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Third annual Women’s March draws thousands downtown

Wave Newspapers — Thousands of Angelenos gathered in support of women’s rights Jan. 19 during the third annual Women’s March LA.”

Published

6 years ago

January 29, 2019

Kristina Dixon

By Kristina Dixon

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of Angelenos gathered in support of women’s rights Jan. 19 during the third annual Women’s March LA.”

The starting location was Pershing Square in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Crowded at the intersection of 5th and Hill streets, a wave of women (with some men) holding picket signs filled the streets. Women, men, straight, gay and LGBTQ. Some proudly labeled themselves as “Black Girls Rock,” “Latinas for Justice” and “White feminists.”

The crowd was smaller than in the previous two years. First organized in opposition to the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017, the march drew hundreds of thousands of people in L.A. last year as part of a nationwide series of marches in Washington D.C., Chicago and New York.

The morning started with a traditional Tongva Nation blessing with women with scarves in their hands chanting to drums.

Shortly after, notable speakers hit the stage with messages of hope, strength and power. Speakers included women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, U.S. Rep. Katie Hill and actress and LGBT advocate Laverne Cox.

The state’s first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom — wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom — drew cheers from the crowd when she reminded them that California would increase funding for Planned Parenthood, provide universal pre-kindergarten and increase paid parental leave to six months “to support our working moms.”

“We will make sure that the women of this nation know that we have their backs,” she said.

Topics included toxic masculinity, rape culture, self-esteem, abuse of power by men, protection of reproductive rights, LGBT rights, workers’ rights, equal pay for equal work, civil rights, disability rights, immigrant rights, indigenous people’s rights and environmental justice.

After a few hours of speeches, it was time to march. Anticipation was the mood. Anticipation for voices to be heard, not misunderstood or misinterpreted. Feminine, yet strong and clear voices with demands and expectations to be met.

Once the march began, participants interlocked hands. Fists and signs were raised to the sky and the empowerment started. As the one-mile route changed block-by-block, so did the emotions. Emotions of control, equality, leadership, excitement and — most obvious — joy.

Registered nurse Pedora Keo, who has worked in the intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Medical Center for more than 20 years, attended the march with the California Nurses Association. She said, “As a mother and a woman, I am supporting our patients and our nurses. We are here for our cause. Social, environment and gender. Medicare for all.”

Attendee Susan Canastra traveled from San Diego to march. “We came for women, minorities, the future and the messed-up government office that we have right now,” she said.

Tracee Umenyiora, while holding the hands of two young girls, said “I want women to speak up. I think as we speak up and tell our stories we can bridge fences, differences and be united and stronger as women.

“I want women to use their voices. When you don’t speak, nothing gets solved. I think so many people have hushed us and made us shameful for just being women in general and being second when our voices need to be heard in every situation, in every way and every light,” she added.

Marching to this year’s theme of “Truth To Power,” the marchers showed elected representatives that women are holding them accountable for every imprint they make on democracy. It was a march for mothers, daughters, sisters, granddaughters and anyone who identifies as a woman, understands the everyday struggles and has a solution for them.

This article originally appeared in the Wave Newspapers.

Kristina Dixon

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Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 20 – 26, 2024

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2024

Oakland Post

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

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Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”