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In Ferguson, the Struggle Continues

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ferguson_02-10-2015.jpgDemonstrators converge on Ferguson Police Dept. headquarters.

by J.A. Salaam
Special to the NNPA from The Final Call

FERGUSON, Mo. (FinalCall.com) – Nearly seven months since the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr., the small St. Louis suburb of Ferguson still wrestles with many unanswered questions. Is the movement over? Was the protesting across the country all in vain? What’s on the horizon for the little town of approximately 22,000 residents, 67 percent of whom are Black? And do Black lives really matter?

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What is apparent is emotions and tensions still run high. Recently, over 250 protesters filled a meeting at the aldermanic chamber at St. Louis City Hall to voice concerns on a proposed independent police review board called the Civilian Oversight Board for the city.

The Jan. 28 meeting came to an abrupt close when Jeff Roorda, business manager and spokesperson for the St. Louis City Police union yelled at moderator, Alderman Terry Kennedy for failing to “restore order” when protesters interrupted.

“Can we get some order in here?,” Mr. Roorda yelled at the alderman to which Mr. Kennedy responded, “First off you don’t tell me about my function.”

Mr. Roorda then rushed towards Mr. Kennedy when he encountered Cachet Currie, a Black woman, in the aisle leaving the meeting. Mr. Roorda grabbed and pushed the woman down to get her out the way resulting in a scratch on her forehead. Ms. Currie is reportedly filing charges.  Mr. Roorda was observed wearing an “I am Darren Wilson” wrist band to the meeting.

The proposed board would have the authority to investigate allegations of police misconduct, research and assess police policies, operations and procedures.

It would inspect complaints against members of the police department involving excessive use of force, abuse of authority, sexual harassment and assault, discourtesy, racial profiling, or use of offensive language, including, but not limited to, slurs relating to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigrant status and disability.

St. Louis tourism is taking a blow as protesters, college students, clergy and legal activists are disrupting events in the St. Louis region. On Jan. 31 about 30 anti-racism activists walked through the St. Louis RV Vacation & Travel Show with “Face Racism” and “Are you comfortable” drawn on their faces. Some of the protesters held signs that read “White Only” and “No Coloreds.”

Pushing and pressing forward

Reports are surfacing that the federal investigation of former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson will not result in charges he violated Michael Brown Jr.’s civil rights when he shot and killed the teen.

The Justice Department report has not been completed, and Attorney General Eric Holder will make the final decision whether to press federal civil rights charges against Mr. Wilson.  But activists won’t quit pressing for change, despite the outcome in Ferguson and other cities. Community groups and individuals are still organizing and demanding accountability from political and law enforcement leadership. Many meetings and forums took place during the weekend of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

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Lesley McSpadden, mother of slain teen Michael Brown, Jr. and her family participate in King holiday march. Photos: D.L. Phillips

“The movement is not over, we are not going to settle with the way things have always been. We still have more to do and we didn’t do a good job. Because nothing has changed, we haven’t gotten any of these police officers arrested for misusing their authority; we haven’t gotten any policies changed, the system of preying on poor people are still in effect, police officers are still allowed to do what the hell they want in the community and nothing is done anything yet,” said Dauud Amun Royal, co-chair of the St. Louis-based Center of Hope and Peace.

“So for people to be slapping each other on the back and giving awards as if something meaningful has been done is an insult to the brother who got killed. That’s why we can go on T.V. and jump up and down like we’ve done since the 60s. And it means nothing because we don’t follow through,” continued Mr. Royal who was attending an event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  There is much more work to do and “we are not finished,” he said.
Participants from across the country gathered for open dialogue with law enforcement representatives, politicians and protestors from various cities. Ferguson 1000 Jobs co-founders St. Louis businessman Dave Spence and economist and investment advisor Dr. Lance McCarthy, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III and Paul Muhammad founder of the St. Louis Peace Keepers participated.The Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Racial Justice hosted an event at Harvard Law School Jan. 17 to discuss racial profiling of Blacks and injustices in the legal system and formulate solutions.

The event was filled with moments of anger and tension toward Ferguson officials.

“I cannot quit or resign as chief in the middle of this, because I must have a chance to fix what’s wrong, that’s my responsibility and no one else can do it but me,” said Chief Jackson to The Final Call when asked about comments during the forum calling for him to resign.

The movement is far from over and diversity training is one of the keys to moving forward but it will be a challenge, Mr. Muhammad told The Final Call.  “But if the police departments are willing to allow those of us who are out in the community with the people, we can become the bridge between the police and the community. This would at least start the healing process and build a level of trust between the two,” he added. Police must first engage and get involved in the community and build relationships with the people to serve and protect, said Mr. Muhammad. He also recommended police become more actively engaged in schools, community centers and get to know people on a more human level to develop trust.

On Jan. 18 Missouri Representative William Lacy Clay Jr. and members of the Congressional Black Caucus were at the Wellspring United Methodist Church in Ferguson to speak with the community.

“We need to be outraged when local law enforcement and the justice system repeatedly allow young, unarmed Black men to encounter police and then wind up dead with no consequences,” said Rep. Clay.

Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, an associate dean at the Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, insisted that society needed to regard the lives of Black men to be as important as those of White men.

We have to restore the humanity of young Black men, she said.

“We are going nowhere. We have several actions in place to take us from the selfishness thought process and bring it back to the village mindset. We are focusing on awareness, the community, education and the government. We have plans to raise the level of thinking first of the people then we can help sustain the community,” said Jeremy Rhone of the community group Mighty 13 of Ferguson.

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Marchers continue anti-police misconduct marches in Ferguson, Mo.

Before the non-indictment of Mr. Wilson many groups had hopes of justice to counteract issues that run deep in the city but the unrest increased locally and nationally, said Mr. Spence. His group, Ferguson 1000 Jobs unveiled a comprehensive plan to address the issues.

“We have been convening meetings with leaders for the last four months and understand there is apathy. People are tired of hearing lip service, hence we developed our views that were delivered as such from a wide variety of leaders in the community,” said Mr. Spence.

Faith-based, corporate, community and youth leaders gave their opinions on what it would take to help get Ferguson back on track. The discussions have resulted in what’s been dubbed “Wish List for Ferguson.” It includes housing development, youth education and scholarships.

Mr. Spence believes the “Wish List” will prompt more dialogue among all St. Louis region stakeholders, leading to action.

Ferguson 1000 Jobs also aims to bring together some of the area’s largest employers to give St. Louis county residents job training, business development, and employment opportunities.

“We are moving towards the poor people’s campaign. You are not going to see us just running out in the street to get tear gassed for freedom. We have to make everyday life a protest. We’ve had demands for six months and not one of our demands were met. None of them!” said youth activist Tory Russell of Hands Up United. He criticized President Barack Obama for not coming to Ferguson like former President Bush went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

“Here’s the same man that wanted us to vote but he couldn’t come see the people when they were hurting the most. Then the worst was that we thought there was enough to get a civil rights charge. Not just local but nationally, there was cases that were clearly violations but that didn’t matter. That hurts when you have Black officials in high positions of politics but they can’t do nothing for their people,” said Mr. Russell.

“We are begging an uncivil system for civil rights and an inhuman system for human rights and that’s not going to happen. They cannot grant you what you want. They are trying to act like this movement never existed like a 199 cities didn’t rise up.’

“In the 2016 election we will make the question does Black Lives Matter as part of the ballot and they will have to answer that question,” vowed Mr. Russell.

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Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

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New Filing: Trump’s Attempts to Overturn 2020 Election Were Part of Private Scheme, Not Official Acts

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The filing reveals the extent of Trump’s interactions with figures such as attorney Rudy Giuliani and other senior officials, some of whose names were withheld. Trump persisted with a plan to undercut Joe Biden’s victory despite numerous warnings from people in his circle that his claims of a stolen election were untrue.

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Jack Smith during a statement regarding the indictment of Donald J. Trump. (Wikimedia Commons)
Jack Smith during a statement regarding the indictment of Donald J. Trump. (Wikimedia Commons)

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

Special Counsel Jack Smith has delivered a powerful legal blow to former President Donald Trump, unveiling new evidence that the twice-impeached Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results were part of a private scheme rather than actions taken in his official capacity as president.

In a 165-page legal brief unsealed Wednesday, Smith provided new details about Trump’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers to subvert the election, including pressure campaigns targeting key officials, attempts to create false electors, and private discussions with his vice president, Mike Pence.

The filing reveals the extent of Trump’s interactions with figures such as attorney Rudy Giuliani and other senior officials, some of whose names were withheld. Trump persisted with a plan to undercut Joe Biden’s victory despite numerous warnings from people in his circle that his claims of a stolen election were untrue.

Smith’s brief is part of a broader strategy to prove that Trump can face trial for his actions, even after a Supreme Court ruling granted him immunity for official acts as president. The special counsel argues that Trump’s efforts to enlist Pence in blocking Congress’s certification of the election results were part of a private, illegal campaign to retain power, not part of his official duties.

“At its core, the defendant’s scheme was a private criminal effort,” Smith wrote in the filing. “In his capacity as a candidate, he used deceit to target every stage of the electoral process.”

The document provides new evidence of Trump’s attempts to sway election officials in critical swing states to alter the results in his favor. The brief quotes a lawyer advising Trump, who gave an “honest assessment” that his claims of widespread fraud would not withstand scrutiny in court. Yet, Trump dismissed the warning. “The details don’t matter,” Trump said, according to the filing.

Further, the brief recounts private conversations between Trump and Pence, in which Pence urged Trump to accept defeat and consider another run in 2024. Trump, however, expressed reluctance, saying, “2024 is so far off.”

Smith’s filing depicts Trump’s actions as part of a desperate and illegal campaign to remain in power after losing the 2020 election. The brief also points to Trump’s reliance on Giuliani and other private allies in his election subversion attempts, asserting that none of these efforts fell under the scope of presidential duties.

“The defendant asserts that he is immune from prosecution for his criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election because, he claims, it entailed official conduct,” the filing reads. “Not so. Although the defendant was the incumbent president during the charged conspiracies, his scheme was fundamentally a private one.”

A sealed appendix to the legal brief contains FBI interviews, search warrant affidavits, and grand jury testimony that might soon become public. Smith’s filing builds on the indictment released last year, expanding the evidence and reinforcing the argument that Trump’s conduct was criminal and not shielded by presidential immunity.

Smith concluded the brief with an explicit request to the court: “The government respectfully submits that the defendant’s conduct described in this motion is not subject to presidential immunity and that he should face trial for his private acts of subversion.”

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Business

Special Interview: Rep. Barbara Lee Discusses Kamala Harris’ Plan for Black Men

On Oct. 16, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Harris-Walz campaign surrogate, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who shared more insights on Harris’ agenda and the importance of securing the Black Male vote. “She has said very clearly that she wants to earn the vote of everyone. And that means earning the vote of Black men,” said Lee of Harris. “She understands the systemic and historic challenges that Black men have. You haven’ t heard of a presidential candidate coming up with a concrete actual plan and policy agenda.” The agenda includes five focus areas based on insights she gleaned from hosting discussions with Black men during her Economic Opportunity Tour.

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(File Photo) U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-13-Oakland) chides Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States for voting to strike down Affirmative Action. She is shown here speaking in front of the California Reparations Task Force in Oakland on May 6, 2023. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
(File Photo) U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-13-Oakland) chides Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States for voting to strike down Affirmative Action. She is shown here speaking in front of the California Reparations Task Force in Oakland on May 6, 2023. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Last week, the Kamala Harris campaign released its Opportunity Agenda for Black Men.

On Oct. 16, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Harris-Walz campaign surrogate, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who shared more insights on Harris’ agenda and the importance of securing the Black Male vote.

“She has said very clearly that she wants to earn the vote of everyone. And that means earning the vote of Black men,” said Lee of Harris. “She understands the systemic and historic challenges that Black men have. You haven’ t heard of a presidential candidate coming up with a concrete actual plan and policy agenda.”

The agenda includes five focus areas based on insights she gleaned from hosting discussions with Black men during her Economic Opportunity Tour:

 

  1. Provide 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others disadvantaged groups to start businesses.
  2. Champion education, training, and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries It will also develop more accessible pathways for Black men to become teachers.
  3. Support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected.
  4. Launch a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black men that addresses sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, prostate cancer, and other health challenges that disproportionately impact them.
  5. Legalize recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry.

“[Vice President Harris] knows that Black men have long felt that too often their voice in our political process has gone unheard and that there is so much untapped ambition and leadership within the Black male community,” the language in the agenda states. “Black men and boys deserve a president who will provide the opportunity to unleash this talent and potential by removing historic barriers to wealth creation, education, employment, earnings, health, and improving the criminal justice system.”

Diving into Harris’ agenda, Lee says, reminded her of her own record of supporting Black men over the years as an elected official. In the 90’s, she established the first California Commission on African American Males through which she pressured the state to address urgent economic, health and social challenges specific to Black men.

“No group of people are a monolithic group of people,” said Lee She’ s not taking any vote for granted. I’ve known her over three decades and I believe she is being herself. She’ s authentic,” Lee added.

Each of the 5 key points addressed in the Harris Campaign’s agenda, Lee says, has additional clauses that can potentially help Black men and their families thrive. This includes lowering rent; up to $25,000 in downpayment help for first time homebuyers; and cutting taxes for Black men in lower-wage jobs by increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit maximum to $1,500.

“I think the messages is one of empowerment for Black men — regardless of whether they’ re a blue-collar worker, if they’ re not working, if they’ re in business, if they’ re an entrepreneur, whatever background or whatever they’re doing or experiencing life. I think the authenticity of their experience can only be articulated through them,” said Lee.

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