Exclusive: Vice President Kamala Harris Discusses Gun Violence Prevention With Quavo In Atlanta
Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Atlanta to host a summit on gun violence prevention with Quavo and The Rocket Foundation. Held at the Carter Center, the first-ever Rocket Foundation Summit served as a collaboration with VP Harris and the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The summit aimed to uplift community violence intervention (CVI) efforts in Atlanta and beyond. Greg Jackson, Deputy Director of The White House Office of Gun Violence, moderated a fireside chat which featured VP Harris and Quavo. "Gun violence is not only about that the tragedy of life that is lost,
Black Developer, Clifford Brown of Woodborn Partners Cuts Ribbon on $23M Project in Southwest Detroit
What is Black development? Why is it important? And how is Detroit paving the way? These are the questions Clifford Brown, CEO and president of Woodborn Partners, is answering with vision and persistence. His company, Woodborn Partners is playing an integral role in Detroit’s development renaissance, focusing on building better communities. Recently Brown along with Mayor Mike Duggan and a host of community leaders, celebrated the grand opening of The Brooke on Bagley, a mixed-use and mixed-income development in Southwest Detroit. This $23 million facility is more
Kenyon Bonner named VP, Chief Student Affairs Officer at the University of Virginia
Kenyon Bonner, a vice provost at the University of Pittsburgh, will join the University of Virginia as vice president and chief student affairs officer in January 2024. (Photo by Emily Faith Morgan, University of Virginia Communications) Kenyon Bonner, vice provost for student affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Men of Excellence” Class of 2017, will step down from his position to become vice president and chief student affairs officer at the University of Virginia, the Courier has learned. Joseph J. McCarthy, Pitt’s
Meet Farley ‘Jackmaster’ Funk: 2024 Chicago Defender Men of Excellence Honoree
Farley “Jackmaster” Funk is an influential pioneer in the history of house music in Chicago. He was a prominent DJ and producer during the 1980s. Born Farley Keith Williams, he adopted the stage name Farley “Jackmaster” Funk as he rose to fame. Farley gained recognition for his DJ skills and his productions, which often featured a raw and energetic style that became characteristic of the Chicago house sound. One of his most famous tracks is “Love Can’t Turn Around,” a collaboration with vocalist Darryl Pandy, which became a
Cheryl Porter Shatters Glass Ceilings as First Black Woman President of AWWA
Cheryl Porter, a trailblazer in every sense of the word, is now leading the charge for the American Water Works Association (AWWA) as its President. Her election is historic, marking the first time an African American and a woman of color has held the top board position in the organization’s 143-year history. As the Chief Operating Officer of Water and Field Services for the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), Porter’s ascent to this role signifies a monumental step forward, not just for the AWWA, but for the
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson Can Make History as First Black Woman To Be Elected DeKalb CEO
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson's desire to provoke change has led her to the cusp of making history. If elected on June 18, Cochran-Johnson will become the first Black woman to serve as DeKalb CEO. Residents of DeKalb County will begin early voting for the primary run-off election today. However, Cochran-Johnson's journey into politics was not linear. She was once a leading figure in Atlanta media, working at publications such as Creative Loafing and serving as general manager of Atlanta Daily World. But after being impacted personally by crime, she knew that
Meet Opal Lee — The Woman Who Fought To Make Juneteenth a U.S. Holiday
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law officially making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The push to get the historic day recognized at the federal level had been decades in the making, and 94-year-old Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” had championed efforts for years. Lee told NPR that the wait for Juneteenth being a US holiday has been 155 years 11 months and 28 days in the making. “And now we can all finally celebrate. The whole country together,” Lee said after
Jahmal Cole: Transforming Chicago’s Neighborhoods One Block at a Time
By Courtney Alexander Chicago native and trailblazer Jahmal Cole discussed the adversities in his life that inspired his activism journey, revitalizing Black communities in Chicago, and his social impact organization, which transforms and renews the lives of the youth and elderly. The mission statement of the notable Chicagoland non-profit organization My, Block, My Hood, My City is to inspire the youth, empower communities, and build a better world one block at a time. My Block, My Hood, My City is a social impact organization founded in 2013 by Jahmal Cole,
Black C-Suite Execs Are Persisting Despite Corporate DEI Rollbacks
Historically marginalized in top-tier executive roles, Black individuals are now making significant strides, breaking through barriers and reshaping the narrative of corporate America. While there are only a handful of Black CEOs at Fortune 500 companies, there has been a marked increase in other C-level positions within these organizations. This surge in Black C-suite leadership not only reflects progress toward diversity and inclusion but also underscores the immense talent and potential within the Black community. The killing of George Floyd and the subsequent social justice movement served as
Roy Scott of Healthy Hip Hop Address Youth Mental Health with Headstream 2024[Listen]
Young people are struggling with mental health issues at an unprecedented rate. Coupled with the protracted years of war, school shootings and the pandemic, as well as unbridled access to the internet, young people are taking their lives and suffering mental health maladies in numbers the nation has never witnessed before. Headstream Accelerator, an innovation program that works to improve the mental well-being of adolescents within systematically excluded communities is providing unprecedented financial support in a raging race to get ahead of the curve and identify young people