Author Claude Brown Was Just Fascinating To Listen To in 1965

Composer the late James Mtume Debate on Miles Davis

Dr. Willie Jolley's encouraging message on reality

The Pride of Washington DC, Dr. Willie Jolley:

Remember, you are an incredible person, who has overcome other problems and challenges to get where you are now.

Just remember how you got over those other problems. What did you do? Don’t stand in the river and die of thirst.

Drink in the possibilities. Drink in the positive energy. Drink in the victories. Drink in the resources.

Drink, drink, drink in the wonderful possibilities all around you and start expecting them to become realities.

Dr. Willie Jolley

 

Supreme Court Strikes Down Biden Vaccine Mandate For Large Employers.

Jan 13, 2022 

• Story by Inside Radio

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In a decision with far-reaching impact for broadcasters with 100 or more employees, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden Administration from enforcing its vaccine-or-test requirements for large private companies. In a 6-3 vote, the justices agreed with Republican state attorneys who contended the President had overstepped his authority by requiring workers to be vaccinated or wear masks and show negative COVID test results at least once a week. The court said the “indiscriminate approach” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) took on the character of a general public health measure, rather than an occupational safety or health standard.

First announced in November, the federal order would have required large employers to implement a COVID-19 mandatory vaccination or testing policy and maintain a record of every employee’s vaccination status and acceptable proof of vaccination for each employee who is fully or partially vaccinated.

The rule was quickly challenged a group of 26 business groups and 27 Republican-led states which held that the government lacked the power to issue such an all-encompassing mandate. The order was put in limbo in mid-November when a federal appeals court indefinitely extended a block of the order. On Dec. 17, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay on the mandate, causing some broadcasters to adopt new vaccine and testing protocols.

The Supreme Court decision came three days after the OSHA emergency measure started to take effect.

“Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly,” the court wrote in its divided decision. “Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category.” The OSHA rules included narrow exemptions for employees who work remotely 100% of the time or who work exclusively outdoors, but the Court said those exemptions are “largely illusory.”

The ruling comes as radio companies have taken varying approaches on whether to require employees to roll up their sleeve. In September, Univision Communications joined Beasley Media Group, Cumulus Media and Urban One in requiring all of their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Others have instituted protocols in order to comply with city or federal laws that have required COVID vaccinations.

Oscar Winner for Best Actor in 2002 Denzel Washington reflects on recently departed Legendary Actor Sidney Poitier

 

Denzel Washington remembers Sidney Poitier: 'Friend. Mentor. Confidant. Example. Father figure. Gentleman. Buddy.'

Story by Yahoo Entertainment

Written by Kevin Polowy

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Denzel Washington struggled with the popular sentiment that he was “the next Sidney Poitier.” In one way, the insinuation that Black actors could only be compared to other Black actors was inherently biased. Then again, it’s a pretty damn flattering comparison.

There was no uncertainty, however, when it came the actual relationship between Washington and Poitier, the A Raisin in the Sun (1961) and In the Heat of the Night (1967) acting legend who died last week at the age of 94.

Washington memorialized Poitier Tuesday in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment promoting Washington’s new film, The Tragedy of Macbeth.

“Friend. Mentor. Confidant. Example. You know, father figure. Gentleman. Buddy. All of the above,” Washington said in describing the roles Poitier played in his life. “We talked about everything, just he and I.”

Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington (Photo by Kevin Reece/WireImage)

In reaction to a Variety essay published calling Poitier “the most important actor in American in history” for such trailblazing roles as Homie Smith in Lilies in the Field (1963) and Virgil Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night, Washington said it will take time for him to process the magnitude of Poitier’s career. For now, Washington is content reminiscing about the quiet moments he spent with Poitier away from show business.

“I think of him more now just as I knew him,” he said. “[I would stop by] the guy’s house and we'd sit around. Just to see him in pajamas and stuff, you know, I got to know him like that, like in his house clothes and walking around. And to hear him curse, I was like, ‘Oh, Mr. Tibbs!’ [laughs] You know, that sounds you silly, but those was the things you remember. … It’s like, ‘Man, I'm in Sidney Poitier’s living room!’”

Denzel Washington (L) and Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Sidney Poitier speak onstage during the 2016 Carousel of Hope Ball on Oct. 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Washington and Poitier’s most famous public moment together came during the 2002 Academy Awards. After Poitier was recognized with a lifetime achievement statuette, Washington won Best Actor for Training Day, becoming only the second African American actor ever to win the category and first since Poitier triumphed in 1964 for Lilies. (That same night, Halle Berry also became the first Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar, for Monster’s Ball.)

“I’ll be chasing you, Sidney. I’ll always be following in your footsteps,” Washington told Poitier from the stage. “There is nothing I would rather do.” Poitier stood from his box seat above the crowd and raised his statue to Washington, who matched his salute in an instantly classic Oscars moment.

“I haven't thought about [that night],” Washington told us. I could see him. That's what I see when you mention it. And I think about it, I could see him up in the [box seats]. And he stood up and we just looked at each other. Like I said, that night was shared with the world. But I've shared many days, just he and I, that I cherish just as much.”                                                                                                                                                                                        Washington could be back at the Dolby Theater in March for yet another Oscars ceremony. He’s an early favorite to land on the ballot for his stirring portrayal of Macbeth in Joel Coen’s dream-like Shakespeare adaptation (and he earned a SAG Award nomination for the part Wednesday morning), which would mark Washington’s ninth acting Oscar nom. He won his first of two Oscars, Best Supporting Actor for the acclaimed Civil War drama Glory, in 1990.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives prior to the House sending the Freedom to Vote:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

January 13, 2022

 

CONTACT:
Andy Eichar (Rep. Jeffries): (202) 834-4543

 

REP. JEFFRIES: YOU BETTER BACK UP OFF OF US. WE WILL END THE ERA OF VOTER SUPPRESSION IN AMERICA ONCE AND FOR ALL.

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives prior to the House sending the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to the Senate. The legislation will restore critical protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and counter GOP-led voter suppression efforts to restrict early voting, vote-by-mail and ballot drop boxes.

 

WATCH

 

Remarks as Delivered:

 

“We are here today defending our democracy for one reason, and one reason alone.

 

It’s because the radical right has decided that the only way they can consistently win elections is to engage in massive voter suppression.

 

The right to vote is sacred.

 

The right to vote is special.

 

The right to vote is sacrosanct and central to the integrity of our democracy.

 

There are people who died, lost their lives, shed blood to make sure that Black people and everyone in America could vote.

 

We’re not going backward.

 

We’re only going to go forward.

 

You better back up off of us.

 

We will pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

 

We will pass the Joe Manchin Freedom to Vote Act.

 

We will get it to Joe Biden’s desk, and we will end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.”

 

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U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) is the Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He sits on the Judiciary and Budget Committees and proudly represents New York’s 8th Congressional District, including parts of Brooklyn and Queens in the House of Representatives.

OP-ED by Majority Whip Congressman James E. Clyburn(SC): JANUARY 6TH, VOTING RIGHTS AND THE TYRANNY THREATENING AMERICA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 6, 2022 CONTACT: Hope Derrick, Hope.Derrick@Mail.House.Gov, 202-226-3210                      Bernadine Stallings, Bernadine.Stallings@Mail.House.Gov

This was originally published by NNPA on January 6, 2022 ICYMI: OP-ED: JANUARY 6TH, VOTING RIGHTS AND THE TYRANNY THREATENING AMERICA By: Congressman James E. Clyburn, House Majority Whip (D-SC) January 6, 2022 I listened intently this morning as our 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation from Statuary Hall observing the first anniversary of last year’s insurrection. I found myself reflecting upon the attack on Pearl Harbor that thrusted us into a world war against a tyrannical foreign power. Eighty years later, tyranny is threatening America again, this time from a domestic attack. A President and his enablers created a narrative and fomented a “Big Lie” that is continuing. He incited a violent mob to attack our seat of government and disrupt the certification of the results of a free and fair election which he lost by over 7 million votes. President Franklin Roosevelt referred to the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack as, “a day that will live in infamy.” World War II lasted almost 4 years. January 6, 2021 launched a disgraceful and ignoble domestic conflict, and it remains to be seen how long it will last. Over the past year, we have witnessed loyalists of the 45th President work to unravel the threads that hold the fabric of our representative democracy together. His followers, fueled by a constant diet of disinformation, have harassed and intimidated election officials across the country, causing many to resign their positions out of fear for themselves and their families. Republican officials, fearful of being primaried by “45’s” loyalists, embrace his “Big Lie” and enact legislation they feel will appease him. States with Republican governors and legislatures are passing laws and redistricting plans constructed to guarantee the election of more likeminded loyalists and shift government control away from anyone who doesn’t adhere to his tyrannical whims. According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, 19 states have enacted 34 election laws that restrict or suppress the vote. Some to make it easier for local officials to nullify election results they don’t like. The right to vote is the most fundamental thread of our democratic fabric. Without it, our democracy unravels. Currently, 50 Republicans in the United States Senate, aided and abetted by two Democrats, are blocking votes on two critical voting rights bills, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act basically updates the formula which, since the enactment of the 1965 Voters Rights Act, triggers a process of pre-clearance by the Justice Department or a federal court if a jurisdiction seeks to make any changes in its voting laws. In 2013, that pre-clearance formula was declared outdated by the United States Supreme Court and Congress was invited to update the formula. The House responded by holding over a dozen hearings by two separate committees and passed subsequent legislation which was sent to the Senate. Unfortunately, all Senate Republicans, except Senator Lisa Murkowski, are standing in the way of its passage. Two Democrats have been giving comfort to the Republicans on this issue and one of them, Senator Joe Manchin, has proposed the Freedom to Vote Act, seeking to attract bipartisan support for many provisions of the House-passed For the People Act. The legislation includes provisions protecting election security, reforming campaign finance, ensuring fair redistricting, and preventing voter nullification. Despite Senator Manchin’s mollification attempts, not a single Republican voted to allow the Freedom to Vote Act to come to the floor for a vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to bring both bills up for another vote by January 17th, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. His efforts, however, seem destined to fail without a change to the Senate’s filibuster rules that require 60 votes to cut off debate. While bipartisanship is welcomed, and may be preferable, history informs us that the 15th Amendment giving Blacks the right to vote, passed on a party line vote. And who would argue that the 15th Amendment should not have been adopted because it did not have bipartisan support? I am not a fan of the filibuster. But, if holding on to that tradition is important to most of the Senate, I maintain that exceptions on Constitutional issues like voting should apply. An exception is employed for fiscal issues to ensure the full faith and credit of the United States are not jeopardized by a filibuster. The process is called “reconciliation,” a term I believe is more aptly applied to the Constitution than the budget. On the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt spoke these words, “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win.” He continued, “I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.” America was victorious. Our democracy and our friends and allies were saved from tyranny. Today’s challenge is no less perilous. To dismiss the seriousness of this moment is to condone the insidiousness of the “Big Lie.” Our best protection is to ensure the fundamentals of our democracy hold. As our 16th President extolled during another challenging time, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.”

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