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POLITICAL REPORTING & FEATURES

BET •

Majority White Legislatures Taking Control Of Predominantly Black Cities In Emerging Pattern

Earlier this month, a group of angry but peaceful protesters gathered near Capitol Hill after a Republican-led effort in Congress nullified Washington, D.C.’s criminal code reform bill.

Many of the activists were part of the Hands Off DC coalition of more than 50 organizations that demand autonomy for the district and advocate for a range of other issues, including voting rights and criminal justice reform.

“Congress overturning the bill and Biden allowing that to happen have set a dangerous precedent when it comes to justice and safety in D.C., and specifically, Black self-governance for D.C. And now they're trying to overturn another law, which is a police reform bill,” Makia Green, a co-founder of the social justice group Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, told BET.com...
BET •

Justice Department Adjusts Longstanding Drug Policy On Crack, Powder Cocaine To End Racial Disparities

For decades, civil rights activists have demanded an end to the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine that have targeted the Black community for mass incarceration in the so-called War on Drugs.

A recent Department of Justice announcement could signal a turning point as Senate lawmakers try to hammer out a deal to ensure a permanent change.

In a memo, Attorney General Merrick Garland instructed federal prosecutors on Friday (Dec. 16) to end charging and sentencing disparities in cases involving crack and powder cocaine.
BET •

A New Focus On Africa: 3 Takeaways From The US-Africa Leadership SummitTube

The Biden Administration hosted 49 African leaders for a three-day summit in Washington D.C. that began on Dec. 13. President Joe Biden told the delegates that America “is all in on Africa’s future,” signaling a renewed interest in Africa as the United States competes with China across the continent.

It has been eight years since former President Barack Obama organized the first U.S.-Africa summit. The three-day gathering in the nation’s capital was the largest event that any U.S. president held with African leaders...
BET •

Biden Signs Landmark Respect For Marriage Act To Protect Same-Sex, Interracial Marriage

President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law at a White House ceremony on Tuesday (Dec. 13). The landmark legislation enshrines marriage equality into federal law, codifying protections for same-sex and interracial couples.

“Deciding whether to marry, who to marry is one of the most profound decisions a person can make,” Biden told a large crowd of supporters gathered at the White House lawn for the signing ceremony.

He added: “I mean this with all my heart. Marriage is a simple proposition. Who do you love? And will you be loyal to that person you love? It’s not more complicated than that. The law recognizes that everyone should have a right to answer those questions for themselves without the government interference.” ...
BET •

New York Lawmakers To Renew Reparations Efforts For State Residents Who Descended From Slaves to YouTube

Over the past several years, attempts to pass federal legislation for reparations have failed repeatedly. In February, a House bill to create a commission to study reparations for Black Americans was gaining steam. But with the GOP preparing to take control of the House for at least the next two years, it appears unlikely to advance.

However, for reparations supporters, there seems to be hope. At the city level, Evanston, Ill., a Chicago suburb, in 2021 became the first city to make reparations available to Black residents...
BET •

2022 Midterm Elections: Black Georgia Voters Turning Out In High Numbers Despite New Restrictive Laws

Georgia election officials are patting themselves on the back for record turnout, so far, in the 2022 midterm election, suggesting that its wave of voting restriction laws have not suppressed the Black vote.

“As of Tuesday morning (Nov. 1), Georgia continues to break records with 1,638,286 voters casting their ballot during Early Voting, with 130,413 showing up on Monday, October 31st,”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger touted, adding that there were no “substantial delays” statewide, even in the metro-Atlanta area.

What’s more, Georgia Public Broadcasting reports that a higher share of Black voters and older voters have turned out in Georgia’s early voting period.

“It’s the work of our Elections Division and the county election directors that have gotten us here,” he added. “Voting in Georgia is safe, secure, and accessible – and Georgians know that.”

But voting rights groups see it differently. They do say Georgia has seen record turnout, but it’s despite the new obstacles to ballot access.
The Root •

Being Black at Google

It’s a challenge for African Americans working in California’s Silicon Valley to have a sense of community. Clennita Justice has worked for several technology companies there over the past 25 years.

“At many of those companies, you could go for days without seeing another black person,” says the senior engineering program manager, who now works at Google.

That sense of isolation is common. For years, tech companies kept their workforce demographics under lock and key. And they refused to ackno
The Root •

FAMU’s Tradition of Unapologetic Blackness and Activism Set Andrew Gillum on a Political Path

One of the rising stars in the Democratic Party credits the traditions instilled at his alma mater, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), for putting him on the road of success in his political career.


Looking back, the odds were against Andrew Gillum finding his way into FAMU, one of the nation’s oldest HBCUs. There was no tradition of higher education in his family. In fact, the Florida native—the fifth of seven children—was the first in his family to graduate from high sch
The Root •

New Generation of Black-Led Co-ops Want to End Food Insecurity

“A lot of the neighborhoods in West Oakland had 20 to 30 liquor stores and an assortment of fast-food restaurants but no full-size grocery stores,” Jeneba Kilgore, a worker-owner at Mandela Grocery Cooperative recalled about her hometown 10 years ago. “You could barely find the stuff to make a salad within walking distance.”


Briana Sidney, another Mandela worker-owner, said back then there was a 99 cents store that sold groceries. It was the only option for many folks in the Northern Californ
The Root •

Meet the 4 Black Men Who Are Shaking Up the White Male-Dominated Venture Capital Investment World

The last few months have been a whirlwind for four young black businessmen who are quickly becoming superstars in the business investment arena. In a space long dominated by white men, these brothers are carving out a niche that champions investing in businesses owned by women and people of color.


John Henry, a co-founder of Harlem Capital Partners (HCP) team, rushed back from a business meeting on July 16 to sit down with The Root. Earlier that day, Consumer Technology Association announced
News One •

New CBC Chair: Impeaching Trump ‘Is Not Going To Be Top On Our Agenda’

Democrats as recently as Sunday appeared ready to pounce on President Donald Trump after the latest evidence from Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s probe suggested the president’s hands were filthy from Russian dirt. And with House Democrats in January taking control of committees directly involved with investigating the president, some incoming committee chairs have talked about the possibility of impeachment.

But going after Trump in 2019 was not a priority of the Congressional Black Caucus (C
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