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Man three ye vestigation unty Superior Couof the crime. A reins inves- al gally stayed in a h jail break, investig ns are allow ut racial biaffi y of themrneys are making ab h o li d . ay ators found so say they tired Los ouse next rt judge wil se ed s s o like Hallow for religiou do fo , e il- complaints and discriminatio frequently compla ut their l oversee th Coo er, 61 een and M It’s unclea in about are handled n in the w e in- family’s station uwnd evidence in theoRr to the victims. hTh , has main ar years. Hispla r if g an M m g ay . o ag en y ta ey Ju p ra en o th ro t. in n has a ladwi Gras st last mon n that tied ’s home and eir cases or secutor Mic For some, G by Gov. N wyers hope the resu ed his innocence th u C yer w n , in o h d a o ae er o p th S v. Bernardino help prove ewsom, which cou lts of the re-testin over the oinf g in the case is beinNewsom’s order toerbto the murders. e on socipalressure for makinlgSelyem, who is Wan h g cr ld it g ro th th m e, o u m ad ta rd ei d e ed resigned et e an k r client’s in er Observer en NA te m rders Jo Newspapers . His insult him. 19 Volume 34 Number Thursday, March 21, 2019 ismSouthern st- chelle Obama,iaU shua Ryenwith dof nocence eanseveral months, wed ay. The lonDCalifornia porters ofuGroup s targeteddforacist and commen ill th an e ,S d finally ex th su ts B . d e rm R la In 1985, a rv fa R ep ck er iv y m en . o F sh il M r ir s y, ooting victi ey are disap st axine Water and Hughes onerate friends an San Diego on four co pointed w s and an uLnady Mi“Unfortun ith the gov all across the statdesup- Los Thomas R. Parkmer. named 26 and an unts of murder. 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What has k per’s guilw e cops lied e him have t, agreed to 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 as e argum ution and re hen he was urt CooLAKE FOR ents based six monies and allegiv iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin ations of ev Gov. Newvso o re EST n as en is recoverin w stay his exC t co o it o a ts n h n o ab g fl p p m o er ic le h id o juvenile det o ysically abu ti . gat d part of ad q en m re n u D ’s g ce es sc g after bei,nCalif. (AP) – Offici N d te ti ie ta ec A o n st m n ti is ite s p fi io ab st er c en y se n o o in o ev in o rs d ti n le u to als g g id o g struck by u t sc h ro , n centers. In sed to nail C comes earl the method ence. im keep raisin allothe ence living ad in South a mental w another SACRAMENTO ifornia government a police ca y in theand attack, anon gwithCal relationships media, agencies s and st oopevery in “I se feel every attic, garage to see –agThe Rev. AlernSharpton is calling G ro er C o verlike . u L al v o Th n er if ri te al knocking d Californiah. ealth facility in Pen1982, Cooper esca d n o es re u rm rn o o in n e h in r f a ia. ave hmissing weaPelosi whAmericans sworn Leader vesensure Bresponds each Polito ose pportreceiveof thfor pons wer tiigh expecAfrican public that pedthose ree House are,” nsylvania b where the Orahow testimoNancy rogressive to change attackerMajority fromgirlsth ce police e usedto tagarner Officerkillings ers on the ep pCalifornia nge it ny, Josh tions. thesu sthe efore Duri Cof in whoworld outhe the Thoan “D urest n prompt attention and concern to best possible mo“Let’s w a ty N uld have to mas Mc er so said. that we can’t o R of civilians on the anniversary fatal shooting A R ving tobe ancoexample li y e m ti en eg W te ca eo is st h sa l n te in gued that nCg his murder trial, it Left e’s pet when id he sa r he initof e. He later been Hispan solv e the Ryen g should immed w outcomes for each case. lly thoug o p F until these girls are found.” te unarmed black man in Sacramento. Monday marks a iayear o ro eb th F p st ic se u . e er ifi . rt 1 cu ca ed killed husb 9 h ia Ryen, their t ca . to er te d th se rs ar C co ly at h te su an m ia ta th d cc ully ar the plica d finallyofenmissing ke since ng said ey study about in front of A 2010 thedumedia placetwo tingMissing nonprofit and But Not named DiaBlack police officers killed Stephon Clark McG the prose to re ridiscovered neighbor C 10-year-old daughand and wife DougesansfFurther, - ban sure20 ng thcoverage uire 22-year-old - th na R at DNAStates justicas cutions’ claichildren in thethUnited e camthat sareports. oper camon ys when he only elonfocused ter Jessica an e isthey hristopher Forgotten, also has its attention spotlighting p d responded to vandalism ev ai e P g se g an eg id in n rv en e g g im . m y ed fo “N to s, ce al g rw ,” but teststories a wom-reported her former ot only Hughes. Po can helpmissing d 11-yfinding was biggercharging othe t ut to chec d with bloopercent inal. SAfrican ing in thfocused law enfoBlack and local prosecutors ear-old missing boyfriend ar than a houoofficers, lice foundan and he turnAmericans. proven Animal Coaren’t k, h dy clothof is case won rcement sois it State ed the has wdevelop se cat. in the bloSince E h o n o desthe g u v tr children w ld en ev o to troyed as organization sought to lv l saying police feared for their lives because they thought id co o th an e odied2007, a ffi en m cr o v ce u an iolent crim ce over to e im g it. rs at im h es ru is n N , al o sh b ew h co o By Stacy M. Brown ed ospitaalcellphone. ld, he is trea so ’s decis st toClark the police, the bleed trauHe the sthad African Am , where it wSharpton ma. had only ate.” a gun. ding carem but they on issupage ericans, His Continued e that A2 as family NNPA Newswire Correspondent diagnosed in fully on aiopn in the Cand C o family attorney Ben Crump joined Clark’s o al p if D er o p r. rn an ca w K ia se ic w ri o s and other voters across tenti lyon atching. H stfor i Kra Have you seen Iniaya Wilson? use, a veterto tighten the pothe steps lawmakers e exptoeccall e is keepin minorities lariziCapitol e politicalalsp ng bsh ts in th ar e ia liv- Contin Just 14, Iniaya has been missing from her Columbus, g his focuth 1 n 1 , tell ectrum arefor when ound (5 ack inpolice can -p legally kill-kiland require s on fairnes standards to the w ued on p ogram) castthe ne Ohio home since January 25. d afterjury. age A2 s an police to M gocG before ailgrand d justshootings to be it re ic g u ai e ir n e s streuse-ofShe’s African American, has brown hair and brown visited changing ngth. that ifare Police unions the bobcathe he opposed sees it agaito t eyes; standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds. o n F riday force standard but want to enhancen,training. he’ll issue a Have you seen Skylar Mannie? ticket for ja. H yw From Lancaster, Calif., Skylar is also Black and just 13 years old. She was last seen on Feb. 14. She has black hair, brown eyes, stands 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 130 pounds. The two are among the estimated 64,000 Black girls and women across the United States that have gone missing. Iniaya and Skylar are also among an unfortunately EAST HAVEN, Conn. – A woman caught on video growing number of young people listed in the “critically using racial epithets in an argument at a Connecticut missing” section of the expansive database of the National supermarket has been identified as a school department Center for Missing & Exploited Children. employee who resigned after the video went public. The That includes girls and women of all backgrounds, an white woman is heard using a slur multiple times and important distinction because of the lack of media coverage spitting during an argument with a black couple in the of African Americans who’ve gone missing. East Haven, Connecticut, store. That has spurred activists and some in Congress to The New Haven Register reports that Hamden action. Public Schools Superintendent Jody Goeler identified the In efforts to address the problem of missing Black woman as Corinne Terrone. The district in a statement children nationwide, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman says Terrone, who was a clerk in the central office, (D-N.J.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), and Yvette D. Clarke (Dresigned. It isn’t clear what led to Friday’s confrontation. NY) initiated the Congressional Caucus on Black Women Police say they’re aware of the altercation but haven’t and Girls in 2016. Through the caucus, they hope to create received a complaint. The Register says no one appeared public policies that “eliminate significant barriers and to be inside Terrone’s New Haven home Saturday. A listed disparities experienced by black women.” Have you seen Skylar Mannie (pictured at left) from Lancaster, Calif., Skylar is just 13 years old? She was number for her had been disconnected. According to BlackNews.com, members of the caucus last seen on Feb. 14. She has black hair, brown eyes, stands 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 130 pounds. Iniaya believe that more federal assistance and collaboration is Wilson (right) is just 14 and has been missing from her Columbus, Ohio home since January 25. She has needed to further eliminate the problem. brown hair and brown eyes; standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds.
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Missing Black Girls and the Individuals and Organizations Trying to Help Find Them
Bobcat Re cover Sharpton AftSeeks er Being H it ChangeP1yr After olice Car Stephon Clark
Racial Tirade is Caught on Video
Historically Black Colleges By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent For 75 years, the United Negro College Fund has been lighting the way to better futures for young people and leaving little doubt to the importance of its catchy but all-too serious slogan: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” And, for more than 14 years, no one has championed the cause of a g o o d education for African Americans and o t h e r underserved students better than Dr. Michael Lomax, the president and CEO of UNCF, which counts as the c o u n t r y ’s largest provider of scholarships and other educational support for students of
African descent. “Many [African American students] are choosing historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs),” Lomax said this week after hosting a luncheon where he helped to deliver a State of HBCUs address. “HBCUs have more enrollment today than in the era of segregation. We had a decline in enrollment of about 10 percent because of the Parents Plus loan fiasco in 2012, but enrollments are growing,” Lomax said. A large number of African American millennials are applying to HBCUs but many are finding that they can’t afford to attend without the benefit of more scholarships and grants, he said. “That’s why we’ve called on Congress to double the Pell Grant, not just for HBCUs, but for all private institutions which are endangered species in this country,” Lomax said. Since its founding, UNCF has raised more than $4.8 billion and has helped at least 450,000 students earn degrees at UNCF-member HBCUs. With 37 member colleges and universities, the UNCF also advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. Lomax pointed out that UNCF institutions and HBCUs remain highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Currently, UNCF supports more than For more than 14 years, no one has championed the cause of a good education for 60,000 students at more African Americans and other underserved students better than Dr. Michael Lomax, than 1,100 colleges and universities across the the president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund.
Women’s History Month:
country. “There are more small white colleges that are being threatened with closure and shutting down and a member at Harvard University has predicted that half of all private colleges will be closed over the next decade,” Lomax said. “These are all part of the higher education landscape in this country. We’re going to fight for ours and we’re going to join these other institutions who are modestly resourced and we are going to fight,” he said. It’s that same spirit that led UNCF and many others to respond when the historically black and all-girls Bennett College was given just 60 days to raise $5 million in an attempt to keep its accreditation. “There are 95 standards [the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) hold its institutions to and they include education programs and faculty requirements. Bennet had 94,” Lomax said. “They missed one and the one they missed was the standard on finances and even when they did what they were directed to and out-did it, [the association] still withdrew accreditation,” he said. Lomax continued: “I consider that to be biased and inequitable and I’ve called on Congress to intervene. We’re in court. We’re not going to allow Bennett to be destroyed because the actions taken are actions to destroy Bennett and it’s inappropriate, biased and unfair and we will fight it and we stand with Bennett.” Fighting for Bennett is of little surprise as UNCF continues to press its vision of a nation where all have equal access to a college education that prepares them for rich intelligent lives, competitive and fulfilling careers, engaged citizenship and service to the nation. One of UNCF’s primary objectives is to increase the total number of African American college graduates by focusing on activities that ensure more students are collegeready, enroll in college and persist to graduation. Continued on page A2
Juanita Jackson Mitchell
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent When Juanita Jackson Mitchell died in 1992 at the age of 79, she was praised as one of Maryland’s heroines and as the matriarch of a family whose name became synonymous with civil rights causes. “It was fitting that she received recognition because she was always one of those unsung champions of the cause and one who needs to be celebrated during both Black History and Women’s History month,” said Shane Carter, a self-described “black history buff.” Mitchell, the daughter of legendary NAACP leader Lillie Carroll Jackson, spent most of her life fighting against racism and segregation. “I am an old freedom fighter. I came up in that tradition,” Mitchell once said in describing her upbringing. Mitchell’s parents, who were living in Baltimore at the time, were traveling in Hot Springs, Arkansas when Mitchell was born. She’d later become one of the first black women to graduate from the University of Maryland Law School and the first black woman to practice law in the state of Maryland. Her late husband, Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., was a nationally recognized Capitol Hill lobbyist for the NAACP and her children, Michael B. Mitchell and Clarence M. Mitchell III, went on to become state senators. Mitchell and her family frequently moved across the South as her father showed feature films in church basements, often the only facilities available to Black
University of Maryland School of Law graduate Juanita Jackson Mitchell in cap and gown with her sons Clarence M. Mitchell III, Keiffer Mitchell, and Michael Bowen Mitchell. College Park, Maryland./Photo By Paul Henderson, circa 1950. Maryland Historical Society, HEN.00.B1-043.
people while she was growing up. While her father changed movie reels, Mitchell would recite poetry to the moviegoers, according to BlackThen.com. In 1937, Mitchell became the NAACP’s first national youth director and visited the Scottsboro Boys in prison. Under her leadership, the NAACP youth groups launched a letter-writing campaign to protest the conviction of the
Scottsboro Boys. They also set up a fundraising drive to help support the young men. She also led the key NAACP Baltimore branch during the same crucial period. Mitchell founded the Baltimore City-Wide Young People’s Forum in 1931 and the NAACP Youth Movement in 1935. In 1942, she directed a march on Maryland’s Capitol with 2,000 citizens, as well as the first city-wide “Register and Vote” campaign. The campaign resulted in 11,000 new voter registrations on the books. In 1958, Mitchell directed the NAACP’s “Register to Vote” campaign, which resulted in over 20,000 new registrations. She was appointed to Presidential Commissions by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Mitchell was also a member of various organizations that supported the well-being of African Americans, such as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the National Association of Negro Business, and the Black American Professional Women’s Club. In 1986, she was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame. “Folks like Juanita Jackson Mitchell are the folks we often miss during Black History Month and during Women’s History Month because everyone wants to concentrate on celebrities and superstars,” Carter said. “But people should take a minute to look at the history of our real heroes,” he said.
Cal Credit Card Skimming Arrest
SACRAMENTO – Authorities say members of a large credit card skimming operation used tiny cameras to record victims using ATMs across the US West. KCRATV in Sacramento, California, reported Saturday that three men were arrested last week after investigators uncovered skimming devices, recording equipment and credit cards at an apartment. Sheriff’s officials say they found skimming devices inside ATMs in Sacramento and Folsom in California as well as Reno, Nevada. Investigators say there are likely other victims in Washington state and Arizona dating back to last December. Sgt. Shaun Hampton says the suspects used skimming devices and pinhole cameras to capture credit card data and personal identification numbers. He says the devices are hard to detect unless you know what you’re looking for.
Pharmacy Scheme Brothers Sentenced
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors say two California brothers who operated a bogus pharmacy in order to obtain and sell opioids and other prescription drugs to black-market customers have been each sentenced to 10 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles says Thursday that 48-year-old Berry Kabov and 35-year-old Dabo Kabov illegally pocketed more than $3 million while running Global Compounding Pharmacy. The two were convicted in 2017 of multiple charges including distribution, conspiracy and money laundering. Officials say evidence presented at trial included recorded calls where Berry Kabov described oxycodone as “gold’’ – selling for as much as “50 bucks a pill.’’ He also bragged about being able to ship 4,000 oxycodone pills per week.
Facebook Settles It’s Ad-Targeting Law Suits
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Facebook is settling five lawsuits alleging that its advertising systems enabled discrimination in housing, credit and employment ads. That clears one big legal issue for the social network but leaves others, including government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices. Plaintiffs in the cases include the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Fair Housing Alliance and others. Facebook says it will overhaul ad targeting for housing, credit and employment ads so they can’t be used to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, race and ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation and other legally protected categories in the U.S. The social media company is also paying about $5 million to cover legal fees and other costs.
R. Kelly Abuse Case
NEW YORK – The arrest of singer R. Kelly on charges of sexually abusing girls as young as 13 has focused the lens of the (hash)MeToo movement on young victims. Studies show that 7 in 10 girls are sexually harassed by age 18, and 1 in 4 are sexually abused. Experts believe the rates are higher for girls of color. The national nonprofit Girls Inc. has launched a (hash)GirlsToo campaign to ensure that young survivors are included in the conversation around (hash)MeToo. Public policy director Lara Kaufmann says it’s challenging for younger victims to come forward because they fear they’ll get in trouble or be ostracized. In Brooklyn, Girls for Gender Equity runs a program called “Sisters in Strength’’ to help girls heal. The curriculum teaches how to build healthy relationships.