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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 News ouretl officers arrested h Serving Kern County ves gation California state o d social justice et into Cooper fficials to la s Gov. Newtiso sp q u o k o es te m Mel E for Over 46 Years 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 46 Number Newspapers December 11, 2019 over the ingObserver BernarWednesday, in the case Group the murderCalifornia som’s order oftoSouthern d hel14 in r o re m p pro o 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. 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What has k per’s guilw e him have t, agreed to cops lied 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 p During his , he was adopted an te er M an su W ec co r. dC asive argum ution and re hen he was urt CooLAKE FOR ents ased six monies and iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin Gov. Newvso on conflicti EST ents physica is recoverin w stay his exCooper. reasonable qualeslegations of evidenbce t a good p it h m juvenile det o m re n D ’s g sc g after bei,nCalif. (AP) – Offic ar N ll d te ti ie t ta y ec A o n st o m n ab ti is if g te s p fi io at ad u ab st er c en y se n o o in o ev in o rs d ti n le u to g g id o g struck by u t sc h ro , n se co the ethod ence. im k p raisin ence living ad in South centers. In a mental d nail Co low another a polic g California Governmes early in the al s and storiee in several attack, and to ern Californ oper. Threm ro u L n ag te d Californiah. ealth facility in Pen1982, Cooper esca es u rm o o in n e h in r f a ia. av w whose supp of the prog Beach Police e high expec ped from three attacker sworn testimony, eapons were use vestinsylvania b th e O o re rt ra ta ss O er n iv ti ffi g s d ons. e County R e so on the poli s who were cer Thomas efore movin Jo Duri “DNAthe meone’s pet en said hein theMosby, egister he in White. Heshua RyMarilyn g to could have been H sting Baltimore gued that nCg his murder trial, tical Left should imm saw solve the Ryte when the ca later testified it is p o p F an o ro eb F p ic se u . er en . ed rt 1 cu k her compli Ryen, their illed husban t darted inially th case reopened tors succes CA9. – Increasing Community thState’s City at they ChAttorney, and finally iately take pBAKERSFIELD, ia n g an ca sa sf 1 ti d n 0 la u id n am -y an ll ce g y d ear-o dw McGuIssues, the rosecu ed D ensure justAwarenessto About uring the ca arneighbor C Law front that DNA - thSocial ire says Education, tions’ the ice is servedre& mpaign. “N hristopherld daughter Jessica ifane Doug and Peggy belonging toiana Roper came foprw wwith h ev e case earlier this year because cl en an id ai en h im m e Enforcement Human Trafficking the Links s, ce al g ,” b o a her former ot nly is it Hughes. Po can d was bigger ut testing in t out to chec womd with bloo boyfriend ar thengineering, lice foundan 11-year-old inal. She turned provSTEAM Animaltechnology, enforcemoen this case whoelp lawand an a house dy cllingering Leadership en to (science, othing Control offi who was aof the eviden the bloodie Evenquestions d t u es so ld t. tr lv co o th an e y m cr o ed v ce u an io ce e im d gh Newsom it. rs rushed ca at no costarts, lent crim- is bold, h imal ho spit and mathematics) es, tr Academy over to the the ble to ’s al e th au porecent African Am , d is w ec e m li tr revelations of corruption h st is ce a. ea er at io , d Bakersfield Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, e e. n b in is it ” u in su g t w they ericans, His carefu e that Calif as diagnose the Cooper Dr. Kristi KAcademy Saturday, orndepartment panics and case STEAM ia voters aclly on a potentialLinks watchin ininothe city’s police rause, a vet other m ly polariLeadership g. He is kee sh ro e ss ex th p ec zi e er December 14, 2019 at 8:30am until 1:00pm. At n p rities liv- C ts the 11-p inariathe g bac oli ping his fo n, tells th spectrum Middle ound (5 ontinued stretched k into 801 cus on fairticalEmerson that allegedly back ar School, 4th Street, Bakersfield, -k th e ilogram) ca on page A e w n il ess and just d af te t to r 2 M it cGuire visit regains stre CA 93304ice th ngth. for decades. ed at ifare th e he being b o These workshops to create awareness sees itheld b ca t on Friday again, he’ll issue a with about societal issues that students are faced By Stacy M. Brown ticket for j. daily. The event will feature: NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent Educational workshops for students and parents: Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart were released and exonerated after spending 36 · Cyber Safety and Bullying years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. The men were teenagers when they received a life · The Dangers of Vaping sentence in 1984 after being convicted of murdering 14-year-old DeWitt Duckett in Baltimore. · Human Sex Trafficking prevention: “Everyone involved in this case — school officials, “How Not to Get caught In the Life” police, prosecutors, jurors, the media, and the community — rushed to judgment and allowed their tunnel vision · School Success to obscure obvious problems with the evidence,” said Shawn Armbrust, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic · Tech Careers Innocence Project, which represents Watkins. (From L to R) Andrew Stewart, Ransom Watkins and Alfred Chestnut, were released and exonerated after “This case should be a lesson to everyone that the spending 36 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. (Photo: CBS News/YouTube) · Informational workshops for parents
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Incidents Like Gabrielle Unions Too Black Hair Will Soon Be Protected By New State Law ’ “
By California Black Media Staff On Jan. 1, 2020, California will enact a new law, the CROWN Act or Senate Bill 188, that protects Black women and men from discrimination in the workplace for wearing natural hairstyles. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law, the first of its kind in the nation, in July. Authored by state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), who is African American, the bill expands the definition of racial discrimination to include hair. “We believe this is just the beginning of the end to hair discrimination. It’s another chink in the armor of racial discrimination in this country and I’m just proud to be part of the movement,” Mitchell said when the governor signed her bill.
Just weeks before the law takes effect, news broke that SAG-AFTRA, the Los Angeles-based labor union representing more than 160,000 television and film industry professionals, is investigating the circumstances of popular actress Gabrielle Union’s dismissal from her job as a judge on the NBC television series “America’s Got Talent,” partly because of her rotating natural hairstyles. Four sources who claim to have insider information about the way decision makers at the television competition series treated Union say the actress received more than six notes describing her hairstyles as “too black.” Union, known for her roles in more than 25 films and as the star of the long-running BET
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series “Being Mary Jane,” has not made public comment about the incident. But her husband, NBA star Dwayne Wade, has tweeted about her firing. If Union decides to sue NBC or the show’s producers for hair discrimination, she will not be able to stand on the CROWN act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, because of the timing of her case. But the show producers have confirmed that they are speaking with Union’s representatives to resolve their differences. Some Twitter users are calling for a boycott of the show.
Powerful Book for Young Black Boys Celebrates 25 Years with a Pledge to Get 1 Million New Readers Jerald LeVon Hoover became the published author of a Young Adult (YA) title, one of a few books targeted toward young Black and Brown boys ages 12 and up, My Friend, My Hero. This novella has become a staple, as recommended reading in elementary through high schools across the country and around the world. That is a distinct honor Hoover shares with a short list of African-American male YA authors including: Walter Dean Myers, Kevin Powell, Kwame Alexander, and Ralph Burgess. My Friend, My Hero, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a commemorative edition that includes an addendum of book discussion questions and now available; a full curriculum with a companion Student Success Guidebook, Teacher’s Guide, and Unit Assessments containing lesson plans. The goal is to promote Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom by providing strategies for students to make better choices and gain much needed confidence to support unleashing their inner greatness.
Hoover states, “Exposing Black and Brown children to a barrage of negative imagery and expecting their positive self-image to remain intact is ridiculous, insensitive, unjust, and unfair.” Hoover then adds, “Young Black and Brown men are focused, gifted, driven, intelligent, and masterful at a host of other talents besides rap music and competitive sports; of which carries no shame, but we have other skill sets of significant influence. We are men of honor and integrity, regardless of whether we are born into poverty or wealth. But how can young Black and Brown men, or men of any race for that matter, define themselves and live up to their full potential if they only receive distorted representations?” Hoover continues, “My Friend, My Hero is intended for all youth (races and genders), but I gave the spotlight to young, Black and Brown males because of the dire need for young Black and Brown men to have access to more positive representations of themselves to which they can relate.” Celebrating 25 Years in Print, My Friend, My Hero, is the first in the acclaimed The Hero Book Series by Jerald LeVon Hoover. Other titles from The Hero Book Series are He Was My Hero, Too, A Hopeful Hero, and Hoop Hero. The novella took nine years to get published after forty rejections and sixty drafts. ABOUT THE BOOK Bennett Wilson has the world at his fingertips as one of the top basketball players in New York State who is destined to lead Mount Vernon High School to the state championship for the first time. Many of the nation’s top colleges are already reaching out, eager to sign him to their roster. Scholarships are guaranteed. Still young, Bennett is used to fanfare and eagerly anticipating his rise to fame and fortune. Yet, all is not as it appears. Strife and difficulties plague Bennett’s personal life. Growing up in Mount Vernon, he is the son of a single mother and the oldest of three, sharing a tiny apartment in the tough inner-city projects. Life is a struggle. Bennett knows his ticket to freedom is through basketball and academic excellence. Thanks to the support of his loyal friend Kirby and a budding romance with Tara, he pursues his dreams and refuses to get caught up in the fast life of the streets. Things change when Bennett learns his mother’s health is failing. She has fallen far behind on the rent, and they face eviction. The weight of responsibility falls on Bennett’s shoulders, just as trouble and the troublemakers appear. Fast money seems to be the only option. Will Bennett try to help his family and risk ruining his future? Will Bennett finally succumb to the dangers and temporary comfort of the street life he has fought so hard to avoid? And if he give in, what will it cost him? Purchase the book on Amazon or learn more at https://theherobookseries.com Jerald LeVon Hoover released his debut YA title My Friend, My Hero in 1992. A year
· Exhibit Fair featuring SWAT, Bomb Squad, the Fire Department The community, students, and parents are welcome. Please call 661-205-0849 to RSVP this event is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Man Arrested After Getting Stuck in Chimney TUCSON, AZ – A man is facing charges after authorities say he tried to climb down the chimney with a bound in a vacant house – and got stuck. KGUN-TV reports firefighters in Tucson, Arizona, rescued the man Friday after finding his legs dangling from inside the chimney. Authorities say rescue workers were called to the scene following reports from neighbors who said they heard a man calling for help from inside the home. Firefighters say they used a rescue ring and a rope on a crane to pull the man out of the chimney. Officials say the man is in his mid-30s and wasn’t injured. Tucson Police say the home was vacant and the man was charged with trespassing and possession of a dangerous drug. His name was not released.
Bill to Ease Harsh Discipline Against Girls of Color BOSTON, MS (AP) – U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is pushing legislation aimed at confronting what she described as punitive disciplinary actions taken disproportionately against girls of color in school. The Massachusetts Democrat said from kindergarten through their senior year in high school, black girls are seven times more likely to be suspended as white girls, and four times more likely to be arrested at school. Pressley said Latino and Native American girls are also suspended from school at higher rates than white girls. Pressley’s bill would establish $2.5 billion in new federal grants to help states and districts that commit to ban unfair and discriminatory school discipline practices and improve school climates. The bill would also strengthen the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights by setting aside $2.5 billion for additional enforcement and monitoring while also creating a federal task force.
Jerald LeVon Hoover released his debut YA title My Friend, My Hero in 1992. A year later, he was awarded Best New Male Writer of the Year by the Literary Society in Virginia for this novella.
later, he was awarded Best New Male Writer of the Year by the Literary Society in Virginia for this novella. He was also listed among bestselling Black authors, from 1994 – 1996 in various African-American publications. In 1995, Hoover was awarded the WritersCorp Award by President Bill Clinton. In 1998, Jerald was inducted into the Mount Vernon Boy’s and Girl’s Club Hall of Fame. This is the same Boy’s and Girl’s Club in which Denzel Washington grew up and to which Denzel regularly supports. Jerald went on to become a career sportswriter who has covered the New York Knicks and the New Jersey/ Brooklyn Nets for the Black Athlete Sports Network, The Network Journal, Sportstyle New York, Pure Sports New York, and BustaSports.com. In 2007, Basketball Hall of Fame and New York Post writer Peter Vecsey featured Jerald Hoover in a Sunday spread, recognizing him for his first documentary, Four Square Miles to Glory.
Tuskegee Airman Celebrates 100th Birthday with Flight FREDERICK, MD (AP) – A member of the Tuskegee Airmen celebrated his 100th birthday by taking a flight. Retired Army Air Forces Col. Charles McGee flew a private jet Friday between Frederick, Maryland, and Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, news outlets reported. The Tuskegee Airmen is the nickname of the first African American unit to fly combat airplanes in World War II. The Air Force recently honored the famed group of airmen with the naming of its new trainer jet. McGee is one of the Air Force’s most celebrated pilots. He flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars. McGee, who turned 100 on Saturday, attributes positive thinking to his longevity.