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Dr. Sheila Brooks, Author and Emmy Award Winner, Nominated for NAACP Image Award

Dr. Sheila Brooks, the founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, a full service Washington, D.C.-based advertising and marketing agency, has earned an Image Award nomination in Outstanding Literary Work as one of the authors, (along with Clint C. Wilson) of the new book, “Lucile H. Bluford and the Kansas City Call: Activist Voice for Social Justice.”

Published

6 years ago

February 25, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

It isn’t an ordinary day when someone gets nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

And, it certainly isn’t an ordinary day when renowned journalist Roland Martin is the one texting the nominee and alerting them of the honor.

That’s why Tuesday, Feb. 19, wasn’t an ordinary day – at least not for Dr. Sheila Brooks, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and entrepreneur who has dedicated a large part of her professional life to advocating for minorities, women, diversity issues and small businesses.

Dr. Brooks, the founder, president and CEO of SRB Communications, a full service Washington, D.C.-based advertising and marketing agency, has earned an Image Award nomination in Outstanding Literary Work as one of the authors (along with Clint C. Wilson) of the new book, “Lucile H. Bluford and the Kansas City Call: Activist Voice for Social Justice.”

Dr. Brooks will walk the Red Carpet on Saturday, March 30, in Los Angeles where she’ll find out if her nomination turns into a win at the 50th NAACP Image Awards.

“I’ve known [Martin] since he was 19 and he texted me and said, ‘Congratulations on your NAACP Image Award nomination,’ and I just screamed,” Dr. Brooks recalled.

Still stunned, she texted Martin back and he replied by sending her “the whole nomination and the book cover that’s been announced.”

“I said, ‘I guess I’m going to Los Angeles and walk the red carpet,” Dr. Brooks said.

Her new book discusses the life and pioneering work of Lucile H. Bluford, an activist, editor and publisher of the Kansas City Call during the civil rights and women’s rights movements.

“It traces the beginnings of her activism as a young reporter seeking admission to the graduate program in journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, and it details how that battle became the catalyst for her seven-decade career as a champion of racial and gender equality,” Dr. Brooks said.

Buford had already enjoyed a successful career at The Call and historians said she didn’t need further training. However, she saw an opportunity to challenge segregation in public universities.

Though the University of Missouri’s journalism program accepted Miss Bluford based on mailed transcripts, when she showed up to enroll officials saw she was black and denied her entrance.

“She fought the case and it went to the state Supreme Court 11 times and she finally won, but she never did attend the school because it closed, and 50 years later she received an honorary degree,” Dr. Brooks said.

The story has added significance for Dr. Brooks because she grew up in Kansas City.

“The Kansas City Call is the weekly black newspaper in my hometown and I used to play in front of the building,” Dr. Brooks said. “I was very familiar with [Bluford] but not as familiar until I took a deep dive into research,” she said.

The makings of the book began as Dr. Brooks took night courses at Howard University.

She said her plans were to write about a modern day media company owner and decided that most of those stories were already being told. So, she began looking at historical figures where she focused on three individuals in particular:

Mildred Brown of the Omaha Star, Charlotta Bass of the California Eagle and Bluford.

“I decided it was important to talk about Bluford,” Dr. Bass said. “I took a selection of her writings that appeared in the Kansas City Call over a 15-year period and I examined those articles so I could analyze how she articulated a Black feminist viewpoint in her commentary, looking at it from the perspective of women’s rights and civil rights.”

Dr. Brooks ultimately discovered that Bluford used her social authority in the formidable power base of the media she owned to shape and mobilize a broader movement in the struggle for women’s and civil rights.

“She masked her black feminism with a unique angle of vision as it relates to oppression, race, gender and class,” Dr. Brooks said. “Bluford used her voice to break down the barriers of inequity and injustice against both women and Blacks, especially in news coverage that the mainstream news ignored.”

For more information about Bluford or to purchase the book, visit www.lucileblufordbook.com.

Oakland Post

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#NNPA BlackPress

#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

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Democrats Call for Fierce Defense of Democracy and Working-Class Values

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

Oakland Post

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

In an electrifying moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that likely set the tone for the party’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the opening night, seizing the stage to the triumphant anthem of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.” The crowd erupted with fire in her voice as Harris declared, “I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” The first night of the DNC was more than a celebration; it was a battle cry. Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats. The message was clear: Biden’s work is not done, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are ready to continue that fight.

Speakers who are most familiar with Biden, such as Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and Ashley Biden, shared stories that painted a picture of a president who is unwaveringly dedicated to the American people. “In public and in private, President Biden never backed down from his vision for an America where everyone has a fair shot,” Warnock emphasized. Dr. Biden and Ashley Biden gave heartfelt tributes to the man who led the nation and his family with steadfast devotion. The emotional high point of the evening came when Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, took the stage to a thunderous ovation as “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher” filled the arena. The crowd’s response was deafening, with chants of “We love Joe” and “Thank You, Joe” reverberating throughout the hall, a powerful testament to Biden’s connection with the American people.

In a speech that was as much a rallying cry as it was a reflection on his presidency, Biden delivered a stark reminder of what’s at stake. “Let me ask you… Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden’s words resonated as he recalled the perilous moment of his inauguration, just weeks after supporters of the twice-impeached former president stormed the U.S. Capitol. “You cannot say I love my country only when you win,” Biden asserted. “The winter of peril and possibility has passed, and with a grateful heart, I stand before you to report that democracy has prevailed. But now, democracy must be preserved.” Biden highlighted the progress made under his administration, pointing to economic recovery, healthcare expansion, and the battle against corporate greed. He singled out Harris’s critical role in these achievements. “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world… More Americans have health insurance than at any time in American history. And we finally beat big pharma. Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. Now it’s the law of the land—$35 a month for insulin.”

The evening was charged with passionate speeches that struck the heart of the nation’s issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump, contrasting Harris’s steadfast dedication to American values with Trump’s chaotic legacy. “Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” Clinton declared to thunderous applause. “She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history as the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery endorsement of Harris, framing her as the champion of the middle-class needs. “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez proclaimed. “She understands the urgency of rent checks, groceries, and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home.”

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back in her critique of Trump, accusing him of being a self-serving demagogue. “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” The night was filled with moments that galvanized the crowd. Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, invoking the words of Steph Curry, declared, “After the results are tallied that night, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night.’“UAW President Shawn Fain tore off his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB,” igniting the crowd into a fervent chant of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”

In one of the night’s most pointed moments, Rep. Jasmine Crockett drew a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: “She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal. Who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet with 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, and 1 porn star to prove it.” The NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Melanie Campbell, the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, led a standing ovation for civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson during the celebration.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with the audience. “I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values… Kamala Harris—she’s got us.” Harris’s words from earlier in the night echoed as the event ended: “We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now will determine the future of our nation. Together, we will fight for the soul of America and build a future where everyone has a fair shot. Our best days are still ahead, and we are ready to lead.”