NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mosby, a trailblazing prosecutor, made national headlines in 2015 for her bold decision to charge six officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed Black man whose death in police custody sparked widespread protests. Her pursuit of accountability was lauded by many as a necessary step toward justice in a system riddled with racial bias. Her zealous advocacy brought significant reforms to the criminal justice system, including implementing police body-worn cameras, decriminalizing marijuana, securing exonerations for the wrongfully convicted, and ending prosecutions for low-level offenses.By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper…
Author: Benjamin Chavis
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The loss of Title IV funding would drastically affect around 80 percent of the student bodies at HBCUs and would have a consequential negative impact on the future of these vital institutions of higher education. Endowments at HBCUs pale in comparison to those at the U.S.’s top ranked colleges and universities, with the overall endowments at all the country’s HBCUs accounting for less than a tenth of Harvard’s. The gap in funding between PWIs and HBCUs isn’t just because of smaller endowments, it’s also because state lawmakers keep funds off HBCU campuses – in North Carolina, for…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Swipe fee reform isn’t radical; it’s about fair competition and a level playing field. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) — a bipartisan bill being considered in Congress — aims to introduce competition into this marketplace by requiring at least two competing processing networks on each credit card. This could save American consumers and businesses an estimated $15 billion annually. America’s financial system is quietly reinforcing old inequities. Black American communities — historically denied access to wealth-building tools due to practices like redlining and restrictive banking — now face a new predatory financial hurdle: credit card swipe fees. For…
by The Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr, There are moments in life when the convictions of the spirit and personal consciousness collide in opposition to the mainstream, popular outcries for the blood, life, and the end of the future existence of another human being. I refuse to be a silent witness to another lynching in America. Thus, the following is what I have observed and witnessed firsthand over the past days to the lynch mob-like escalation of calls for President Joe Biden to step down from campaigning for reelection in 2024. I am not representing any organization or political party. …
From less access to quality healthcare, to the exclusion of anti-obesity medications from Medicare, and most Medicaid and general insurance coverage, our healthcare systems under-prioritizes the well-being of Black Americans. And we’ve learned from history that until we make our voices heard, this crisis will continue to be brushed aside. Whether we accept it or not, obesity continues to be a complex, chronic disease that kills thousands of Black Americans every year. Indeed, nearly half of Black Americans live with obesity, so we cannot afford to ignore this national emergency any longer. The public discourse around weight loss that has…
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. I will not be silent on the issues of racial hatred, violence, and prejudice. I am speaking out publicly in support of the recent call by billionaire African American business leader and philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, to stand up against the resurgence of racism and antisemitism in America. Blacks and Jews in the United States have had a long history and tradition of working together and sacrificing together for freedom, justice, equality and equity. Lest we forget that we have marched together for over a century. We have shared blood together. And we have…
By Benjamin Chavis Several months ago, I co-wrote an op-ed with my long-term friend and national media colleague, Jim Winston. Our commentary emphasized why “Diversifying American Media Ownership Must Become a National Priority.” Now after the results of the high turnout of communities of color and young voters in the recent Mid-Term Elections across the United States, it is time once again to reiterate the relevance and importance of ensuring an increase in the multiracial diversification of ownership of radio and TV broadcast stations as well as all other media platforms including print and social media. The multimedia publishing and…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — We commend the Biden-Harris Administration thus far in its first year striving to move the nation forward on equity and diversity matters even during the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the epidemic of partisan politicization of issues and supporting public policies that will improve and enhance the quality for life of all Americans. On this issue of media reform, we hope and resolutely call for the FCC in 2022 to be aligned fully with the official stated commitments of the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure fairness, equity and diversity. Whenever I have had the responsibility during the…
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO African Americans and other communities of color across the United States of America will spend the traditional Thanksgiving holidays this year with multiple perspectives ranging from gratefulness of having life itself to increasing feelings of speculation about our future destinies and progress in America. We have won some victories. We have suffered some defeats. Yet, we are a people of African descent who are also profoundly aware that our long struggle for freedom, justice and equality continues today in America, in Africa and throughout the world. The…
(NNPA NEWSWIRE) — There is an old African proverb that captures one of the challenges that too many financially successful Black-owned business leaders face today in America. That proverb is “Your earned riches may engender envy and jealous criticism but be not dismayed by the foolishness of the envious.” Across the nation as business owners are attempting to recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic, African America business leaders who are defying the odds with their financial success are often targeted by “mainstream media” and others who summarily and unfairly castigate Black business leaders economic achievements. Is this syndrome racially-motivated?…