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HBO’s Eyes on the Prize III Revisits Black America’s Modern Civil Rights Struggles

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The six-part series, executive produced by Dawn Porter, premieres Tuesday, February 25, with two episodes airing back-to-back on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max.

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

HBO is set to debut Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest (1977-2015), the latest chapter of the groundbreaking documentary series that has long served as a definitive account of the fight for racial justice in America. The six-part series, executive produced by Dawn Porter, premieres Tuesday, February 25, with two episodes airing back-to-back on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max. Building on the foundation of Henry Hampton’s 1987 documentary Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement, this new installment shifts the timeline beyond the traditional civil rights era, highlighting the continued struggle for justice from the late 1970s through 2015. The series captures pivotal moments in Black activism through archival footage and firsthand accounts, from grassroots battles over housing and healthcare to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., who appears in multiple episodes, played a key role in the history explored in the series. As a leader in the fight for racial equity, Dr. Chavis was the principal national organizer of the Million Man March in 1995 and the environmental justice movement in 1982 that challenged corporate and government negligence in Black communities. The series revisits both turning points, featuring voices from the front lines who fought for justice in the face of systemic resistance. The first episode, America, Don’t Look Away (1977-1988), explores community activism in New York’s South Bronx and Philadelphia. Local leaders took on fair housing and healthcare inequities during the final years of the Carter administration and the onset of Reaganomics. The episode includes former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, public health officials, and activists who fought for Black communities amid the AIDS crisis.

As the series progresses, it turns to the criminal justice system’s impact on Black communities. Trapped (1989-1995) follows public defenders in Washington, D.C., and organizers in South Central Los Angeles who took on policies that disproportionately targeted Black residents. The documentary highlights the work of figures such as Congresswoman Maxine Waters and former U.S. attorney Robert Wilkins. The third episode focuses on one of the most defining moments of modern Black activism—the Million Man March. The 1995 gathering in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1995, drew over one million Black men to assemble in the day-long gathering in a call for unity, responsibility, and community upliftment. Chavis, who was the National Director and a key organizer of the march, is featured alongside Rev. Al Sharpton, journalist Michael Cottman, and Professor Emerita Angela Davis. The episode details both the controversy and the lasting impact of the historic event.

Environmental justice takes center stage in the fourth installment, which examines the fight against industrial pollution and toxic waste in Black communities. Activists in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida battled corporations and government agencies that failed to protect Black neighborhoods from environmental hazards. Dr. Chavis, Deputy Executive Director of the Commission for Racial Justice of the United Church of Christ at the time, is featured along with Dr. Robert Bullard, widely regarded as one of the founders of the Environmental Justice Movement (EJM) along with Chavis, and former Vice President Al Gore. The final two episodes focus on legal and political battles over race in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. One installment looks at affirmative action and the shifting landscape of school desegregation, featuring UCLA law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw and civil rights leader Dr. William J. Barber II. The last episode explores the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement during the Obama years, as police killings of unarmed Black citizens galvanized a new generation of activists. It includes BLM co-founders Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, as well as Rev. Al Sharpton.

The series arrives at a time when the fight for racial justice remains urgent, and the Black Press continues to document these struggles as it has been for nearly two centuries. Founded in 1827 with Freedom’s Journal, the Black Press of America was created to give Black communities a voice when mainstream media ignored or distorted their stories. That mission continues today through the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing over 230 Black-owned newspapers nationwide. Chavis, who leads the NNPA, has also co-authored a new book with NNPA Senior National Correspondent Stacy M. Brown. The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Overcoming the 500-Year Legacy is a deep examination of the lasting impact of one of history’s greatest atrocities. Covering the period from 1500 to 2024, the book details how the forced removal and brutal exploitation of millions of Africans laid the foundation for the systemic racism that persists today.

“The transatlantic slave trade isn’t just history—it is the root of the struggles we continue to face,” Chavis said. “To understand the present, we must confront the past.” Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D wrote the book’s foreword, recognizing its role in providing historical context for the challenges Black Americans still endure. With the release of Eyes on the Prize III and The Transatlantic Slave Trade, the importance of truth-telling remains clear. “For 198 years, the Black Press has ensured that our history is recorded accurately,” Chavis said. “We must continue to tell our own stories and ensure the truth is never erased.”

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Remembering George Floyd

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

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By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.

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