
Atlanta civil rights leader C.T. Vivian dead at 95
Civil rights icon Rev. Cordy Tindell “C.T,” Vivian has died at age 95 of natural causes at his home in Atlanta, according to a report from CNN. Vivian worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in the Freedom Rides to register Black voters. The Boonville, MO native, and his late wife, Octavia, had six children. He was a co-founder of the Nashville Christian Leadership Conference, an affiliate of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which helped organi

Teenager Didn’t Do Her Online Schoolwork So a Judge Sent Her to Juvenile Detention
A 15-year-old in Michigan was incarcerated during the coronavirus pandemic after a judge ruled that not completing her schoolwork violated her probation. “It just doesn’t make any sense,” said the girl’s mother. PONTIAC, Mich. — One afternoon in mid-June, Charisse* drove up to the checkpoint at the Children’s Village juvenile detention center in suburban Detroit, desperate to be near her daughter. It had been a month since she had last seen her when a judge found the girl had

Texans WR Kenny Stills Arrested, Among 87 Protesters Facing Felony Charges
Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills was arrested Tuesday during a protest march in Louisville, Kentucky, and is among 87 protesters who face a felony charge of intimidating a participant in the legal process. Lucas Aulbach of the Louisville Courier-Journal reported Stills, who joined the group in demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, also faces misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass. The protest march ended at the home of Kentucky Attorney Genera

Philly civil rights groups demand that the mayor end stop-and-frisk
A coalition of Black civil rights activists in Philadelphia is demanding that Mayor Jim Kenney end stop-and-frisk, a controversial policing tactic that rarely results in officers seizing firearms from suspects in the city and disproportionately targets people of color. The call comes as people in the city and nationwide continue to demand systemic changes to law enforcement in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. During a news conference Tuesday outs

L.A. County seeks plan to close aging Men’s Central Jail in a year
Only a year ago, L.A. County leaders scrapped a plan to replace the decrepit Men’s Central Jail, where thousands of inmates are held in cramped cells along narrow hallways in downtown L.A. Now, the Board of Supervisors is looking at what it would take to close the 57-year-old lockup all together — with no replacement — as they focus on treating the mental health needs of the thousands of people who come in and out of the jail system, which is run by the Los Angeles County She

Nick Cannon dropped by ViacomCBS over the TRUTH
Nick Cannon has been fired from his MTV show Wild 'N Out and other work for the channel's parent company, which said he had promoted anti-Semitic comments. ViacomCBS said a recent episode of his podcast Cannon's Class "promoted hateful speech and spread anti-Semitic conspiracy theories". In response, Cannon said he does "not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric". The star also presents The Masked Singer, which is made by Fox. He created Wild 'N Out, an impro

Washington, D.C. approves police reforms after days of protests against racism
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The district council for Washington, D.C. on Tuesday approved a raft of police reforms after days of protests against police brutality and racism in the U.S. capital and nationwide, sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody. The emergency legislation, approved by a unanimous vote, comes as a number of cities rethink approaches to policing but falls short of calls by some civil rights activists to defund city police departme

NASCAR says it is prohibiting the display of the Confederate flag at events
NASCAR will no longer allow the Confederate flag to be displayed at events and properties, according to a statement this afternoon. “The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors, and our industry. Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Cutting $100 Million-$150 Million From LAPD Budget
As he began to speak about reforming the LAPD during his Wednesday evening press conference, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called this an “urgent moment” for the city, “an inflection point.” He said he is “committed to making this moment not just a moment.” Garcetti said he would be making commitments to creating racial equality. “It is time to move our rhetoric towards action to end racism in our city.” He said the city must move beyond police reforms of the past. “Prejudi

Federal Bureau of Prisons Are On National Lockdown Over Protests
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is under national lockdown for the first time in almost 25 years due to widespread protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. Monday marked the seventh day of nationwide protests, many of which have become violent, forcing several cities to institute curfews. “The BOP has implemented a national lockdown as of 4 p.m. due to the ongoing unrest and riots nationwide,” said a t

Wife of Derek Chauvin, officer charged with murder in George Floyd's death, files for divorce
The wife of the Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, has filed for divorce. According to her lawyer, Kellie Chauvin is distraught over Floyd's death. "She is devastated by Mr. Floyd's death and her utmost sympathy lies with his family, with his loved ones and with everyone who is grieving this tragedy," the Sekula Law Offices, PLLC said in a statement on behalf of Kellie Chauvin and her f

Bail for George Floyd ‘killer cop’ Derek Chauvin set at $500K
Bail for former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who faces a murder charge in the death of George Floyd, has been set at $500,000, according to the criminal complaint filed in the 4th Judicial District Court of Minnesota. No conditions have been set for his release, according to the document, nor does it indicate if Chauvin is out on bail. But it does say that if he does bond out, bail is set for $500,000, CNN reported. Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with th

Betty Wright, Grammy Award-Winning R&B Singer, Dead at 66
Betty Wright, whose hits include “No Pain, (No Gain)” and “Tonight Is the Night,” has died. She was 66. News of her death was shared on Sunday morning by her niece. “I just lost my aunt this morning.... and now my mood has changed.... sleep in peace aunty Betty Wright,” she wrote on Twitter. “Fly high angel.” Reflecting on the kindness Wright showed her over the years, her niece also expressed regret at not being able to pay her one last visit. “My auntie was a legend.... she

Little Richard, rock'n'roll pioneer, dies aged 87
Little Richard, one of the pioneers of the first wave of rock’n’roll, has died. He was 87. Richard – whose real name was Richard Penniman – had been in poor health for several years, suffering hip problems, a stroke, and a heart attack. Rolling Stone magazine said Richard’s son, Danny Penniman, “confirmed the pioneer’s death … but said the cause of death was unknown”. In a post on Instagram, band member Kelvin Holly said: “Rest in peace, Richard. This one really stings. My th

Andre Harrell, Founder of Uptown Records, Dies at 59
Andre Harrell, music mogul and founder of influential R&B and hip-hop label Uptown Records, has died. Details are if his death is not yet known, but Harrell's passing was first announced by DJ D-Nice on his Instagram Live early Saturday morning (May 9), and sources have separately confirmed it to Billboard. He was 59. Raised in the Bronx, New York, Harrell started a career in music as half of the early-'80s hip-hop duo Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (with Alonzo Brown). The pair had