Inc

Tuskegee Airmen Charles McGee Turns 101

Brigadier General Charles Edward McGee, one of the last living Tuskegee Airmen, turns 101-year-old, where he celebrated in Bethesda Maryland, waving the American flag as well-wishers drove by while some celebrated, cheering from a distance.  The event even had a surprise fly-over of a P-51 aircraft, the same plane he flew in the war. 

Stay Connected Ministries Helps Hospital Patients

In a move to help coronavirus victims, Stay Connected Life Ministries, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and local organizations recently partnered with Best Buy to donate 200 cell phone chargers to Centinela Hospital Medical Center and Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. The Rev. Douglas E. Nelson, pastor of True Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles and president of Stay Connected Life Ministries, spearheaded the initiative to help patients stay in contact with family, friends and loved ones while in quarantine. Nelson said he experienced being disconnected first hand when an 81-year-old church member was quarantined after contracting the virus.

Russell Simmons Brings Back Def Comedy Jam to Raise Money for Coronavirus Ravaged Areas

Simmons is leading a group of producers who, on Sunday, April 5, will premiere “Def Comedy Jam Presents: Healing Through Laughter,” a marathon fundraiser hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. The program will air online beginning at 10 p.m. EST, and Simmons’ Instagram page will be updated to provide more information. Simmons has established a GoFundMe page with the hopes of raising as much as $100,000 to help with supplies to assist those in need.

Will proposed CRA rule help or hurt Black America?

Amid the tinsel and garland celebrating the holiday season, two important federal financial regulators are planning how the future financial needs of low-and-moderate income (LMI) communities – including neighborhoods of color – will be met.  In an effort to “modernize” the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) on December 12 the board of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) endorsed a proposed Notice of Public Rulemaking (NPR) offered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). 

Ray B. Shackelford Elected as 10th National President of National Urban League Young Professionals

“Just like I didn’t get here on my own, moving forward the same will be true,” said Shackelford. “In the coming months my team and I look forward to meeting with the members across the country and hearing their ideas of how we can work together to advance the movement. It will take all of us to create the impact that we want to see, and our communities desperately need.”

Harris, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Bill to Provide People with Criminal Records A Fair Chance at Housing

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) on Wednesday introduced the Fair Chance at Housing Act of 2019, legislation to remove barriers to obtaining federal housing assistance for individuals with criminal records and their families. The proposal is a comprehensive reform of the eviction and screening policies so individuals with a criminal history have a fair chance at housing assistance.

NNPA Mid-Winter Training Conference Highlights Global Expansion of the Black Press

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) wrapped its Mid-Winter Training Conference on Saturday, Jan. 26, in Orlando, Florida, where publishers, corporate partners and sponsors gathered to help move the publishing industry forward with increased sustainability for the Black Press of America. Included among NNPA partners and sponsors are GM; RAI Reynolds America; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Ford; Pfizer Rare Disease; Macy’s; Juul; Volkswagen; Lilly; Ascension; Compassion & Choices; Collaborative for Student Success; Nissan; Koch; API; AmeriHealth Caritas; AACR; and AABE. The conference theme, “Innovative Training and Global Expansion of the Black Press of America,” was highlighted throughout, particularly

L.A. Care Awards $3.6 Million for Physician Recruitment

L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly-operated health plan in the country, has announced the first round of Provider Recruitment Program grants as part of its Elevating the Safety Net initiative. The mission of the $31 million initiative is to recruit highly-qualified primary care physicians to the Los Angeles County safety net. The safety net is comprised of health care providers who offer access to care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and whose patient population includes a substantial share of the Medicaid population and the uninsured. 

Los Angeles Nonprofits Receive Over $1 Million in Economic Development Grants from Bank of America to Stimulate Business and Neighborhood Revitalization

Bank of America announced $1,124,000 in economic development grants given to 52 nonprofits that help stimulate local business and neighborhood revitalization in communities across Los Angeles. Nonprofits receiving the funds provide services ranging from affordable housing and community development resources to small business support and arts and culture programs that stimulate the local economy.