History often remembers movements by their most recognizable moments. It less often remembers the teenagers who moved first.

Claudette Colvin, whose refusal to surrender her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus came months before the moment that would enter textbooks, died Jan. 13 at 86. Her death was confirmed by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation, which said she died of natural causes in Texas.

On March 2, 1955, Claudette Colvin was 15 years old and riding home from school when the bus driver ordered Black passengers to give up their seats to White riders. Three students stood. Ms. Colvin did not.

Police arrested her, charged her under segregation laws, and placed her on probation. She later said she was thinking about the Constitution and the rights she believed belonged to her.

Ms. Colvin’s arrest came at a time when Montgomery’s Black community was already pressing against the daily restraints of Jim Crow. Her stand did not ignite a boycott that day, but it did register. It landed in conversations, church meetings, and legal strategy sessions that would soon follow.

Unlike others whose names became shorthand for the era, Ms. Colvin paid a quieter price. She was young and outspoken and was later judged by standards that did not apply to older leaders. She was never elevated as the public face of the movement. Her life unfolded mostly outside the spotlight she helped create.

Yet Ms. Colvin’s role proved decisive.

She became one of four plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the federal lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court and ended bus segregation in Montgomery and across Alabama. The case dismantled the legal framework that made her arrest possible.

“At age 15, Ms. Colvin was arrested on March 2, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, for violating bus segregation ordinances, nine months before Rosa Parks,” Phillip Ensler wrote. “In 2021, it was the privilege of a lifetime to serve on the legal team that helped Ms. Colvin clear her record from the conviction.”

“As we worked on the court motion, I had the honor of spending time with Ms. Colvin to hear her story and get to know her,” Mr. Ensler wrote.

“Today we lost an unsung yet significant hero of the civil rights movement,” U.S. Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock said (D-Ga.). “Her courage paved the way for Rosa Parks’ decision and the launching of a movement that would end segregation.”

“History did not always give Claudette Colvin the credit she deserved, but her impact is undeniable,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. “Her life reminds us that progress is shaped not only by moments, but by sustained courage and truth,” Bernice King said.

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As 2026 begins, states across the country are preparing to activate a wide range of new laws that will shape paychecks, housing conditions, health care costs, consumer privacy, and the use of artificial intelligence.

The measures differ sharply by state, but together they point to a growing reality: in the absence of sweeping federal action, states are setting the rules that govern everyday life.

California enters the new year with one of the most expansive sets of changes. The state minimum wage will rise to $16.90 an hour on January 1, increasing salary thresholds for exempt employees and affecting millions of workers.

California will also cap insulin co-pays at $35 per month for many state-regulated health plans and begin rolling out CalRx-branded insulin at lower list prices.

New housing standards will require landlords to provide working stoves and refrigerators in rental units, while an expanded plastic bag ban closes loopholes that allowed thicker so-called reusable bags.

California’s laws also reach into public safety and technology. There will be new requirements for law enforcement officers to display clearer identification and limits on face coverings.

The state is also phasing in artificial intelligence transparency and child safety rules, part of a broader effort to regulate emerging technology in employment, government, and consumer-facing platforms.

In the District of Columbia, the changes are structural and immediate. Automatic expungement of qualifying criminal records will take effect without requiring individuals to file petitions, clearing certain cases within 90 days.

The District will also revise how courts handle emergency rental assistance applications, giving judges discretion rather than requiring eviction pauses while applications are pending.

Changes to Medicaid eligibility will move some low-income adults into a city-administered Basic Health Plan that maintains medical coverage but excludes certain services previously covered, including adult dental and vision care.

Michigan’s 2026 laws place a strong focus on wages and worker protections. The state minimum wage will increase to $13.73 an hour, one of the largest single-year jumps in the country.

Changes to tipped wage rules will narrow the gap between tipped and non-tipped workers, while expanded paid sick leave requirements and tighter enforcement standards are expected to affect employers across retail, hospitality, and health care.

Pennsylvania’s new laws concentrate on civil rights, health access, and public safety. The state’s CROWN Act will ban discrimination based on hair texture, type, or style in employment, housing, and education.

Insurance plans will be required to cover supplemental breast cancer screenings without cost-sharing for patients at average or higher risk. Other measures eliminate waiting periods for filing missing person reports and authorize park rangers and conservation officers to wear body cameras.

New York will raise minimum wages in several regions, including New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, while strengthening protections for delivery workers through pay transparency rules and standardized gratuity disclosures for certain online orders. The state is also revising paid sick leave requirements and reducing penalties for street vendors.

Illinois continues to expand worker and family protections. Employers will be required to pay regular wages during pumping breaks for nursing employees and provide job-protected leave for parents with infants in neonatal intensive care units.

Public schools must allow attendance regardless of actual or perceived immigration status, while new laws restrict discriminatory use of artificial intelligence in employment decisions.

Texas is moving aggressively into artificial intelligence governance. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act will prohibit certain discriminatory and manipulative uses of AI, establish an advisory council, and set transparency standards for some government deployments.

Consumer data protection laws are also expanding across multiple states. Indiana and Kentucky will activate comprehensive privacy statutes granting residents the right to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain data processing.

Georgia’s pesticide limited-liability law will restrict certain claims when products comply with federal labeling standards. Oregon and Washington are revising unemployment benefit rules tied to labor strikes, with Washington expanding eligibility for striking workers.

Taken together, the laws taking effect in 2026 show states asserting control over wages, housing, health care, privacy, and technology. For residents in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the changes will arrive through shifts in paychecks, court records, rental units, insurance plans, and digital platforms as the calendar turns.

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Michael Eugene Archer—known to the world as D’Angelo—was one of the most enigmatic and transformative figures in modern R&B. D’Angelo attended Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia. He dropped out in 1991 to move to New York City and pursue what would become an incredibly successful career in music. On October 14, it was learned that the singer died in New York after a quiet battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 51.

Though he only had three studio albums, D’Angelo won four Grammys during his career. The singer was said to be working on what would have been his fourth studio album. “An architect, musically and spiritually. I’m stumped on this one. We haven’t just lost a person, we’ve lost a musician who put his all into the music,” said music critic Nicolas-Tyrell Scott on social media.

D’Angelo was born on February 11, 1974, in Richmond and raised in nearby Petersburg. He emerged in the 1990s as a singing phenom with his church-honed musicianship and husky falsetto. The singer had a deep reverence for the Black musical tradition, and he reshaped the landscape of soul music that would begin an era of what would be called “neo-soul.”

D’Angelo was the son of a minister and grew up immersed in gospel music. He learned the piano at an early age and often played during his father’s services. The early blend of faith, rhythm, and improvisation became the foundation for his sound—a blend of spirituality and streetwise funk. As a teenager, he was deeply inspired by Prince, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Curtis Mayfield, as well as the jazz-infused textures of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. By his late teens, D’Angelo was already writing and producing his own material, displaying a rare ability to bridge old-school soul with contemporary rhythms. D’Angelo’s big breakthrough came in 1995 with the release of Brown Sugar, a debut album that felt both nostalgic and radical. Driven by hits like “Lady,” “Cruisin,’” and the title track “Brown Sugar,” the record was a warm, analog antidote to the digital R&B dominating radio at the time. Critics hailed D’Angelo as a savior of soul, comparing him to the greats of the 1970s. The album went platinum and established him as a leading voice of the emerging neo-soul wave alongside artists like Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill.

D’Angelo’s follow-up album, Voodoo (2000), cemented his status as a visionary singer. Recorded over several years at Electric Lady Studios in New York—a space once home to Jimi Hendrix—Voodoo was a sprawling, live-instrument masterpiece that blurred the lines between R&B, funk, hip-hop, and jazz. The album’s grooves, shaped with members of The Soulquarians collective (including Questlove, James Poyser, and Q-Tip), showcased D’Angelo’s mastery of nuance and groove.

In the years following Voodoo, D’Angelo struggled under the weight of fame, artistic expectation, and personal demons. The intense sexualization of his image, coupled with his perfectionist tendencies and distrust of the music industry, led to a lengthy hiatus from the business. Legal troubles and personal struggles kept him largely out of the public eye for a decade. Fans and critics wondered whether one of soul’s brightest stars would be seen on stage again.

But in 2014, D’Angelo resurfaced unexpectedly with the album Black Messiah. The work was a politically charged, adventurous release amid the news of the justice reform protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The album, credited to D’Angelo and The Vanguard, was an urgent exploration of Black identity and resistance. D’Angelo had not lost his edge, and Black Messiah was hailed as a masterpiece and later won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2016. D’Angelo’s influence is seen across generations. Artists such as Frank Ocean, H.E.R., and SZA cite D’Angelo as an inspiration. His ability to channel vulnerability, sensuality, and social consciousness and blur musical boundaries was recognized by many in the industry.

Despite his limited output—only three studio albums in 30 years—D’Angelo’s impact on Black music is large. He stood as a bridge between musical eras: a torchbearer for the soul greats of the past and a north star for those carrying the sound forward. D’Angelo was reclusive but remained revered and well respected by many.

In May, Billboard magazine reported that D’Angelo dropped out of the 2025 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, citing medical complications related to a previous surgery. On Friday, May 23, the singer announced through social media that he would not be headlining the Roots Picnic event from May 31 to June 1 in Philadelphia.

This article was distributed by NNPA Newswire/Black Press USA

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National Newspaper Publishers Association
Office of the Chairman
Bobby R. Henry, Sr.

Re: In Loving Memory of Brother Naba’a Muhammad

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On behalf of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family, loved ones, and colleagues of our dear Brother, Naba’a Muhammad.

The loss of Brother Naba’a, Editor-in-Chief of The Final Call, is a profound one—not just for the publication he led with such excellence and clarity, but for Black America and the Black Press as a whole. His voice was unwavering, his commitment to truth and justice uncompromising, and his love for our people evident in every word he wrote and every truth be told. He was a rare light—a courageous journalist, a spiritual warrior, and a sacred vessel for righteous communication.

At this time, final arrangements have not yet been made available. As soon as we receive them, we will share the details with our members and supporters.

We join you in mourning his transition and in lifting his family in continuous prayer. Let us honor his extraordinary legacy by continuing the work he devoted his life to—empowering our communities, defending the truth, and building unity through our voice and collective strength.
May his soul rest in peace and power.

In solidarity and sympathy,
Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
Chairman, NNPA

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Hip-hop power couple T.I. and Tiny celebrated the grand opening of their long-awaited affordable housing complex, The Intrada Westside, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Atlanta. The complex is in the northwest of the city. According to HipHopDX.com, it shows how committed the couple is to community development, and it has personal meaning for T.I. because it was once a grocery store where his grandmother shopped.

The Intrada Westside boasts 143 apartments and 25 unique units to house homeless youth. T.I., known for hits like “Whatever You Like,” expressed gratitude for the support from the arts and entertainment industry, citing its profitability to offer much-needed resources to the community.

In a nod to the project’s roots, T.I. shared, “The arts and entertainment industry in this city has been able to collaborate and be, I guess, profitable enough to offer the community so many things that are much needed.”

This venture is reportedly not the first time T.I. has invested in revitalizing his Atlanta community. In 2020, he urged his social media followers to shift their focus from luxury items to real estate. The rapper highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behavior and encouraged responsible spending.

HipHopDx.com said T.I. had been actively involved in community initiatives through his Buy Back the Block initiative, investing over $2.7 million since 2017 to acquire six properties and plots of land in his Center Hill neighborhood. The website said his philosophy emphasizes the potential for individuals to thrive financially while positively contributing to their communities.

“The Black Press of America salutes both the creative genius of T.I. and his concrete commitment to the economic development of Black communities,” National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. proclaimed. The NNPA is the trade association of America’s more than 230 Black-owned newspapers and media companies. “The affordable housing development in Atlanta is an innovative and positive pathway forward,” Chavis declared. “I know T.I. personally, and his character and integrity are impeccable.” Distributed by NNPA Newswire

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Retired Louisiana Supreme Court Justice E. Joseph Bleich has made a ruling in the election lawsuit filed by Caddo Parish Louisiana sheriff’s candidate, John Nickelson.

Nickelson, who is White, sued his opponent Henry Whitehorn and the elections board, contesting the results that gave Whitehorn the win. Whitehorn is Black.

The Dec. 5. decision voided the results of a Nov. 18 runoff election. In that election, Henry Whitehorn defeated Nickelson by a single vote. Bleich’s decision means there will be a new runoff election that will take place. Whitehorn appealed that decision that would mandate a new election.

The ruling includes the claim that there was proof, “beyond any doubt that there were at least 11 illegal votes cast and counted” in the election between Whitehorn and Nickelson.

“We keep trying to tell y’all the GOP does not believe in democracy. They are not only “trying” to overturn elections, they are actually doing it. In Louisiana, the election of a parish’s first Black sheriff has been OVERTURNED!!” wrote Cliff Albright on social media regarding the news. Albright is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter. A second runoff is likely to be held in March 2024.

“We are humbled and so grateful that the court ruled in favor of our challenge. The court’s ruling is a victory for election integrity, and we should all be confident that in March the voters of Caddo Parish will make their voices heard definitively on who should be the next sheriff of our parish. I plan to work doubly hard to make sure that every voter knows why our vision for Caddo Parish as a safer, stronger community is worthy of their vote,” Nickelson stated on social media.

Whitehorn also released a statement on the afternoon of December 5.

“Of course, I am disappointed about the court’s decision to overturn the will of the people of Caddo Parish, I was always taught that the person with the most votes wins, even if that’s by a thousand votes or by one vote. I was also taught that when we go to school and get an education, gain experience in our chosen field, and become qualified in what we do, we will have the best opportunity to be successful.

But it seems as though the rules of the game are different depending on who the players are. I won the sheriff’s race, not once but twice. My opponent conveniently chose to question the integrity of the election only after he lost, not once but twice. In elections, you should not be given a redo simply because you are unhappy with the results.”

In 2024, Donald Trump will be running for president for a second time in an attempt to defeat President Biden, who defeated him in 2020 by eight million votes. Trump is openly talking about various ways he would turn American democracy into an authoritarian “strongman” dictatorship if he returns to The White House.

“Because of the constitutional guarantee of secrecy of these ballots, it is impossible to determine the result of this election,” Bleich said in his ruling, adding, “This new runoff election is necessary not only for the candidates but also to ensure the public’s right to untainted election results.”

Election-altering decisions are becoming more common in America.

“Donald Trump is plotting to overthrow American democracy. It is not a secret, and he is not subtle,” wrote election expert and attorney Marc Elias of Democracy Docket. “The only question is whether enough people will care enough to stop it,” he concluded.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News.

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Houston is the perfect choice as the most diverse city in the nation and home to one of the largest diasporas in the United States. “We are honored to be the first city outside of Africa to host a Diaspora African Forum location,” says Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Today’s announcement reaffirms Houston’s commitment to strengthening its bonds with the African continent and its diaspora. Mayor Turner also recognized Ambassador Bennett and the Diaspora African Forum who visited the public session today.

“In the African tradition when someone comes to your house, you come back to their house, so we are here to say thank you to Mayor Turner and we are here to open an office,” says Ambassador Bennett. “Our decision to choose Houston as our first location outside of Africa was a natural progression of the relationships nurtured during the mission.” The mission of the Diaspora African Forum is to bridge the gap between Africa and its diaspora by fostering trans-Atlantic connections, and promoting economic collaboration and cultural exchange.
Houston has actively encouraged DAF’s mission by embracing diversity, promoting international relations, and creating an environment conducive to economic collaboration. This article was distributed by NNPA Newswire on blackpressusa.com

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Despite taking the same risk of death and costly sacrifice to their mental well-being, Black veterans continue to suffer as mental health services are statistically less accessible for the demographic than their White counterparts.

Institutional racism continues to persist through channels of assistance for Black veterans as the Department of Veterans Affairs has acknowledged that discrimination has likely played a major role in major discrepancies in assistance.

“We recognize that in the past there has been institutional discrimination that may have played a role in the adjudication of benefits,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Axios News in July following an announcement that the department has taken on an initiative to address disparities.

Documents released through an open records request filed earlier this year by Black Veterans Project in Baltimore showed proof of racial discrimination in the accessibility of mental health/disability benefits offered to Veterans.

Data retrieved from the fiscal year of 2023 showed that 15.52 percent of all Black veterans who applied for physical or mental health benefits were denied assistance by the VA, compared to 10.6 percent of White Veterans. This is consistent with reports from 2017, showing that Black veterans seeking disability benefits for PTSD were denied 57 percent of the time, compared to a 43 percent rate of denial for White counterparts.

From 2017 to 2023, White veterans enjoyed a consistently higher grant rate than Black veterans every year. Despite seeking and applying for services at a higher rate (43 percent compared to 31.7 percent for White veterans), Black veterans have received significantly less assistance than Whites.

Even among those receiving services, Black veterans often have worse outcomes, according to a study featured in Psychiatric Services, Volume 73 in 2022.

Of the 2,870 veterans treated nationally in VA Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs in fiscal year 2017, Black Veterans receiving services from the VA experienced a higher rate of depression symptom recurrence four months after discharge compared to White veterans. While services were proven to improve conditions across demographics, Black veterans still experienced markedly poorer outcomes.

The effects of these institutional failures are apparent and run deep, contributing to the framework of larger social issues with devastating repercussions. According to a study by the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, Black veterans are substantially prevalent in the homeless population compared to other veterans, comprising 39 percent of the total homeless veteran population despite making up only 11 percent of the total veteran population.

Outcomes in PTSD and depression are typically worse, and likewise, Black Veterans are more likely to fall into alcoholism even with similar levels of consumption to their White counterparts, according to the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Additionally, a study conducted by the nonprofit research group Rand Corp. showed there were 1.76 suicide attempts among Black troops for each by a White service member. As services falter, so does the quality of life for Black veterans compared to White former service members, resulting in higher documented rates of homelessness, alcohol use disorder, and suicide.

Texas is home to over 1.6 million veterans, with one-fourth of all veterans statewide residing in the DFW area. Dallas previously made the news in 2016 when on July 7, Black veteran Micah Xavier Johnson killed five officers and wounded seven others before being slain in a stand-off with police downtown.

Reflecting disillusionment, pain, and a documented resentment of a deeply flawed system exacerbated by increasing violence against Black Americans by law enforcement, the incident illustrated the result of the systemic failures of the Department of Veterans Affairs as much as it did the institutional racism present throughout American life.

As an Army Reserve Afghan War veteran, Johnson showed warning signs of potential violence prior to the calculated attack on White law enforcement. He was previously recommended for mental health counseling by a fellow soldier who accused him of sexual harassment. Stating that they were platonic friends of over four years, she recalled an event when Johnson punched out a car window during an outburst, severing an artery and requiring medical treatment.

Following an inspection, Johnson was deemed a threat to others and disarmed by his commanding officer. After a period of high stress and ostracization, Johnson was mistakenly honorably discharged according to the Army and never was provided counseling. This and other details were released following his death.

Other veterans, such as Paul, 72, a former Army sergeant living in South Dallas who served in the Vietnam War, have suffered lifelong cases of PTSD while continuing to work and seek out services from the VA.

“I still have nightmares from what we did,” Paul says, explaining that insomnia brought on by PTSD has left him sleepless most nights.

“When I go in to get help, I have to stand in line behind a hundred other people. They expect you to smile and be polite. I fought for this country. I bled for this country,” Paul says. “All of my guys came back. Nobody was dead, nobody with one leg or one arm, everybody came back. And all they did was whatever I told them to.”

Suffering night terrors, high anxiety, and depression, Paul recently secured compensation for false denials of repeated disability claims. “I sued their asses and won,” Paul says. “And the money’s great but look at how long it took. Forty years for me to get what I should’ve already got. I’m over 70 years old. They already robbed me.”

Almost 80 years after the GI Bill was rendered largely inaccessible for Black Veterans, the group continues to suffer due to institutional patterns of discrimination. As the demographic receives lesser treatment than White former service members, the figurative cracks in our society turn to fissures as they become more firmly integrated within our institutions. Despite the VA’s promise to right institutional wrongs, lasting effects have left the lives of Black veterans at greater risk of debasement. This article was distributed by the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the Black Press.

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Tributes have continued to pour in for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who announced on July 14 his retirement as President and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the influential civil rights organization he started decades ago to carry on the struggle for equality and justice that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought heroically.

The organization said Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III will succeed Jackson.

“The promise of America is that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, we’ve never fully walked away from it because of extraordinary leaders like Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr.,” President Joe Biden stated.

“Throughout our decades of friendship and partnership, I’ve seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our nation forward through tumult and triumph.”

The president continued:

“Whether on the campaign trail, on the march for equality, or in the room advocating for what is right and just, I’ve seen him as history will remember him: a man of God and of the people; determined, strategic, and unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our nation.”

One of Jackson’s comrades in the civil rights struggle, National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., echoed Biden’s remarks.

“On behalf of the NNPA, representing the Black Press of America, I am so pleased to issue the NNPA’s highest regards and respect to the Honorable Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.,” Chavis remarked.

“I have known and worked with the Rev. Jackson all of my adult life as a fellow freedom fighter in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, NAACP, Rainbow PUSH, United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, and the National African American Leadership Summit.”

Chavis continued:

“Rev. Jackson’s transformative ‘Run Jesse Run’ presidential campaigns in the 1980s irreversibly changed America for the better.

“The Black Press resolutely salutes Jesse Jackson’s outstanding national and global leadership, and we pledge to keep fighting for freedom, justice, equality, and equity.”

Jackson, a renowned figure in the fight for civil rights, founded PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) in 1971 and established the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984.

In 1996, the two organizations merged to form the powerful and influential Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Organization officials said Dr. Haynes, a Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. co-chair, has exemplified the same passion and commitment to global racial justice that characterizes Jackson’s legacy.

As a co-founder of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC), Inc., Haynes has been a guiding force for over two decades, upholding the mission and ministry of the organization.

“This nation has entered a new era of struggle against racial injustices, hate speech, new forms of institutional oppression against the poor, people of color, and those marginalized due to religion or sexual orientation,” said Dr. Iva Carruthers, general secretary, and co-founder of the SDPC.

Bishop Leah Daughtry, co-chair of the SDPC, highlighted the necessity for collaboration between national and local organizations during what he called critical times.

“Collaboration between national and local organizations is ever more needed at this time,” he said in a news release.

According to his official biography, Jackson was born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina. He graduated from the public schools in Greenville and then enrolled in the University of Illinois on a football scholarship. Jackson later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964.

He began his theological studies at Chicago Theological Seminary but, according to his bio, deferred his studies when he started working full-time in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. King. Ordained by Rev. Clay Evans on June 30, 1968, Jackson received his Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000.

For his work in human and civil rights and nonviolent social change, Jackson has received over 40 honorary doctorate degrees and frequently lectures at major colleges and universities, including Howard, Yale, Princeton, Morehouse, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, and Hampton.

He was made an Honorary Fellow of Regents Park College at Oxford University in the UK in November 2007 and received an Honorary Fellowship from Edge Hill University in Liverpool, England.

In March 2010, Jackson earned induction into England’s prestigious Cambridge Union Society.

In April 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. In October 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Jackson as Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa.

“Jill and I are grateful to Rev. Jackson for his lifetime of dedicated service and extend our appreciation to the entire Jackson family,” President Biden added.

“We look forward to working with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition as he hands the torch to the next generation of leadership, just as we will continue to cherish the counsel and wisdom that we draw from him.”

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The historic event took place on February 28, at Ghana’s embassy in Washington, where Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Ellis were formally sworn in as citizens of Ghana.

The ceremony was marked by lively music from African musicians and the energetic dancing of young children.

It marked the first time that anyone had been sworn in as a citizen at the Ghana Embassy.

“I’m so grateful to all. I thank you so much for this honor,” Viola Fletcher, known as Mother Fletcher, said before signing her citizenship papers.

Her brother echoed Ms. Fletcher. “I’m so thankful to Ghana, and all of you,” Mr. Ellis, known as Uncle Red, asserted.

Notable attendees at the ceremony included Oklahoma State Rep. Regina Goodwin, news personality Tiffany Cross, and Ambassador Erieka Bennett. Ambassador Bennett emphasized that being African is not defined by birthplace, but by one’s connection to the continent.

“You don’t have to be born in Africa to be an African,” the ambassador declared. “Africa is born in you.”

Ms. Cross, the former MSNBC anchor, spoke of feeling the spirit of Africa and her ancestors in the room, while Goodwin expressed pride for Fletcher and Ellis’s survival as proof that the African spirit cannot be broken.

“This is what it’s all about,” Ms. Cross related. “The spirit of Africa, it’s powerful and rich history.”

Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Ellis’s acquisition of Ghanaian citizenship is a significant milestone in their long and remarkable lives. As survivors of one of the worst race massacres in American history, their journey to Ghana represents a symbolic homecoming and a powerful reminder of the resilience and perseverance of the African spirit.

The ceremony also highlighted the importance of recognizing the contributions of the African diaspora and their continued connection to the continent. As Africa continues to strive for unity and progress,  Amb. Bennett said events like this serve as an inspiration to all those seeking to embrace their heritage and contribute to a brighter future for the continent.

“Ghana is so welcoming, and it is for everyone,” Amb. Bennett stated, concluding that she wanted all throughout the diaspora to know they can visit or even live there.

“Welcome home,” she said.—Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire

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