Author: Carma Henry

     Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has granted executive clemency to Cyntoia Brown, who has been serving a life sentence for a murder she committed when she was 16 years old. Brown’s cause was championed by a number of celebrities, including Rihanna.

Lisa Thomas-McMillan and her husband Freddie have just opened a new type of restaurant in Escambia County that feeds people whether they have any money or not. It was 1995 and Lisa was a cashier at a local Walmart. One of her customers had no money to buy the groceries she needed. After speaking with the lady for a few minutes, she realized there were many others who were in the same boat.

Florida Voter Mobilization Project (FVMP) is a 501 (C)3 organization whose purpose is to mobilize the voters of Broward County to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) and to educate them on the issues on the ballot. Zeta Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and chapter President, Soror Jeannie B. Floyd, agreed to partner with this organization to assist in achieving this goal as their mission is a major focus of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Political Opportunity

Broward Education Foundation, the only 501(c)3 direct support organization of Broward County Public Schools solely dedicated to transforming the lives of Broward County Public Schools students through the support of quality education, has elected four new officers to its board of directors.

B.L.A.C.K. 2 Life has worked tirelessly this past year enacting their mission across the globe, but they need more volunteers and financial support. Since the organization’s founding in 2017, B2L has given out over 30,000 free books to children in 18 cities in 14 states.

There’s also another key woman and legislator that is making history. Congresswoman Maxine Waters is now the first Black and the first woman to chair the powerful House Financial Services Committee. Having served on this committee since 1995, and its Ranking Member in the previous Congress, Waters will set the committee’s agenda in key areas affecting the economy, banking, housing, insurance and securities.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies commended the U.S. Senate for confirming Geoffrey Starks as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. Starks was confirmed by a unanimous vote.

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), was sworn in as the 26th Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which grew to a historic 55 Members. During the 116th Congress, five of those Members will chair full House Committees and 28 will chair House Subcommittees.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s book Becoming, which sold over 1.4 million copies in its first week of release, has inspired many Black women all over the world. Having been inspired by the book herself, Lauren Christine Mims, a former assistant director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, chose Becoming to be a curriculum for Black girls to enhance their learning and development.