In federal challenge to Mississippi law, arguments focus on racial discrimination and public safety
A federal judge will consider arguments over racial discrimination, public safety and local democracy as he decides whether to block appointments to a state-run court set to be created on Jan. 1 in part of Mississippiโs majority-Black capital city.
Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws
The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws championed by Gov_ Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are โopenly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.โ.
โWe will litigate like hell:โ NAACP denounces Floridaโs rejection of African American Studies course
In solemn rage, NAACP officials, state senators and others involved in civil rights activism gathered for a news conference Saturday morning at a resort in Orange County to discuss Floridaโs recent rejection of an Advanced Placement pilot course on African American Studies.
NAACP says Jackson's water problems are civil rights issue
The NAACP on Tuesday accused Mississippi of discriminating against Black residents by denying badly needed federal funds for drinking water infrastructure in Jackson and instead diverting money to largely-white communities that needed it less.
Curry, WNBA players receive Jackie Robinson award from NAACP
The NAACP has given him its Jackie Robinson Sports Award. And, for the first time, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is recognizing more than one person by honoring the WNBA Players Association. AdโI am so proud of the WNBA players for this well-deserved recognition of their continued activism and advocacy for social justice and equality," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement provided to the AP. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, outspoken on many issues himself, admires the WNBA players for their activism. โI love what the WNBA players have done.
Black woman becomes face of Missouri following NAACP warning
Nearly four years after the NAACP warned travelers that their civil rights may not be respected if they visit the state, a Black woman has become the face of Missouri's tourism campaign. (Missouri Division of Tourism via AP). โ A Black woman has become the face of Missouri's tourism campaign, nearly four years after the NAACP warned travelers that their civil rights may not be respected if they visit the state. Pictures also show her posing as a Foodie Mo, Barbecue Mo, Lake Mo, History Mo and more. He said Visit Missouri, the tourism website that features Mo, โauditioned over 200 actors and actresses with strong ties to Missouri.
Black women persevere to lead in Vermont despite harassment
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)Mia Schultz has watched three other Black women in Vermont leave leadership posts in the mostly white state because of harassment and threats. Democratic state Rep. Kiah Morris, who was the only Black woman in the Vermont state Legislature, resigned that year partially in response to harassment from a self-described white nationalist. Anyone holding public office or high profile advocacy roles takes on risks as a public figure, but Black women face harassment and threats of violence aimed at them for both their gender and race. It's a challenge Black women leaders across the United States face and coincides with a surge of women, and women of color, running for office. Just this week during Vermont's annual town meetings, at least three Black women won seats on town and school boards.
Marion County pastors, NAACP hold vaccination events in underserved areas
MARION COUNTY, Fla. โ Some pastors in Marion County started a partnership with a local NAACP chapter and the countyโs health department to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible to minorities in the area. Lizzie Lennon is a former nurse practitioner and the health chair of the NAACP in Marion County. Letting them know we have a list of people that couldnโt get into Publix or the original health department registration,โ Stockton said. AdThe race to get an appointment online is a common complaint for seniors in Marion County. For more information on how you can get on the waiting list, contact Greater New Hope Church at (352) 687-1130 or the Marion County chapter of NAACP at (352) 351-4560.
Jury: Black bikers' race was a factor, but city won't pay
COLUMBIA, S.C. โ The city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was motivated by race when it created a traffic plan designed to โsuck the funโ out of Black Bike Week, a federal jury has found. But the same jury sided against the bikers, saying the city probably would have imposed the plan anyway. The Black bikers have been particularly frustrated by a 23-mile (37-kilometer) one-way no-exit traffic chute that funnels them out of town during the peak nights of Atlantic Beach Bikefest, otherwise known as Black Bike Week. The NAACP has tussled in court with the city, as well as local restaurants and a hotel, over their responses to the Black bikers for nearly two decades. That settlement expired in 2015, when the new traffic plan was established.
Black bikers see racism in Myrtle Beach, SC, traffic plan
COLUMBIA, S.C. โ Motorcycle clubs roar into Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, each May for separate week-long rallies, one mostly white, the other mostly Black. White bikers rolling in days earlier for Harley Week each May are treated differently, Black bikers say. In opening arguments last week to five Black and four white jurors, an NAACP lawyer said Myrtle Beach during Bikefest is โlike a city under martial law," The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reported. The Atlantic Beach event soon sprawled into nearby towns, including Myrtle Beach, where most of the 35,000 residents are white. Myrtle Beach city and Chamber of Commerce officials refused to talk about the trial.
Tyler Perry's work honored with 2020 Governors Award
NEW YORK Tyler Perry has won awards from the NAACP and BET. Now he's getting a big one from the Television Academy: He and his foundation are the recipients of the 2020 Governors Award. Tyler Perry has changed the face of television and inspired a new generation of content creators. He pioneered a new brand of storytelling that engages people of color both in front of and behind the camera, and his shows have resonated with a global audience, said Governors Award selection committee Chair Eva Basler in a statement. The award honors an individual or organization in the television arts and sciences whose achievement is so exceptional and universal in nature that it goes beyond the scope of annual Emmy Awards recognition.Previous recipients of the Governors Award include Star Trek, American Idol, Masterpiece Theater and Comic Relief.
Florida teachers union begins mediation with state over school reopening
Floridas largest teachers union and attorneys for the state are meeting in Tallahassee Tuesday for court-ordered meditation in an attempt to come to an agreement on how to safely reopen school campuses amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Florida Education Association is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, the Florida Department of Education and others to stop Florida brick-and-mortar schools from physically reopening. A few school districts across the state have already welcomed students back. Many school districts have delayed the start of the school year to late August because of the pandemic.
This couple challenged leaders for equal rights, established NAACP in Brevard County
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. โ They started off as educators in segregated public schools, and itโs because of what they saw, they became Civil Rights activists. The Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex in Brevard County is dedicated to making sure their stories are told for generations. That fall, he accepted his first job in Brevard County, teaching fourth grade in Cocoaโs โcoloredโ elementary school. Thatโs when Harry established the Brevard County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and became its president. โFiling lawsuits over teacher salaries could get you fired, but standing up against lynchings could get you killed," Mallard said.