On Monday, Dec. 4, clergy from near and far came together for breakfast at Praises of Zion Baptist Church in support of the Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, a candidate for the presidency of the National Baptist Convention of USA Inc.
Air quality has been a daily concern for all Californians in recent weeks due to the fires ravaging our state, but the truth is pollution has been choking Black and Brown communities for generations. It is time to hold our elected leaders accountable and ensure our voices are heard on important policies affecting our ability to breathe.
Community leaders gathered with hundreds of marchers to protest the discriminatory Senate Bill 793. The goal of SB793 is to ban the sale of flavored tobacco, prohibiting e-cigarettes and vaping; however, menthol cigarettes are also included in the band while excluding hookah. A clearly racist and discriminatory exclusion.
The behavior of the Rancho Cordova police officer who pinned an unarmed 14-year-old African American boy to the ground and punched him repeatedly for purchasing a tobacco product is disgraceful, distressing and outrageous. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. It is one of far too many videos of police using physical force on a daily basis against people of color in neighborhoods of color. Most police officers work hard to do the right thing but bad police behavior is enabled and fueled by racist policies such as the proposed ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes preferred by over 80% of African Americans who choose to smoke.
The National Action Network (NAN),one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations with chapters throughout the entire United States, is focused on promoting a civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice and equity for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender.
Pastor William Turner, Jr. has charted a record number of milestones during his long ministerial career.