Grand Rapids cop charged in shooting death of Black man
Two months of frustration and anger in Grand Rapids in the aftermath of a fatal police encounter resulting in the death of a Black man culminated when Kent County, Mich., prosecutor Christopher Becker announced one charge for the officer who killed Patrick Lyoya. During a traffic stop, Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr, who is White, shot Mr. Lyoya in...
‘Trauma in the highest form’ The suffering, the culture of abuse and still harrowing plight of women in prison
Daily life at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, includes overcrowding, mold, improper airflow due to a clogged ventilation system, broken hot water tanks, water shortages, and mistreatment, harassment and degradation, according to activists and advocates. Michigan’s only prison for women is just one out of countless prisons in the United States where Black women suffer rape and...
‘We must become Ambassadors of Peace’ Minister Farrakhan urges thousands during Holy Day of Atonement message
MOSQUE MARYAM (FinalCall.com) - In the 74 years since Islam was introduced in the United States of America, there has not been a Nation of Islam celebration like this one. More than 20,000 people, mostly Muslim Believers from all over the country, gathered in a massive white tent erected on the grounds of the NOI's National Center and in...
Effective charitable giving
“Although African Americans tend to associate the concept of philanthropy with the very rich, our community has historically been a generous and giving one, whether it be time or money,” stated Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League in his “Opinion” column in the New York Beacon, July 27. The concept of giving runs deep in...
‘Let the Showdown Begin!’ Farrakhan, Nation of Islam sue the ADL and SWC for violation of his constitutional rights and hindering his mission
“Woe to every slanderer, defamer!—Holy Qur’an, Surah 104:1 (The Slanderer) “For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfulHave opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,And fought against me without a cause.—Bible, NKJ, Psalm 109:2-3 CHICAGO—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam filed an...
Over 100 Congressional Democrats Call on Biden to restore engagement with Cuba
Over 100 members of Congress on Dec. 16 urged President Joe Biden to step away from “failed policy” by taking a number of steps to reengage with Cuba and help curb a humanitarian crisis in country. “We believe that a policy of engagement with Cuba serves U.S. interests and those of the Cuban people,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to Mr. Biden. Led...
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner fighting to stay in office
ST. LOUIS— A recent preliminary hearing was held in the city’s civil courts building downtown for St. Louis’ first Black Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner. The court proceedings stem from a lawsuit filed by Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey to remove Ms. Gardner from office. Mr. Bailey based his lawsuit on allegations that Atty. Gardner allegedly mismanaged her office and...
Gov’t takes quiet steps toward special skills draft
WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - There is a "cloak of secrecy" surrounding U.S. war casualties that denies those who have fallen in the war in Iraq "the recognition they deserve," according to the Congressional Black Caucus member who has argued that the military draft must be brought back as the only way of guaranteeing that the burden of fighting the...
Students not soldiers
Increasing military recruitment tactics target Black, Latino youth Military recruitment down: Blacks silently protest war (FCN, 04-06-2005)Army recruiters: No Latino left behind (FCN, 11-24-2004) LOS ANGELES (FinalCall.com) - President George Bush’s recent veto of a bill that would provide for emergency spending and a withdrawal deadline from the Iraq war has heightened peace activists’ concerns that a prolonged stay...
Michelle Y. Muhammad, Final Call entertainment writer
CHICAGO–Final Call entertainment writer Michelle Y. Muhammad returned to Allah Oct. 31 after a bout of pneumonia. She was 33. Sis. Michelle was blossoming as an up-and-coming writer and photographer of the entertainment industry at the time of her death. Her weekly contributions to The Final Call newspaper under the titles "The Queen’s Scene," "Spotlight" and "Rewind to a Moment...