Greene County Democrat - October 15, 2025

Israel releases 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under Ceasefire

By Sam Metz and Jalal Bwaitel, HBCU News

Palestinians wait for release of prisoners

Cheers erupted among Palestinians on Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that saw them exchanged for Israeli hostages freed by Hamas

Large crowds greeted the freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza flashing V-for-victory signs as they descended from International Committee of the Red Cross buses

See Ceasefire, p 6

Louisiana case could redefine Voting Rights Act protections

By Lawrence Hurley, HBCU News

Protestors for fair re-districting maps in Louisiana

The way Louisiana s Republican leaders put it, the pervasive racial discrimination in elections that led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is all in the past

That is why they are now urging the Supreme Court in a case (Louisiana vs Callais) being argued on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, to bar states from using any consideration of race when drawing legislative districts gutting a key plank of the law that was designed to ensure Black voters would have a chance of electing their preferred candidates

See Voting Rights Act, p. 6

The Shutdown Standoff

By April Ryan, NNPA White House Correspondent

“We are not going to back down ” demanded House Minority Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries regarding healthcare for Americans The Affordable Care Act is one of the key issues that created a stalemate between Democrats and Republicans, which resulted in the government shutdown The New York Congressman says he is open to meeting with the president the vice president, and others in the Republican Party to end the government shutdown that began on October 1st

See Shutdown, p 2

The lie about immigrants and America’s debt to them

By Jason Roberts, NNPA

There is a lie moving through America It creeps through congressional halls and across television screens whispering that undocumented immigrants live freely off the sweat of the American taxpayer It is a lie told by those who know better and repeated by those who are too ignorant or too hateful to care And while the lie spreads the truth is being brutalized on the streets

According to data from the Cato Institute, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified its war on peaceful people As of this past summer ICE was arresting 1 100 percent more noncriminal immigrants than it did in 2017

See Immigrants, p 7

School Boar d selects AASB to conduct superintendent sear ch

The Greene County Board of Education met in a special session, Monday October 13 2025 to discuss and determine the procedure for initiating its superintendent search All board members were present as well as board attorney Hank Sanders

Board President Leo Branch noted that the board had at least two options; conduct the search itself or engage the professional services of the Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) Branch asked Attorney Sanders to further explain the options

Attorney Sanders confirmed that all the steps for the superintendent search would be conducted by AASB staff, including, but not limited to advertising the position receiving and screening all applicants and submitting finalists to the board The board then interviews finalists and makes its decision Sanders stated that should the board

conduct the search itself board members would be charged with conducting all components of the process

President Branch informed the board the he was not able to lead such a search with the board

There is too much work involved and it is too difficult to get all board members together, which this process would require We are already 13 days behind starting this search, he stated Vice-President Veronica Richardson said she would lead the process if the board chose to conduct its superintendent search Board member Brandon Merriweather offered his assessment that since some board members have work obligations, the more efficient approach would be to go with AASB s plan

President Branch asked for a motion for action on the superintendent search

Mr Merriweather moved to engage AASB and

Board member Carrie Dancy seconded All voted to approve, except Ms Richardson who voted no A second motion was made, seconded and carried to select the AASB Gold approach for the superintendent search AASB offers a service tier which determines the expanse of the search, related tasks and the cost AASB’s options are delineated as Silver Gold and Platinum

The board selected the Gold tier which includes the following AASB tasks at a cost of $9 999:

* Advertise the position statewide and regionally and recruit candidates

* Publish a descriptive brochure

* Facilitate a board meeting or work session to finalize a profile of the desired leader

* Provide an interview guide for the board

* Conduct up to five meetings with constituent groups

* Present analysis of

staff and community feedback

* Survey staff and community on desired superintendent qualities and skills

Utilize a communication style assessment to assist with candidate screening

* Receive and screen applications

* Respond to inquiries regarding the vacancy

* Check credentials and references

* Notify candidates who are not selected as finalist

•Submit finalists to the board

•Once superintendent takes office, facilitate discussion of board and superintendent communication styles

The board also approved scheduling a Superintendent Search Workshop with AASB which would serve as the board s required annual Whole Board Training, at no additional cost to the board

Commission a ppr oves CD investments with Mer chants & Far mer s Bank County Commission and School Boar d to deter mine status of ad valor em tax for schools

The Greene County Commission met in regular session, Tuesday, October 14, 2025 with all Commissioners present The October meeting was scheduled for the second Tuesday since the second Monday was National Indigenous Peoples Day a holiday observed by Greene County At the Commission s work session, held Wednesday, October 8, Ms Marquita Lennon CSFO of the Greene County

Board of Education presented a request for renewal of an ad valorem tax for the school system Ms Lennon indicated that the milage tax would expire in 2026 and the procedure for renewal required action from the county This was an agenda item for the October 14 meeting at which time Attorney Mark Parnell stated that according to his research, the milage tax was not scheduled to expire in 2026 because it was

attached to a bond Commission Chairperson Garria Spencer, recommended that the Attorneys for the county and the school board communicate and bring clarity to the issue by the next commission meeting The Commission approved a recommendation by Ms Altheria Wilder, CFO for Greene County Commission, that CD investments currently at Pinnacle Bank in Birmingham and scheduled to expire be transferred to Merchants & Farmers Bank for better interest rates She noted that Pinnacle offered 3 5 interest rate; Merchant &b Farmers offered seven month CD investment at 4 5 and 13 month CD investment at 4 25 The total CD investments approxi-

See Commission, p 2

Ala bama School of Healthcar e Sciences cer emony br eaks g r ound in Demopolis

From Yellowhammer News Service and 256

Today

Marking a new era in Alabama healthcare, ground was broken on October 14 for the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, in Demopolis, Alabama

State and national leaders joined educators healthcare professionals philanthropists, and local officials in a ceremony that was called a milestone for education and workforce development in rural West Alabama, according to a news release

“This school represents more than bricks and mortar, said Gov Kay Ivey, who boosted the school in the Legislature and its location in the state’s Black Belt

See ASHS, p 6

On October 12 2025 the Eutaw Police Department arrested Keyuara Brown of Eutaw for several warrants with the Eutaw Police Department

On October 7 the Greene County Sheriff Department arrested Anthony Clay 51 of Tuscaloosa AL for criminal mischief

Derrick Edwards, 54, of Newbern, AL, was also arrested for theft by deception 1st degree He was released on a $30 000 bond Christoper Dixon, 40, of Boligee, AL, was arrested on October 8 for theft of property 3rd degree theft of property 4th

criminal mischief 3rd degree x 2

mischief 2nd degree The Eutaw Police Department reported the following incidents 10/7 - Greene County Democrat reported a burglary 2nd degree 10/7 -Tangler Powell reported identity theft 10/8 - Anita Lewis reported an incident 10/8 - Felicia Allen reported an incident 10/9 - Raven Simmons reported stalking 10/10 - Antania Powell

domestic violence

3rd degree 10/10

Martha Brooks reported criminal mischief 3rd degree 10/12 - Lashanna Scarbrough reported an incident 10/10 - Tony Cherry reported domestic violence 2nd degree and criminal mischief 10/10 - Monica Cox reported leaving the scene of the accident 10/13 - Charissa Moore reported property damage 10/14 -Tiffanie Austin reported a civil dispute The Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following incidents 10/8 - Benetta Williams

Carol’s Notes

The Big C

This is the month of the Big CCancer

This is the month to remind us

Cancer is with us every month, every day and every moment

We can’t imagine anyone who has not been touched by cancer

If it isn’t in our bodies, it surely has been or is in the body of one close to us

This is the month of the Big CCancer

This is the month we call attention to a killing disease

We go looking for it to stop it

Feeling good is not a safeguard

Let the medics check every nook and Cranny of our bodies

Cancer hides and creeps up on us

Cancer may leave and still return

This is the month of the big CCancer

Read all we can about it

Study all we can about it

Learn good foods, good practices for our bodies to stand against cancer Cancer is determined to cancel us

We are more determined to contain and conquer cancer

Carol Prejean Zippert

--Community Calendar--

October 19- Oak Hill

C P Church in America

coridally invites you to worship with us in our Annual Homcoming at 1:30

The guest speaker is Rev Moses D Finch Rev

Shutdown

Willie G Fulgham is chuch pastor October 19- Zion Hill M B C of Pleasant Ridge AL cordially invites you and your chuch family to come help us celebrate our

Church Anniversary at 11:00 a m Pastor Brian Croom is the guest speaker Rev Kenneth Gilmore is church pastor

However, he is adamant about not caving on the healthcare issue

On the Hill today House Speaker Mike Johnson calls on Democrats to reopen the government so that negotiations can continue Republicans need five Democratic senators to vote for the House-passed continuing resolution, which makes drastic cuts to health care Jefferies vows Democrats will not support a “partisan spending bill that guts healthcare Adding to the Republican pressure on Democrats, President Donald Trump said over the weekend furthering a verbal sparring match “Democrats are causing the loss of a lot of jobs with a shutdown

However, Jeffries says those in charge are to blame, explaining, “The extremists have complete control over the government What are we missing here? Republicans are in charge of the White House, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court Jefferies made these comments on The Tea With April: They [Republicans] would rather shut the government down than provide healthcare ”The shutdown could last at least two weeks, creating layoffs and firings Republicans are refusing to extend the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act for working-class Americans Jeffries also contradicts the GOP narrative, “a Republican lie that we are trying to provide healthcare to undocumented workers ”

Democrats emphasize that more than 24 million Americans rely on the Affordable Care Act tax credits to afford and access healthcare in this nation In a related note the government shutdown is also to blame for the delayed meeting between Jeffries and the Democratic New York Mayoral front-runner, Zohran Mamdani Jeffries has not endorsed a New York mayoral candidate yet

Commission

In other business the Commission acted on the following items

* Approved hiring grant writer Marilyn Culliver Attorney Parnell will prepare contract

* Approved painting the Activity Center

* Advised staff to follow-up on replacing doors and glass at Activity Center

•Approved the School Resource Officers contract

•Approved the Supplement Agreement with Sheriff Benison regarding the sheriff ’s payment to the county for additional employees in his department

•Approved the SSUT Resolution - Alabama Simplified Users Tax

The Commission approved various board appointments and re-appointments

Commissioner Corey Cockrell recommended the following persons from District 3:

Ms Shirley Edwards reappointed to the Hospital Board; Ms Kimberly Tyree appointed to the Greenthumb Board; Ms DeCharo Rice appointed to

the PARA Board; Ms Vivian Carpenter appointed to the DHR Board

At Commissioner Tennyson Smith’s request the Greenthumb board position for District 2 was tabled, as well as Commissioner Roshanda Summerville’s DHR board position for District 5

At the request of Commissioner Smith, Ms Geraldine Walton was appointed to the Greene County Mental Health Board

The financial snapshot for the period ending September 30 2025: General fund claims paid totaled $861,905 62; Payroll Transfer total $299,112 48; Fiduciary totaled $38 079 45 Electronic Claims paid August 2025 totaled $94 482 87 Citizen Trust Bank unrestricted funds totaled $1,098,587 31; restricted funds totaled $4,485,946 84 Merchant &bFarmers Bank unrestricted funds totaled $2,015,221 86; restricted funds totaled $2,799,038 82 CD investments totaled

$1 901 457 80 In the Public Comment session of the meeting Mr Michael Williams, former Greene County Commissioner, gave an emotional reaction to the current State Audit of the Greene County Sheriff s operations Williams emphasized that the nearly $5 million the State Examiners of Public Accounts reported has no documentation and must be refunded by Sheriff Benison could have been used to support local services such as the hospital, school system fire departments, emergency services and others He asked Greene County residents to sign a petition which will be sent to the Alabama Attorney General s office for legal action Commission Chair Spencer and Attorney Parnell emphasized that the recent State Audit Report involves only Sheriff Benison s operations; the audit has nothing to do with the County Commission s operations

Mayor Latasha Johnson graciously welcomed AMERICA 250

The Revolutionary War Patriots Marker Dedication at the Greene County Historical Society Headquarters took place Saturday morning, October 11, 2025 The new monument reads: Revolutionary War Patriots

This marker commemorates the Men and Women who achieved American Independence These Patriots valiantly strove to found a new nation 1775 – 1783

Dedicated, 2025, by Greene-Sumter County Daughters of the American Revolution In Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States

GIANT KILLERS: MORE THAN TWO (2) BILLION DOLLARS FOR CLIENTS

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Don’t

Poetry

Mayor Latasha Johnson (center) greets the Daughters of the American Revolution in front of the new Historical Marker

Eutaw High, Gr eene County High and Par amount High annual Class Day celebr ation

Sepember 27, Eutaw High, (Vikings) Greene County High (Tigers) and Paramount High (Bobcats) held their annual Class Day at the Robert Young Community Center grounds with lots of fun and reminiscing Each year the Class Day draws more class participation

HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATOR

GREENE COUNTY HEALTH SYSTEM

We are searching for a motivated, self-starter to oversee operations of a 20 bed Hospital, Emergency Room, 72 bed Nursing Home, and Physicians Clinic, in a rural, predominantly African-American county, in the western Alabama Black Belt

Desired applicant should have three (3) years previous experience in health care operations, personnel management and a strong financial background BS degree in Healthcare Management or accounting at minimum

Salary range: $85,000 to $120,000, negotiable based on experience and qualifications; with full benefits package including health and hospitalization, state pension, etc

Submit resumes for consideration by October 24, 2025 no phone inquiries:

John Zippert

Search Committee

Greene County Health System P O Box 82 Eutaw, Alabama 35462

e-mail: jzippert@aol com

Fax: 205-372-2243

Website:greenecodemocrat

T he death of Kyr en Lacy falls on Lafour che Parish Sherif f ’s of fice. We need Police Refor m now.

By Marc Morial, Presi-

dent and CEO, National Urban League

(TriceEdneyWire com) -

“Every day we wake up we fight battles nobody sees Be kind Be accountable Be human ” – Ryan Clark

America has a long history of over policing Black men scapegoating them as criminals without due process The tragic death of rising LSU football star Kyren Lacy is no different Not only was his death completely preventable, but the LaFourche Parish Sheriff s Office should be held accountable for an arrest and prosecution without cause without an investigation and investigated for discriminatory policing practices

Upon review of the footage of the accident that caused 78-year-old Herman Hall to lose his life, it is clear that this young man does not bear responsibility for this tragic car crash; his vehicle was not even present when it occurred

Yet deputies from Lafourche Parish s office not only arrested Kyren Lacy but also charged him with negligent homicide felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle while failing to review any evidence in the process

The unimaginable anxiety and shame that mounted on a young man who entered the 2025 NFL draft the same month that this tragedy changed the trajectory of his life ultimately claimed his own this April, ahead of a trial Lacy, a former LSU football player with immense promise, died by

Tr ump’s r eal pr oblem with Black Women is power he can’t contr ol

By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire com) -

Donald Trump has a type and it’s not the one tabloids flaunted His real issue is Black women who hold power From Letitia “Tish” James to economist Lisa Cook from reporters like April Ryan to political insiders like his former ally Omarosa, the pattern is unmistakable: when a Black woman refuses to bow he melts down

This isn’t random Trump built a persona on domination belittling interrupting steamrolling anyone who won t comply

But put a Black woman across the table who won’t defer and the “strongman” act collapses into petulance

Take New York Attorney

General Letitia James who held him accountable for fraud Trump didn t argue the case; he called her “racist” and “corrupt ” Tantrums not legal arguments James pressed on,

suicide during a police pursuit months after being charged in connection with a fatal crash Before the courts could determine the facts, before the truth could fully surface, his life came to an abrupt and irreversible end For those who knew him he was not a headline or a statistic; he was a son, a teammate, and a young man still finding his way in a world that too often shows young Black men its harshest face

This tragedy is about more than a single moment It speaks to the deep failures of a justice system that too often confuses accountability with punishment, and law enforcement practices institutions are designed to preserve life or to control it

At the National Urban League we know that public safety cannot exist without public trust Through our 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust, we have outlined a comprehensive framework for real reform reform that moves us beyond rhetoric and toward results

These pillars demand transparency, community engagement, and accountability at every level of law enforcement They call for independent civilian review boards, strict standards for the use of force and a nationwide system to prevent officers with histories of misconduct from quietly transferring from one department to another

Our vision is not anti-police; it is pro-justice We believe in a model of community policing rooted in respect empathy and shared responsibility Officers should be trained and equipped to respond to crises with compassion as well as control, and departments must reflect the diversity and values of the communities they serve Reform must also include investment in mentalhealth response conflict resolution and economic opportunity, because proper safety is not built on fear, but on fairness and trust

methodical and unbothered, securing a sweeping victory that rattled Trump Tower

Dr Lisa Cook an economist with a résumé that should silence critics Spelman, Oxford, Berkeley groundbreaking research on innovation and race faced the same hostility Trump treated her Federal Reserve nomination as an affirmative action scandal The message: a Black woman’s expertise must be political, not earned

Both James and Cook faced minor or baseless mortgage fraud accusations James’ “violation” may have netted her less than $20,000 over her loan s life Did she fill out the paperwork herself or rely on a broker? Selective prosecution reeks here and so does a Trump tantrum

Trump’s reflex to demean and discredit reveals more about him than the women he attacks His worldview depends on hierarchy; Black women disrupt that We don’t scare easily We don t flatter him We operate in truth kryptonite to someone thriving on illusion

Black women have long been America s truthtellers, standing at the intersection of injustice and insight From Sojourner Truth to Fannie Lou Hamer

to today s judges, journal-

ists, and scholars, we ve called out hypocrisy and demanded accountability

Trump who built a brand on lies, cannot abide it

Black women symbolize accountability in a nation allergic to it When Trump faces us, he faces centuries of resistance mothers, teachers, organizers who refused to let white power go unchecked He s not sparring with individuals; he’s wrestling with history

That’s why his attacks feel personal When James sues him he calls names instead of arguing law

When Cook earns a post, he questions qualifications instead of debating policy

The same energy appeared with April Ryan, whom he told to “sit down,” and Yamiche Alcindor whose calm questions rattled him more than any prosecutor could These women expose what Trump cannot: his fragility

Even in debates with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump revealed his weakness He belligerently raised questions about her intelligence and integrity instead of addressing issues It’s easier to demean someone than confront the nation s problems

Black women break through bluster They know the playbook gaslighting deflection the victim act and have seen

Hypocrisy in Hol y Robes

By Ben Jealous

( Tr i c e E d n e y Wi r e c o m ) - It’s been a month since Cardinal Timothy Dolan compared right-wing activist Charlie Kirk to Saint Paul, and I still can’t shake it

Maybe it lingers because of what else was happening that week in Chicagoland

The same week much of the city was still mourning Silverio Villegas González

an immigrant father from Michoacán who dropped his boys at school was pulled over on the way to work, and was shot in the back by an ICE officer the Cardinal praised a man who had urged “lethal force to be used against people like Silverio

The contrast was too much to ignore: a father dying to stay with his children, and a prince of the Church invoking the name of Jesus while celebrating a man who called for such executions

Yes, that Jesus the one who told us to love our NEIGHBOR as ourselves to welcome the stranger to leave vengeance to the

Lord The same Jesus whose spirit is etched at the base of our Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free ” That Jesus It was in that Jesus’s name that Cardinal Dolan praised Charlie Kirk as a modern-day St Paul a missionary a hero who wasn’t afraid to say Jesus’s name

A man who evangelized about using lethal force against immigrants and preached that Michelle Obama and several other brilliant Black women “did not have the brain processing power to be taken seriously

Yes, Cardinal Dolan praised the man who said those terrible things as if he were the very apostle Jesus selected to spread the Gospel

When I first heard it, the old wristband slogan came to mind: WWJD What Would Jesus Do?

I’ll confess, another three-letter word popped into my head first But let’s not go there Father, please forgive me

If the question is WWJD then the answer in this case can only be: repent Catholicism is not just one faith among many; it is America’s largest Christian body and the predominant faith across much of the region where Cardinal Dolan spoke In Chicago Catholic churches anchor whole neighborhoods

Polish, Mexican, Irish, Filipino, Haitian, Brazilian

Nearly half of the area’s Catholics are Latino the majority Mexican For generations of immigrants, the Church has been more than ritual It’s been refuge

So when Cardinal Dolan praised a man who urged violence against migrants, much of his own flock was still in mourning They were grieving Silverio Villegas González, but they were also grieving something larger a sense of decency under attack

The Bible is clear about how God judges such moments The prophet Ezekiel tells us that Sodom’s sin was not lust but arrogance, gluttony, and unconcern for the poor and needy ” It was their hardness of heart toward strangers that brought them down

When a church leader blesses cruelty as holiness he s not preaching Paul s gospel He s sanctifying Sodom’s sin

Even the Gospel most cherished in conservative pulpits Matthew leaves no room for such cruelty Its Jesus does not build walls; He breaks bread He warns that all the law and prophecy rest on love of God and neighbor, and He defines that love in action: “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me ”

To preach that Gospel while excusing violence against the stranger is not

it all Trump is just a loud echo of every boss, politician, or pundit who couldn’t handle a woman standing in her authority What s remarkable isn t Trump’s behavior it’s theirs These women show up do their jobs and don’t let his noise derail them James didn t trade barbs; she built a case Cook didn’t respond to smears; she kept teaching and researching Arrogance is dismantled with quiet, disciplined excellence

Trump’s conflict with Black women is a mirror and America should look closely The insecurities driving his outbursts fuel much of our politics Black women are the most consistent defenders of democracy, yet the most disrespected when wielding its power Their strength exposes our collective weakness: fear of a world where equality isn’t negotiable Black women represent the kind of power Trump cannot buy, bully, or charm For a man who built his empire on control that is one truth he ll never tweet his way out of

Dr Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author based in Washington DC Juliannemalveaux com

fidelity it s hypocrisy in holy robes

From Chicago to America to the world to Rome Cardinal Dolan owes a deep apology

To the immigrants who have carried this nation’s labor and its faith

To the children who will grow up knowing their father died trying not to be torn from them

To the mothers who teach their sons that love is stronger than hate

To the parishioners who still believe that love your neighbor as yourself means all neighbors Yes Cardinal Dolan owes an apology to each of them and to every believer who, like Jesus himself, knows the words “Whatever you did to the least of these you did to me” are a commandment

Because when cruelty is crowned as courage and violence is blessed as virtue the Gospel itself is profaned

We are all flesh and blood, all fallible and all beloved I know I am And when we fail, we must seek repentance even from those who already love and respect us I worry this plea will fall on deaf ears

Please, Cardinal Dolan in our Lord and Savior ’s name prove me wrong

Ben Jealous is a former national president of the NAACP and a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania

Kyren Lacy’s death reminds us that every encounter between law enforcement and the public is not just a matter of law, but of life His story joins too many others in the long record of loss that demands our nation’s attention and action The goal of justice cannot simply be punishment after tragedy; it must be prevention before it To be equal means more than equality before the law; it means equality in treatment, in dignity, and in the chance to live freely and fully The work of reform is not abstract It is urgent It is human And it is the only way to honor those we have lost while ensuring that fewer lives meet the same fate Lawmaker s, advocates push back a gainst HUD's Retr eat fr om Fair Housing

Recent whistleblower complaints of systemic dismantling of fair housing and civil rights enforcement at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have led ranking minority members of both chambers of Congress to jointly call for hearings

By Charleen Crowell (TriceEdneyWire com)

On September 30 a letter co-signed by Rep Maxine Waters who serves on the House Financial Services Committee, and Sen Elizabeth Warren who serves on her chamber ’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, together charge that HUD is on an unalterable course towards violating long-standing fair housing and related enforcement See Lawmaker, p 5

Lawmaker s

The two lawmakers also identified specific HUD leadership actions that substantiate their requests:

•Implemented a gag order that prevented its Office of Fair Housing (OFH) from communicating with external parties both within and outside of HUD “without express approval from political leadership This single directive resulted in closing over 100 housing discrimination cases

•Reassigned 75 percent of the OFH staff assigned to its Violence Against Women’s Act leaving the office unable to serve or support survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault

The enforcement of fair housing and civil rights laws is not an ‘optics problem ’ Alleged efforts by HUD leadership to dismantle decades of progress are shameful, betray the American public, and represent a profound abuse of taxpayer dollars wrote the lawmakers Failure to act leaves millions of Americans at risk of rampant discrimination in housing and mortgage lending

From January to July this year the OFH approved less than $200 000 in settlements stemming from similar discriminatory charges By comparison OFH staff including 22 lawyers, managed 2,000 new complaints annually that resulted in legal settlements ranging from $4-8 million in each of the last five years

Two September memoranda – one sent to HUD staff and the other to Fair Housing Initiatives Program Grantees made clear the agency’s shift away from pursuing investigations and enforcement of fair housing violations, and towards swift investigation of alleged violators that prevent burdensome investigations

On September 16, John Gibbs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, advised staff of the changes that took immediate effect Individual complaints will now only consider personal experiences, rather than racial or community-based trends and practices

“This memorandum als o calls attention to priorities and practices that must be eliminated,” wrote Gibbs “[T]he previous administration’s prioritization of so-called appraisal bias and targeting of market-based appraisals was lawless This group-oriented race-based guidance runs counter to basic civil rights principles and departs from the plain text of the Fair Housing Act ”

The next day September 17, Gibbs issued a second memo advising Fair Housing Initiatives Program Grantees of the withdrawal of long-standing documents that provided guidance and context on a range of fair housing issues such as legal standards real estate transactions, income testing, reasonable accommodations for disabilities and more

The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is committed to issuing guidance only where

that guidance is necessary and would reduce compliance burdens rather than increase them”, wrote Gibbs “Historically the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity has at times released guidance without adequate regard for whether it would increase or decrease compliance burdens and costs

This policy has changed ”

News of a whistleblower complaint filed by a HUD attorney was first reported by the New York Times on September 22:

“In one email a Trump appointee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development described decades of housing discrimination cases as “artificial, arbitrary and unnecessary

In another, a career supervisor in the department s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity objected to lawyers being reassigned to other offices; the supervisor was fired six days later for insubordination

“The emails are among dozens of pages of internal communications memos and other documents reviewed by The New York Times that show efforts by the Trump administration to limit enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law that has prohibited discrimination in housing for nearly six decades

On September 23, a civil rights coalition facilitated by the National Fair Housing Alliance brought united concerns from 38 national organizations, 22 states and the District of Columbia along with 47 state/local organizations –all opposing HUD s actions

“In his confirmation hearing HUD Secretary Scott Turner promised he would commit to upholding the fair housing laws” during an exchange where he was asked whether he would commit to the vigorous enforcement of the nation’s fair housing laws,” wrote the coalition “Under his direction, HUD has not lived up to the promise HUD is affirmatively dismantling its capacity to carry out its statutory responsibility to enforce the Fair Housing Act and other fundamental civil rights laws

” When redlining continues to deny communities of color access to affordable housing and finance and racially biased appraisals diminish the accrual of wealth via homeownership that other races and ethnicities receive the need for fair housing enforcement should not only remain but should be aggressively enforced

For many consumers and housing advocates alike, catering to alleged fair housing violators instead of those measurably harmed by their actions is a distortion of the letter and spirit of the Fair Housing Law

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending She can be reached at Charlene crowell@res p o n s i b l e l e n d i n g o r g " data-linkindex= 5 >Charlene crowell@responsiblelending org

Senate Sketches #1999.....by Hank Sander s The Power of Little Uniting

A little becomes a lot when it unites with other little Let s take a snowflake as an example

Every snowflake is individual Every snowflake is unique Every snowflake is delicate Every snowflake is complex Every snowflake is beautiful Every snowflake is perfect

This is a universal perception of a snowflake The power of little uniting Every snowflake is unique With trillions of snowflakes on earth no two are exactly alike Just like we humans Every snowflake is individual No matter how much snow we see, each snowflake is individual but not alone Just like humans Every snowflake is delicate yet strong If I hold one finger up and a snowflake falls on it, it will melt in a fraction of a second Just like we humans Every snowflake is complex with different shapes, sizes and configuration and yet simple Just like we humans Every snowflake is beautiful and yet not so beautiful Just like we humans Every snowflake is perfect and yet imperfect Just like we humans The power of little uniting When snowflakes unite they become very powerful They cause us to close schools businesses and other centers of human activities They stop airplanes from flying They stop traffic and cause accidents They become the bases of whole businesses such as ski resorts They provide rivers of water running down mountains Even one handful of snowflakes squeezed together will transform into a snowball missile when thrown The power of little uniting

I am extremely concerned Yes I am concerned about me and my health and my life and my soul Yes, I am concerned about my family and all those connected with me in ways I perceive and understand and ways I neither understand nor perceive Yes I am concerned about my community and its institutions such as schools medical centers, etc Yes, I am concerned about all these things but there is something I am now concerned about much more than all these things put together The power of little uniting

More than all these matters I am concerned about what is happening in and to this country in these perilous times Yes, what is happening in and to this country affects all my personal and community concerns However what is happening in and to this country affects the whole world In my travels to Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, I have seen the powerful impact of the United States of America (which people all over the world refer to as “America”) The power of little uniting

The United States of America is extremely powerful economically, militarily, culturally and politically And that is a whole lot of power However its greatest power is in the democratic ideals it represents I know that these democratic ideals have not been perfected in practice, but they are nevertheless extremely powerful for peoples around the world These ideals give hope to so many These ideals provide examples to

so many to shape beliefs These ideals build a foundation for crystalized faith for so many The power of little uniting

The very long march toward perfecting its ideals is part of the power of America Yes, it’s been 250 years in the making with perfection still far from being a concrete reality However, those in countries across the globe see where the United States of America (“America” as they call it) come from to where it is perceived to be in the present It came from 13 individual colonies ruled by a foreign power It came from the worst form of human slavery known to humankind It came from a place of Indigenous Peoples to a country of immigrants It came from a country where a few male landowners could vote to a place where nearly all citizens can vote It came from a place of being exclusively Indigenous Peoples to one of one of European Immigrants who established forced slavery of African Peoples for centuries And from that it came to be the most diverse nation on earth It also came from an underdeveloped place to become one of the most developed nations on earth It grew to be the richest most powerful and most influential country in the world It grew from 13 individual colonies on the East Coast to 50 states stretching across the continent to the West Coast and beyond It came from a very limited democracy to the best known democracy on earth All this is a part of the world’s perception The power of little uniting Now we are on the verge of destroying all of what was built over these 250 years The freedom of speech built over the years is at risk The right to vote expanded down through the years is at risk The Political stability instituted over the years is at risk

The country where most peoples in the world wanted to come now makes most people reluctant if not afraid The country of the broadest economic opportunity is now controlled by a limited number of billionaires, (They call it autocracy) The power of little uniting

The basic things that are generally accepted as making a country great are the following; happiness and health of its inhabitants; income equality; social safety net; a livable wage; an absence of widespread corruption; functional governance; protection of rights and freedoms; democracy and accountability; great educational institutions; economic and technological advancement; global and environmental responsibility, global contributions; and respect for diversity and inclusion All these things are under massive attacks and in my view are being overpowered The power of little uniting

In these United States of America, there are troops in streets in some cities with active threats to also send them to other cities

People are being snatched up on the streets in workplaces schools etc The people are being snatched up by law enforcement persons wearing hoods The health safety net of Medicare and Medicaid have been cut There are massive attacks on diversity and inclusion Global

contributions to health care and food are drastically reduced Efforts to slash environmental protection are awash Political leaders are being charged with crimes purely at the directions of the President People are fearful in ways I have not seen before This is not the America the World has known The power of little uniting

All this brings me to the application of the refrain; the power of little uniting We cannot depend on the federal government to maintain the ideals and practices that made this country be perceived as great The federal government composed of the Executive Branch the Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch is now an instrument smashing these very things that helped this country to be viewed as great The power of little uniting

I have hope, belief and faith in the peoples of the United States of America

Yes we who are proud individuals Yes we who are unique and different Yes, we who are delicate and yet resilient Yes, we who are beautiful and yet not so beautiful Yes, we who are perfect and yet imperfect Yes we who are complex and yet simple Yes we are little and yet powerful All that is required is for enough of us to come together as snowflakes in unity If we do that, we can stop this terrible march toward self-destruction If we do that this country can continue on the long road leading to a “more perfect union” The power of little uniting

Now on to the Daily Diary

SATURDAY, October 4, 2025 – I walked handled many matters and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Faya Rose Toure and Josephine Curtis of Selma; and Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier

SUNDAY – I hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Dr Margaret Hardy on Facebook Live and Z105 3 FM Radio Station Among others, I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of Montgomery; Gloria Pompey of Selma whose brother transitioned and sister is experiencing illness; and Ainka Jackson of the Selma Center for Nonviolence and the Bridge Crossing Jubilee

MONDAY – I walked handled many matters and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) State Coordinator Shelley Fearson; Greene County Chief School Finance Officer; Marilyn Cosby and Karen Jackson of Selma; Dr Robert White of Alabama State University; Retired SCLC National President Emeritus Charles Steele and wife Annette Steele; Latasha Brown of Black Voters Matter; State School Board member Tonya Smith Chestnut; Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway Jr ; and Cynthia Ross of Detroit, Michigan

TUESDAY – I handled many matters and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Greene County School Board Pres-

ident Leo Branch; Dorothy Hulett and Brenda Wheeler of Lowndes County; Dr Sonya Webb of the Lowndes County School System; Rev Kenneth Glasgow of the Ordinary Peoples Society and the New National Christian Leadership Movement; Willie Boo Parker of Baldwin County; Sarah Nixon of the McRae Gaines Learning Center; and Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton

WEDNESDAY – I walked handled many matters and participated in meetings and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Albert Jackson and Charlene Williams of Selma; York Police Chief Damien Steele; Yomi Goodall of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Geraldine Wofford, Junior Oliver, and Khadijah Ishaq of Selma; Roy Stevens of Baldwin County; and Selma Businessman Floyd Hatcher

THURSDAY – I handled many matters participated in the SOS conference call, traveled to Lowndes County and returned to Selma Among others, I communicated with the following: Law Professor Emerita Martha Morgan; Reverend Jahmal Sanders of Selma; Attorney Fred Gray of Tuskegee; Lowndes County School Board members Steve Foster, Ben Davis; Robert Grant and Brent McCray and Superintendent Samita Jeter; and The Greene County Democrat Co-Publishers Dr Carol P Zippert and John Zippert

FRIDAY – I was headed to Lowndes County for an 8:00 a m meeting when the front axle on my 2013 Toyota went out I had to return slowly to Selma where I handled many matters Among others I communicated with the following: Retired College President Dr James Mitchell; Barbara Pitts of Decatur, Georgia on her birthday; Susan Parker concerning the 45th marriage anniversary of she and Paul Parker; Talladega Businessman Roger Sims; New South Leaders Everette Wess, Sylvia Fritts, Norma Jackson and Robert Turner, Sr ; Muhjah Shakir of Tuskegee; Dr Ernest Okeke of Selma; and Jonathan Raulston of Birmingham

EPILOGUE – By our individual selves, we are like snowflakes: delicate and yet strong, different and yet similar, complex and yet simple, beautiful and yet not so beautiful unique and yet similar However when we come together we become a powerful force that can overcome any challenge including a powerful dictatorship in the making The power of little uniting