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.
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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.
The award, founded by President Bush and established during his presidency, is given daily by the Points of Light organization which is recognized worldwide for its dedication to volunteer service and recognizing extraordinary volunteers who are donating their time and talent to better their communities.
“The fact that slavery was underway for a century in South America before introduction in North America is not widely taught nor commonly understood,” said Felicia Davis of the HBCU Green Fund.
Born on May 11, 1906, Richard Arvin Overton, a member of what is often called America’s “Greatest Generation,” died on December 27th in Austin, Texas. At 112 years and 230 days, Overton was believed to be the oldest living man in the United States as well as America’s oldest veteran.
“It’s far more than a job, it’s all-day, it’s emotional and it’s far more than you just go to work and come home and that’s it,” said Alyssa George, who just finished her internship on her way to becoming a funeral director.
The St. Louis County NAACP is joining the McKinnies family in the call for transparency and justice regarding the murder of Danye Jones. “There’s too many unanswered questions that we are demanding answers to,” said John Gaskin III, St. Louis County NAACP President. “We support Mrs. McKinnies call for justice and transparency in the death of her son.”
Reports indicate that a church in Cape May, N.J., is being transformed into a museum honoring abolitionist and political activist Harriet Tubman.