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Stacy M. Brown

President Issues Executive Orders on Voting on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday
NationalNewsPolitical

President Issues Executive Orders on Voting on Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentApril 8, 2021

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended,” President Biden remarked during the Martin & Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast. “But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places.”

Black Press Week Shows Power of African American Newspapers
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Black Press Week Shows Power of African American Newspapers

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentApril 8, 2021

With the theme, “Black Business Challenges Responsibilities and Opportunities Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic,” Black Press publishers, readers, viewers, sponsors, partners, and anyone else tuning in were enlightened about overcoming adversities on many levels. “We will have informative workshops,” promised Pluria Marshall Jr., the NNPAF Chair and CEO of Marshall Broadcasting Group. Marshall and his colleagues delivered.

Children’s Defense Fund: State of America’s Children Reveals that 71 Percent of Children of Color Live in Poverty
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Children’s Defense Fund: State of America’s Children Reveals that 71 Percent of Children of Color Live in Poverty

Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentApril 8, 2021

“While we reported on the 73 million children in the U.S. in 2019, which is 22 percent of the nation’s population, we also note that 2020 was the first year in American history that a majority of children are projected to be children of color,” said the Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, the president and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund.

API Lays Out Initiatives, Including Partnerships with Communities of Color
NationalNewsNews (Business)

API Lays Out Initiatives, Including Partnerships with Communities of Color

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentApril 1, 2021

“In fact, API has had a program for over a decade, which brings a minority and underrepresented communities together to talk about, jobs and initiatives within the oil and gas sector,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said during a news conference on Thursday, March 25. “It’s an important priority of both the API board of directors and the API team in Washington. We’ll continue to grow those alliances over time because we know, based on the studies that we have done in this space, we expect that 50 percent of the jobs in oil and gas in the next 20 years are going to be filled by women and minorities.”

Disney+ Streaming Service Places Restrictions on ‘Classics’ with Racist Stereotypes  
EntertainmentNews (Entertainment)TV

Disney+ Streaming Service Places Restrictions on ‘Classics’ with Racist Stereotypes  

Stacy M. Brown , NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent March 26, 2021

“The crows and musical numbers pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where White performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations,” Disney officials noted about “Dumbo” on its streaming platform. “The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States,” the statement continued. 

Congress Members Urge Vaccination During Black Press Week 
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Congress Members Urge Vaccination During Black Press Week 

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent March 26, 2021

“Protect your children and your grandchildren, protect those who you come in contact with,” Congressman Clyburn stated during the annual National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund’s (NNPAF) Black Press Week. “Take the shot. It’s safe to do,” the congressman declared during an interview with Real Times Media President and CEO Hiram Jackson. 

National Museum of African American Music Opens in Nashville 
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National Museum of African American Music Opens in Nashville 

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent March 26, 2021

From rock and roll to blues, jazz, and hip-hop, music is as much the African American way of life as the afro was Black people’s style in the 1970s. Finally honoring that history, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) has opened in Nashville, Tenn. 

Senate Confirms Marcia Fudge as HUD Secretary
NationalNewsPolitical

Senate Confirms Marcia Fudge as HUD Secretary

Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentMarch 18, 2021

“We applaud the confirmation of Rep. Fudge as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, responded in a statement. “Her appointment comes at a pivotal time when her leadership is sorely needed. The U.S. faces a severe housing crisis as millions of residents struggle to pay their rent and mortgages due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”

Biden: States Should Open Vaccinations to All Adults by May 1
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Biden: States Should Open Vaccinations to All Adults by May 1

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentMarch 17, 2021

More than 529,000 Americans have died since the pandemic began, and nearly 30 million have contracted the virus. “We all lost something,” the President declared. “A collective suffering, a collective sacrifice, a year filled with the loss of life. In the loss, we saw how much there was to gain. An appreciation, respect and gratitude,” he uttered. Within his first hours in office, President Biden launched a comprehensive strategy to defeat the pandemic. He noted that in the seven weeks since, the Administration has delivered more than 81 million vaccinations and more people can visit their loved ones again.

U.S. House of Representatives Passes Milestone Voting and Ethics Legislation
NationalNews

U.S. House of Representatives Passes Milestone Voting and Ethics Legislation

Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentMarch 15, 2021

House Resolution 1 – the “For the People Act of 2021” – counts as a strong rebuke and counterbalance to voting restrictions considered or enacted in various Republican-led states across the country. It restricts partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts and nullifies obstacles for voters.

House of Representatives Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
NationalNewsPolitical

House of Representatives Passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Stacy M Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentMarch 11, 2021

“For too long, we have endured the pain of watching or seeing the deaths of people of color, particularly Black men and women, at the hands of rogue police officers who operate with impunity and take it upon themselves to be the arbiters of life and death,” Congresswoman Maxine Waters declared. “The trauma that our communities feel is only made worse by the ways in which we are forced to reckon with the reality that Black people are over 3.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white people, and Black teenagers are 21 times more likely to be killed by police than white teenagers.”

IN MEMORIAM: Civil Rights Icon Vernon Jordan Dies at 85
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IN MEMORIAM: Civil Rights Icon Vernon Jordan Dies at 85

Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National CorrespondentMarch 4, 2021

NAACP President Derrick Johnson said the world lost an influential figure in the fight for civil rights and American politics. “An icon to the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, his contribution to moving our society toward justice is unparalleled,” Johnson declared. “In 2001, Jordan received the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal for a lifetime of social justice activism. His exemplary life will shine as a guiding light for all that seek truth and justice for all people.”