Black History

Sen. Cory Booker Announces 2020 Run for the White House

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind, where parents can put food on the table. Where there are good paying jobs with good benefits in every neighborhood. Where our criminal justice system keeps us safe, instead of shuffling more children into cages and coffins. Where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame,” said Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, during a video announcing his bid for President of the United States.

Published

6 years ago

February 1, 2019

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Though much of the 2020 Election attention this week went to former Starbucks Coffee executive Howard Schultz, the end of the week held a surprise entry: Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.

It was widely expected that Sen. Booker would run, the former mayor of Newark with a high-flying social media presence and an affable personality has been rumored to be a contender for the White House for years.

Booker, 49, is likely to project an upbeat positive tone at a time when President Donald Trump is winning comparisons to some of the worst presidents in U.S. history. If either Senators Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) or Booker win the White House, they would become the second African American president in history, after Barack Obama.

Booker announced his candidacy via a video called “Rise.” The video focuses on many of the issues he confronted as Mayor of Newark such as housing and poverty. The video’s narrative features the New Jersey Senator affirming that he still lives in the inner-city Newark.

“I still live there today, and I’m the only senator who goes home to a low-income, inner city community. The first community that took a chance on me,” Booker says in the announcement video.

“I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind, where parents can put food on the table. Where there are good paying jobs with good benefits in every neighborhood. Where our criminal justice system keeps us safe, instead of shuffling more children into cages and coffins. Where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame,” Booker continues.

Sen. Booker will join Sen. Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), former Housing Secretary Julian Castro (D-Texas) and South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, have all announced that they will run for the White House in 2020.

Sen. Booker has already made stops in key primary states over the last few months. He now plans to travel more extensively as he joins the most diverse presidential field in American history.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist and writer for NNPA as well as a political analyst and strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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Arts and Culture

Beverly Lorraine Greene: A Pioneering Architect and Symbol of Possibility and Progress

Greene graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1936 with a degree in Architecture — a remarkable accomplishment for an African American woman at the time. She was never discouraged by the racial and gender discrimination that saturated her field.

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3 weeks ago

March 3, 2025

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Beverly Lorraine Greene. Public domain photo.

By Tamara Shiloh

In the mid-20th century, Beverly Lorraine Greene was recognized as the first African American woman licensed to practice architecture in the United States.

Greene was born on Oct. 4, 1915, in Chicago during an era when opportunities for African Americans, particularly women, were severely limited.

Her parents, James and Vera Greene, were deeply invested in her education, instilling in her a belief in the power of intellect and perseverance. She grew up during the Great Migration that transformed Chicago starting in 1900.

Greene continued her education, earning a master’s degree in City Planning and Housing in 1937, also from the University of Illinois. Her ambition was not merely to design structures but to shape spaces that fostered equity and community. In 1942, she became the first African American woman licensed as an architect in the United States, obtaining her credentials in Illinois. This groundbreaking achievement, however, did not translate immediately into job opportunities.

Early in her career, she faced significant discrimination from firms unwilling to hire a Black woman. However, her determination never wavered. In 1945, Beverly moved to New York City, a place she believed could offer broader professional opportunities.

She joined the architectural department of the New York City Housing Authority, focusing on affordable housing projects. Her work during this time reflected her commitment to using architecture as a tool for social justice, ensuring that marginalized communities had access to well-designed, dignified living spaces.

Greene’s talents soon drew the attention of prominent firms. She was hired by Isadore Rosenfield, a respected architect known for designing hospitals. She contributed to the design of healthcare facilities, including the modernization of Harlem Hospital. Her portfolio expanded in collaboration with architectural personalities such as Marcel Breuer and Edward Durell Stone.

Notably, she worked on the prestigious UNESCO headquarters in Paris — a landmark project that brought her skills to an international stage. Her involvement underscored her ability to navigate the intricacies of large-scale, global projects, proving that her talents transcended the limitations society sought to impose.

Greene’s career was tragically cut short when she passed away unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 41. Though her life was brief, her impact was profound. She shattered entrenched barriers, paving the way for future generations of Black architects and women in the field.