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The Root •

Why Confederate Sympathizers at Virginia School District Are Proof Dangerous Times Are Ahead for Black People

Not long ago, there was a powerful unifying moment after the nation witnessed a white police officer murder George Floyd on May 25, 2020.

We saw an unusual groundswell of support for social justice from white allies and corporate titans who pledged to join the struggle for racial equality.

The momentum for change has all but disappeared in the face of a white supremacists counter-offensive.

Confederacy culture runs deep and – if we’re not careful – could turn back the clocks.
The Root •

What Black People Say About O.J. Simpson When White People Aren't Around

In a viral TikTok video, user @xiandivyne admitted that he only says O.J. Simpson was guilty of the double murder that made him go from famous to infamous around other Black people.

“He’s the only Black man that the justice system has ever let slip through like that,” he said.

But around white people, he doesn’t defend Simpson. Instead, he listens to their views. It’s a “racism litmus test” to find out who among them is not to be trusted.

A woman admitted she vigorously argues to non-Blac
BET •

VC Fund For Black Women In Epic Legal Battle Against Conservative Agenda

It's like a shirt with a string, Roe v. Wade, being pulled. Then, you pull another string, affirmative action. And as you keep pulling strings, the shirt is undone – stopping millions and billions of dollars from getting into the hands of people of color.

They may have just thought that we’re a small entity, and they could easily achieve their precedent and baseline. There are many theories out there. I honestly, on record, do not know. But we plan to stand by the work that we do.

Arian Simone
BET •

Explainer: What’s At Stake In South Carolina’s Voting Map Supreme Court Case

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) to protect the ballot rights of Black Americans who faced death, intimidation and various schemes, including literacy tests, to prevent them from voting. Since then, the high court has weakened – but not outlawed – the VRA through its 2013 Shelby County v. Holder ruling and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee in 2021.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the court’s conservative majority, said the drafters of
BET •

Israel-Hamas War: An Explainer About This Battle, the Key Players and What’s Really At Stake

The news has been inundated since last week with updates from the war between Israel and Hamas. The situation is dire, destructive, and dangerous, but it can also be confusing because there's so much information flying around that it can be hard to decipher what’s true and what's false. Plus, not everyone in the U.S. is aptly familiar with the history of the area and the conflict of its people.

This conflict is not new and the situation is escalating each day with no clear end in sight. Voices
BET •

Tim Scott Announces Presidential Bid: 5 Policy Positions He's Taken In Congress

GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina officially stepped into the ring Monday (May 22) to square off against several other candidates vying for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination. As a presidential candidate, the conservative Black Republican is now under national scrutiny over his policy positions and views on race in America. During his time in Congress, Scott has often opposed policies that many in the Black community favor...
BET •

Why Spotsylvania Va., Banned Two Toni Morrison Books From School Libraries

Two acclaimed novels by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison once again made a hit list – this time at a Virginia school district that directed libraries to remove the novels from bookshelves.

Morrison’s novels have consistently appeared on book banning hit lists in recent years. In 2021, the American Library Association (ALA) condemned what it described as a widespread attempt by a few organizations to censor books about the Black experience and LGBTQ issues.

“Falsely claiming that these works are subversive, immoral, or worse, these groups induce elected and non-elected officials to abandon constitutional principles, ignore the rule of law, and disregard individual rights to promote government censorship of library collections,” an ALA statement said at that time.
BET •

Ed Gordon Deep Dives Controversies Surrounding Reparations Movement

A San Francisco reparations committee caused more than a few eyebrows to raise when it recently recommended packages that include a $5 million lump sum payment to each qualified Black resident as compensation for generations of systemic racial discrimination.

If the progressive city acts on the proposal, San Francisco will become the first major U.S. city to fund reparations.

Conversations about how to redress slavery and years of government sanctioned racial discrimination, as well as recovering stolen Black-owned property are happening in Congress, state capitals, city councils and living rooms across the nation.

With the issue bubbling under the surface, former BET News anchor Ed Gordon takes a deep dive into reparations on the next episode of Black in America, which airs April 2 across BET and CBS platforms.
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.
BK Reader •

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