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This weekend marks the first round of elections for 568 seats in the lower house of parliament.
\t On Friday, internet and international calls were cut off across the West African nation in anticipation of the election results, according to locals and international observers in the capital, Conakry.
\t This was the third time that Conde matched-up against Diallo. Before the election, observers raised concerns that an electoral dispute could reignite ethnic tensions between Guinea's largest ethnic groups.
… , by contrast, pundits often portray Black Americans as an undifferentiated mass – loyal … of Black Americans as Democratic loyalists.
Our new survey of 1,215 African Americans … fewer than half of young Black Americans surveyed in battleground states say …
by Anthony Murdock II The Centers for Disease Control has made “The Mask” an image of both the virus and the cure to COVID-19. In the same way that one … Continued
The post Random But Relevant: (Do) We wear the mask (on or off?) appeared first on New Pittsburgh Courier.
A new parliament will soon be called back to work and newly elected and appointed legislators will have to attend on the cramped quarters of Gordon House at Duke Street in Kingston in the throes of a pandemic which requires physical distancing if...
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Library (CPL), one of the largest libraries in the U.S. with over 385 professional librarians, and the CPL Foundation have partnered to host “Live from the Library,” a daily story time from Chicagoans for children everywhere.
Chicago Public Library is proud to partner with the Obama Foundation in bringing a new, 5,000-square-foot CPL branch to the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and offering specialized programs and events for children, as well as spaces in which to learn and create.
The library includes spaces for reading and study, including homework help; a dedicated children’s area and a YOUmedia program for teens to explore the world and their own creativity using new technologies; and meeting space that will be available for public use.
“Public libraries are essential institutions, and that’s why we’re bringing a new branch of the Chicago Public Library to the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side.
For press or partnership inquiries, please contact
About Chicago Public Library
Since 1873, Chicago Public Library (CPL) has encouraged lifelong learning by welcoming all people and offering equal access to information, entertainment and knowledge through innovative services and programs, as well as cutting-edge technology.
The Bay State branch of the national economic and civil rights advocacy group acted to counter the challenges, urging the Massachusetts delegation in Congress to support federal anti-lynching laws while firmly pushing open the door of hiring opportunities for black men and women throughout Greater Boston.
We know Main Streets in black communities are going to have tumbleweeds rolling down the sidewalks,” added Feaster, an attorney and former Boston NAACP president, who has served as ULEM chairman the last five years.
Keith Motley, former chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston and the acting president of the local Urban League branch, said a revived and reinvigorated Urban League is essential to addressing the current crisis.
Business Leadership Award; and Boston City Council President Kim Janey, Boston NAACP Branch President Tanisha Sullivan and Nia Grace, executive director of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition, recipients of the Joan Wallace-Benjamin Leadership Award.
The National Urban League will continue “to use its bully pulpit to push Congress and the White House to provide the support black businesses and small businesses everywhere need to survive,” said Feaster.
AN informal network of European non-governmental organisations, the Zimbabwe Europe Network (ZEN) has called on the European Union Parliament to pass a resolution condemning ongoing human rights violations in the southern African country.
ZEN co-ordinator Hugo Knoppert accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of being a tyrant hiding behind COVID-19 lockdown restrictions to perpetuate human rights abuses.
“ZEN calls upon the EU Parliament to adopt a resolution condemning the recent human rights violations in Zimbabwe,” Knoppert said.
“Therefore, ZEN welcomes recent statements by the EU delegation, EU embassies, and individual diplomats, and urges them to continue to speak out on human rights and democracy issues.”
Knoppert urged the EU institutions to use the upcoming planning summit of their Multi-annual funding framework to rethink its strategies of engagement and supporting Zimbabwe.
Don’t Let High Turnout Distract You From the Reality of Voter Suppression
Kentucky and Georgia are having historic turnouts, but that doesn’t mean voters aren’t facing major obstacles
Voters cast fill out their ballot during Tuesdays Kentucky primary on June 23, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty ImagesKentucky and Georgia’s historic voter turnouts for primary elections are a tremendous victory, one that speaks to the backbreaking work of thousands of volunteers, organizers, and candidates (many of them Black, Indigenous, and of color) who drove out the vote in their districts.
Though there appeared to be few issues during Election Day, poll workers temporarily locked out several Jefferson County voters who were unable to reach the polling place by 6 p.m. due to traffic leading to the Expo Center.
And now Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is refusing to mail absentee ballot applications to voters for the August runoff and November general election.
And though it may be true that Kentucky and Georgia broke records in their primary voter turnout, it is also true that these states, and many others, can do far better in November.
Virginia, long seen as a critical state in American politics, has also been a barometer of the nation’s racial climate and is being closely watched to see what direction it takes in the way of social justice.
If she becomes governor, McClelland would be the second Black governor of VIrginia, following Doug Wilder, and the first Black woman ever voted into the job making history in the state as well as in the nation.
She spoke with BET.com about her plans to address social justice and equality, and also focus on answering the racial issues that have come out of the state over the past few years like the deadly protest incident in Charlottesville in 2017 and Black Virginia voters’ influence on electoral politics.
RELATED: Second Black Woman Enters Race For Virginia Governor
BET.com: You wouldn’t be the first Black governor of Virginia, but you would be the first Black woman governor and the first Black woman to hold the position in the country.
McClelland: There's so many aspects of public safety, but the bottom line is just making sure we have healthy thriving communities and a lot of the civil unrest, whether it was then or now, is due to an inability to come to terms with the racial inequity and 400 years of trauma and the inability to address that and heal.
Korean store owner shoots and kills teenager Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. Despite widespread protests, the store owner is only convicted of 10 years of probation. Her store was firebombed weeks later.
May 25: Congolese lawmakers exchange blows over leadership vote
\tThe Democratic Republic of Congo’s National Assembly was the scene of an open-for-all fight when lawmakers moved to remove the first deputy speaker of the house.
Lawmakers rushed to the front of the parliament engaging in violent exchanges over the intended vote as security detail were called in to restore calm.
The vote eventually took place with 289 out of 500 lawmakers voting in favour of the removal of Jean – Marc Kabund from his post as first vice-president of the National Assembly.
Protests over parliamentary sacking of president’s top ally
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November 22, 2018 – Zimbabwe joins Uganda, South Africa
\tPrior to Thursday November 22, 2018; the Ugandan and South African parliaments were on record as places that had ‘hosted’ violent confrontation between lawmakers and security agents.
READ MORE: Photos from Africa’s chaotic parliaments: Uganda and South Africa
\tPhotos shared on Twitter by the state-owned Zimpapers Images showed a very physical encounter between security detail and lawmakers of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change – Alliance.
PARLIAMENT of Zimbabwe yesterday challenged the urgent chamber application filed by Habakkuk Trust seeking an interdict to stop the august House from conducting public hearings on Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No 2 Bill at a time the country is under COVID-19-induced lockdown.
Habakkuk Trust represented by Job Sibanda of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on Thursday last week filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court seeking to stop the public hearings which began yesterday.
In its submissions, Habakkuk Trust indicated that the conduct of Parliament, Chokuda and Ziyambi was grossly unreasonable and holding public hearings during lockdown which restricted citizens’ movement would defeat the very noble purpose of inviting the input of the public to any proposed constitutional amendments.
“While the process of soliciting for input into the proposed constitutional amendments cannot be stopped, it must await normalisation of the situation in the country and no prejudice will be suffered by the respondents namely Parliament, Chokuda and Ziyambi,” the trust submitted.
If Parliament, Chokuda and Ziyambi intend to proceed with the public hearings in the midst of the current health pandemic, they must ensure that all precautions are taken to prevent and contain the disease at such public gatherings.”
Dear Editor,
Once again we are witnessing the abuse of power by two public figures, Ruel Johnson and Glen Lall, who appear to think that the laws of Guyana do not relate to them.
The article Ruel Johnson’s unctuous ‘apologies’ ring shallow, self-serving appeared first on Stabroek News.
Situated on the Atlantic coast in westernmost Africa and surrounded on three sides by Senegal, Gambia is twice the size of Delaware. The Gambia River flows for 200 mi (322 km) through Gambia on its way to the Atlantic. The country, the smallest on the continent, averages only 20 mi (32 km) in width.
Republic.
Since the 13th century, the Wolof, Malinke, and Fulani peoples have settled in what is now Gambia. The Portuguese were the first European explorers, encountering the Gambia River in 1455, and in 1681, the French founded an enclave at Albredabut. During the 17th century, Gambia was settled by various companies of English merchants. Slavery was the chief source of revenue before it was abolished in 1807. Gambia became a British Crown colony in 1843 and an independent nation within the Commonwealth of Nations on Feb. 18, 1965. Full independence was approved in a 1970 referendum, and on April 24 of that year Gambia proclaimed itself a republic.
Dauda Kairaba Jawara served as Gambias president from 1970 to 1994. A military coup led by Capt. Yahya Jammeh deposed the president in July 1994, suspended the constitution, and banned existing political parties. Jammeh promised new elections, which were held in Sept. 1996 and which he won with 55% of the vote. In 1997, he returned the country to civilian rule, and in 2001, he lifted the ban against opposition parties. Censorship of the press and other repressive measures mar the countrys transition to democracy. In Dec. 2004, Gambia passed a media law that allows the state to jail journalists found guilty of libel and sedition. In September presidential elections, incumbent Yahya Jammeh won a third term.
In Nov. 2011 presidential elections, incumbent Yahya Jammeh won 72% of the vote, Ousainou Darboe 17%, and Hamat Bah 11% with 83% voter turnout.
On the morning of Dec. 30, 2014, an attempt was made to oust President Jammeh. Nine men attacked the presidential palace in Banjul. The coup attempt was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Lamin Sanneh. Sanneh once led the countrys
Walmart will end its practice of locking up African-American beauty care products in glass cases, the retail giant said on Wednesday after a fresh round of criticism that the policy was a form of racial discrimination.
Hair care and beauty products sold predominantly to black people could be accessed at certain stores only by getting a Walmart employee to unlock the cases, some of which featured additional anti-theft measures.
“We’re sensitive to the issue and understand the concerns raised by our customers and members of the community and have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products — a practice in place in about a dozen of our 4,700 stores nationwide — in locked cases,” Mr. Lopez wrote.
In 2018, a California woman sued Walmart in federal court for discrimination over the policy, saying she felt humiliated having to ask a store employee to unlock the beauty products case on three visits to the store, including to buy a comb that cost $0.48.
The woman, Essie Grundy, said she went to a Walmart in Perris, Calif., in Riverside County to buy body lotion by the beauty brand Cantu when she noticed that all of the products “targeted at African-Americans” were locked in a glass case, “from the middle of the aisle to the end.”
… gaffes, including his proclamation to African-American voters in May that if …
Addressing voting rights issues has been a core responsibility for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights since the Commission was founded in 1957. The Commission has broad authority over voting rights. It has general jurisdiction to examine allegations regarding the right of U.S. citizens to vote and to have their votes counted. These allegations may include, but are not limited to, allegations of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
Pursuant to its authority, and fulfilling its obligations, members of the Commission staff conducted a preliminary investigation and discovered widespread allegations of voter disenfranchisement in Florida in the 2000 presidential election. The Commissioners voted unanimously to conduct an extensive public investigation into these allegations of voting irregularities. Toward that end, the Commission held three days of hearings in Miami and Tallahassee and, using its subpoena powers, collected more than 30 hours of testimony from more than 100 witnesses—all taken under oath—and reviewed more than 118,000 pages of pertinent documents.
The Commission carefully selected its subpoenaed witnesses to ensure that it heard testimony on the wide range of issues that had come to light during its preliminary investigation. The Commission also acted to ensure that it heard a broad spectrum of views. It subpoenaed a cross section of witnesses, including Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, members of Governor Bush’s Select Task Force on Election Procedures, Standards and Technology, and Florida’s attorney general. The Commission staff’s research also led it to subpoena the state official responsible for oversight of motor voter registration, the general counsel for Florida’s Elections Commission, the director of the Division of Elections (part of the secretary of state’s office), the director of Florida’s Highway Patrol, and numerous local elections officials, county supervisors, poll workers, and local
The Black Lives Matter Global Network distanced itself Thursday from an unaffiliated activist whose comments sparked the ire of President Donald Trump, saying the activist was not speaking on behalf of the movement.
“Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network,” Scales said.
Newsome is a former president of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, which is not an affiliate chapter of the global network.
Although there are many groups that use “Black Lives Matter” or “BLM” in their names, only 16 are considered affiliates of the BLM Global Network.
Reached by phone Thursday night, Newsome said Black Lives Matter Greater New York is now under the leadership of Black women.
“To the polls” was presented as the answer this week as members of Keepers of 306, a National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) initiative that engages civic-minded young leaders moved to answer the question being asked by many: “Where do we go from here?” The no-wavering answer came on Tuesday (June 30) evening during a virtual []
United Way of Greater Los Angeles has partnered with the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television to grant more than $1 million towards rental assistance, food, health, and student learning support in L.A.’s Black communities.
Organizations selected to receive the collaborative grant from United Way of Greater Los Angeles and BET include Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA-CAN), Community Coalition, A New Way of Life, Los Angeles Black Worker Center and YWCA of Greater Los Angeles.
United Way of Greater Los Angeles maintains communication with all grantees after funds are issued to ensure the betterment and progression of L.A. communities.
United Way of Greater Los Angeles was the only chapter within the United Way network on the West Coast selected to benefit from BET telethon funds.
United Way of Greater Los Angeles plans to continue the Pandemic Relief Fund and focus on supporting community-based organizations that serve low-income families.
… under way, public intellectuals — and African Americans in particular — shoulder a heavy … a significant place in recent Black American experience, with all its competing … injustice and state violence against Black Americans is understandable.
At the same …
On Sunday, May 31, Ciara posted a message about unity and change to her 6-year-old son Future Zahir Wilburn by rapper Future, her ex-fiancé.
I’m praying that the losses of our Black Kings and Queens won’t be in vain,” Ciara wrote with a photo of her and Wilburn smiling.
“What a beautiful message it’s scary for people with young black kids.
“😢 I don’t have a child yet, but I can’t help but feel the pain for these young black boys.
Among fans chiming in on Ciara’s post was her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who is Wilburn’s stepdad.
Foot Locker will “Rock the Vote” at its stores this election year. In a press release, Foot Locker announced a partnership with Rock the Vote to utilize Foot Locker retail…
Given the generally perceived poor performances of the governments during this period it is no surprise that the three elections have been the most competitive (one seat majorities/minorities for the winner) in the history of Guyana’s elections.
As some writers have suggested, Guyana’s elections are dynamic because of the increased Mixed and Indigenous citizens, influx of youthful voters unburdened by loyalty or distrust, and older voters willing to give third (e.g. AFC) parties a voice in parliament.
GECOM, the body tasked to provide an appropriate OLE has not done so despite major activities over the past 10 years: three general elections, two local government elections, claims and objection periods and an aborted partial house-to-house registration.
got the clear impression from the Chairman (retired Justice Claudette Singh) and all of the Commissioners that they were quite satisfied that the preparations for elections were onstream and that we can all look forward to having a credible and efficient election by the 2nd of March,”
Given the above, I am convinced all parties went into the 2020 election accepting the OLE and were well aware of the “bloat”.
Statements from observers and almost all the contesting parties suggest that GECOM election day staff and processes effectively thwarted most of the efforts to use the OLE illegally.
On February 27, 1860, Abraham Lincoln, a presidential candidate who had yet to win the Republican nomination, accepted an invitation to speak to the Young Mens Republican Union at Cooper Union Hall before a capacity crowd of 1,500. Lincoln used the occasion to outline his views on slavery in the territories, noting that his research had shown that 21 of the 39 signers of the Constitution believed slavery should not be allowed in the territories, attempting to undercut the opposition charge that the Republican position on that question was out of the political mainstream. He then urged fellow Republicans not to capitulate to Southern demands to recognize slavery as acceptable, but to continually oppose the institution or as he said, to stand by our duty, fearlessly and effectively. His speech appears below:
Mr. President and fellow citizens of New York: -
The facts with which I shall deal this evening are mainly old and familiar; nor is there anything new in the general use I shall make of them. If there shall be any novelty, it will be in the mode of presenting the facts, and the inferences and observations following that presentation.
In his speech last autumn, at Columbus, Ohio, as reported in The New-York Times, Senator Douglas said:
Our fathers, when they framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now.
I fully indorse this, and I adopt it as a text for this discourse. I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas. It simply leaves the inquiry: What was the understanding those fathers had of the question mentioned?
What is the frame of government under which we live?
The answer must be: The Constitution of the United States. That Constitution consists of the original, framed in 1787, (and under which the present government first went into operation,) and twelve subsequently framed amendments, the first ten of
After assuming control of the country, the military dissolved Parliament and suspended the Constitution. It then presented a roadmap for a six-month transition to civilian rule. Plans included drafting constitutional amendments, a referendum to vote on them, and elections. Opposition supporters continued to gather in Tahir Square to call for further reform. On March 3 Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigned, giving in to the demands of protesters. He was replaced by Essam Sharaf, a former government minister and a supporter of the opposition. Another milestone was achieved on March 20, when 77.2% of voters approved a referendum on constitutional amendments that lays the groundwork for upcoming legislative and presidential elections. One of the amendments establishes presidential term limits. The amendments were put into effect on March 31, when the ruling military council introduced an interim constitution. The council also said it would cede legislative power after Novembers parliamentary elections and executive control after presidential elections, which are schedule for November. On April 13, Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa, were taken into police custody to be questioned about corruption and abuse of power.
In May, prosecutors charged Mubarak with murder and attempting to murder protesters. He and his sons Alaa and Gamal were charged with corruption. All were ordered to stand trial. Mubaraks trial began on Aug. 3 in Cairo. He appeared in court lying in a hospital bed in a caged area of the courtroom.
Tensions flared between Israel and Egypt in August and September 2011, when militants attacked the Israeli resort town of Eilat, on the Egypt-Israel border. Eight Israelis were killed and 30 were wounded. Six Egyptian border guards were also killed in the shootings. Israeli authorities blamed the attacks on the Popular Resistance Committees, a group that has worked with Hamas, and said they believed the attackers crossed into Israel from Egypt. Egypt in turn blamed Israel for the deaths. Israel
