National

A Tragic Accident or Negligence?

Published

12 years ago

October 2, 2014

BlackPressUSA Newswire

by Ashahed Muhammad
Special to the NNPA from The Final Call

Parents say death of a young 14 year old could have been prevented

TAMPA, Fla. (FinalCall.com) – There is an old saying that time heals all wounds, but in the case of the Joseph family, it hasn’t proven to be the case.

The pain of Andrew and Deanna Joseph still runs deep seven months after losing their 14-year-old son, Andrew Joseph III, in a manner that produces more questions than answers.

“I miss my child being here. I miss the love, I miss his laughter, I miss his spirit, because he was a spirit who would sometimes put me in check when I had judgmental feelings toward certain people or family or children,” said Mrs. Joseph. “He kept me grounded because he really did think everybody was good. He really did love everybody.”

“Pee Wee” as he was affectionately called, went to St. Stephen’s Catholic school. He was very popular amongst his classmates, was an honor student and sports star. He played for the Brandon Ravens, a youth football team in the area, and excelled at track and basketball.

Pee Wee’s father said his son had planned to go to the Florida State Fair for months, doing odd jobs around the house and for neighbors to earn extra money, and saving any money he received for his birthday and Christmas. It was the first time he would attend the fair, and he was excited. He used some of the money he saved to get a haircut and a new special outfit specifically to wear to the fair.

There is a long-standing tradition in which free tickets from the Florida State Fair Authority are distributed to students within the Hillsborough County School District. Students are given the day off and it is really treated as something of a special holiday. Droves of teenagers meet at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Amongst the young people in Tampa and the surrounding areas, it is well known that this is the place to see people and be seen. For many it is a highlight of the school year, however, as with many popular events, it draws all types. It is also known as the place where the gangs come to fight, and quite often, the first night of the fair ends in chaos and melees.

Since Pee Wee went to a Catholic school in the area, students at his school were not recipients of free tickets, but since he was so popular and well liked, he got a ticket from one of his friends in the neighborhood.

A memorial in Pee Wee’s honor.

His parents said he was not totally sheltered and he was used to going places on his own. He was nearing his 15th birthday, and since he was never involved in any trouble, his parents had confidence that he would make the right decisions. His parents did have concerns about their son going to the fair, but not because of the notoriously raucous atmosphere, their concern was that their vehicles were in need of repair, and the weather appeared to be threatening. Pee Wee would have to rely on another parent to get to and from the fair. Since he was so excited about going, and he was such a dependable young man, the parents decided to let him attend almost as a reward for his good behavior and many achievements.

“I saw nothing wrong with letting Andrew as a 14 year old almost 15 years old go to the fair,” said Mrs. Joseph. “He has never even been in the principals’ office, I’ve never received a call from a teacher, he has never had any discipline issues, as a matter of fact he was an honor roll student. It was a reward that he could go to the fair because you do such good work son, and we appreciate that much and we trust you enough for you to go to the fair.”

Mr. Joseph agreed remarking how quickly Pee Wee used his problem-solving skills and set everything in motion to remove all obstacles standing in the way of him attending the fair.

“My wife’s power steering went out in her car and I blew the motor in my truck so we were two cars down and going back and forth with the insurance company for a rental,” said Mr. Joseph. “Of course my son proudly solved that issue as well and said ‘Daddy I got a ride. The neighbor around the corner is going to bring us to the fair, drop us off and pick us up at the designated spot.’”

It was a rainy and dreary day in February and also kind of cool, especially for Floridians, said Mrs. Joseph, however, the fact that he had a free ticket and so many of his other friends were going moved the pendulum even further in Pee Wee’s favor. This would be his first time at the Florida State Fair, but not the first time he has been out without direct parental supervision.

“This is a kid that we drop off at the movies, this is a kid that goes to the school’s student dances, this is a kid that goes to the mall, he’s acclimated to being in the public,” said Mr. Joseph. “Initially in our mind he was going to have to start driving pretty soon to get back and forth to town, so it was time for him to become independent outside of the neighborhood,” he added.

The parents also said they had no reason to think their child would be in any sort of danger, after all, they were going to what appeared by all accounts to be a sanctioned event directly targeting young people, and the advertisements connected with the Florida State Fair depict it as an evening of fun with food, rides and face painting. There were no indications that the Florida State Fair could ever become an out of control environment in which the lives of teenagers would be in danger.

“We said double check everything make sure you have your phone,” said Mr. Joseph. “Be where you are supposed to be when it’s time to be picked up, be careful and have fun,” Mr. Joseph advised his son.

The State Fair

Gate where students were let out after being detained by police on February 7.

The red arrow points to the location where Andrew Joseph was struck on Interstate 4.

Each year, during the first week of February when the time for the Florida State Fair comes around, Hillsborough County students are given the day off and tickets granting them free admission to the fair. In previous years, ejections on the first Friday of the fair are common. In 2014, 99 were ejected and 12 arrested. Of those, 16 were young adults and the remaining 95 were under 17 years old. In 2013 there were 56 ejections and two arrests, in 2012 there were 48 ejections and 8 arrests, and in 2011 there were 93 ejections and nine arrests.

Reportedly shortly after nightfall, February 7, a large number of those at the Florida State Fair became unruly. Police records show many incidents of robbery, assault, reports of underage drinking and narcotics use. Nearly 200 deputies were present, however, events spiraled so out of control that the decision was made to close the fair several hours early, at 10 p.m.

According to Mr. Joseph, his son was either standing in line waiting to get on a ride or just getting off a ride with some of his schoolmates, when it came to his attention that some of his teammates were being arrested. Pee Wee went over to the area to check on his friends. Mr. Joseph said that was the kind of person his son was, he would always see if he could help another person out.

They were being escorted to a detention area, when Pee Wee apparently caught up with the officers as they were being marched through the crowd. One of his friends, Robert, lost his hat, and Pee Wee apparently grabbed it to give it to him.

“I was the last one behind everybody,” said Robert Pearson. “I saw him (Andrew) out the corner of my eye and I turned around. When they slammed me, my hat fell off and he picked it up for me. He said ‘I got your hat bro!’ And he was walking with me after they was taking us to the back, and they said ‘oh you are with them too?’ And then they grabbed Andrew and that’s how he ended up in that situation.”

Andrew Joseph was photographed that night in a holding area. This was the last photo of him while he was alive.

They were taken to a detention area and subjected to intense body searches, interrogation and were also photographed and entered into a database. Some of the young men were taken to a nearby juvenile detention center.

Pee Wee’s only crime it seems, was inquiring into the circumstances involving his friends who appeared to be under arrest and being roughed up by police. He was ejected from the fair at around 8:30 p.m. and let out at the gate near Orient Road. He and a friend, 13-year-old Corey Thornton, were together and wanted to connect with those they were going to ride home with. The person whose cell phone number they were to call had a dead battery, so everyone was separated and out of communication.

No one really knows why they attempted to cross I-4, a busy interstate at night when apparently there was a safe walkway near the interstate available. According to the Florida Highway Patrol at around 10:45 p.m. Pee Wee was hit by a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Jonathan M. Hatfield. Pee Wee was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:03 p.m. Corey made it safely to the other side. He said they were trying to get back to where they were supposed to meet their ride.

Corey Thornton was with Andrew Joseph III the night he was struck by a vehicle trying to cross I-4.

“I was just following him,” said Corey. “I went second … he took off before me … he was in front of me. So I was behind him and I saw him get hit and I was like … no this did not just happen right in front of my eyes. So that’s when I went to him and I was like ‘Andrew get-up! Get up!’ He didn’t move. I didn’t know what to do so I just ran back the way we came from.”

Corey was so shaken up that when he arrived at the location and got the ride home, he didn’t even tell anyone, including his parents what happened.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office released video showing those at the fair running in what the commander of the Department of Operational Support, Col. Jim Previtera, referred to as a “giant stampede.” A majority of those ejected from the fair were Black, and the term used to describe what was happening was “wildling.” That term is seen by many Black leaders as an offensive overarching term demonizing young Blacks. It was first used in mass media in the 90’s when several Black youth were wrongfully convicted of a brutal sexual assault in Central Park in New York. They were innocent, but they had been vilified in the media to such an extent that it was impossible for their side of the story to receive any exposure.

Larry McKinnon, Hillsborough County Sherrif’s office public information officer.

Detective Larry McKinnon, a public information officer for the Hillsborough sherriff’s department called it a tragic accident with responsibility shared by all involved.

“Any time a child is killed, that’s unfortunate no matter what the circumstances are. It’s tragic, it’s a loss to our community, it’s the worst tragedy you can imagine not only for the parents and the family but for the community,” said Ofc. McKinnon.

He said they analyzed the events that transpired the evening of Feb. 7 and many things will be reviewed and changed prior to the 2015 fair.

“As far as the overall event, everybody has to take responsibility. These are our kids, parents have to take responsibility, the fair takes responsibility, we take responsibility, everybody,” he said.

Dr. Carolyn Hepburn Collins, president of the Hillsborough NAACP said no one from any law enforcement agency reached out to the chapter in an effort to get ahead of possible trouble that comes with the start of the Florida State Fair. The first she heard of anything was on the news when it was reported that one of the young Blacks involved in the “wilding” was killed. Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee did in fact write a letter and reach out to Black leaders, she said, but it wasn’t until after Pee Wee lost his life, and even then, the letter focused on addressing the alleged misbehavior of Black youth.

Deanna and Andrew Joseph vow to prevent this from happening to any other children.

“A 14 year old should not be ejected from anywhere, not even from school without notifying their parents. If this is supposed to be a school event that the school is going in with the fair authority, why do you eject a young man 14 years old out of a fairground?” she asked.

The NAACP has a very aggressive legal redress division in the area and there are many complaints dealing with racial profiling by law enforcement, said Dr. Collins. Additionally, a June 9 letter to the Hillsborough County School district from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights reportedly noted a complaint filed by local community activists urging them to look into allegations that Black students are subjected to harsher disciplinary action than White students.

Racial profiling, lack of proper law enforcement preparation and response in this case, may have produced deadly consequences, she offered.

“It almost makes you feel like it was a life that was snuffed out,” said Dr. Collins. “It was a young kid that was doing well in school, athletically, helping in the neighborhood and he has now lost his life, and it just seems to me that our system is broken and it must be fixed. We cannot continue to lose young African Americans even if sometimes the kids have a problem—it’s a better way.”

Profits over safety and people?

A previous analysis by the Center for Economic Development Research at the University of South Florida’s College of Business Administration found that the Florida State Fair Authority’s economic contribution to Hillsborough County is 1,023 jobs, $142.6 million of sales, and money wages and salaries over $35.6 million. The net of local tax revenue over local tax expenditures attributable to the Florida State Fair Authority is nearly $1.9 million per year. The researchers reported that this influx of capital “ripples through a broader marketplace to produce incrementally greater contributions throughout the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida.” According to their findings, cumulative contributions are in Tampa Bay: 1,183 jobs, $160.4 million of sales, and over $40.5 million in wages and the State of Florida 1,267 jobs, $171.4 million of sales, and over $43.3 million in wages.

The Florida State Fairgrounds sits on 330-acres of land and runs adjacent to Interstate 4, and Interstate 75. Attorney Barry Cohen is handling legal matters for the Joseph family. According to a statement released from his law office, he believes indiscriminately giving away 100,000 tickets to young students is profit driven and although it appears as if policy changes by the Hillsborough County School district and the Florida State Fair Authority are in motion, it is too late for the Joseph family.

“Sadly, this common sense move by the Fair Authority is too late for Andrew and his family. No amount of profit justifies what happened any more than General Motors (GM) was right in hiding their ignition switch problems from the public.”

The Florida State Fair instituted new rules, such as anyone gaining entry with free student tickets after 7 p.m. would have to be accompanied with an adult, and the Sheriff’s Office announced they would have more deputies and better communications equipment to quickly respond to troubles that develop.

Many of his friends who were at the fair that night are still sad because they asked him a couple of times if he and Corey needed a ride. Pee Wee told them they would just wait. They couldn’t believe what happened once they heard the news.

“I knew Andrew for a long time and it was sad to sit there and believing that it was true, because at first I didn’t think it was true that it happened,” said 17-year-old Jalen Harrison. “The tough part is—that we tried to make him come with us and we wish we would have just grabbed him and told him to come on,” he said.

Mrs. Joseph said she is highly motivated to clear her son’s name, because in the initial news reports, Pee Wee might have been perceived as “a terrible kid so he deserved what he got,” she said. She was especially angered by the audacity of those who judged her and her husband’s parenting decisions. “Like you don’t drop your kid off at the mall, or you don’t let your kid go to the movies,” she said.

“I just need to get the justice, peace and clearing his name and let the world know that every little Black kid that comes on TV is not going to be the one testing positive for marijuana. It’s not going to be the kid who was a trouble maker,” said Ms. Joseph. “This was really a good boy. This was a boy that came from a good home, good family. This was really a boy who didn’t run with the wrong crowd. This was a good boy and you all made a mistake,” she added.

The family will continue to explore possible legal options and has started the Andrew Joseph Foundation. The foundation will work to ensure families have access to valuable information and resources to keep children safe.

(This is the first part of a two-part series. For more information go to andrewjosephfoundation.org)

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Art

Houston’s ‘call Me Mother’ Exhibit Opens Today, Spotlighting Black Maternal Health

AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEWS AND ISSUES – DALLAS — The Health Museum in Houston today opens “The Call Me Mother Experience,” an exhibition spotlighting Black maternal health through art and personal storytelling. Curated by Houston’s first Black poet laureate, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, the project originated from her own poem written during a miscarriage.

Published

2 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Image Credit: African American News & Issues

HOUSTON — A new exhibition opening Sunday, Oct. 4, at The Health Museum is bringing Black maternal health into public view through art and personal storytelling.

The Call Me Mother Experience will be on display through Feb. 28, 2027. The museum lists a preview reception today from 3 to 5 p.m. at 1515 Hermann Drive, with tickets priced at $5 for members and $15 for nonmembers.

A personal story becomes a community conversation

According to the museum, founder, curator and lead artist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton developed the project from a poem she wrote during a miscarriage. The installation combines films, recorded interviews, visual artwork and contributions created with community members.

Mouton, Houston’s first Black poet laureate, discussed the exhibition and her connection to its subject in an Oct. 1 appearance on KPRC’s Houston Life. The station described the project as addressing the unequal burden of pregnancy-related illness and death faced by Black women in Harris County.

An announcement distributed by the Call Me Mother Experience says the initiative will also reach community locations and faith-based organizations across Greater Houston. Those additional settings are intended to extend the conversation beyond a museum visit.

What visitors can expect

The museum says reception guests can explore the exhibit, hear the curator and meet participating artists. Reception admission includes general museum entry; refreshments are available while supplies last.

The featured image accompanying this article is an original illustrative concept, not a photograph of the exhibition or its artwork.

Sources and visitor information:The Health Museum exhibition listing; preview reception details and tickets; KPRC Houston Life; organizer announcement.

The post Houston’s ‘Call Me Mother’ Exhibit Opens Today, Spotlighting Black Maternal Health appeared first on African American News and Issues.

Based on reporting by African-American News and Issues – Dallas.

Black Press

Should You Have to Pay to Hear the Gospel?

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell of Atlanta’s 2819 CHURCH and Tim Timberlake of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, are at the center of a social media debate. The controversy stems from ticket prices for their “Street Preachers” podcast tour, with general admission tickets reportedly costing around $60 and VIP options up to $200.

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

A sold-out podcast tour featuring Pastors Philip Anthony Mitchell, left, and Tim Timberlake has sparked debate over the boundary between spreading the Gospel and selling an experience. Critics question whether ministers should charge admission to hear the Gospel, with tickets including a $200 VIP package. — Photo courtesy of Street Preachers Podcast

For generations, the Black church has passed the offering plate to keep the lights on, pay the preacher, help the poor and carry the Gospel beyond its walls. But what happens when the preacher leaves the sanctuary, takes a popular Christian podcast on tour — and charges admission?

That question has placed Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, founder and lead pastor of Atlanta’s fast-growing 2819 CHURCH, at the center of a heated social media debate.

Mitchell and Tim Timberlake, senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, host “Street Preachers,” which its official website describes as a “raw, unfiltered podcast” committed to spreading the Gospel.

‘A brood of vipers’

The controversy began after ticket prices for the podcast’s 2026 tour circulated online. General admission tickets reportedly cost about $60 before fees, with premium options, including a VIP meet-and-greet package, priced at $200. Critics questioned whether ministers should charge people to hear the Gospel.

Others defended the pastors, arguing that Christian events require venues, transportation, security, equipment and staff.

Mitchell answered critics from the pulpit last month, calling them “a brood of vipers.” He said the podcast is a separate, personal project and that neither his church nor Timberlake’s is bankrolling it.

“Now we have decided to go on a tour to take the gospel to cities, and because that’s not funded by 2819, and it’s not funded by Celebration Church, Tim and I gotta do that with our own pockets,” Mitchell said. “It’s why there is tickets. We have to pay for venues and security and productions and staff from our own pockets.”

Mitchell called some critics “ignorant” and said they did not know that a child was healed through faith during one of the events.

“And you want to complain about a 60 ticket?” he said. “So hate on!”

Worship service vs. media event

Mitchell maintains that “Street Preachers” is an independently produced podcast tour, not a worship service, and that ticket revenue helps cover production costs.

Yet the presence of pastors, Scripture and Gospel language makes the distinction less clear to some believers.

The official tour website lists all eight 2026 stops as sold out. Promotional material announcing additional dates promised, “Better ticket options. Same Gospel. Same move of God.”

Corporate prayer gathering

The language gets to the heart of the dispute. Some Christians argue that no one should be kept outside because they cannot afford a ticket. Others say the Gospel remains free even when people pay for the venue and experience surrounding its presentation.

The paid podcast tour, however, is not Mitchell’s only large-scale gathering. On Oct. 10, 2819 CHURCH will host “ACCESS — That Powerful Hour of Prayer” at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Admission is free.

2819 CHURCH has said 80,000 free tickets were claimed before registration reopened.

The contrast raises another question: What makes one Gospel-centered event a ministry supported by donors and another a production supported by customers?

Unfiltered preaching, youth appeal

Mitchell’s congregation, composed largely of young Black adults, grew from fewer than 200 weekly worshippers in 2023 to about 6,000, according to the church. Some worshippers arrive before sunrise to secure a place inside.

His appeal rests partly in an intense, vulnerable and raw preaching style.

“I’m preaching without watering that down, without filtering out things that we think might be too controversial,” Mitchell told The Associated Press.

That visibility has also brought scrutiny of his theology, associations, travel, security and the businesses surrounding his ministry.

But the controversy reaches beyond Mitchell and Timberlake. Christian music concerts charge admission. Seminaries charge tuition. Religious publishers sell Bibles, books and devotionals. Churches pay musicians, media teams and guest preachers. Money becomes particularly uncomfortable, however, when an event is presented simultaneously as ministry and entertainment.

Ministry vs. entertainment

Supporters should not assume every dollar collected becomes personal profit. Critics, however, question whether lower-cost seats, sponsored tickets or free admission for people who cannot pay should be part of a Gospel-centered event.

The Black church always has required resources for ministry. It also has carried a sacred responsibility to make room for people with little or nothing to give.

The sold-out “Street Preachers” tour shows people are willing to pay to attend. The free ACCESS gathering offers a different model. The challenge is preserving that open door as Christian ministry increasingly adopts the machinery — and economics — of popular entertainment.

The post Should you have to pay to hear the Gospel? appeared first on St. Louis American.

Based on reporting by St. Louis American.

Black Press

NCCU Ramping up for the 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY – CAMPUS ECHO — N.C. Central University is preparing for its 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience, a week-long celebration. Thousands of students, family, friends, and alumni are expected to gather on campus for festivities including the Homecoming Countdown, parade, Miss and Mister NCCU Coronation, concerts, and the football game.

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

NCCU's gospel choir, WPI performs at the 2025 Ultimate Homecoming gospel concert. — Photo by Morgan McNeil.

This Saturday N.C. Central University will kick off its 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience — a week-long celebration bringing thousands of students, family, friends and alumni to campus.

This year’s festivities include the Homecoming Countdown, parade, Miss and Mister NCCU Coronation, concerts and the football game.

The number of visitors to the football game on Saturday, Oct. 10 is expected to reach at least 10,000 — O’Kelly Riddick Stadium’s capacity, with NCCU’s recent enrollment increase of more than 10,000 students.

The Eagles will face William & Mary after playing against the Campbell University’s Fighting Camels on Oct 3.

Students are already expressing excitement for the upcoming festivities.

“I’m excited for homecoming because I can meet alumni and go outside and party with my fellow eagles,” Digital Filmmaking junior Rhese Gardner said. “I’m also really looking forward to the Greek Bowl because there’s a lot going on.”

He added that even though he’s disappointed this semester’s Oil Spill was canceled, he’s still excited for the other events like the parade and concerts.

Here is a list of the week’s on-campus events:

Oct. 3 – Homecoming Countdown

Oct. 4 – Gospel Concert

Oct. 5 – Coronation of Miss and Mister NCCU

Oct. 6 – 10:40 Break

Oct. 6 – Homecoming Experience Showcase

Oct. 7 – Fried Chicken Wednesday

Oct. 7 – Festival Block Party

Oct. 7 – Late Night Breakfast

Oct. 8 – Back to the Nest Young Alumni Mixer

Oct. 8 – Old School Greek Stroll Off

Oct. 8 – Hip-Hop Concert

Oct. 9 – Step Show

Oct. 10 – Football Game

The post NCCU ramping up for the 89th Ultimate Homecoming Experience first appeared on Campus Echo Online.

Based on reporting by North Carolina Central University – Campus Echo.

Black Press

Botham Jean’s Killer Granted Parole 7 Years After His Murder

MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been granted parole, seven years after her conviction for murdering Botham Jean inside his Dallas apartment. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved her release on October 1, seven years to the day after her murder conviction. Guyger was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jean’s 2018 death.

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Botham Jean’s Killer Granted Parole 7 Years After His Murder

Former Dallas police officerAmber Guyger has been granted parole seven years after she was convicted of murdering her neighbor,Botham Jean, inside his Dallas apartment.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s release Thursday (October 1), seven years to the day after Guyger was convicted of Jean’s murder, according to NBC News.

In 2019, a jury convicted Guyger of murder and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Jean’s 2018 death. Her conviction and 10-year sentence were upheld on appeal in 2022.

Geyger’s first parole request was denied in 2024, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.

The Dallas Police Department fired her after the shooting. During her trial, Guyger testified that she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment after returning home from work, believing it was her own apartment one floor below.

She said she saw Jean inside and fired her weapon because she believed he was an intruder, according to NBC News.

Jean was a 26-year-old Black man from St. Lucia who worked as an accountant. He was inside his home eating ice cream when Guyger entered and shot him, NBC DFW reported.

The parole board cited Guyger’s prison record in approving her release. According to NBC DFW, officials said she did not have a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions, maintained a satisfactory adjustment while incarcerated, and completed programs intended to help her obtain and maintain employment.

Jean’s family opposed the parole decision and had asked that Guyger serve her full 10-year sentence, according to NBC DFW.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family, told NBC DFW that the decision was deeply disappointing.

“They stood up again and again to ask that the full sentence be served,” Merritt said.

The Dallas Police Department told NBC DFW that the parole decision was outside its authority and that the department had no role in determining whether Guyger would be released. The department said its thoughts remained with Jean’s family and others affected by his death.

Guyger’s conviction and 10-year sentence were upheld on appeal in 2022.

A civil jury ordered Guyger to pay Jean’s family $98.6 million in damages in 2024, according to NBC DFW.

Guyger’s release date has not been announced. NBC News reported that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will determine when she is released.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HEREto tune in live.

Based on reporting by Michigan Chronicle.

Black History

Morehouse School of Medicine Fall Convocation Has Strong Ties to Nashville

TENNESSEE TRIBUNE — Morehouse School of Medicine recently held its 42nd Fall Convocation and White Coat and Pinning Ceremony, which highlighted strong connections to Nashville. Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, in her 12th year as president and CEO, leads the institution, which welcomed 355 new students.

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Morehouse School of Medicine held its 42nd Fall Convocation and White Coat and Pinning Ceremony on September 18, and it featured strong ties to Nashville. Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice is completing her 12th year as president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). The school boasts 355 students seeking degrees and certificates in the medical field.

“This entering class represents the future of medicine, science, public health and health care leadership,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, and FACOG. “As these students begin their journeys at Morehouse School of Medicine, they join a community grounded in excellence, service and our shared commitment to advancing health equity. We look forward to supporting their development as leaders who will transform the health and well-being of the communities they serve.”

Infectious diseases physician and scientist Dr. Barney S. Graham, MD, and PhD, served as the keynote speaker. He serves as the director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute, professor of Medicine and Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology at Morehouse School of Medicine. He is an inventor of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies approved for human use to prevent or treat RSV, COVID-19 and Ebola. He joined MSM in 2022. He served in various positions at Vanderbilt University for 21 years.

Dr. Graham told the audience to “Embrace the Unseen” and focused on three points: Do the Best You can with what’s in front of you, Do what makes you come alive and Do the right thing even when no one is looking. He added, “Anything you do to improve mental and physical wellness and promote disease prevention will reduce health disparity by reducing the resources needed for treatment.”

His remarks commanded a roaring applause from the audience, which included his wife, Dr. Cynthia Turner Graham, and the former First Lady of Tennessee State University, Mrs. Edwina Hefner, a close friend to the family.

Based on reporting by Tennessee Tribune.

Black History

Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Publishes Global Circle’s Vatican Reparations Call in Special Edition Alongside Heads of State

GLOBAL CIRCLE FOR REPARATIONS AND HEALING — Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing’s submission, “From Accra to the Vatican,” in a special edition of The Ghanaian Envoy. This marks the first time a sovereign state has incorporated the Reparations Presentment to the Holy See into its official record. The 175-page edition, titled “Creating A New World,” also documents Ghana’s campaign that led to UN Resolution A/RES/80/250, which recognized the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

Published

3 hours ago

October 7, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

International responses to Ghana-led UN resolutions declaring the transatlantic enslavemen the gravest crime against humanity

Special Reparations Edition of the Ghanian Envoy - Official Newsletter of the Minisrty of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ghana

“From Accra to the Vatican” appears in The Ghanaian Envoy Special Edition on UN Resolution A/RES/80/250 — the first time a sovereign state has carried the Reparations Presentment to the Holy See into its official record

ACCRA, Ghana / CHICAGO, Illinois — October 7, 2026 — The Global Circle for Reparations and Healing today announced that its submission to Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “From Accra to the Vatican: A Call for a Global Plan of Action on Catholic Church Redress”, has been published in the Special Edition of The Ghanaian Envoy, the official newsletter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ghana. The 175-page edition, titled “Creating A New World,” documents the Ghana-led campaign that culminated on March 25, 2026, in United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/250, which declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialized chattel enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity.

The Global Circle’s submission, authored by Co-Convener Kamm Howard, appears in Part V of the edition, “What Repair Must Now Mean,” at page 161. It shares the volume with statements by President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. of Liberia, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye of Senegal, President Carlos Manuel Vila Nova of São Tomé and Príncipe, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, African Union Commissioner Amma Twum-Amoah, CARICOM Reparations Commission Chair Sir Hilary Beckles, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Dr. Julius Garvey, and Congressional Black Caucus Executive Director Vincent Evans, among others.

The submission traces the Global Circle’s delivery of the Reparations Presentment to the Holy See in Vatican City on July 18, 2022, the document’s subsequent use by the former Vice President of Costa Rica and the Vice President of Colombia in their engagements with Pope Francis, and the partial response contained in Pope Leo XIV’s May 2026 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. It argues that while three of the Presentment’s seven demands have entered the Church’s official language in diluted form, four remain wholly unmet: rescission of the papal bulls that authorized African enslavement, the Church’s call upon other offending Western nations to make redress, the establishment of a joint Vatican–African Diaspora–African Papal Commission on Reparations and Healing, and a substantial financial commitment to repair. The submission asks Ghana to adopt the Presentment as the reference instrument for a Vatican track within the Accra Next Steps Commitments and to convene a first meeting of Global African reparationists toward a collective response.

“For four years the Presentment has been a civil society document carried by civil society hands,” said Kamm Howard, Co-Convener of the Global Circle and Commissioner of the National African American Reparations Commission. “Ghana has now placed it in the official record of a sovereign state, in a volume that opens with a President’s address to the General Assembly and closes by asking what repair must mean. That is not a courtesy. It is a signal to every government, every reparations commission, and every African Catholic that the claim against the Holy See belongs on the state agenda, and that the state which broke the deadlock at the United Nations is prepared to see it there.”

The significance of the publication extends beyond the Vatican file. The Presentment was created as a legal claims instrument by Howard in 2014 and first delivered to corporations and institutions in the United States, where it secured significant concessions. Its appearance in a foreign ministry’s official publication, translated and distributed in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, establishes the reparations presentment as a recognized instrument of international reparatory diplomacy, one that other states and descendant communities can adopt without drafting a new framework of their own. The Global Circle has described this catalytic potential as the “N’namba Effect,” after the Evanston, Illinois, reparations initiative – led by N’nanba Robin Rue Simmons – that gave municipalities across the United States the model, permission, and courage to act.

“The Vatican told us in 2022 that it moves in fifteen-year increments,” Howard added. “Ghana has just demonstrated at the United Nations that a determined state can compress that timeline to a single vote. We are asking Ghana to do for the Church what it did for the General Assembly, and we are asking Global Africa to organize behind that ask with one document, one voice, and one set of demands.”

The Global Circle has written to President Mahama and Foreign Minister Ablakwa to express its gratitude and to propose that its Vatican and Interreligious Actors Working Group lead the first meeting on a collective Vatican response under the auspices of the Government of Ghana. The Global Circle has also formally advised the Congressional Black Caucus of the publication in connection with its pending request that the Caucus recognize the Presentment as the foundational document for reparations engagement with the Roman Catholic Church and join the Government of Ghana in this global call to action.

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About the Global Circle for Reparations and Healing

The Global Circle for Reparations and Healing was convened in 2022 to help build united global reparations front across Africa and its worldwide diaspora. In July 2022 the Global Circle delivered the Reparations Presentment to the Holy See in Vatican City. It co-organized Accra Summit I in August 2022 with the Government of Ghana and the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund, and led the organization of Accra Summit II: Centering Healing Across Global Africa in March 2025 in partnership with the African Union. The Reparations Presentment to the Holy See is available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish at gcrh.org.

Media Contact

Global Circle for Reparations and Healing

Kamm Howard, Co-Convenor

[email protected] 773 520 0369

gcrh.org