NNPA NEWSWIRE — The rollback of diversity efforts comes as data reveals significant racial inequities in corporate leadership. USA Today reported that its investigation found that white men hold seven out of 10 executive officer positions at the nation’s largest companies, with one in seven of those companies having all-white executive teams. The lack of representation underscores the stakes for employees of color and marginalized communities as diversity programs face increasing opposition. In 2020, following the global Black Lives Matter protests, Walmart pledged to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. Its “Belonging” program promised associates they would “feel seen, supported, and…
Author: Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire
Daniel Penny, the former Marine who placed Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on a New York City subway, was acquitted Monday of criminally negligent homicide. Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with a documented history of mental illness, died on May 1, 2023, in an incident that drew national attention and ignited weeks of protests over issues of mental health, public safety, and racial justice. The acquittal came after a jury of seven women and five men deliberated for five days. Their decision followed a deadlock on a more serious manslaughter charge, leading Judge Maxwell Wiley to dismiss it on…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In 1972, she made history as the first Black candidate and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.-12) announced the passage of bipartisan legislation awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the late Shirley Chisholm, a pioneer in American politics and the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968. The Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act will now head to President Joe Biden for his signature. The bill, introduced in the Senate by Senators Butler and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and in the House by…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler, the bill’s primary sponsor, has garnered backing from key lawmakers, including Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The legislation seeks to award Chisholm one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, cementing her place as one of the most transformative figures in American history. As the 100th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s birth approaches on November 30, a growing effort to honor her legacy is taking shape. Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to Congress in 1968 and a trailblazer for equality and justice, remains a powerful…
John Amos, the Emmy-nominated actor and pioneering television star who brought to life some of the most beloved characters in entertainment history, has died. He was 84. His son, K.C. Amos, confirmed in a statement that Amos passed away more than a month ago, on August 21, in Los Angeles of natural causes. The younger Amos didn’t say why he kept his father’s death under wraps for more than a month. “It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. said. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of…
Vice President Kamala Harris decisively took control of the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, delivering a performance that put Trump on the defensive for much of the evening. Moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis of ABC News kept a tight handle on the debate, significantly improving from CNN’s June handling of Trump and President Joe Biden. The debate began with a surprise as Harris approached Trump to shake his hand and introduced herself as “Kamala Harris,” an unusual move that set the tone for the night. Trump’s trademark scowl stayed in place…
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and CBC members have released a first-of-its-kind report titled “What Good Looks Like: A Corporate Accountability Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” The report aims to hold Fortune 500 companies accountable for their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice movement that followed. This initiative comes as corporate America faces renewed scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case. The CBC’s report highlights which corporations are making tangible progress in advancing DEI…
In a monumental move to address the underrepresentation of Black physicians in the United States, Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a $600 million donation to the endowments of four historically Black medical schools. Officials said the donation is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, which aims to advance racial wealth equity and address systemic underinvestment in Black institutions and communities. Howard University College of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Morehouse School of Medicine will each receive $175 million, while Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science will receive $75 million. Additionally, Bloomberg said $5 million in seed funding will support creating a new historically Black medical school…
Forbes Magazine highlighted Walz’s appeal as a moderate Democrat with a working-class background and rural roots, making him an attractive option for independents and moderate Democrats. The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has learned that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, has chosen Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz as her running mate after much speculation and a whirlwind of last-minute vetting and interviewing candidates. As of Monday, August 4, reports suggested that Harris had narrowed her choices to Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Other considered candidates include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Walz provides…
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) also condemned the invitation, with NNPA National Chair Bobby Henry and President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis denouncing the decision as harmful and contrary to NABJ’s values of inclusion and solidarity. “They invited him to disrespect a Black woman and did nothing to protect or back her up,” journalist and author David Dennis Jr. tweeted. “The single most disgraceful thing I’ve ever seen at NABJ.” Donald Trump’s controversial appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) annual convention in Chicago may have been even more of a disaster than…