Each week, there is an overflow of news that happens in every corner of the nation which is of interest to people living across the African Diaspora. But quite often these stories do not get known beyond a small geographic area. Telling these stories is the goal of Across Black America. We offer an informative snapshot of those news stories each week for the world to read. This special edition of Across Black America features the top news selections from across the states throughout 2015.
Alabama
Feb. 26 Republicans elected a woman and a Black man to head the party’s hierarchy in the state. Terry Lathan of Mobile has been elected chairwoman and Troy Towns as the Alabama Republican Party’s vice chairman. The move comes at a time when the GOP is attempting to chip away at the Democratic Party’s hold on female and non-White voters. However, Republican leaders in the state made it clear that the party’s platform won’t change.
March 12 Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States of America, led thousands, including political dignitaries (such as former President George W. Bush) and civil rights activists across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, marking the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” The president walked hand-in-hand with his wife and daughters, as well as Congressman John Lewis and another 1965 marcher—Amelia Boynton—who came to participate despite being in a wheelchair.
March 26 The University of Alabama elected its first Black student government association (SGA) president in four decades. Elliot Spillers said he was “shocked and thankful” for the honor. This will be the first elected position within the organization for the Pelham’s junior; although he has served several appointed positions. Spillers is studying business management and is a member of the Honors College. The school newspaper reported that voter turnout for this election was the highest it’s been in years.
April 9 An man who spent nearly 30 years on death row was released after it was revealed there really wasn’t enough evidence to link him to the murders he was convicted of committing. Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Petro dismissed the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, who is now 58.
Alaska
Feb. 18 The NAACP Anchorage chapter, in partnership with the Anchorage School District, presented: “A Community Dialogue: Improving Opportunities and Life Outcomes for Young Males of Color.” The event featured New York Times best-selling author Omar Tyree, 2001 NAACP Image Award recipient for outstanding Literature in Fiction, and the 2006 Phyllis Wheatley Literary Award winner for Body of Work in Urban Fiction; as well as Allia L. Carter, Ph.D., educator, college administrator and founding director of the African American Initiative for Males (AIM).
Arizona
May 21 The family of Rumain Brisbon, an African American man, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Phoenix Police Department, officer Mark Rine, as well as the city seeking $10 million in punitive and compensatory damages in the wrongful death of the 34-year-old. Brisbon was reportedly unarmed at the time of his death. LaShawn D. Jenkins represents Brisbon’s interests and outlined seven charges, including wrongful death, assault, deprivation of civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, excessive force/police brutality, and negligent training and supervision. According to the Arizona Informant newspaper, Rine shot Brisbon dead in front of his child as he returned from McDonald’s with food for his family. The autopsy report revealed he was shot in the back and that his spine was severed. Police say Rine was following up on a report of a burglary in the area, and that when Brisbon was seen exiting a vehicle and the officer ordered him to stop, Brisbon ran. When Rine caught up to him, the two struggled and Rine shot Brisbon.
Arkansas
Oct. 8 Six people were announced as inductees into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. The 23rd annual induction ceremony hosted honorees Dr. Eddie Reed of Heth, a cancer researcher and physician; Luenell Batson of Tollette, actress and comedienne; Mildred Barnes Griggs of Marianna, an educator and home economics pioneer; Cortez Kennedy of Osceola, an NFL pro-bowler; Bishop Donnie Lee Lindsey Sr. of Bluff City, a civic leader; and C. Michael Tidwell of Little Rock; a dancer, choreographer and art educator. Monies raised at the event go toward the Black communities of the state in areas such as youth development, health and wellness, education and business/economic development.
Mike Huckabee, the former Republican governor and a 2016 presidential hopeful, said President Barrack Obama and his wife Michelle should not let their daughters listen to hip hop, and in particular Beyoncé. Huckabee said on ABC’s “This Week” that he considers the Obamas “great parents,” but why would they allow their kids to listen to artists such as Beyoncé, whose music he called “mental poison.” Huckabee added that keeping tabs on your kids’ pop culture intake is part of being a responsible parent. “They’re great parents, they’re careful about making sure that their kids get a lot of vegetables and eat right, that’s terrific,” Huckabee said of the Obamas, according to the Huffington Post. “Well, what you put in your brain is also important as well as what you put into your body, and that was my point based on what the president himself said.”
California
Feb. 5 A jury has awarded $5 million to R&B icon Sly Stone in a breach-of-contract lawsuit that claimed that Stone’s business associates cheated him out of royalties. The action was brought against ex-manager Gerald Goldstein, Glenn Stone and Even St. Productions. “It’s a good day for Sly, it’s a good day for entertainers in general,” said Nicholas Hornberger, one of Stone’s attorneys. “This was an important verdict for people that are artists, entertainers, music composers etc.” It was a complicated action, with attorneys for Stone claiming that he was cheated out of royalties through “shady accounting.” The lawyers for Goldstein and Glenn Stone said that they could challenge the ruling.
Feb. 19 The 46th annual Image Awards were held Feb. 6 in Pasadena, drawing the movie and television industry’s elite to celebrate Black media. The movie “Selma” took in four awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture. Anthony Anderson hosted the award show and was also a big winner, with his show, “Black-ish,” winning all five comedy awards. Filmmaker Spike Lee received the President’s Award. Other winners included Tarij P. Henson for “No Good Deed” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” which won three awards.
March 19 Robin Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell Williams will have to shell out more than $7 million for copyright infringement of a Marvin Gaye song, said a Los Angeles jury. The hit “Blurred Lines” definitely had pieces of Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got To Give It Up,” it was determined, and so co-writers Thicke, T.I. and Williams must pay $7.3 million to the Gaye family. In addition, the Gaye estate is trying to block all future sales of “Blurred Lines” until an agreement is reached. The legal battle between Thick, T.I. and Williams and the Gaye estate has been going on for more that a year. “While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made . . ., which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward,” said Thicke, T.I. and Williams in a joint statement. The $7.3 million includes $3.3 million from sales of “Blurred Lines” and $4 million in damages.
May 14 The California State Senate, led by Sen. Isadore Hall III, recognized Kendrick Lamar as the 35th Senate District’s Generational Icon. According to Hall, Lamar’s efforts have resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars for sports, after school, music and other programs. “In less than 10 years, as a professional artist, Mr. Lamar has gone from a local Compton young boy, to a multi-platinum, Billboard chart topping, two-time Grammy Award winning musician, an incredible achievement for anyone 27 years old,” Hall said. “But Mr. Lamar has not let his recent fame get the best of him. If you visit Compton … Mr. Lamar is a familiar face in the neighborhood.” Lamar took the Senate floor and said, “This is an honor to be right here in front of you guys. Being from the city of Compton and knowing the parks that I played at and neighborhoods. I always thought how great the opportunity would be to give back to my community. To do that from a city all the way to a state standpoint, and have these young kids look at me as some type of inspiration is an honor.”
Sept. 17 Legislation that would prohibit all public schools, buildings, parks, roadways and other state-owned property from using names associated with Confederate military and elected leaders passed through the Senate and will be sent to California Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature consideration.
Nov. 12 Media giant Google gave away $2.5 million in grants to three Bay Area groups to battle racial injustice. Google’s philanthropic division—Google.org—has issued grants to the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; the Silicon Valley De-Bug; and the Oakland Unified School District’s African American Male Achievement Program. “Google is proud to sponsor social innovators who are striving to make the Bay Area even better for everyone,” said Justin Steele, the regional head of giving at Google.org. “We want to give local non-profits the resources and support needed to be bold and innovative in their approach to our region’s toughest social challenges, including those associated with racial injustice.”
Colorado
Feb. 26 Thaddeus Murphy was arrested on arson charges in connection to the pipe bombing near the state’s NAACP office in Colorado Springs. Murphy, 44, has allegedly admitted to placing the homemade bomb outside of a building that houses the NAACP offices, although he reportedly claims that he was not targeting that office. Court documents show that Murphy says that the explosive device was directed at a tax accountant that he thought was in that building. He told cops that he was in financial straits and needed money, and the accountant was not returning phone calls.
March 19 Denver resident Leopoldine Doualla-Bell Smith was honored as the world’s first African American fight attendant. The 76 year old’s 40 years of service was celebrated by the Black Flight Attendants of America. Smith began flying with the French airline Union Aeromaritime de Transport when she was just 17 in 1957. Ruth Carol Taylor was the first African American flight attendant in the U.S. in 1958. Smith was born in Cameroon. “When I was young, there were only White men and women working on the plane,” she recalls. “I was one of the first Blacks to be hired and it was a big deal. Everybody in my town was talking about it. It was even in the newspaper.” Smith admitted she did encounter racism, with people telling her not to touch them or even not to touch their things, but she said she would just walk away and help other people.
Connecticut
July 9 Members of the psychiatry residency program at Yale University School of Medicine have formed the Yale Solomon Carter Fuller Association in honor of the nation’s first Black psychiatrist. Nationwide, Blacks only make up about 6.6 percent of all psychiatric residents. But at Yale, the percentage is more than double the national average. Solomon Carter Fuller, whose parents were former American slaves, was born in Liberia in 1872. He came to the U.S. to study at Livingstone College in Salisbury, N.C., and later at the Boston University School of Medicine. He spent most of his career at the Westborough State Mental Hospital in Massachusetts and was one of the first scientists to conduct detailed research on Alzheimer’s.
Sept. 3 The family of Gugsa Abraham “Abe” Dabela is questioning a ruling by police that the Ethiopian American attorney took his own life after a car accident. Dabela, 35, was found in his overturned vehicle in April 2014 with a single gunshot to the back of his head. His death was ruled suicide by the medical examiner, but the family says the young attorney had no reason to kill himself. As part of its “quest for justice,” the family has launched a website—www.justice4abe.com—which provides details of the case. In addition, the area NAACP has launched its own investigation.
Delaware
May 14 In Dover, a lawsuit has been filed after the police were forced to release a dash cam video showing a White police officer kicking a Black man in the face. A federal judge ordered the release of the film, which was recorded in 2013, adding that the video was not considered confidential. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed the lawsuit on behalf of Lateef Dickerson. Police were attempting to arrest Dickerson and ordered him down on his knees. As he went to his knees voluntarily, officer Thomas Webster IV is seen kicking him in the face with such force that Dickerson was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw. Webster has been arrested and charged with second-degree assault.
District of Columbia
March 5 Noted Civil Rights leader Barbara Arnwine launched a talk radio program focused on activism as a catalyst for achieving racial justice and equality. The weekly show will air on Radio One’s WOL 1450 AM. “Igniting Change with Barbara Arnwine” will provide provocative and empowering information and discussion designed to ignite change and inspire action in achieving racial justice, social justice and equality. The show will air live on Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m. EST and is accessible to listeners worldwide via the Internet at (BarbaraArnwine.com and woldcnews.com) and the free Tune In app. “I am honored for the opportunity to expand my civil rights outreach in such a significant manner as I continue to touch lives across the country and around the globe,” Arnwine said.
Oct. 1 Under a new law, District of Columbia women won’t have to worry about running out of birth control pills. The legislation, which passed Congressional review last month, clears the way for women to be able to access a year’s supply of pills at once. Prescriptions for birth control pills typically have to be renewed every 30 or 90 days, potentially resulting in women missing scheduled pills. The yearlong provision doesn’t begin until 2017. Earlier this year, Oregon became the first state to pass a law allowing women to obtain a year’s supply of birth control. That law goes into affect next year. Gretchen Borchelt, vice president for health and reproductive rights at the National Women’s Law Center in D.C., says the new move should have an impact. “This law is going to make a difference for D.C. There’s a high teen pregnancy rate, and pharmacies are not well located for low income-income areas.” The law requires most insurers and employers to cover all FDA-approved methods of birth control.
Florida
Jan. 15 A young man who was allegedly the ringleader in the hazing of Robert Champion has been sentenced to six years in prison. Dante Martin, a former Florida A&M University band member, was given the prison term after being found guilty of manslaughter and felony hazing in the death of Champion. Martin and several others took part in a brutal hazing, which involved Champion going through a line where others beat and kicked him. He died from his injuries. Martin was the first of some 15 former band members being charged in the case. Another student and band member, Jessie Baskin, was given 51 weeks in county jail after he plead no contest, and others have been sentenced to probation and community service.
Jan. 22 Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida was approved by Democrats as a ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She has steadfastly served for more than 20 years, knows the issues and is committed to the work, including her 5th Congressional district (formerly the 3rd), which has a high number of veterans and family members as constituents. She will now have oversight and investigative authority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Rep. Brown is the first woman since the 1960s and the first African American woman in the committee’s history.
Feb. 19 Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-FL, introduced legislation (H.R. 839) to “posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lena Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.” The bill was introduced on Feb. 10 and has 22 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Patrick Murphy, and Corrine Brown, both Florida Democrats.
April 9 Three Ku Klux Klan members who worked at a Florida prison have been charged with plotting to kill a Black inmate after his release. The trio reportedly believed that the man, who had allegedly bitten one of them, was infected with HIV and hepatitis. The three men—Thomas Jordan Driver, 25; David Elliot Moran, 47; and Charles Thomas Newcomb, 42—were arrested last week and each faces one state count of conspiracy to commit murder, according to the Florida Attorney General’s office. The state said the murder plot started after Driver, an officer at the Department of Corrections Reception and Medical Center in rural north Florida, had a fight with the inmate. Moran is currently a sergeant at that facility. Newcomb was fired in 2013 for failing to meet training requirements, according to the department.
Aug. 6 Curtis Fairchild, who went to prison at 12 for murder in Melbourne in 1999, has been released as a 29-year-old. According to court records, Fairchild and his sister reportedly killed their father’s girlfriend using his gun. In addition, the two tried to kill their dad and another man who the kids claim were sexually abusing them. Both children pled guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to 18 years and probation for life. The sister, Catherine, was 13 at the time and is now 30. She was set to be released this week also.
Georgia
March 26 Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D., received the inaugural Phoenix Award during Selma’s 50th anniversary Jubilee Celebration. The Phoenix Award was presented by the Sullivan and Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson Foundation and Museum. It was designed to recognize a person whose life work reflects the spirit of the Jackson family. The foundation is a non-profit organization created to preserve the family’s legacy and commitment to peace and justice. The family’s home often served as the meeting place for leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, including Martin Luther King Jr., Ph.D., Ralph David Abernathy and Andrew Young. The residence is now a museum.
April 16 A judge and two law enforcement officers in Fannin County are under investigation after allegedly calling a witness the “n” word in court. Judge Roger Bradley was going over a witness list for a case when he arrived at the name of Allen Duray Green, who is African American. The judge inquired about Green, and two sheriff’s deputies referred to him as “N_gger Ray.” According to witnesses, the judge didn’t bat an eye and in fact proceeded to relay a story about a Black bootlegger he referred to as “N_gger Bob.” When trying to defend themselves, the judge and deputies said they were referring to Green by his street name, but Green told Fox 5 Atlanta that he does not have such a nickname. Judge Bradley and the deputies are now under investigation by the Georgia State Judicial Qualifications Commission.
May 7 Police in East Point, a suburb of Atlanta, and federal agents were both involved in the arrest of Ebony Monique Dickens after she allegedly made threats to kill police officers on Facebook. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Dickens went under the name Tiffany Milan and said… “All Black ppl should rise up and shoot at every White cop in the nation starting now.”
May 14 Nine sheriff’s deputies in Savannah were fired last week over their alleged involvement in the death of student Matthew Ajibade on New Year’s Day. According to Reuters, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office based its decision on an internal investigation, as well as a separate review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Allegedly, Ajibade injured three deputies as he was being checked in on charges of domestic violence, resisting arrest and battery. He was put in an isolated cell, and when deputies went to check on him later, he was unresponsive. The investigation revealed that Ajibade suffered from bipolar disorder and that at some point, he was handcuffed to a chair and tased. The finding of the investigation has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office, which will review the report and decide what, if any, criminal charges will be filed against the deputies.
July 2 Atlanta resident Ambassador Andrew Young recently received the United States Conference of Mayors Joseph P. Riley Award for Leadership and Courage. The honor is given at the confernce president’s discretion to an outstanding leader. Outgoing conference President Mayor Kevin Johnson renamed the award, previously known as the President’s Award, in honor of outgoing Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, whose legacy as a leader among his peers earned him the title of the “Dean” of America’s mayors.
Sept. 17 Angel Rice, 16, set a new world record for tumbling. The teen completed 10 double full twists in a minute while a Guiness World Record official watched. “It took me until the next day to realize, wow! It’s real,” she told Fox News in Atlanta
Hawaii
Feb. 19 The Navy’s public ceremony at Pearl Harbor will have African American history and heritage as its theme in February. The ceremony is held at the Pearl Harbor visitors’ center and will feature the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band. and the honors and ceremonies guard from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. African American Navy history highlights include the actions of Mess Attendant Doris “Dorie” Miller during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Miller helped move injured USS West Virginia shipmates out of harm’s way. He also downed several Japanese planes with an anti-aircraft machine gun, even though he wasn’t trained to use it. Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for distinguishing himself in action. There are 22 African American admirals in the Navy today.
Idaho
July 3 The state’s ethnic diversity is increasing, according to the Department of Labor. The population of “people of color” rose by around 4 percent from 2013 to 2014. Idaho’s Black population in particular grew by 3.9 percent to a total of 13,507; Idaho’s total population is 1,634,464. Next to the White population, the largest ethnic group is the Hispanic population at 196,502.
Illinois
June 11 A young woman who was once homeless and pregnant has not only graduated from high school, she did so at the top her class. Trameka Pope was the valedictorian at Wendell Phillips Academy in Chicago. Said the 18-year-old to Fox News, “I didn’t give up. I pushed myself hard. And my baby motivated me every day, because I wanted to provide for her and I also didn’t want to be a statistic.” Pope is not stopping with high school … she has been accepted at numerous colleges and been offered more than half a million dollars in scholarships. She has chosen Western Illinois University, where she hopes to earn a degree in social work. Pope says, “No matter what background you come from; it doesn’t matter if you have a child as a teen … no matter what people say about you … you still can, you can make it, and you can become somebody.”
April 23 For nearly three decades, former Police Commissioner Jon Burge and his cohorts tortured and abused Black suspects into confessions, whether they committed the crimes or not. Last week, the City of Chicago, under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, announced it would pay reparations to the tune of $5.5 million to about 100 victims. In addition, the city will provide other services, such as college tuition, job training, psychological counseling, healthcare and small business assistance free of charge to the victims. According to MSNBC, the reparations in total, and the costs of the investigation, will amount to more than $100 million. Burge allegedly led several detectives on a mission that literally terrorized Black men from the south side of the city in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Burge and his goons used electrical shock, beatings and burnings during interrogations in order to coerce false confessions, says the MSNBC story. “Jon Burge’s actions are a disgrace to Chicago, to the hard-working men and women of the police department, and most importantly to those he was sworn to protect,” said Mayor Emanuel in a press statement. “Today we stand together as a city to try and right those wrongs, and to bring this dark chapter of Chicago’s history to a close.” Burge was fired in 1993, but it wasn’t until 2006 that an investigation found enough evidence to go after Burge and his crew. However, the statute of limitations had run out on some of the abuses, so Burge ended up serving less than five years of prison time.
Feb. 19 A Little League baseball team from the south side of Chicago was stripped of its national championship after an investigation revealed that team management allegedly falsified boundaries to allow otherwise ineligible players on the team. Jackie Robinson West is the all-Black team whose ages range from 11 to 13 years. Little League officials determined that “… the Jackie Robinson West Little League and Illinois District 4 administrator knowingly violated Little League International Rules and Regulations by placing players on their team who did not qualify to play because they lived outside the team’s boundaries.” Since the incident, Rev. Al Sharpton has threatened legal action against the Little League organization. “There’s nothing these kids have done to have their championship erased,” Sharpton said. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that the city would present the team with championship rings of its own.
May 7 Chicago will be the home of the new presidential library and museum in honor of President Barack Obama. The library will go on the South Side of the city and will be operated through the University of Chicago. However, the Obamas are expected to live in New York City after they vacate the White House after the 2016 presidential election. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said that he will sign a bill that will allow land in either Jackson or Washington Parks to be used for the library. “The governor thinks the president’s library will be a benefit to the state of Illinois and to the city of Chicago and is supportive of that,” said Catherine Kelly, a spokesperson for the governor. Hawaii, where President Obama was born, and New York City, where he attended Columbia University, were also campaigning to get the library. The Obamas lived in Chicago for a number of years, when he was a state senator and U.S. Senator.
Sept. 3 After a 2012 study found that the state suspends more African American students than any other state in the U.S., a law was passed to help to ensure that all students are in school and off the streets as much as possible. “Constantly suspending and expelling the very kids that need to be in school is one of the most counter-productive practices of our education system,” said Assistant Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, sponsor of the legislation.
Indiana
June 4 One woman went to the hospital from a stab wound and another one was arrested after the two got into a fight over the last rib at a barbecue in Muncie, according to Fox 59. The police report says one of the women said she was stabbed with a fork in the eye by Sabrina Davis, a friend of the family who was holding the gathering. “She was upset that Davis was taking the last rib from the kitchen,” read the report. “She then confronted Davis about taking all the food.” The victim said Davis was using a fork to extract the rib from a pan when she turned and used it to stab the victim, who was taken to the hospital and treated for a laceration and a swollen eye. Davis told the cops that she was acting in self-defense, claiming that the victim had pulled out a knife. One woman who witnessed the fight called it “embarrassing,” while a neighbor told Fox 59, “It was just so ridiculous … Barbecue is good and all, but it’s not worth sticking somebody in the eye with a fork, you know?”
Sept. 10 Tennis star Venus Williams is now more than a tennis star and entrepreneur—she is also a college graduate. Williams earned a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration last month from Indiana University East. She completed her last set of classes during the last 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.” The tennis star 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.
Iowa
The Iowa African American Hall of Fame inducted three new members in August. In its 20-year history, 62 individuals have been inducted. This year’s new members are: Dr. Julius S. Conner, the first Black director of the Polk County Health Department; Georgine Crowe Morris, civil rights activist; and Ruth White, Ph.D., award winning educator and former director of Iowa Dept. of Human Rights.
Oct 15 The first African American district fire chiefs have been promoted in Des Moines. The appointments include Steve Brown and Percy Coleman, who are the first two people of color in the department’s 132-year history. “One of the strengths of our community is the diversity of talents and backgrounds that we bring together both as citizens and those who provide services in Des Moines. A part of celebrating that diversity is recognizing our successes together as well as highlighting examples where those who lead reflect the community they serve,” said Fire Chief John TeKippe.
Kansas
Oct. 8 The history of the African American community in Wichita has been documented in “Images of America: African Americans of Wichita,” a book recently published by a team of local historians, writers, graduate students and museum officials. The book chronicles decades of life in Wichita and features early African American families, segregation, relationships with the Lebanese and Hispanic communities, the Double V Campaign, the Dockum sit-in and the Piatt Street plane crash. It took less than a year to produce the book, published by Arcadia. The more than 200 photos used in the volume came from personal and private collections across Wichita.
Kentucky
Sept. 24 The legendry Muhammad Ali was honored with the first-ever Grawemeyer Spirit Award by the University of Louisville. The 73-year-old continues to battle Parkinson’s Disease, but he did attend the presentation, although he did not speak. Louisville is his hometown. His popularity remains in full effect, as the crown in attendance chanted “Ali, Ali, Ali” as he entered the room.
Louisiana
March 19 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new film studio took place in New Orleans. The FilmWorks New Orleans is located near the French Quarter and set on 37 acres of space, and includes a 20,000-square-foot stage, a 406,000-square foot back lot, two floors consisting of 92,000 square feet of space and acres of lush greenery. “We are proud to contribute to the growth of the film industry in New Orleans, and we truly appreciate the incredible community support we’ve received,” said George Steiner, president of FilmWorks New Orleans. “FilmWorks New Orleans’ flexible studio space will help ensure that we continue to draw major film projects to the area.” Steiner added that the studio is already booked for months in advance.
May 21 C. Reynold Verret, Ph.D., joined Xavier as its new president, after a stint at Savannah State University in Georgia. “I am deeply honored to be elected as the next president of Xavier and am excited to engage the entire Xavier community in envisioning a future that sustains the university’s distinct mission in a changing higher education environment and that responds to societal needs,” he said. Verret was once a refugee from Haiti. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Columbia University and a doctorate from MIT.
Maine
Sept. 24 Civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson was welcomed back to Bowdoin College with the sound of hundreds of fingers snapping. This form of applause is reserved only for certain speakers with whom students feel a special kinship, according to Ashley Bomboka, president of the college’s African American Society. Mckesson, a 2007 graduate of Bowdoin, returned to visit classes, meet with new college president Clayton Rose and to speak about his experiences as perhaps the most visible face of the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Maryland
July 2 Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made history when she became
