Arizona
The Arizona Department of Corrections, which reportedly had a long-term practice of assigning inmates to housing and employment based on their race and ethnicity, will now be required to desegregate its 10 prison facilities and end its racially discriminatory practices for all of the state’s more than 35,000 inmates, under a landmark agreement approved by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson. The Arizona Department of Corrections agreed to end racial segregation in a stipulated agreement negotiated by attorneys at the Los Angeles-based Kendall Brill and Kelly law firm on behalf of the firm’s client, Stephen Louis Rudisill, an African American inmate housed in the Arizona state prison system. The agreement resolves a federal civil rights case brought on Rudisill’s behalf that challenged the department’s racial segregation of inmates on constitutional grounds. The lawsuit asserted that these practices led to more violence in the prison because they increased racial animosity.
California
A woman in San Diego is under arrest after she reportedly tried to shoot the barber who gave her a hair cut. Adrian Blanche Swain received a hairstyle from the 619 Barber Shop in North Park and seemed to like it, according WKBW. But then police say she returned later to complain and she had a gun. She reportedly tried to shoot the stylist, but he got away unharmed because her gun jammed. When some of the others in the shop at the time saw that the gun had jammed, they reportedly wrestled it away from her and called police. Swain is being charged with attempted murder.
Pamela Alexander, director of community development at the Ford Motor Company Fund, presented a check for $10,000 to students at Compton High School at the 12th annual NAACP Hollywood Bureau Symposium recently. Compton High School received the grant to purchase a fully equipped iMac with Final Cut Pro X along with a light kit, accessories, and more to support the school’s film and video production program.
The Cab Calloway Orchestra closes out the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ (CCPA) 2015-2016 Memory Lane Series with special guest Alice Tan Ridley on Sunday, March 20, at 3 p.m. With Cab Calloway’s grandson C. Calloway Brooks at its helm, the orchestra delivers jazz, blues, boogie and swing. Playing the songs that shaped the original ensemble’s sound and reputation, such as “Minnie the Moocher (Hi-De-Ho),” “Stormy Weather” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” the band has received critical acclaim for generations. “They swung hard all night long, they all played their tails off … the band was fantastic!” came a comment from radio station WHPC-FM in New York City. “[Brooks has] got the moves, the voice and the suit … Granddad would have been proud!” For tickets or more information, call (562) 467-8818 or visit cerritoscenter.com.
Georgia
It’s being called “staggering corruption.” Some 46 corrections officers were recently arrested in a statewide FBI sting. Contraband the corrections officers were allegedly dealing included cocaine, meth, alcohol and tobacco. The arrests were the result of a two-year undercover operation that included nine facilities throughout the state. Among those busted were five members of an elite squad called the Cobra unit, which was specifically designed to curb drug activity in the state’s prison, reports CNN. According to the U.S District Attorney office’s John Horn, the prison guards conducted the activities while in uniform to prevent law enforcement from detecting their activities. In addition to drugs, the guards also smuggled in cell phones, which were used to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Britt Johnson, special agent in charge of the Atlanta FBI office, told CNN that contraband cell phones in prisons are a tremendous problem. “It (creates) a huge challenge for law enforcement,” Johnson said. “After you chase down, arrest and prosecute criminals and put them away for life, and they continue to direct crime on the streets from their jail cells.” He added, “When an inmate can reach beyond prison walls and threaten and intimidate witnesses and prosecutors, it’s a breakdown of the judicial system.” The officers arrested are being held at undisclosed locations while they await trial.
Louisiana
Chef Leah Chase has been awarded a lifetime achievement award from the James Beard Foundation. Chase is known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine and has been a staple on television and at the famous Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans. The foundation awards the honor each year to someone “whose lifetime body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook and think about food in America.” Chase has worked in the family restaurant since 1946. She’s also known to collect African American art. Over the years, Chase and her family also supported the Civil Rights Movement, allowing meetings to be held in the restaurant. Presidents and other celebrities have dined there over the years. Chase has also written two cookbooks, has received many humanitarian awards and honors, and was inducted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America in 2010.
Maryland
Last week Maryland’s General Assembly cleared the way for 40,000 Maryland residents to regain their right to vote. After Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed legislation restoring voting rights to those with prior felony convictions in 2015, the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate overrode the veto with definitive majorities. The law will now automatically reinstate the right to vote for individuals released after incarceration, allowing persons on probation and parole to vote. Advancement Project, a national civil rights and racial justice organization, applauded the move. “We commend Maryland’s legislature for taking this important stride towards a more just democracy,” said Advancement Project co-director Penda D. Hair. “No one should be deprived of their fundamental right to vote. This is a momentous day for the 40,000 Marylanders who are set to regain their voice in our political process, and for all who believe in the values of inclusive democracy.”
Massachusetts
Wellesley College has named Dr. Paula A. Johnson, a Harvard Medical School professor, as president, making her the first African American to ever head the school. Johnson will officially replace H. Kim Bottomly, who announced in April that she would be stepping down after nine years of service. Johnson takes over in July. She will become the 14th president of the women’s liberal arts college. She told the Boston Globe that as the school’s first African American president, Johnson feels a special duty toward the school, and promised to work to “strengthen and [deepen],” the college’s diversity, while also ensuring “that our residential experience is taking full advantage of that diversity, that our young women are really experiencing all the richness that that diversity brings on campus.” Added Johnson, “For someone who looks like me, a Black woman, to become president of Wellesley College—it is so inspiring to me.”
Missouri
The federal government has sued the city of Ferguson. The lawsuit comes one day after the city council voted to revise an agreement aimed at improving the way police and courts treat poor people and minorities in the St. Louis suburb. The civil-rights lawsuit filed by the Justice Department alleged that Ferguson routinely violated residents’ rights and misused law enforcement to generate revenue—a practice the government said was “ongoing and pervasive.” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Ferguson’s decision to reject the agreement left the department no choice except to sue. “The residents of Ferguson have waited nearly a year for the city to adopt an agreement that would protect their rights and keep them safe … They have waited decades for justice. They should not be forced to wait any longer.” Ferguson has been under Justice Department scrutiny since 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by White officer Darren Wilson 18 months ago. A grand jury and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November 2014.
New York
The New York City rookie police officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man in a stairwell has been convicted of manslaughter. Officer Peter Liang, who cried on the stand during testimony, buried his head in his hands as the verdict was read from a jury that deliberated for 17 hours. This could mean up to 15 years in prison for the former cop who allegedly shot and killed Akai Gurley in 2014 as he opened a stairwell door and apparently startled the officer. Liang is set to be sentenced on April 14.
North Carolina
Marie Holmes of Shallotte came under fire late last year for reportedly using a portion of her $188 million in Powerball winnings (she actually took a lump sum up front of $127 million) to bail out a boyfriend with a series of arrests related to drug charges. Reportedly, she spent a whopping $21 million on bail money. Now it’s being reported that her spiritual adviser, Pastor Kevin Matthews, is suing the 27-year-old mother of four. Matthews is going after Holmes through a lawsuit to the tune of $10 million. He claims the single mom backed down from a verbal contract that they had to acquire land worth about $1.5 million for a retreat facility. “Because of the emotional distress and mental stress, they put me through, I had to start taking more medicine for anxiety and depression due to this situation,” Pastor Matthews reportedly told Black American Web. Ruth Sheehan, who is Holmes’ attorney, says she is unaware of the claim and was unable to respond at press time.
Ohio
Friends and family of Marshawn McCarrel, a 23-year-old member of the Black Lives Matter movement, were shocked to hear that he shot himself in front of the Ohio Statehouse last week. The self-inflicted gunshot proved fatal. The Columbus Dispatch reports that McCarrel took his own life in front of the building after leaving a note on Facebook. He said, “My demons won today. I’m sorry.” He also went on Twitter and said, “Let the record show that I pissed on the state house before I left.” According to police, there were no witnesses. McCarrel had just reportedly attended the NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 5. He was instrumental in organizing protests in Ohio after the Michael Brown shooting in Missouri in 2014. In addition, McCarrel started a youth mentorship program called Pursuing Our Dreams. He also had organized a charity called Feed the Streets to help feed the homeless. According to Inside Edition, his family told police that McCarrel put others’ needs before his own. McCarrel has a twin brother, MarQuan. “He was just so creative. He just wanted to serve people,” MarQuan said.
Tennessee
The Memphis Police Department has reportedly launched an investigation after a local news team captured a controversial arrest on camera. In the video of the arrest, filmed by Channel 24, the suspect, who was said to be involved in a domestic dispute, can be seen running from police. Eventually the suspect drops to the ground, raising one hand in a gesture that could be interpreted as surrender. The pursuing officer strikes the young man’s raised arm with his baton before kicking the same arm and then kicking him in the side until he lies on his stomach. The officer then orders the suspect to put his hand behind his back and radios for help. Later on in the footage, the officer can be seen pulling the suspect to his feet, using the handcuffs, and placing one arm around his neck before leading him to the squad car, which he shoves the young man into with his foot. “There’s obviously some abuse going on here, excessive force. When I’m looking at a young man that’s on the ground and supporting himself with one arm laying down, that is not a position where he’s a threat to anybody standing,” Tennessee State Rep. G.A. Hardaway told the station. “That’s unacceptable, completely unacceptable,” he added. “It unravels every bit of goodwill that has been rolled out. Any child that sees that is going to be imprinted with it for lifetime. Any adult is going to be imprinted with it. They’re going to teach their children that this is what the police do.”
Virginia
Hampton, a Historically Black College, made history last week as the school’s lacrosse team took on Roberts Wesleyan College. It’s the first time an HBCU has competed in a Division 1 lacrosse game. Coach Lloyd Carter, the men’s lacrosse coach at Hampton, played Division II lacrosse at Morgan State, which dropped the sport in 1981. Carter, who has said he has big plans to build the team, operates out of a dorm room in James Hall, in an office without windows. The Pirates have just one assistant coach but recently received confirmation of more funding from athletic director Eugene Marshall and university president William Harvey, Ph.D. Carter says he will be getting two of the sport’s greatest and best-known African American players, Kyle Harrison and Chazz Woodson, involved in Hampton’s recruiting. “From the publicity we’re getting and the fact that we are a HBCU, we’re getting a lot of interest,” Carter said. “I’ve already gotten a commitment from a player in Texas and Ohio. I’m getting emails from kids in Virginia, Minnesota, Georgia; so it’s exciting.”
Compiled by Carol Ozemhoya.
