Author: Carma Henry

      The annual Black College Hall of Fame Classic each Labor Day weekend features the best Division II programs that Black College Football has to offer and this year’s match-up will be no different.

      It can take a compass to find good public policy coming out of Tallahassee, but HB 187 by Rep. Michael Gottlieb (D-Plantation), is a notable exception. Like with Islamophobia and anti-Black racism, inflammatory political rhetoric has given rise to a precipitous rise in antisemitism. During the two-month period after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 2,031 antisemitic incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism, a 337% increase over the same period a year earlier.

The evacuation came amid escalating chaos in Haiti, where gang attacks, looting of aid supplies, and widespread violence reportedly have pushed the nation to the brink of famine.

State lawmakers for the second year in a row have signed off on expanding the number of medical-marijuana licenses earmarked for Black farmers, opening the door for three applicants who lost out earlier.

Ryan Gainer, a 15-year-old Black teen with autism, was fatally shot by deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The incident has once again brought attention to the use of force by police in cases involving mental health crises and its disproportionate impact on African Americans. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ryan became upset when his parents told him to finish his chores before allowing him to play video games or listen to music. DeWitt Lacy, a civil rights attorney representing Ryan’s family, said the teenager’s reaction led to him breaking glass on the front door.

This year’s observance, which featured the NNPA’s annual Board of Director meeting and a visit to the White House, resonated with the theme:” Getting Out the Black Vote.

     The measures, approved during the legislative session that ended last week, seek to crack down on the use of what are known as “community” identification cards, strengthen criminal penalties for people who previously have been deported and stiffen punishments for repeatedly driving without licenses.

Speaking from the Senate floor, Schumer emphasized that Netanyahu’s leadership no longer serves Israel’s best interests. “The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after Oct. 7,” Schumer proclaimed in a scathing takedown of Israel’s leader.

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request by a Jacksonville attorney to be reinstated to practice law after a suspension related to his handling of lawsuits against the tobacco industry.

     Both sides agreeing to the settlement essentially claimed the development as victories, with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office calling it a “major win” and LGBTQ-advocacy group Equality Florida describing it as “historic.”