By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Madeleine Albright, the first female secretary of state who remained a close friend with fellow secretaries, Colin Powell (the first Black secretary of state) and Condoleezza Rice (the first Black woman secretary of state), has died at 84.

Albright’s first notable foray into the U.S. political scene came when President Jimmy Carter tapped her as his national security counselor.

Born in Prague, Czechia, Albright stood just four feet and ten inches tall. But her legacy is as significant as that of any other political figure.

Albright’s family escaped the Nazis before arriving in America.

Albright would make her mark in the political sphere by advising Sen. Walter Mondale, Gov. Michael Dukakis, and President Bill Clinton.

Under Clinton, she became U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and then secretary of state.

She cherished her kinship with Rice and Powell, both of whom acknowledged seeking her out for advice when they were cast in the role of secretary of state.

Following Powell’s death in 2021, Albright spoke of the bond between the two respected public servants.

“He was truly an incomparable man in every way and incredibly smart, dedicated to this country,” Albright told NPR. “And turned out we were – got to be very, very good friends. And he was somebody that understood what our country needed and had served it with great honor.”

Albright often spoke of her concerns about divisions in America, particularly during the Donald Trump presidency.

In 2021, she spoke of being bothered by individuals who “know about where facts come from” but ignore them.

“In a (2018) book that I wrote is ‘Fascism: A Warning,’ I went back, and I actually looked at how fascism began, which it did with Mussolini,” Albright stated during a broadcast conversation with Rice.

“The best quote in the whole book comes from Mussolini, and he said, ‘if you pluck a chicken one feather at a time, nobody notices,’ and that is what I think is kind of happening in the United States,” she stated.

“The major thing Mussolini did was to identify with one group at the expense of another, who then became the scapegoats. That is what worries me now. We have been, I think in many respects, artificially divided to blame somebody else.

“I think we need to respect why people are coming from where they’re coming from and to make it a point to listen. And we’re not doing that enough. But the main issue now is, how are we getting our information?”

Albright reportedly died surrounded by her family. Her three daughters and grandchildren survive her.

ServiceNow, a Silicon Valley-based technology company and makers of cloud-based platforms and solutions to help digitize organizations, announced they are expanding their commitment to racial equity in higher education by joining forces with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF).

Chris Rogers has been named Head of Diversity,Equity and Inclusion for Service Now’s Products Division.

With the help of TMCF, ServiceNow will offer scholarships of up to $10,000 each for eight students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities for the 2022-2023 school year. Applicants must submit a video that answers in 1.5 minutes or less “How will your education benefit you, your family, and the community?” All applications must be submitted by April 4, 2022, Noon EST.

“From Thurgood Marshall to Vice President Kamala Harris, some of America’s most prominent leaders are graduates of HBCUs,” said Chris Rogers, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ServiceNow Products Division. “We recognize, however, the unique disparity many Black students face in affording education. The burden of tuition often overshadows the talent found among many Black students across the US. We believe in the mission of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and are excited about our new partnership.”

ServiceNow’s partnership with TMCF is only one of several HBCU initiatives. In March of this year, ServiceNow hosted the company’s first-ever HBCU Connect Hackathon. More than 250 students from 40 HBCUs participated in developing tech solutions in healthcare, housing, wealth creation, digital literacy, and education. The company awarded $60,000 to first and second place winners from Morgan State University, Alcorn State University, Texas Southern University, Tuskegee University, Fisk University, Southern University and Western Governors.

“Education is one the greatest weapons against inequality,” says Karen Pavlin, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, ServiceNow. “When we equip students with the resources and private sector opportunities to achieve their full potential, we create a generation that’s poised to change the world.”

Click here learn more about the 2022 TMCF/ServiceNow HBCU Scholarship.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The constant badgering and apparent lack of respect toward Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during 13 hours of testimony on Tuesday and throughout Wednesday only revealed two essential reasons why Republican senators oppose the D.C. jurist.

First, she’s the pick of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Second, and more troubling, Judge Jackson is a Black woman.

“Many Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are wasting no time embracing the kind of bad-faith scrutiny often reserved for women and Black nominees – beneficiaries of affirmative action, in one GOP senator’s parlance,” Political Analyst Brandon Tensley wrote in an analysis for CNN.

“Some Republicans, lacking a coherent strategy, are pressing Jackson for her views on The 1619 Project and the children’s book ‘Antiracist Baby’ – because of ‘critical race theory,’ though neither has anything to do with the job she’s being considered for,” Tensley determined.

“Others are trying with great effort to cast the nominee as weak on crime by distorting her past work defending Guantanamo Bay detainees and her sentencing in child pornography cases.”

If confirmed, Judge Jackson would emerge as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In questioning Judge Jackson, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham continued the theme of his GOP colleagues, claiming the jurist is weak on crime—specifically regarding defendants charged in child pornography cases.

Repeatedly interrupting Judge Jackson’s responses and egregiously misstating her position, Sen. Graham suggested the judge didn’t consider computer usage a sentencing enhancement.

Her face displaying disbelief in the senator’s behavior, Judge Jackson remarked that she not only sends offenders to prison but orders lengthy periods of supervision following their release.

“Senator, all I’m trying to explain is that our sentencing system, the system that Congress has created, the system that the sentencing commission is the steward of, is a rational one,” Judge Jackson stated.

“It’s a system designed to help judges do justice in these terrible circumstances by eliminating unwarranted disparities and ensuring that the most serious defendants get the longest periods of time in prison.

“What we are trying to do is be rational in dealing with some of the most horrible kinds of behavior.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed Judge Jackson was evasive in a floor speech.

“Judge Jackson is receiving a calm, respectful process, unlike the treatment that Senate Democrats typically inflict on Republican presidents’ nominees,” McConnell decided.

“But unfortunately, thus far, many of Judge Jackson’s responses have been evasive and unclear. She’s declined to address critically important questions and ameliorate real concerns.”

However, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York praised Judge Jackson.

“At times, the judge also displayed one of her greatest traits: her grace and poise, even when Republicans asked intentionally misleading questions,” Schumer remarked on the Senate floor. “Republicans tried to land a blow, but Judge Jackson kept her cool.”

When Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) attempted to get Judge Jackson’s position on Roe v. Wade, the jurist noted that the Supreme Court is currently considering efforts to overturn that law, making it inappropriate for her to comment.

Sen. Cornyn pressed, asking, “What does viability mean when it comes to an unborn child in your understanding?”

The Judge responded:

“I hesitate to speculate. I know that it is a point in time that the court has identified in terms of when – the standards that apply to regulation of the right,” Judge Jackson responded.

Cornyn shot back:

“No one suggests that a 20-week-old fetus can live independently outside the mother’s womb, do they?” Cornyn asked.

To which she responded:

“Senator, I’m not a biologist,” she replied.

“What I know is that the Supreme Court has tests and standards that it’s applied when it evaluates regulation of the right of a woman to terminate their pregnancy.

“The court has announced that there is a right to terminate, up to the point of viability, subject to the framework of Roe, and there is a pending case that is addressing these issues.”

Another Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, suggested Judge Jackson was too compassionate for the Supreme Court.

“It seems as though you’re a very kind person, and there’s at least a level of empathy that enters into your treatment of a defendant that some could view as may be beyond what some of us would be comfortable with, with respect to administering justice,” Sen. Tillis said, piggybacking off colleagues like Sen. Graham who called the judge a “nice person.”

Judge Jackson disputed Sen. Tillis’ assessment.

“I follow the statute that applies to judges that Congress has set forward, including the nature and circumstances of the offense, the history of the character and characteristics of the defendant,” Judge Jackson stated.

When belligerent Texas Republican Ted Cruz attacked Judge Jackson and demanded that, if confirmed, she recuses herself from an affirmative action case involving Harvard University, the judge said she planned to sit out that decision.

Judge Jackson sits on Harvard’s Board of Overseers.

Sen. Cruz defiantly ignored Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin’s (D-Illinois) repeated admonition to allow Judge Jackson to answer his questions and that his time expired.

Sen. Cruz asked Judge Jackson to define a woman, shouting that she’s the only nominee not able to answer that question.

“I know that I’m a woman,” Judge Jackson retorted.

Democrats hope to keep their caucus together in voting for Judge Jackson’s confirmation. In the absence of any GOP support, Democrats need all 50 senators to confirm Judge Jackson, elevating her as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Danielle Sanders, Managing Editor, Chicago Defender

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Race: Bubba Wallace is a six-episode docuseries following the life and career of Bubba Wallace, the only full-time black driver in the NASCAR cup series. “RACE” follows Wallace as he competes on Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s racing team and uses his platform to speak out about racial injustice.

300 Entertainment, the label home of Megan Thee Stallion launched a content and film division, 300 Studios. 300 Studios is headed by Kevin Liles, who is chairman and CEO of both 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, with former Viacom executives Kelly Griffin as head of creative strategy and Nolan Baynes as GM.

Race: Bubba Wallace is 300 Studios’ debut project. The studio currently has 30 projects in development including films, TV Series, and podcasts.

With over 15 years in Music Programming, Development, and Marketing for various companies including Clear Channel, Viacom, REVOLT TV and, now as head of creative strategy for 300 Studios, Kelly “Kelly G” Griffith has honed a unique talent of identifying up and coming superstars that ultimately prove to be profitable on various linear and digital platforms through an increase in streaming, record and ticket sales as well as overall brand recognition. From his days at WGCI to his work at BET, Kelly Griffith has also established himself as a premier programmer, talent booker, and producer.

The Chicago Defender spoke with Chicago native, Kelly “Kelly G” Griffin, head of creative strategy and one of the executive producers of the docuseries, Race: Bubba Wallace about the impact Bubba Wallace is having on the sport, the Netflix docuseries, and the future of 300 Studios.

Race: Bubba Wallace is currently streaming on Netflix.

The post “Race: Bubba Wallace” and the Future of NASCAR appeared first on Chicago Defender.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

William Garth, Sr., a philanthropist, community leader, activist, political influencer, and freedom fighter, earned posthumous enshrinement into the Black Press Archives and Gallery of Distinguished Black Publishers at Howard University’s historic Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.

The guiding force behind the Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group, Garth joined a host of others enshrined, including Lenora “Doll” Carter, Marcus Garvey, Frances Murphy, Dr. Mary Ellen Strong, Charles Tisdale, and M. Paul Redd.

“On behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF), we pause in sacred remembrance in tribute to the life, legacy, and memory of Publisher William ‘Bill’ Garth Sr.,” NNPAF Chair Pluria Marshall Jr., stated in a video tribute to Garth during Black Press Week.

The 2022 Black Press Week celebration also commemorated the 195th anniversary of the founding of the Black Press of America.

A pillar in and around his community, Garth led the Citizen Newspaper with “a steady hand and worked hard to make the news operation the largest Black-owned ABC audited newspaper in the Midwest.”

He began selling advertisements for the Citizen but eventually purchased the newspaper chain in 1980.

The sale included the Chatham Citizen, Southend Citizen, and the Chicago Weekend Newspapers.

He later added the South Suburban and Hyde Park Citizen Newspapers to his holdings.

The Citizen soon became a business that Garth both nurtured and loved. “I’ve been good to the Citizen because the Citizen has been good to me,” Garth famously proclaimed.

To the innovative businessman, it counted as vital to him to ensure African American representation at all levels.

His peers said Garth understood the power of the Black Press and remained an active member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association [NNPA].

He served as president of Midwest Region III of the NNPA and the Region III Advertising Representative.

Garth became the first Black person elected president of the Illinois Press Association [IPA] – the state’s largest newspaper association and office trade organization for Illinois weekly and daily newspapers.

“Bill Garth was my hero, friend, and business partner,” noted former NNPA Chairman Al McFarlane, the founder of Insight News. “He was part of the pantheon of legendary newspaper owners and civic leaders.”

Garth died in 2016 at the age of 79.

Click here to view the video tribute to Garth and all Black Press Week festivities.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

On March 16, 1827, Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm founded the first Black-owned newspaper in the U.S.

They did so because there were no Black voices in the debate over the abolition of slavery.

In their first editorial, Cornish and Russwurm wrote: “in short, whatever concerns us as a people, will ever find a ready admission into the Freedom’s Journal.”

“One hundred and ninety-five years later, the mission of the Black Press has not changed,” Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes wrote in an editorial.

“No matter whether Black Press journalists are invited to a seat at ‘their’ table, the voices of those the Black Press represents will always have a seat at ours,” Rolark Barnes wrote.

From Freedom’s Journal to the North Star to John Abbott’s Chicago Defender, African American-owned newspapers have sparked fires for truth and equality that have burned with the passion of fighting for freedom throughout history.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022, marked the 195th anniversary of the Black Press of America, whose global impact remains undeniable. It all began with Freedom’s Journal.

On March 16, 1827, they announced its presence with a front page that contained these words:

“We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.”

The 4-page edition included stories about the struggle to end the horrors of slavery, lynching, and social injustice.

It also informed the African American community of international news of particular interest like Haiti and Sierra Leone events.

Freedom’s Journal featured African American men and women biographies, schools, jobs, and housing opportunities.

For nearly two centuries, the 230 African American-owned newspapers and media companies, represented by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), have proudly carried that legacy.

The bond between Black America and the Black Press remains strong.

“Relationships, which have been the cornerstone of the Black community and the Black Press for 195 years, have always been its messenger in cementing that bond,” remarked Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry.

Dr. Toni Draper, the publisher of the 130-year-old AFRO in Baltimore and Washington, also noted the enduring value of the Black Press.

“The contribution of the Black Press is invaluable. If not for the Black Press, there would be a lot of things we would not have documented in terms of the African American experience,” Dr. Draper said.

“The Black Press was founded in 1827, and African Americans were not in any of the pages of the white-owned press unless there was an advertisement of our sale, of our resale, or us having run away from slave owners or plantations.”

Dr. Draper continued:

“The Black Press is one of the only places where you can find news and information and commentary about, by, and for African Americans across the spectrum. You don’t have to do anything wrong to make the pages of the Black Press; you don’t have to do anything famous. The Black Press covers the totality of the Black experience in the United States and beyond.”

The anniversary of the Black Press is a reminder of the contributions that remain indelibly associated with the fearlessness, determination, and success of the Black Press.

Those contributions include the works of Frederick Douglass, WEB DuBois, Ida B. Wells, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, and former NNPA Chairman Dr. Carlton Goodlett.

Douglass, who helped enslaved people escape to the North while working with the Underground Railroad, established the abolitionist paper, The North Star, in Rochester, New York. He developed it into the most influential Black antislavery newspaper published during the Antebellum era.

The North Star denounced slavery and fought for the emancipation of women and other oppressed groups with a motto of “Right is of no Sex – Truth is of no Color; God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren.”

Today, the Black Press continues to reach across the ocean where possible to forge coalitions with the growing number of websites and special publications that cover Africa daily from on the continent.

“The spirit of Black journalism, which Russwurm and Cornish inspired, found its way to Houston 128 years later through a vision given to a local Black businessman to birth a newspaper that positively reflected the Black community, while also reporting the hard truths happening in our communities on the local, state, and national level,” Houston Forward Times Associate Editor Jeffrey Boney declared.

The evolution of the Black Press, the oldest Black business in America, had proprietors take on issues of chattel slavery in the 19th century, Jim Crow segregation and lynching, the great northern migration, the Civil Rights Movement, the transformation from the printing press to the digital age and computerized communication.

With the Plessy vs. Ferguson Supreme Court ruling that said no Black man has any rights that a white man must honor, there came a flood of Black publications to advocate for Black rights and protest the wrongs done to Blacks.

Today, the Black Press continues to tackle domestic and global issues, including the coronavirus pandemic and its effects on all citizens – particularly African Americans.

“This is an important story about the history of the Black Press of America that has consistently been the freedom fighting voice of African people in America and throughout the world for 195 years without waiver or distortion of the truth,” stated NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

“Today, in 2022, the Black Press remains the vital source of news and information for 50 million African Americans,” he added.

Chavis continued:

“On this momentous anniversary, the NNPA salutes all the African American-owned newspapers and media companies that are affiliated with the NNPA’s expanding network of over 230 media properties and channels.