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se rican-Amer o t in han Cooper. ican deathld quadruple The allegeddcuffs and ha New row inmate in ci Cooper’s 1som’s decision could d en Flori t wa making ouda Today reports t Hills famil 985 conviction in lead to the overtu t. y th rn A an e u in th k d g il o ling of a ru their 11-y ri Enough Of of has the Your Lovtie”es say t Californiapnotential, some polieatir-old house guest. ral Chino and a s. The case cal watcher s say, to d Both the C ivide aliforn and more an a dozenia and United States past appeath lo su w p er courts hav re ls. e rejectedmCe courts “I take no p ooper’s osition regar nocence at about the h this time,” Newsodming Mr. Cooper’s g uilt or inigh-profile said in his terest. N ca ex se free 2. When you see a photo or ad with the Observer 1. Get for that hby Yothe as downloading rk Tapp drawn inteecutive order Sen. Kamew im es ’ co rn lu al at m Interactive logo scan over the whole photo with your it from Google Play or The Apple App a io n is H n al in t Nic arri have all ca lled for res -tand reality TV starholas Kristof, U.S.tablet or smartphone. forensic Store technology. esting using curr Kim Kardashian SUL ent, more The ACLU gorilla suitPHUR, La. (AP) – P se n si an ti ve groups hav d other hu mattress befbroke into a Louisiaol man rights e also urged o n a deeper in an Serving Kern County News ouretl officers arrested h ves gation California state o d social justice et into Cooper fficials to la s Gov. Newtiso sp q u o k o for Over 40 Years es te m Mel E unch ’s con m’s tion issu st in ThSuulphu officers saan by formerorder Friday expandviction. w Jeremie es rsday test four ed s G p co o Moran wal re v. stume. They vious direc rry Brown lowed analpyieces of crime scenJe h ad in son looking received ca kin D ember lls a into homes to an orange sts to perform DNe evidence. Brownec ’s . 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Nlawyers hope the re in n o ce d a o ae er o n p th S v. l er ce an pressure fo e Selyem, wh sults of the New ewsom, wh Volume 45 Number Newspapers Wednesday, July 3, 2019 over the ingObserver Bernardino in the case Group the murderCalifornia som’s order oftoSouthern hel43 r o re m p pro o ic n -t ak is h is s. so es in W being met co ti cial media. with dismtoaybroaden DNA te st him. ve their client’s innould take several mong ordered poof the murders Josh His insultgscrude and racist anhdite, resigned - chelle Obama, U ua Ryen an nths, will . The lone su cence and ta rters of the rg mments et ed ,S fo B . d rmer Firstco finally exo Rep. Maxin lack shooti In 1 Lady Minerate they are disappoRyens and Hughesfamily, friends andrvivor n e g W v on four co9u85, a San Diego Co ic at ti er m s . su an in al Th l p te d across the o an unnamed “Unfortunat d with the gov 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte state say Los Angelmas R. Parker, a form ernor’s dec ely, over tim the time of d Cooper for justice in es office, bel er is d io ep cord - incluescaped prison inm n e u . it ty h th is se is case mat head of the ie ems the vic arrest, he w Th ters FBI’s ti s’ desire “The evis guy is innocenvt,es Cooper. as no Distric in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy cr ” he told th iminal re- “Prior DNtAAttorney Jason Anless and less,” San m id ries and the ania – did en ce w as B d er o not help his te er e p n n Cooper, form rape of a m st la so N ar th in n ew n d te e g icl sa d st th aimed ou Y , he was fr and.” case. inor erly named in 1958 ld exoneratat Mr. Cooper sougidh in a statement. amed, theork Times. What has k per’s guilw e him have t, agreed to cops lied Calif. (AP) – A spreading brushfire BAKERSFIELD, t.” months onldear Pittsburgh, PenRichard Goodman, ep t a th fe all confirm e case goin deral appel and nsylvania. was born Y et ed g la has burned p During his , he was adopted an te er M an su W ec co r. d C oper al86 cars at a CarMax lot in Bakersfield. as e argum ution and re hen he was urt CooLAKE FMonday ive - is ents based six monies and allegiv view the ca’s decision in 2004 toAuthorities received reports afternoon of and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin OREST, C at G io o re se o o stgrass n n v. is recoalong ay hisfires erupting Routeal99 inP)the veringState if. (A juvenile det t a good part of ents physically ab Cooper. gatasonable questions s of evidence tamp conflicting testi- DNA te Newsom’s decisiowith more scseveral ex ie af – Offic n te ti r by fic ev beiangbig-rig sting comes n to allow Central inStacy n road incaused g, keepM. idence. city,yopossibly st California draga mental h ention centers. 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She turned Animal 20Cacres brush y clothingultimately caadministration hougrass se would co mayement soFirefighters Trump who was alood“Though se cat. ontroof the eviden the bloodie Evthe d es en to tr lv l o o th an e y ffi m cr o ed v ce u an io ce e im d gh New They also protective while battling it. rs rushedthe at no cofires. imal masks es, wore over to the prevaillein n crim- the is citizenship bold, he is question added, the Trump h o so st sp m to it tr ’s al th au police, butthaving African Am , d w ec e m treading ca here it was the ble ision in thcar fires. state.” a. sueadequately administration how they hasisto ericans, His that Califoexplain refueliciting e CoCarMax diag lly on a the o p D er panics and r. rn ca employees were evacuated and K p ia se w ri o vobetter sti Krause, no injuries are nose questionatdata them enforce thetentially pola chinwill ters acro othercitizenship g. Hhelp sh e ss a e ex m v th is ri in p et ec zi e reported. o k er n p ri ts the 11-p g bac oliti ties liv-Act,” ping many arian, tells Voting Rights who ee joined others in his focu Cosaid ound (5-kin ntinInniss, k into the w th s on fairncaesl spectrum are ued ilogram) ca celebrating the decision by theonhigh pagcourt il d s and justic af e A2 to strike down te t r M to it cG re g u ai e ir n e s Trump’s request to add the question of citizenship on the that if he se visited the bob strength. es ca t n Friday 2020 Census. it again, he’ . ll issue a tiock In writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts et for j noted that the explanation for preferred federal policy must “not only be reasoned and genuine but also legible to both courts and interested public.” The ruling marks a historic win for democracy, said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). “In blocking Trump’s ability to add a citizenship question, the court has ensured that voting rights for people of BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – A California prison color are protected, and that all communities – regardless guard and a Minnesota man have been charged with tryof race, ethnicity, geographic location, religious views, po- ing to buy cocaine and methamphetamine to sell. litical affiliation, and country of origin – are fairly repreFederal prosecutors on Tuesday charged Joseph Ansented,” Waters said. drade of Bakersfield and Leonard Velazquez-Martinez of House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC), said Minnesota with conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to the future of the nation’s democracy was at the forefront distribute them. They were arrested on Monday in Kern County. It’s Trump has pledged to delay the 2020 Census and he said his administration still plans to include a question of the ruling. unclear whether they have attorneys. that inquiries about a person’s citizenship status. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) Continued on page A7 Prosecutors say at the time, Andrade was a correction officer at Wasco State Prison in Wasco in California’s Central Valley. Authorities say the men tried to buy two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of cocaine and 40 pounds (18.1 kilograms) of methamphetamine from someone they believed was a drug supplier but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. By Stacy M. Brown If convicted, they could face up to life in prison and NNPA Newswire Correspondent a $10 million fine. During a fellowship luncheon and fireside chat at the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) convention in Cincinnati, Lester Booker, Jr., the project manager for communications operations at General Motors explained to publishers and others why it’s important for the automaker and other Fortune 500 companies to invest in historically black colleges and universities (HBCUS). “There are so many great men and women that are being developed and minds that are being cared for, cultivated inside of the schools and they don’t necessarily have BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) – A man has been found the recruitment bandwidth and their career centers don’t guilty of falsely reporting an active shooter at a California have the relationships established to actually open up achospital. cess to larger Fortune 500 companies,” Booker said. KERO-TV reported Thursday that Mario Thompson “So, I think it is imperative that if we want to grab faces up to a year in jail for the August 2018 report at diverse talent, specifically in the African American comMercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield. munity,” he said during the conversation with NNPA The Kern County District Attorney’s Office says President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., on Thompson also faces financial liability for “the havoc his Thursday, June 27 at the Cincinnati Westin Hotel. actions caused.” Chavis and Booker touted the fourth year of the Police say Thompson called the hospital operator popular Discover the Unexpected Journalism Fellowship from inside the facility to report an active shooter. program (DTU) that was developed by Chevrolet in The hospital called Bakersfield police and several 2016 as an HBCU fellowship program. emergency units responded. “It’s purpose was to create and share optimistic stoSentencing is scheduled for July 2. ries while reinforcing the brand’s continued commitment Prosecutors say Thompson was previously convicted to the African American community,” Booker said. of impersonating a police officer in connection with a simDr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. and Lester Booker., the project manager for communications operations at Chevrolet awards each of the six DTU fellows a General Motors touted the fourth year of the popular Discover the Unexpected Journalism Fellowship ilar false shooter report at a hospital in December 2018. He was ordered to serve nine months in jail as a conprogram (DTU) that was developed by Chevrolet in 2016 as an HBCU fellowship program. Continued on page A7 dition of felony probation.
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The Storied History of the Black Press By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Langston Hughes, Romare Bearden, James Weldon Johnson, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Daisy Bates are all names that are notable in many ways. But, their contributions to the Black Press remain profound. It’s the talent and fearlessness of such editors, publishers, journalists, cartoonists and contributors that have allowed the Black Press to survive and thrive regardless of many obstacles. Today, the names of others including Bob Bogle, Dorothy Leavell, Danny Bakewell, Sr., Rod Doss, Rosetta Miller Perry and John Oliver – continue to carry forward the Black Press banner. In a white paper posted on the website of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Jane Rhodes, the head of the department of African American studies said the Black Press [remains] a critical aspect of African American history and culture. Rhodes likened the importance of the Black Press to churches, political and service organizations, and schools and universities. “The Black Press has been central to community formation, protest, and advocacy, education and literacy, and economic self-sufficiency,” Rhodes wrote. Importantly, Rhodes noted that the Black Press “did not always follow the transformation of the mainstream press from a strictly partisan institution to a mass medium governed by ideals of objectivity.” “African American journalism has played a dual role, serving as purveyors of news and information and as agents of social change,” Rhodes said, noting that the Black Press has always been a source of black American political power. Journalist Vernon Jarrett once wrote about the importance of the Black Press to African Americans: “We didn’t exist in the early papers. We were never born, we didn’t get married, we didn’t die. We didn’t fight in any wars. We never participated in anything of scientific achievement. We were truly invisible, unless we committed a crime.” “But, in the Black Press, the Negro press, we did get married,” Jarrett said. “They showed us our babies being born. They showed our graduations. They showed our Ph.D.’s.” In a feature by the California Newsreel titled, “The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords,” several journalists noted the history of the Black Press and they highlighted a period in the late 1940s and early 1950s when black newspapers helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights movement. The feature film’s narrators said the greatest achieve-
First Black Woman Miss Tennessee KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – An elementary school teacher has become the first African-American woman to be crowned Miss Tennessee. News outlets report Miss Greene County Brianna Mason won the pageant at the University of Tennessee on Saturday night in her fourth attempt. The 23-year-old Mason is a Nashville native who was second-runner-up in last year’s pageant, when she competed as Miss Knoxville. Mason says she was determined to win the pageant for all young black women. She says, “I’m here to tell you that it does not matter what your skin color is. It does not matter what your religion is. You can do anything that you want.” Miss Lexington Lauren Dickson was named first runner-up. The pageant was held outside of the west Tennessee city of Jackson for the first time. Mason will compete in the Miss America pageant later this year.
Part II With its annual convention in Cincinnati this year, the National Newspaper Publishers Association again gathers with its past and future in mind.
ments of the Black Press during that time were its “uncompromising political activism, increasing visibility, and recognition of its journalistic excellence.” “Black newspapers muted their militancy to fend off accusations of Communism, and to appease big advertisers who had finally become interested in attracting black consumers,” the journalists noted. At the same time, the mainstream press began to integrate its staffs, and hired some of the best African American reporters away from black newspapers. As the Civil Rights movement developed, the Black Press covered breaking events across the country. Black newspapers sent reporters into whites-only lunch counters, to write about their experiences of being harassed and refused service. They covered demonstrations, riots, and speeches by leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Honoring that history continues today. With its annual convention in Cincinnati this year, the National Newspaper Publishers Association again gathers with its past and future in mind.
The convention provides an opportunity for publishers of the Black Press to plot a course that helps African-American-owned newspapers to continue the mission of its forefathers. “It gives us an opportunity to meet and convene to talk about issues that we normally don’t have the time to sit and discuss,” said Cloves Campbell, publisher of the Arizona Informant. “It’s an opportunity for us to learn about some of the trends and things that are happening in the world, and how we can continue to motivate,” Campbell said. Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the Washington Informer, said the importance of the role Black Press has in the community can never be overstated. “We have the responsibility to uplift the black community and we take that role seriously,” Rolark Barnes said. “We try and find ways to get our message out and to articulate what our community’s needs are and how we are actually working to serve those needs,” she said. “I think the number role we have is to keep our community informed, educated and inspired.”
Vanderbilt Pledges $2M for African American Music Museum
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Vanderbilt University is pledging $2 million for the National Museum of African American Music, which is scheduled to open a 56,000-square-foot facility in downtown Nashville early next year. The university says the gift includes in-kind contributions and direct financial support, and will help expand the museum’s archives, contribute to innovative programming, support the completion of the facility and more. Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos said the partnership will help build global awareness of the impact of African American composers, performers and supporters. The partnership will include collaboration with the university’s Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries to offer thier collection of books, scores, recordings and other materials for loan, display and study at the museum. Vanderbilt and the museum will also team up for a speaker series after the facility opens.