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Brehanna Daniels Is Making History as NASCAR's First Black Female Tire Changer
At first, Brehanna Daniels thought her friend was kidding when she told her to try out for NASCAR.
It was 2016, and Daniels was wrapping up her senior year at Norfolk State University in Virginia, where she played point guard on the women's basketball team.
"I was sitting in the cafeteria, mid-bite of my Chick-fil-A sandwich, when my friend from the school's athletic department, Tiffany, tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Hey, NASCAR is holding tryouts for their pit crews on Wednesday, you should go," Daniels, now 27, tells PEOPLE. "I looked at her like, 'Girl, I don't even watch NASCAR."
Still, a voice in the back of Daniels' head — she thinks it was God — urged her to attend the tryout.
"I don't question that man," she says, joking,
Daniels was the only woman in a group of men trying out for one of the coveted spots on a NASCAR pit crew team as part of the organization's "Drive for Diversity" program, which aims to recruit and train minority and female racecar drivers as well as pit crew members. The program started in 2004, and there are more than 50 graduates of the pit crew member division now working for the organization.
At the tryout, Daniels says she fell in love with the competitiveness and delicate hand-eye coordination needed to be a tire changer. A few weeks later, she was invited to join NASCAR'S pit crew member program following graduation, and the rest is history.
In 2019, Daniels became the first Black woman to pit in NASCAR's historic Daytona 500 race. She's continuing to break barriers in the historically white, male-dominated sport as a tire changer on the No. 51 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
So what exactly does a tire charger do? As the racecar comes in for a pit stop, Daniels will run over with a pit gun, quickly unscrew five lug nuts from the tire and replace them with new ones. Speed is critical — this has to be done in seconds. Daniels also helps carry and clean the tires (each weighing between 60 and 70 lbs.) used on race day.
t's a high-pressure job, one made more difficult by snarky, sexist comments Daniels says people said behind her back when she first started at NASCAR.
"People were saying, 'She's not going to last long, she'll probably be here for a couple of months, if that,'" she recalls. "There's going to be those people out there, not everybody's going to be happy that I'm in the position that I'm in, but it just gives me the motivation to do more of what I'm already doing."
Last year, Daniels won the crew member award at the 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards Ceremony, receiving recognition for her work as an industry ambassador and trailblazer for other women of color who want to break into NASCAR.
NASCAR has come under sharp scrutiny for alarming incidents involving race. Last year, a noose was found hanging in a garage assigned to Bubba Wallace, the only Black top-tier driver. An FBI investigation determined that Wallace wasn't the target of a hate crime and the noose had been there since at least October 2019, but NASCAR president Steve Phelps said "the noose was real, as was our concern for Bubba."
In April, NASCAR driver Kyle Lawson was suspended from the organization for using a racial slur and then cleared to rejoin six months later.
Still, Daniels says the pro-racing organization is making strides to build a diverse, welcoming community on and off the track.
"NASCAR is very accepting of their Black employees, and they've been taking the right steps [to create an inclusive environment]," Daniels says. "Starting with how they banned Confederate flags at all events, every little step brings everybody closer together and makes a big difference … so hopefully we keep moving upward and elevating."
Maia Chaka Is The First Black Woman To Be Added NFL Officiating Roster! EVER...
Maia Chaka has been added to the NFL roster of game officials for the 2021 season.
Chaka makes history as the first Black woman ever named to the NFL’s officiating staff.
“I am honored to be selected as an NFL official,” Chaka said. “But this moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment. It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.”
Chaka enters the NFL after an outstanding collegiate officiating career, including stints in the Pac-12 Conference and Conference USA.
In 2014, Chaka was selected for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which identifies top collegiate officiating talent to expose them to some of the same experiences as NFL officials, working to determine if they have the ability to succeed as an NFL official.
“Maia’s years of hard work, dedication and perseverance – including as part of the NFL Officiating Development Program – have earned her a position as an NFL official,” said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations. Maia is a trailblazer as the first Black female official and inspires us toward normalizing women on the football field.”
A health and physical education teacher in the Virginia Beach public school system, Chaka has been dedicated to improving the lives of children throughout her professional career. A graduate of Norfolk State University, Chaka earned her bachelor’s in education in 2006 before embarking on her teaching and officiating careers.
Atlanta Restaurant Issues Apology To Dominique Wilkins
NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins who spent most of his career with the Atlanta Hawks says he was refused service restaurant at Buckhead restaurant, Le Bilboquet.
It all began when Hawks legend and broadcaster posted on Twitter Saturday that he’d been turned away from grabbing a meal at Le Bilboquet restaurant in the “Shops of Buckhead” plaza. Wilkins posted a photo on Twitter and said the restaurant denied him service.
The restaurant was made aware of the post later in the day and posted a response stating:
“We do our best to accommodate all of our guests. We have a “business casual” dress code which includes jeans & sneakers but prohibits athletic clothing including sweat pants & tops. The definition of “casual” is ever evolving, we strive to maintain our policy requirements daily.”
Later Sunday, the restaurant issued a new statement via their Instagram page apologizing to Wilkins, reading:
“We want to apologize to Mr. Wilkins for his experience at our restaurant and also for any confusion our dress code may have caused. We in no way intended for him to feel unwanted, and welcome an open dialogue with him. Our upscale dining experience and our brand’s culture is made up of multiple elements, which include our music, our food and our patrons’ attire. We continue to strive to manifest our dining experience in a way that is exciting and most importantly, inclusive.”
The original statement has since been removed.
St. Louis Elects It's First Black Female Mayor
St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, who has been outspoken in her criticism of the criminal justice system’s “arrest and incarcerate” model, won election Tuesday and will take over as the first Black female mayor in a city beset by yet another wave of violent crime.
Jones defeated Alderwoman Cara Spencer in the general election with 51.7 percent to Spencer’s 47.8 percent, based on unofficial results posted on the city’s website. She will be sworn in April 20.
“St. Louis: This is an opportunity for us to rise,” Jones said in her victory speech. “I told you when I was running that we aren’t done avoiding tough conversations. We are done ignoring the racism that has held our city and our region back.”
In "Say What Now" News:
United Negro College Fund Elects First Ever African American Chair Of The Board In Its Nearly 77-Year History
When Lou Rawls reminded us "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste", we now believe he was speaking about the folks at UNCF.
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) elected Milton C. Jones to Chair of the UNCF Board of Directors last week and made the formal announcement Tuesday with an official press release that lauded the Atlanta businessman and civic leader “becoming the first African American to hold that position.”
Founded April 25, 1944, by Frederick D. Patterson — a Black man who would go on to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor — UNCF’s early support from financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller was regarded as “essential.” Mary McLeod Bethune helped get then-President Franklin D. and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to support its efforts, as well, ultimately leading to more help from other white leaders including President Harry Truman and then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, which helped attract more philanthropists to finance UNCF. It was seemingly inevitable for its board of directors to be led by white men.
In fact, white people have played steady roles throughout UNCF’s history, something that the organization has never tried to hide. It’s just that the announcement about Jones’ election has drawn attention to that truth which is perhaps not widely known.
According to its website, UNCF has 18 directors on its board, including Jones. About half of them appear to be non-Black.
Anita Baker Asks Fans To Not Buy Or Stream Her Music While She Fights For Her Masters
The soul music icon says she is legally entitled to her master recordings, referencing Prince in her tweets
On the eve of Grammy Sunday, Anita Baker has asked fans not to buy or stream her music.
The Detroit-based icon posted on Twitter last week that she’d outlived all of her recording contracts and that the right to her masters should legally revert to her. Baker is referencing copyright reversion, which allows musicians to retain their copyrights after 35 years.
However, the law doesn’t mean that that reversion is immediate, or automatic, according to the Future of Music Coalition, a music education and advocacy group. Per their website, there are steps a musician must take to regain their copyrights under the law.
Ted Cruz Abandons Texas AND His Dog Too!
By Kishana L. Holland, Contributor
Animal lovers everywhere are calling for justice for Snowflake Cruz as Texans as just calling for electricity, heat and water.
Senator Ted Cruz may have snagged the new title of the most hated man in America with his latest epic fail. Wednesday the lawmaker and his family hopped a coach flight to Cancun for a lil' fun in the sun while his constituents are literally freezing to death in Texas.
The recent power outages in Texas proved to be too much for the Cruz family, thus they raced to the Ritz-Carlton WITHOUT their poodle Snowflake. According to a reporter for New York Magazine's Intelligencier.
Atlanta Mayor Advises NBA All Star Fan's To Stay Out Of Her City Amidst The Pandemic
The All-Star Game is the NBA's annual party, a three-day event for the league's players, alumni, fans and media to celebrate the best in the game — and cut loose.
Atlanta is not interested in playing host in the middle of a pandemic. And the Mayor wants you to keep your historic hard partying behavior OUT of her city.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a statement on Tuesday February 16th urging fans not to travel to the city and discouraging bars and clubs from promoting events around the All-Star Game scheduled for March 7.
"Under normal circumstances, we would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to host the NBA All-Star Game," Bottoms said, per NBC Atlanta's Chenue Her. "But this is not a typical year. I have shared my concerns related to public health and safety with the NBA and Atlanta Hawks.
"We are in agreement that this is a made-for-TV event only, and people should not travel to Atlanta to party. There will be no NBA-sanctioned events open to the public, and we strongly encourage promoters, clubs, bars, etc. not to host events in the city related to this game."
Senator "Uncle Tim Scott" Strikes AGAIN!!
Straight from the Niggra' Slave Times, From the mouth of the one Harriett Tubman would have left behind!!! "UNCLE" Tim Scott, South Carolina senator says Trump is simply not responsible for the protest that left five dead in the wake of the Jan 6th Capitol Building takeover. No more news here, anything else is a waste of time and space!
Many Americans blame former president Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol but his supporters say he’s innocent of inciting the breach that left five dead.
Rush Limbaugh Is Dead And Nobody Cares
Rush Limbaugh’s Most Racist Quotes: A Timeline Of Destructive Commentary
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh lost his battle with Cancer on Wednesday February 17, 2021. Right wingers were quick to hop on social media to praise a man who spoke poorly about Black people, women, gay people and even the January 6th events at The Capitol.
Sadly, this is the new American Hero. The horrendous statements made by Limbaugh over the years are too many to even discuss, however we've compiled a list at Black Market that you may have forgotten:
Limbaugh Says Steinbrenner Was A “Cracker Who Made African-Americans Millionaires”
Limbaugh: Obama & Oprah Are Only Successful Because They’re Black
AUDIO: Limbaugh Calls Gov. Paterson A “Massa”
Limbaugh Calls Obama “Uppity”
Limbaugh Says Kennedy “Had Negroes Serve Him Booze
Famed Apollo Theater Signs With UTA For Representation
Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater is set for a cross-platform close-up after signing for representation in all areas with UTA (United Talent).
The Harlem landmark's new partnership with UTA hopes to amplify the Apollo's influence while introducing the non-profit theater's mission to a broader audience.
Long known as a gathering place for New York City's African-American community, including during its famed amateur night, the Apollo adapted Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me memoir as a stage play before a TV special was produced for HBO. UTA plans to expand the Apollo's IP across TV, film, podcasts, publishing and events as it looks to underscore the Harlem institution's cultural influence.
The Harlem landmark that once offered a stage for legendary African American talent like Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and James Brown, the Apollo most recently collaborated with Amazon Studios for the third season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and produced a live onstage concert following COVID-protocol that featured Wyclef Jean in performance.
This is however not the first partnership the theater has entered into, in 2019, the Apollo granted an exclusive license for Amateur Night to Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., the largest entertainment company in Japan, expanding the programs reach globally.
Emmett Till's Chicago Home in Woodlawn Granted Landmark Status
Emmett Till's former Chicago home in the Woodlawn neighborhood has been granted landmark status.
Till was a Chicago teen who was brutally killed by a white mob at the age of 14, while visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955. His murder sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
Chicago's City Council approved landmark status for the Victorian-era two flat in the 6400-block of South St. Lawrence.
It was home to Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, whom lived on the second floor. Other relatives lived on the first and garden levels.
Mamie Till-Mobley lived in the house for several more years. However, neglect took a toll on the house and it is now vacant.
Landmark status will keep the historic home from being demolished. There are plans to turn it into a museum.
Tommie Smith Get's His Own "Wheaties" Box
Tommie Smith, who won the 1968 Olympic 200m and then raised a black-gloved fist on the medal stand, is getting his own Wheaties box.
The cereal brand is offering the special edition box for pre-order, available in April. All sales will be donated to the NAACP.
“As a world champion, I always wanted to be on a Wheaties box,” Smith said in a General Mills press release. “To now be recognized by Wheaties and selected to grace the cover of their box, in the class with other great champion athletes, is an honor.”
Smith was surprised with the box in an emotional scene featured in last year’s documentary on his life titled, “With Drawn Arms.”
“We heard that you have always had a dream of being on this box,” then-General Mills senior director of global inclusion James Momon said in the scene, during which Smith wiped his eyes. “We wanted to make sure that you had the opportunity to see your face and likeness on this box. Wheaties is the brand of champions, and you represent that both on the track as well as off. Hopefully this is a small token of the legacy you’ve led.”
On the Wheaties box in the film, images on each side showed Smith raising his right fist on the podium and stretching his arms out as he won the 200m final in Mexico City.
On the Wheaties box on its website, a black silhouette is shown of a person raising a right fist while standing on a podium. On the other side is Smith running in a San Jose State singlet.
Australian Peter Norman took silver in the 1968 200m, followed by American John Carlos for bronze.
Both men, like Smith, wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge on the podium. Carlos, like Smith, raised a black-gloved fist during the anthem. Both Americans were sent home from the Games for the action.
Cecil “F*ck Yo Fountain” Williams Is Black History
His name is Cecil J. Williams, and Cecil J. Williams is a Civil Rights pioneer.
However, for the purpose of this write up, I’m going to, at times, refer to him as Cecil “Fuck Yo Fountain” Williams; “Fuck Yo Fountain” Williams; “Fuck Yo Fountain”; or Cecil. I like the name Cecil. If your name is Cecil, that let’s me know you with the shits. That let’s me know you are about that life. That let’s me know you have a proclivity for drinking ice cold, delicious water, generously seasoned with racist white tears from a Whites Only fountain.
But “F*ck Yo Fountain” Williams was so much more than a water fountain snapshot.
Cecil was a chronicler and truth-teller who spent his career behind the camera so that essential and paramount stories of the civil rights movement would be told through a truthful lens, a lens that refused to be edited by whitewashing and pro-white American textbooks that often display a cupcake version of a movement that fought for Black equality; that fought for Black equity.
Cecil Williams, who was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, photographed his first wedding at 11 years old. From then, he began a career in photography, which started as a simple way to make money, and would quickly morph into a tool to document American history. By the time he was 14, Cecil was freelancing for JET magazine. When the magazine became aware of the Civil Rights movement growing in Orangeburg, they needed an onsite correspondent for constant updates. “Fuck Yo Fountain” Williams went on to photograph significant desegregation efforts in South Carolina . Some of his most notable pictures are from the Briggs v. Elliott case in Summerton, South Carolina. It was the first of five desegregation cases that eventually pushed to integrate public schools in the United States, as all five cases would later on be combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case that declared “separate but equal” public schools for whites and blacks was unconstitutional.
FACTS!!!
Today is the the last day a woman has never been VICE-PRESIDENT.
Norfolk State University Receives Towering Gift of $40 Million
Norfolk State University receives the largest single-donor gift in its 85-year history! President Javaune Adams-Gaston is proud to accept this 40-million-dollar donation from MacKenzie Scott on behalf of the University and notes that this tremendous donation advances the mission of NSU in support of access, student achievement, and academic excellence. The President stated, “We are pleased to receive this level of support for transforming the curious thoughts of our students into the brightest minds of our world.”
Norfolk State was identified as an institution that has “…strong leadership teams and results, with special attention to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital…”
This 40-million-dollar gift boldly supports Norfolk State’s academic enterprise and operation as both faculty and staff endeavor to transform the lives of students with exemplary teaching, research, mentorship, and service. As we march further into this decade, this gift will bolster our commitment to educating the next generation of leaders and change agents.
The University is planning a major capital campaign to fortify our strategies for enhancing our endowment, increasing student scholarship opportunities, and pursuing workforce and economic development activities to enhance the lives of our future leaders, the City of Norfolk and the Hampton Roads region of Virginia.
Norfolk State is the largest HBCU in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a thought leader positioned to continue educating the current and future workforce for generations to come. The University is home to one of the highest rated “Clean Room” research facilities on the eastern seaboard and is strengthening its presence in the research and technological sectors as a place to go for 21st Century initiatives. The institution is highlighted by several superior academic colleges and schools including the College of Science, Engineering and Technology; the College of Liberal Arts; the School of Business; the School of Education; the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work; the School of Graduate Studies and Research; and the Robert C. Nusbaum Honors College.
Recently, President Adams-Gaston and the university leadership team have initiated five new strategic priorities that will serve as guiding principles for the institution, including Student Success; External Engagement and Partnerships; Fundraising and Endowment Growth; Shared Governance and Professional Development; and Institutional Alignment, Operational Excellence, and Strategic Planning. This gift will impact each of five strategic areas, ensuring that the gift will have a transformational impact on the status of Norfolk State as one of the premier institutions in the nation.
Tennessee Loves Racially-Based Vigilante Killings
“Racially-based, vigilante killings.” That’s what the Tennessee NAACP said will be allowed under the current version of a bill filed by a Montgomery County-area lawmaker.
“In a racially charged, and politically charged time like this, I think that’s the most awful bill in the world,” said TN State Conference NAACP President Gloria Sweet-Love. “I cannot even imagine what he was thinking.”
Republican Representative Jay Reedy told News 2 this was not the final version of HB0011 and he’s meeting with experts and taking comments from citizens to make the legislation more specific to Tennessee.
“It mirrors the law in Texas but I don’t want Texas law, I want Tennessee law,” Reedy said. “I’m working on an amendment or possibly a whole other bill to read. My concern is in the state of Tennessee citizens don’t have the right to protect their property or business from rioting, theft, any of that nonsense and there’s got to be something we need to do for our citizens to protect their property and that’s my ultimate goal.”
The TN NAACP said the bill permits the use of deadly force “to protect real or tangible, movable property” and has specific language allowing property owners to kill people suspected of theft during night-time hours.
“I call on the Governor and all the other representatives to really oppose this. This is bad legislation,” Sweet-Love said. “The chamber of commerce says all the time that Tennessee is a great place to live and of course we think so because we live here but that is a bad impression on what Tennessee would be doing.”
The group was also concerned about how this would impact the safety of workers making deliveries to people’s homes.
“I think the main concern is in a climate like we currently are in the U.S. and Tennessee is part of that, it really gives like an open season on people,” Sweet-Love said. “We just broke all kinds of records for buying online. Almost everyone has things delivered to their houses all the time. This bill would say that even if the Amazon Driver or the FedEx driver show up to bring something to my house, you being the neighbor could see them over here and decide you thought – like in the Ahmaud Arbery case – they might be trying to steal something and you would be okay to shoot them.”
White Woman Charged After Pulling Gun On Two Black Children Riding Their Bikes In A Georgia Neighborhood
A white Georgia woman has been charged with aggravated assaults after she pulled a gun on two Black boys bikes in their neighborhood. The boys, 12-year-old Kaleb Barnes and 13-year-old Ethan Hollis, told WMAZ they were riding their bikes in a Byron, Georgia, neighborhood on Nov. 22, when 52-year-old Patricia Compton pointed a gun at them.
“My friend Ethan started running and I just stood there and said, ‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot, I’m a kid,’ and I tripped on those rocks,” said Barnes. The pair of best friends had been trying to find out were some animal noises were coming from. Compton, whom the boys said owned the land where the noises were coming from, pulled up near them in a black vehicle.
“Stop, or I’ll shoot you,” Compton said, pointing them gun at them. Compton later told police she did not own nor live on the property, but that she kept animals there and had received a call from someone who said there were two people on the property. She said she grabbed her gun and drove to the property after receiving the call.
After being threatened by Compton, Hollis then ran to Barnes’ grandparents’ home, leaving Barnes at the scene. Venita Kennedy, Barnes’ grandmother, said she heard Compton tell deputies she would have shot the boys if they had approached her. The children told police they were on the property to see the animals.
Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said Compton can’t claim self-defense because she wasn’t in danger. The boys were not armed and the encounter happened in broad daylight. “The basics of it is you have to feel threatened that somebody’s about to do you serious bodily injury or death or serious damage to property,” said Deese.
Compton said she didn’t know the boys were children and wasn’t sure whether or not they were armed. She also said there aren’t many “Black kids” in the neighborhood, so she was wary of the boys’ intentions. The boys’ parents said Compton knew the kids, who rode bikes in the neighborhood regularly.
Compton was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, child cruelty and terroristic threats. She has been released on bond.
Deputies explained the charges against Compton in a police report, writing: “With the juveniles living in the neighborhood, the age of the juveniles, and the fact that it was daylight outside which revealed their identity, I believe that Mrs. Compton had ample time to react to their age and recognize them and also acknowledge that they presented no danger to her or anyone in the area. With all of this information presented to her, she still decided to brandish a firearm and present it to where the children were aware of its presence within the situation, placing them in fear for their safety.”
Congresswoman-Elect Cori Bush Called Breonna Taylor By Republican Colleagues
Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush representing St. Louis emerged victorious in her first ever Congressional run earlier this month. An activist and registered nurse has been vocal about the "Black Lives Matter" movement and the injustices of Black people in the United States. Last week after a visit to her states capitol for an orientation, Bush was stunned that a large majority of her Republican colleagues had no idea who Breonna Taylor was.
In solidarity for the support of the Taylor family, the Congresswoman-elect wore a face mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black EMT tech who was gunned down in her home as she slept by Louisville Kentucky police officers.
In a recent interview Bush detailed her hurtful experience at the Capitol. She was referred to as Breonna Taylor by several republican law makers. "It did not seem like they were being malicious. They just did not know,"
"But then after the next, and next, and the next, then I really started to feel hurt, because I'm like this has been a national movement ... the reports are between 15 and 26 million people protested up to July -- from June to July. How do you not know? And we claim ourselves -- we asked, we signed up -- to be leaders," she continued.
State Property... Wasn't Just A Movie
In Louisiana, black women were put in cells with male prisoners and some became pregnant. In 1848, legislators passed a new law declaring that all children born in the penitentiary of African American parents serving life sentences would be property of the state. The women would raise the kids until the age of ten, at which point the penitentiary would place an ad in the newspaper. Thirty days later, the children would be auctioned off on the courthouse steps 'cash on delivery.' The proceeds were used to fund schools for white children. . . many of [the black children] were purchased by prison officials.”
Boys & Girls.... The Word Of The Day Is "Ascertainment"
Not to be confused with tRumps word of the day "entertainment,"
This song and dance is no longer entertaining. actually it's quite sad & is
just one more reminder of why this fool gotta' go!
The country is moving on to more serious issues like, a peaceful transition of power, covid-19 action and economy correction.
What is ascertainment and why is it so important?
The formal presidential transition doesn’t begin until the administrator of the federal General Services Administration ascertains the “apparent successful candidate” in the general election. Neither the Presidential Transition Act nor federal regulations specify how that determination should be made. That decision green lights the entire federal government’s moves toward preparing for a handover of power.
The agency has not said why the decision to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect has not been made. A GSA spokesperson said in a recent statement : “An ascertainment has not yet been made. GSA and its Administrator will continue to abide by, and fulfill, all requirements under the law.
GSA is an executive branch agency. Its administrator, Emily Murphy, is a Trump appointee, but the ascertainment decision is supposed to be apolitical, meaning not political however, The White House did not say whether there have been conversations on the matter between officials there and at GSA.
The determination clears the way for millions of federal dollars to flow to Biden’s transition team and opens the doors of the federal government to hundreds of Biden staffers, so they can begin assessing agency operations ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. A delay in recognizing Biden as the next president will slow federal resources to assist the Biden-Harris team in filling about 4,000 political appointments across the government — including critical national security and health postings.
Kanye West Wastes 10,000 Votes In Tennessee
Rapper and producer Kanye West made his way onto Tennessee’s presidential ballot.
According to The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, West cleared the 275 verified signature threshold to qualify as an unaffiliated presidential candidate. He appeared on the ballot with running mate Michelle Tidball, a 57-year-old spiritual coach from Cody, Wyoming.
At press time Tennessee's general presidential results show 10,188 voters marked West on their ballots in the 2020 election. 2,590 of those votes came from the metro Nashville area.
West qualified in 12 US states and received nearly 60,000 votes.
Here is how he fared in each, with vote counts according to the Associated Press:
Arkansas: 4,040
Colorado: 6,127
Idaho: 3092
Iowa: 3,197
Kentucky: 6,259
Louisiana: 4,894
Minnesota: 7654
Mississippi: 3,117
Oklahoma: 5,590
Tennessee: 10,195
Utah: 4,311
Vermont: 1,255
I know a mind is a terrible thing to waste but Yeezy and his voters have lost their minds and wasted these votes.
Sushi Stinks Of Racism In An Atlanta Area Eatery
Recently an Atlanta area eatery came under fire for a racially insensitive incident. Buckhead is home to thriving restaurants and lounges who often accept the Black dollar with very little respect.
Attorney Kaylan Colbert chose Umi Sushi for her birthday celebration. Colbert and her husband William Johnson arrived at the restaurant WITH reservations to be told by staff she would not be seated as a result of her husband violating the dress code. Mr. Johnson can be seen wearing Nike sneakers in a video uploaded to his wife's Instagram account.
The 13+ minute video has received over 100,000 views on YouTube and depicts yet another instance of racial discrimination. The owner Farshid Arshid initially walks away as if he couldn't be bothered with the chaos ensuing outside his establishment. He only stopped to engage after Mr. Johnson inquired about the dress code policy and pointed out there was a white female patron seated at the bar with Adidas on. Farshid stated he was unaware and that he wasn't allowing "Air Force One's in his restaurant".
After about 6-7 minutes of back and forth with the Colbert's, the owner made several disturbing comments ranging from, "You're a Loser", "What do you think your video is going to do" and finally "He's going to jail tonight" (referring to William Johnson). These statements are particularly disturbing because Farshid not only was the aggressor in the video, he even lunged to assault Mr. Johnson at one point in the video.
Farshid who is of Iranian descent showed the world what he thinks of the black dollar and Black people with his actions. A staff member who identified himself as the manager in the video even went as far to state "we are all minorities" when confronted by the allegation of racial discrimination.
The next day full time entertainer and part-time Atlanta activist Clifford "T.I." Harris posted an Instagram statement "I see we going to have to shut down Umi Sushi down like we did Houstons". The post quickly gained attention and had many assuming T.I. would lend his celebrity in the hopes of bringing attention and resolution to the issue.
Less than 24 hours after the post Harris engaged in a meeting with Farshid and his brother Farshad. In a Instagram LIVE T.I. rambled on about how supportive the owners of Umi have been to the black community. The brothers appeared in the video and seemed extremely nonchalant and contrite to say the least.
Farshid attempted to offer an excuse for his behavior and blamed it on an "operational error" and proclaimed he was a "Sneaker Head" who would change the policy as the result of the incident. At press time a dress code policy listed on the website still included sneakers as a prohibited item.
Farshid was elated to profess his "connections" within the Black Atlanta community and mentioned his financial support to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In a statement to Eater Atlanta, Farshid stated “I come from music, fashion, and the arts,” . “So, we’re constantly changing the artwork, the chandeliers, design at Umi to elevate our atmosphere. Dinner is still theater, and I still believe that every occasion and every venue has a certain type of dress code.”
This behavior is indicative of white privilege on several levels. These actions are not only inappropriate but are non negotiable and can no longer be dismissed as an apology. Black Market and it’s staff will continue to monitor this issue and follow up accordingly.
Fayette and Haywood County Tennessee forced Black people from their homes for trying to exercise right the vote! And you seriously have questions today if you should vote?
Black sharecroppers in two Tennessee counties were being threatened, kicked out of their homes and blacklisted by merchants because they simply registered or tried to register to vote. They were forced to gather on donated land in Fayette County and live on dirt floors.
"Tent City," as the encampment was called, would become a home to poor Black folks who had no homes, no money, no food. And no clear path to vote, physically, and literally!
United States Commission on Civil Rights showed that between 1952 and 1959 there were 58 registered Black voters. Twenty registered in 1958 and eleven in 1959. There was also more African Americans in these 2 counties than whites in 1950.
Kentucky Attorney General never sought murder charges in the death of Breonna Taylor
On September 29th, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron suggested the grand jury in the Breonna Taylor case could have made an "assessment about different charges,"
"They're an independent body," Cameron said in the interview. "If they wanted to make an assessment about different charges, they could've done that. But our recommendation was that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in their acts and their conduct."
Diversifying the flight deck: Less than 1% of US pilots are Black women
Sisters of the Skies (SOS) says their mission is to "develop pathways and partnerships to increase the number of black women in the professional pilot career field."
The organization is comprised of professional black women pilots who represent less than ½ of 1% of the total professional pilot career field. Currently, there are less than 150 black women pilots in the United States holding Airline Transport Pilot, Commercial, Military, and or Certified Flight Instructor Licenses. Sisters Of The Skies goal is to drastically improve these numbers through mentorship, professional development, STEM and outreach and scholarships.
