#NNPA BlackPress

Acclaimed Houston Forward Times Columnist Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Admitted to ICU

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Jeffrey L. Boney, a multi-award-winning writer for the Houston Forward Times and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, is in the intensive care unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston after being diagnosed on Friday, March 27, with COVID-19.

Published

5 years ago

April 1, 2020

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

More than 825,000 people around the globe have been infected with the novel coronavirus, including at least 175,600 in America.

Now the coronavirus has hit a member of our family.

Jeffrey L. Boney, a multi-award-winning writer for the Houston Forward Times and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, is in the intensive care unit at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston after being diagnosed on Friday, March 27, with COVID-19.

“After experiencing several unconventional health symptoms during the early part of March, I decided to move forward with getting tested for the coronavirus – COVID-19,” Boney wrote in a text to NNPA Newswire on Tuesday, March 31.

“The results came back Friday, and I’m currently in ICU, working with some of the top infectious disease doctors who are working diligently to ensure that I get completely healed and back home,” stated Boney, who also serves as a councilman in Missouri City District B.

Boney, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Texas Business Alliance, said Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee was “extremely instrumental in connecting me to United Memorial Medical Center and Dr. Joseph Varon.”

“When Rep. Jackson-Lee found out that I wasn’t feeling well and that I had self-quarantined, she called me and asked why I hadn’t told her that I had been dealing with some symptoms,” Boney recalled.

“I told her that my primary care doctor had told me to self-quarantine. She told me to go to the hospital and that she would ensure that I got tested on the spot without delay. The chief medical officer, Dr. Varon, was there to meet me and administer the test personally.”

Boney admitted being unnerved by his status as a COVID-19 patient.

Initially, Boney said he thought he might have had a case of food poisoning because he didn’t have the traditional COVID-19 symptoms.

“This has been an extremely unnerving journey of the unknown for both me and the medical team that is treating me because none of my symptoms were respiratory in nature, but were digestive,” Boney remunerated.

“I didn’t have a fever, I didn’t have shortness of breath, and I wasn’t coughing heavily,” he said.

What Boney did experience was a loss of appetite, heavy diarrhea, and pain in his stomach.

“Naturally, one would chalk that up to something like food poisoning or a stomach virus,” Boney said. “I began coughing up blood, which disturbed the doctor who tested me for the coronavirus, and he told me to come in ASAP. It was later found that I had pneumonia on the lungs due to COVID-19. I had contracted the coronavirus.”

Boney, a graduate of Texas Southern University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, has excelled in several fields.

He has served as an adjunct professor in the school of Business Administration at Houston Community College, and he’s received numerous awards and recognitions for his business, civic and community involvement, and his leadership skills.

Boney has received honors as an inaugural Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award winner; a Fort Bend Rising Star Entrepreneurs and Executives recognition by the Fort Bend Business Journal; 40/40 Series Trail Blazer Award winner; and he’s an Outstanding Texan Award recipient from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus

For more than a half-dozen years, Boney has served as the host of his own nationally-recognized daily radio program, “Real Talk with Jeffrey L. Boney.”

He serves as the associate editor for the historic Houston Forward Times, the largest Black-owned, independently published newspaper in the South, where he writes various feature stories and articles, including his popular weekly column, “J Boney Speaks.”

The NNPA has honored Boney with Merit Awards for “Best News Story” and “Best Column Writing,” “Best Feature Story,” and the MillerCoors Messenger Awards for “Best Commentary” for his weekly column.

“I want to be extremely clear, I am in great spirits, and I plan to overcome this temporary challenge,” Boney said.

“But, please know that this is a very serious epidemic, and anyone is susceptible. It is time for all of us not only to know that this pandemic is real and affecting lives, but it is also time for us to take seriously all of the things that we are being asked to do by our local leaders and medical professionals.”

Boney continued:

“This is serious, and it is taking lives as well. I still have a myriad of issues to overcome relative to pneumonia in my lungs and significant blood clotting in my lung. I have to overcome reducing my increased heart rate because my heart is battling hard to protect my other organs against the attack on my body from the virus.

“We can’t play with this. I am still battling over here and will see this through.”

Oakland Post

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#NNPA BlackPress

Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

5 hours ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: