’t promote her in order to promote a gay woman whom Ames alleges was unqualified for the position.

According to Ames, she was also removed from her position as a program administrator and replaced by a gay man.

In her petition to the Supreme Court, Ames maintained that it was unfair to require majority-group plaintiffs to show additional circumstances not asked of other plaintiffs who sue under Title VII.

Title VII refers to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a landmark federal law that prohibits employment discrimination. Under Title VII, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against individuals based on certain protected characteristics. These protected classes include: race, color, religion, sex (which includes pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity as interpreted by the courts), and national origin.

“Discriminatory preference for any group, minority or majority, is precisely and only what Congress has proscribed,” her lawyers wrote, referring to the 1971 Supreme Court decision in Griggs v. Duke Power. “Imposing a background circumstances requirement on majority-group plaintiffs, as five courts of appeals have done, defies these fundamental principles.”

Griggs v. Duke Power Co. is a landmark Supreme Court case that addressed employment discrimination and the application of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case centered on the practices of Duke Power Company, which had a policy of requiring employees to have a high school diploma and pass a standardized intelligence test to qualify for certain positions.

When two gay people got her former job and the position she wanted, Marlean Ames decided to sue.
#LGBTQ https://t.co/OjrVuhROrr
— LGBTQ Nation (@lgbtqnation) October 4, 2024

In Ames’ case, she sued upon receiving a right-to-sue letter from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but a federal court threw out her lawsuit, determining that Ames failed to demonstrate “background circumstances support[ing] the suspicion that [DYS] is that unusual employer who discriminates against the majority.”

According to the ruling, Ames failed to produce a pattern of similar discrimination or any proof that employment decisions were made by members of the gay community.

However, Sixth Circuit Judge Raymond Kethledge wrote in his concurrence that “our court and others have lost their bearings in adopting this rule” and thought that the ruling would result in scrutiny from a higher court.

The State of Ohio, which maintains the Ohio Department of Youth Services, Ames’ former employer, maintained that she was “difficult to work with” and that the Ohio DYS had “nondiscriminatory” reasons for picking another candidate and removing Ames from her position.

According to the State of Ohio, “Ames’s failure to introduce any evidence on this point means that no matter how the Court answers the Question Presented her discrimination claim would still fail at the prima facia stage.”

Ames’ argument is that the Ohio federal court’s decision is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s Title VII provision, which establishes that it is illegal to discriminate based on an individual’s sexual orientation.

According to Reuters, if the Supreme Court rules in her favor, it could provide a boost to a number of lawsuits from white workers who claim that diversity, equity, and inclusion policies discriminated against them. Although the court will hear arguments during its new term, which begins on Oct. 7, no ruling is expected in the case until the end of June 2025.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 6, 2024

Swizz Beatz Named In Lawsuit For Allegedly Receiving Over $7M In Stolen Funds

According to the legal filing, Beatz was paid millions in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad corruption scandal.

Producer Swizz Beatz has been accused of receiving over $7 million in stolen funds in a billion-dollar fraud lawsuit.

According to the suit, filed Oct. 2, Beatz was paid millions in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad corruption scandal. The lawsuit accused Jho Low and Eric Tan of stealing billions and misappropriating funds. Low took the money to associate with some of Hollywood’s elite. One of these celebrities included Beatz, whose real name is Kasseem Daoud Dean.

“As the 1MDB Fraud was underway, Jho Low became a well-known figure in the Hollywood scene and developed a reputation as a businessman with deep pockets and a penchant for hosting lavish, star-studded parties and group vacations,” the lawsuit read, as reported by AllHipHop. “Throughout the early 2010s, Low befriended many U.S. celebrities including Dean and his wife Alicia Keys.”

The lawsuit also claimed that between September 2012 and September 2014, Low and Tan had the money illegally transferred to Beatz. Liquidators are now suing the entertainer to retrieve the stolen funds.

“Between Sept. 21, 2012 and Sept. 4, 2014, Jho Low and/or Eric Tan caused the debtors to transfer $7,300,000 to defendants and, during that same time period, the debtors did not receive any money back from the defendants or any other consideration from the defendants in exchange for the fraudulent transfers,” detailed the legal filing. “Consequently, a net amount of $7,300,000 was conveyed from the debtors to the defendants.”

While unclear if Beatz was aware of the illegal nature of the payments, the plaintiffs are still seeking damages. The lawsuit asked for $3.3 million from Beatz’s production company, as well as $2.2 million directly from the producer.

Neither Beatz on anyone on his legal team provided a comment in the AllHipHop story.

Magic Johnson, Kamala Harris, Black men, Flint rally

by Daniel Johnson

October 6, 2024

Magic Johnson Urges Black Men To Vote For Kamala Harris, Criticizes Trump For Failing To Deliver On Promises

The basketball legend and business titan is trying to get the word out.

NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson joined Vice President Kamala Harris at her rally in Flint, Michigan, on Oct. 4 and focused much of his energy on getting a message to Black men to vote for Harris in November’s presidential election.

“There’s a lot of Black men in here and I don’t mean to, you know, not talk to other people but this is important,” Johnson said, according to Deadline Detroit. “Our Black men, we gotta get them out to vote, that’s number one. Kamala’s opponent promised a lot of things last time to the Black community that he did not deliver on, and we gotta make sure we help Black men understand that.”

Johnson’s appearance dovetails with an Athletes for Harris coalition the Harris-Walz campaign unveiled in September.

Johnson, who is a co-chair of the initiative, was a centerpiece of the campaign, and ahead of the appearance in Flint alongside Vice President Harris, functionally endorsed Harris via a statement unveiling the coalition.

“I have known Vice President Harris for over 25 years, and you can count on her to deliver on what she says she is going to do,” Johnson said. “She’ll be a president for all people, no matter the race, language, sexual orientation, or party line.

“She showed all of us—and showed the world—that she was ready to be president, how smart she is, and her plan for the country in that debate,” Johnson said. “We are not going backwards; we are moving forward. For all of the athletes out there, don’t be afraid to use your platforms —we need all of you to get involved. Share this with your friends that Vice President Harris has an agenda that will move the country forward. The Magic Man is on board.”

The campaign has made it a point to court Black men, with Harris explicitly laying out her focus on this demographic during a September interview with a panel of journalists from the National Association of Black Journalists. Trump and the Republican Party have been trying to capitalize on Black men’s dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.

According to The New York Times, interviews with several Black male voters, influencers, and strategists reflect a broader frustration with the Democratic Party that Republicans have been willing to exploit, and they are willing to play the long game to eventually get their support.

Kenneth Clark, a 43-year-old cybersecurity manager and entrepreneur, said that although Trump sowed discord in the country, he couldn’t readily identify a tangible difference in his own life.

“What did it exactly do to us? What did it do to our communities exactly?” Clark told the outlet. “Did it empower us? Did it hurt us? We were in the same position as we were before.”

Clark continued, “I’m not a supporter of Trump. But at the same time I don’t know for sure what either parties’ plans are directly affecting us and our culture.”