The Trotter Group: Black voices in corporate-owned media ‘who can and will think Black’
WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - They fancy themselves as heirs to the legacy of William Monroe Trotter, who confronted President Woodrow Wilson in the White House on Nov. 12, 1914 concerning segregation and lynching which was flaring up all over the United States. Segregation is not humiliating, but a benefit,” the President replied. Besides, Pres. Wilson said before the two men...
Journalists of Color: What could real unity do?
WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - ‘We must speak for ourselves' was the rallying cry for journalists of color gathered in the new Washington Convention Center August 4-8, confronted with another year of bleak statistics showing their numbers in America's newsrooms are stagnant. They came together for the Unity Conference, an organization of members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the...
Strong Black media voices
WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - Among the more than 7,500 Black, Native American, Hispanic and Asian journalists and others who attended the third Unity-Journalists of Color conference since 1994, there was a stream–though not a tide–of conscientious voices, especially among members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the oldest of the four member groups. –NEWS ANALYSIS– In plenary sessions...
Muslims’ arrest in Albany raises concerns
(FinalCall.com) - The recent arrest of two Muslims, allegedly for plotting to assassinate the Pakistani ambassador, has sent shockwaves through New York's state capital, normally a quiet city of 100,000 people. “The mayor is adamant about everybody keeping their powder dry on this one,” Joe Rabito, executive assistant to Mayor Gerald Jennings, explained to The Final Call during an August...
Amidst accusation of violence against police, gang truce continues
NEWARK (FinalCall.com) - The May 21 ceasefire between the city's Bloods and Crips was still holding on August 4 when Byron Kelley stood before a plethora of microphones to deny a recent newspaper report alleging that police were targeted by the Bloods. Mr. Kelley is a spokesman for the gang intervention organization Saving Our Selves (SOS), one of the groups...
New young Black leadership: Can it save the Democratic Party?
BOSTON (FinalCall.com) - Symbolized by the face of certain-to-be-elected Illinois U.S. Senator Barack Obama, a new cadre of young Black leadership with ties to the hip hop movement has emerged around the nation, both inside and outside the Democratic Party. -NEWS ANALYSIS- At the Democratic Convention, a record number of Black faces were seen as keynote speakers, including several primetime...
Black farmers denied justice
WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - The same racist government program that denied Black farmers fair access to farm aid and forced a $2.3 billion landmark civil rights settlement has now been accused of “willfully obstructing justice” in their denial of nearly 90 percent of the rightful compensation claims, after a new investigation by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the...
Cross-burning at home of activist family
FCNNEWSSOURCE CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (FinalCall.com) - George and Samimah Aziz-Hodge woke up on the morning of July 14 to the frightening sight of an image of a cross burned on the lawn in front of their Country Club Estates home. The couple is the only Black family in the neighborhood and have lived in the area a little less...
LAPD beating victim sues city, community rallies in support
CHARLENEM LOS ANGELES (FinalCall.com) - The Black motorist who was beaten by several Los Angeles Police Department Officers (LAPD) June 23, following a high-speed chase in Compton, filed a claim July 15 against the city of Los Angeles for $25 million in damages. Stanley Miller has suffered brain damage, spinal injuries, trunk-torso injuries, internal injuries, emotional distress, and bruises and contusions,...
NAACP becomes a political organization
PHILADELPHIA (FinalCall.com) - The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) celebrated its 95th anniversary less than a mile from where one of its founding fathers, W.E.B. DuBois, conducted his historic social study on Black life, published as “The Philadelphia Negro.” The theme of this year's July 10-15 convention, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, “The Race...