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Mays and Tucker headline 2019 high school kickoff jamboree

ATLANTA VOICE — The 2019 Corky Kell Classic is upon us and the Mays Raiders are the lone football club from Atlanta Public Schools seeking their first victory in the classic. Last year, the Raiders appeared in the Classic for the first time ever but fell to a tough Norcross Blue Devils team. They finished the 2018 season at 6-5 with a 20-12 loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the Lanier Longhorns.

Published

7 years ago

August 30, 2019

Oakland Post

Photo of the Mays Raiders in Corky Kell action at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Photo by: Itoro N. Umontuen | The Atlanta Voice)

By Anfernee Patterson

The 2019 Corky Kell Classic is upon us and the Mays Raiders are the lone football club from Atlanta Public Schools seeking their first victory in the classic. Last year, the Raiders appeared in the Classic for the first time ever but fell to a tough Norcross Blue Devils team. They finished the 2018 season at 6-5 with a 20-12 loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the Lanier Longhorns.

The Raiders are more motivated for a great season. By great season, a shot at the 5-A championship title is the only option. For Raiders head coach Niketa Battle, he knows what it will take for the Raiders to get to Georgia State Stadium in May.

“We just have to stay consistent,” said Battle. “Keep on grinding everyday and doing what we’re supposed to do [which is] getting better as a coaching staff. If we do those things, the sky’s the limit.”

This year, they face an opponent in 5-A powerhouse, Kell Longhorns. The Longhorns finished 8-3 last season with an opening playoff loss to the Buford Wolves. They come into this season looking to avenge last season’s disappointment with a win.

In this year’s Classic against the known powerhouse, the Raiders are confident in their ability to compete and earn their first victory in the Classic. To earn that victory, Battle knows his defense has to show up and is confident that they will.

“[Our] defense is lights out,” Battle said. “Last year we were young. Now they are returning starters, are bigger, faster and stronger [plus] they are relentless. They’re playing with a chip on their shoulder and I love it.”

Along with the defense, the Raiders have a weapon in tight end/defensive end Jaquari Wiggles.

The senior Georgia Tech commit is the leader for this team and is great on both sides of the ball. This makes Wiggles a huge asset for this team but he knows what he is up against battling the Longhorns.

“One thing that jumps out to me [on film] is that they’re disciplined,” said Wiggles. “They’re coachable and disciplined, we can not make any mistakes or they will capitalize on what we do.”

The Tucker Tigers are no stranger to the Corky Kell Classic or Class 6-A. Not long ago in 2016, the Tigers made a state title appearance but lost to the Valdosta Wildcats.

The Tigers appeared in the Corky Kell Classic last year but lost to a talented Buford Wolves team 40-14 to open their season. Their season ended last year with a loss to 6-A State Runner up, Northside Eagles ending their season at 7-4.

This year, the Tigers play against a Gwinnett County powerhouse in the Archer Tigers. The Tigers were also in the Classic last year but lost to eventual 7-A champion Milton Eagles. They finished the 2018 season 10-2 with a loss to 7-A runner-up Colquitt County Packers.

Tucker Tigers head football coach, Bryan Lamar. (Photo by: Itoro N. Umontuen | The Atlanta Voice)

Tigers head coach Bryan Lamar sees this game as an opportunity and ceiling potential for his young players.

“Coming into this game, we will see improvement and find out who we are against a really good football team who is going to challenge us,” Lamar said.

“I don’t really know how good we are going to be early because we have a lot of new guys.

For Tucker and coach Lamar, he knows who is up against and knows Archer is nothing new to Georgia football.

“They are well coached and they have great players who are going to play extremely hard,” said Lamar.

“They’re definitely going to test us on both sides of the ball and special teams. Coach Dyer does a great job preparing his guys.”

On the offensive side of the ball, everything for Tucker begins and ends with Isaiah Dunson.

The Florida State commit stood out last year in the Corky Kell Classic with six catches for 121 yards to ignite the Tigers offense.

For Lamar, he is proud of Dunson and his leadership and knows what he brings to the team.

“He is a great athlete and leader,” said Lamar. “He epitomizes what we look for in our players. on and off the field. He works extremely hard and does everything he can to help the team win; we are glad to have him on our team.”

Meanwhile for the Archer Tigers, they have not forgotten about their heartbreaking loss to the Packers in the 7-A semifinals last season.

This season, they look to avenge not only their loss in the classic last season but their chance for their first state title.

Tigers head coach Andy Dyer understands the expectations of playing in the big games such as the Corky Kell Classic and is using last season as a learning experience.

“We expect our team to be well prepared and ready to play hard,” said Dyer.

“We talked about it every year about getting the big games and the margin for error is little. It’s all about eliminating mistakes whether its on offense, defense or special teams to make sure we put ourselves in a good position.”

Dyer has done his research and knows that Tucker is not to be taken lightly.

“Defensively they’re always going to be good, prepared and physical,” Dyer said. “Offensively they want to control the football and play with physicality and run the Wing-T., we just have to read our keys and do a great job of being where we’re supposed to be.”

The Tigers are known for their offense and they return their starting quarterback Carter Peevy.

Peevy finished last season with a 66.5% completion rate, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Dyer has the utmost confidence in Peevy and is glad to have him back on the field one last time.

“I’m really looking forward to watching him play, said Dyer. “He’s a coach on the field for us and is an absolute honor for me to be able to coach.”

In this year’s classic, Archer is one of six Gwinnett teams invited to play in the Corky Kell. Out of all six teams, two are staying in county to play at Coolray Field while the other four will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The two teams playing at Coolray Field are Archer and Buford. Buford will face Milton at 8:30 to cap off Friday night.

The four teams playing at Mercedes-Benz include Norcross, North Gwinnett, Brookwood and Mill Creek. Norcross battles Walton at 11:45 A.M., or twenty minutes after Kell vs. Mays concludes.

North Gwinnett faces Colquitt County who will be playing under new head coach Justin Rogers. The next two games will feature Brookwood and McEachern with Mill Creek and East Coweta capping off the night.

Gwinnett County also features top state talent which includes Carter Peevy, Josh Downs, Barrett Carter, Sean Hill, Elijah Turner to name a few.

Mays vs. Kell will kickoff Saturday, August 24 at 9 a.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Tucker vs. Archer will kickoff Friday, August 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.corkykell.com/fan-info/buy-tickets/.

This article originally appeared in The Atlanta Voice.

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#NNPA BlackPress

Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

21 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,