California
Songhai “Sunny” Armstead will be sworn in as a newly appointed judge to the Los Angeles Superior Court on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. at the California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, L.A. Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Armstead to the position. The event is free, however, pre-registration is required. Those interested are asked to register by Sept. 15 by ordering tickets at this site. Armstead, a native of Los Angeles, is a graduate of the UCLA Law School and an experienced prosecutor, as well as community activist. She believes in a holistic approach to public safety. In fact, Armstead was instrumental in creating and implementing the city’s Homeless Alternatives to Living on the Street (HALO) program, designed to address the recidivism rate of Los Angeles’s mentally ill, drug addicted and homeless populations. She also initiated the Veterans’ Alternative Legal Options and Resources (VALOR), and runs the Los Angeles County Homeless Court program. Additionally, she manages the city attorney’s highly-regarded Dispute Resolution Program.
“From Brown to Bethel,” a voting rights event, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 20 at the historic Bethel A.M.E. Church, 7900 Western Ave., Los Angeles. In addition to an on-sight voting registration drive, there will be a special screening of
“Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot,” a documentary narrated by Octavia Spencer. Special guests on hand will include L.A. County Register, Dean Logan, and Pastor John E. Cager III of the A.M.E. Ministers Alliance. The program begins at 3 p.m. Information at (323) 750-3240.
Colorado
Aretha Franklin successfully blocked the showing of a documentary about her that she did not authorize to be shown at last week’s Telluride Film Festival. Franklin reportedly told news sources that she has been fighting the release of the film, “Amazing Grace,” for years. Apparently, it was shot in 1972 during a concert where she performed. The person who wants to show the film, Alan Elliott, contends that Franklin signed away her rights to the film in 1968 before it was even shot. “There’s a real, substantial likelihood that Ms. Franklin does not own the rights to the images in that picture,” said Cecil Morris, an attorney quoted in The Grio. Franklin has not indicated why she objects to the documentary.
Florida
Landon Wright, a senior at Bethune Cookman University (BC-U), has been chosen as a White House Initiative All Star. He is one of 83 students selected nationwide as representative of the program, which is designed for its participants to share promising and proven practices to help other young people reach their career goals. In addition, chosen students such as Wright will use social media and other forms of communication to talk about the value of education. “This is a great accomplishment for me and BC-U. I will be able to keep my university informed and updated on the latest developments. It’s another way for me to give back,” said Wright who will travel to Washington, D.C., this month to represent BC-U at the initiative’s annual conference. He will also participate with web chats with the White House.
Georgia
The Associated Press is reporting that a Black couple in Gainesville is using a housing law that was passed decades ago to fight racial harassment where they live. Gregory and Sophia Bonds report that racial slurs and even threats were leveled against them the day they moved into a neighborhood in 2012. According to the lawsuit, Roy Turner Jr., a White neighbor who worked for Gainesville’s solid waste department, verbally assaulted them whenever he saw them outside, including sometimes while he was working. He also sometimes walked and made sounds like an ape when he saw them, accordingly to a lawsuit filed last month against Turner and the city. The lawsuit details more than a dozen specific instances of alleged harassment. Gregory said the final straw came in May: the family had company and Turner came out into his yard with a baseball bat and began hitting a tree aggressively and yelling more slurs. The family moved the next month. The lawsuit was filed, citing a provision of the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and a nearly identical section of Georgia law that says it’s illegal to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with someone who is exercising or enjoying any right guaranteed by that law. Conceived to protect against violent actions such as cross burnings, bombings or other physical attacks, it also applies to verbal attacks, said Robert Schwemm, a law professor at the University of Kentucky who has decades of experience with the Fair Housing Act. At one point, the lawsuit contends, Turner pulled a gun on the Bonds from his back door and had to be forcibly removed from his home by a SWAT team, which used a stun gun on him, yet the city retained him as an employee after a short suspension.
Two brothers in an Atlanta suburb are being accused of beating their parents and trying to burn them to death. Cameron Ervin, 17, and his brother Christopher, 22, are charged with felony counts of aggravated assault and arson, and have been denied bond. The mother, Yvonne Ervin, called 911 to report that her sons were trying to kill her and her husband. According to the New York Daily News, both the parents were severely injured when police arrived and the house smelled like gas. The brothers were arrested at the scene.
Actress Tichina Arnold, along with Rev. Al Sharpton, will host the 2015 Trumpet Awards, which will be held Saturday in
Atlanta and air in October on TV One. Honorees this year include Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, John Legend, Tyrese Gibson, Wanda Sykes and Rosalind Hudnell. Presenters include Atlanta Mayor Kaseem Reed, Nicole Beharie, Soledad O’Brien, Syleena Johnson, Afemo Omilami, Richard Lawson and Patrik-Ian Polk. There will also be performances by Gibson, Jasmine Sullivan, Estelle, Ledisi and Tasha Cobbs. The Trumpet Awards recognize distinguished individuals and corporations in civil rights, the arts, entertainment, education, business and sports. Honorees have made a positive impact on society by utilizing their talents and resources to help those within under-resourced communities.
INdiana
Tennis star Venus Williams is now more than a tennis star and entrepreneur; she is also a college graduate. Williams received a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration last month from Indiana University East. She completed the last set of classes during the summer. “I’ve learned so much. It was always my dream to have a business degree,” she said. Although she had gone to art school, Williams said she felt that “I needed the tools to be a better leader, to be a better planner, to be better at all of the things I wanted to do in my businesses, because I’m so hands-on.” Williams already had an associate’s degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. In addition to being ranked No. 11 in the world in tennis, she owns and runs EleVen, her own clothing line, as well as several other businesses.
Maryland
A 20-year-old Black man has been arrested in La Plata for sending out Tweets threatening to kill the White people who live in the town, according to the New York Daily News. The Tweet said, “I’m not gonna stand for this no more. Tonight we purge! Kill all the White ppl in the town of La Plata.” Police were notified, and Carlos Anthony Hollins was arrested at his home in Waldorf and charged with threats of mass violence. Hollins followed the Tweet with the Black Lives Matter hash tag, which some (such as Russell Simmons) said was disturbing because it reflected badly on the movement.
The Third annual Family Reunion Expo takes place Sept. 12 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. The expo is designed to show people what a good destination Baltimore is for family reunions. In addition to tastings, hotel and vendor information, the expo will feature appearances by celebrity guests, such as TV One’s Roland Martin, music artist Brave Williams, former “Good Times” actress Bern Nadette Stanis and former Harlem Globetrotter Choo Smith. There will also be a number of activities for children. It’s $5 a person to get in, but free admission is available by “Liking” the expo’s Facebook page (BaltimoreReunionExpo).
Nevada
The Life Is Beautiful event kicks off Sept. 25 in downtown Las Vegas and runs through Sept. 27. The annual music and art festival brings visitors off the strip and into the nostalgic yet redeveloping downtown area to enjoy top name music acts, as well as art and food. Music artists in the line-up this year include Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Duran Duran, Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons and many more. In addition to the constant music, various artists from around the world, and especially Las Vegas, will display their artwork. On the food tip, there will be a fully functional solar kitchen with its chef conducting live demonstrations. To get more information, visit http://lifeisbeautiful.com.
Oregon
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Erykah Badu will be a presenter at the ninth annual International Black Midwives and Healers conference on Oct. 9 in Portland. The theme of this year’s three-day convention is “Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Future.” Attendees include midwives, nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, birth workers, doulas, lactation consultants and medical students from as far away as Africa. The goal of the gathering is to improve birth outcomes, diversify the midwife and doula profession and increase civic engagement of youth to increase the number of people of color who take part in the midwifery field. Badu, who is the spokesperson for International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), will speak and also take part in the Quilting Bee, one of many activities planned during the conference. More info is available at www.ictcmidwives.org.
South Carolina
State prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Dylann Roof, the White man who allegedly murdered nine people in a Charleston church July 17. “Forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgoing consequences. Even severe consequences,” said Scarlett Wilson solicitor for the state. She added, however, that some of the relatives of the victims said they did not believe in capital punishment. “All have shown great respect, even deference, for my decisions to seek the death penalty. This was the ultimate crime, and justice from our state calls for the ultimate punishment.” However, if Roof is found guilty, it will be a jury that will make the decision whether or not he will receive the death penalty. The state uses lethal injection or the electric chair as methods of execution.
Texas
TV One anchor Roland Martin, former model Beverly Johnson and best-selling author Lalita Tademy are just three of the highly-acclaimed authors who will be on hand at the National Black Book Festival in Houston Oct. 22-24. General admission to the festival is free to the public and includes exhibits, author sessions, workshops/seminars and entertainment. More info is available at www.nationalblackbookfestival.com or by calling (800) 340-5454.
Washington
Five players on a women’s soccer team representing a Christian college were suspended recently after a social media post was discovered that showed the players in Blackface and Afro wigs. The five, from Whitworth University in Spokane, were taken off the team for one game. According to the Spokane Review, the ladies were supposedly portraying themselves as members of the Jackson 5 at an event at a local bowling alley. The post on social media, however, caused school officials took action. “In light of the impact that these actions have had on Whitworth and the greater Spokane community, we feel it is in the best interest of all involved to take this action at this time,” said head coach Jael Hagerott in a statement. “While their intentions were not malicious, the outcome of their actions was painful for many in our community. We feel that this punitive response is proportional to their actions.”
