April 04, 2019
VOL. 34, No. 14
Local and National
in Brief
Francis Taylor, Asst. Editor
Nipsey Hussle’s murder was among the 26 shootings and 10 homicides in Los Angeles since last Sunday. His mourning transcended family and friends and led to more suffering when 19 people were hospitalized at a vigil at the site of his death in South Los Angeles Police announced on Tuesday they had captured 29-year-old Eric Holder as the suspected killer. We celebrated Cesar Chavez Day this week to honor an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. During the 31 years he led the United Farm Workers of America they achieved unprecedented gains for farm workers through genuine collective bargaining agreements between farm workers and growers. Political newcomer Lori Lightfoot has been elected Chicago mayor, becoming the first black female — and openly gay — leader of the city. The 56-yearold Lightfoot is a former federal prosecutor who campaigned on ridding Chicago’s government of corruption and helping low-income and working-class people she believes have been “left behind and ignored.” A House committee voted Wednesday to au2 thorize subpoenas
By Francis Taylor, Asst. Editor
Eric Holder, a suspect in the murder of Grammy-nominated rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle has been arrested in the Bellflower neighborhood of Los Angeles. Hussle was gunned down on Sunday afternoon in front of his Hyde Park clothing store, Marathon Clothing Company. Two other men were also shot, though they survived their injuries. At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, LAPD Chief Michel R. Moore described a personal dispute between Holder and Hussle, alleging that Holder showed up in front of Hussle’s clothing store multiple times before shooting him:“Mr. Holder walked up on multiple occasions and engaged in a conversation with Nipsey and the others that were there. He left and subsequently came back armed with a handgun and purposefully and repeatedly fired, striking and killing Nipsey Hussle.” Hussle, 33, died from gunshot wounds of both the head and torso, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirmed on Monday. “Paramedics were called and [Hussle whose birth name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom] was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.,” the coroner said, in a statement.
At the press conference, Moore asked Holder to turn himself in: “To Mr. Holder, who I am confident is watching this: I ask him to surrender.” Moore also said he believed Holder was a member of a local gang, though Hussle’s slaying did not appear to be gang-related. On Monday night, the day after Hussle was fatally shot, the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement asking the public to aid in their search for Holder. “On March 31, 2019 around 3:20 p.m. three male adults were standing in front of a business in a strip mall in the 3400 block of West Slauson Blvd. The suspect walked up to the men and fired numerous shots at them. The victims were struck and fell to the ground,” read the statement.
“The suspect ran southbound through an adjacent valley to a waiting vehicle. The suspect entered the passenger side of the vehicle, driven by an unidentified female, and fled the area. On Monday night, mass chaos broke out at a vigil for Hussle when multiple people were injured on site. “We had a series of falls, trips and injuries from the glass and other materials that were there, and that was the vast majority of the injuries that we saw,” Moore stated during a press conference. On Monday night at least 19 people were transported to hospitals after Hussle’s memorial, where hundreds of people had gathered to mourn the loss of the rapper and activist, who was a beloved figure in his community and the music world at large.
Chairwoman Maxine Waters: Receives the NAACP Chairman’s Award During the
50th NAACP Image Awards
On Saturday, March 30, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the first woman and first African American to Chair the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, received the 2019 NAACP Chairman’s Award – a highly coveted award that is “bestowed in recognition of individuals who demonstrate exemplary public service and use their
distinct platforms to create agents of change.” The award was presented to Congresswoman Waters by Leon W. Russell, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors, during the 50th NAACP Image Awards. Following are her historical remarks upon acceptance: 4 To the Chairman and
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