California
State Sen. Roderick Wright was convicted tuesday of multiple fraud and perjury charges for living outside the district he was elected to represent. Prosecutors said the Democrat owned an Inglewood property as a “prop,” but actually lived in Baldwin Hills. Wright was convicted of five counts of voter fraud, two counts of perjury and one count of filing a false declaration of candidacy. He was indicted in September 2010, capping an
investigation that began after prosecutors received a complaint he was living outside the district. He faces up to eight years and four months behind bars when he is sentenced March 12 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Kennedy. Wright will remain free on bail pending sentencing.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Study Abroad/Global Engagement (SAGE) Partnership, a collaborative among the state’s 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in 2014 will boost the percentage of global, marketplace-ready students. Working with IES Abroad and IERC Education Foundation for nearly a year, NC SAGE Partnership is introducing a slate of international courses that will integrate the health studies learning objectives of its members.
“Public Health in Jamaica” is designed to deliver clear educational outcomes. The four-week, five-credit program will be held at the University of the West Indies-MONA in Kingston from May 29th to June 26th, 2014. Students must apply online by February 18. The program fee of $6,125 includes tuition, housing, and other amenities, and is PLUS loan-eligible. The NC SAGE Partnership was created to bring together leaders and stakeholders committed to increasing the global competencies of their students entering an increasingly competitive workforce even if they never leave their state.
New York
Raye Mitchell, a TV producer, author and philanthropic entrepreneur, kicks off her “2014 Global Disruption” speaking tour on March 15, in New York City. Focused on empowering the next generation of leaders to spark change and productive disruption of the status quo, Mitchell speaks to audiences about the secrets to becoming an innovator and game changer.
She uses her unique communication skills, passion for creating sustainable social change, business and legal acumen and expertise in disruption to empower and prepare the next generation of global leaders. Mitchell’s event features guest speaker Judy Smith, the premier crisis management expert in the United States and the real-life inspiration behind ABC’s hit political thriller series “Scandal.” Visit www.rayemitchell.com for details. Purchase event tickets at: http://globaldisruptors2014nyc.eventbrite.com?s=20993567. In addition to Smith, Mitchell’s other prominent guest is Carol H. Williams, the CEO and founder of Carol H. Williams Advertising, the largest African American women-owned independent ad agency in the United States
Oregon
Since 2002, the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) has trained nearly 1,000 Full Circle Doulas with 90 percent being women of color to help reduce infant mortality by serving pregnant and new families. A doula is a trained community health worker, specializing in maternal, newborn and family health; and the need for doula services is growing. ICTC is renowned for its culturally diverse curriculum that includes the legacy of the African American midwife, the effects of health inequities on birth outcomes, public health, and traditional comfort measures for labor, birth and the postpartum period, supporting the father and entrepreneurial skills. Interested individuals are invited to train as an ICTC Full Circle Doula (FCD) in just 29 hours and graduate as a labor and postpartum doula. They can build a career while helping to improve birth outcomes. In response to the demand for more cultural competent doulas, the ICTC will be hosting 15 trainings across the U.S. in 2014 to fulfill the need. To register and/or to learn more about the ICTC doula program, visit www.ictcmidwives.org or call (503) 460-9324.
West Virginia
A man from Barboursville, fatally shot his new neighbor and the neighbor’s brother without warning as the two men were inspecting their property, New York’s Daily News reports. Rodney Bruce Black, 62, told authorities that he thought his victims were breaking into a building he owned. However, although the building is on land that once belonged to Black’s family, that was not the case anymore. One of the victims, Garrick Hopkins, 60, and his wife had just purchased the property next door to Black and were planning to build a house within the next few weeks, Sheriff Tom McComas told the Daily News on Monday.
Hopkins invited his brother, Carl, who was 61, to inspect the property with him Saturday afternoon. Black saw the two men looking into a shed and, allegedly without warning or calling the police, took his rifle and fired at the men. They died at the site. Both men leave behind their wives and children. Black is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is currently being held at a county jail without bond and is expected to appear in court on Feb. 4.
National
The Black Seniors Healthcare Program, a joint venture between Health Plans of America and BlackNews.com, has launched to help African American parents and grandparents (age 50 and older) to obtain an affordable health insurance plan. The program works directly with Obamacare, Medicaid, Medicare, and all the major health insurance companies on a local and national level. The free program aims to address devastating statistics about African Americans who still lack adequate health insurance. Just this past December 2013, Kaiser Family Foundation released a report showing that minorities will make up 53 percent of the estimated 4.8 million low-income Americans who will fall into the “coverage gap,” leaving them without viable options to obtain health insurance. That means that minorities makeup about 2.6 million of the people in the gap. The program’s web site, BlackSeniorsHealthcare.org, allows visitors to register for a free quote. No payment is required to receive a quote, and visitors to the web site will also have access to the top resources (organizations and government agencies) that are helping minorities who need health insurance. The service has already helped thousands of families.
Compiled By Juliana Norwood.
