Florida Black Youth Vote kicks off 10-day countdown to Election Day on FAMU campus
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to increase Black voter turnout for the Nov. 4 election, this past Saturday the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) kicked-off an aggressive 10-day voter mobilization countdown to close out its #Vote4Justice Campaign focused on motivating Black women and youth voters to seize the voting power they have to impact the outcome of the 2014 Midterm Elections and effect issues they care about in their local communities.
“Because of the lagging economy in Black communities, each candidate’s  position on issues like jobs with livable wages, equal pay for women, retirement security, and student loan relief is motivating people to vote,”  said Melanie L. Campbell, president and CEO, NCBCP and convener, Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR). “But, all politics is local, so for this countdown period we have neighbors talking to neighbors via personal phone calls, robo calls, door-to-door canvassing, and social media, to remind them they have the power to make change in their community .”
Affiliates of the NCBCP’s youth initiative, Black Youth Vote!, and their women’s empowerment program, Black Women’s Roundtable, are leading the mobilizing efforts on the ground in AL, FL, GA,  MI, NC, OH, PA. Volunteers are disseminating non-partisan information about state and local ballot initiatives that will determine whether medical marijuana use should be legal, if the governor should have the power to appoint certain judges, or if they need public transportation in a predominately Black county with a 9.4 percent unemployment rate.
“Throughout Florida we’ve hosted a BWR Don’t Count Us Out statewide tour, town hall meetings on college campuses, and partnered with the AME Church for a march to the polls for early voting,” said Salandra Benton, convener Florida BWR. “We are making personal contact to remind voters that in Florida this election will give voters an opportunity to send a message about the 15 million Black Floridians without health care.”
Helen Butler, convener of Georgia BWR, adds, “Early voting already started and we’re busy giving rides to the polls. What’s driving a lot of voters in Georgia is their rejection of attempts to suppress the Black vote. Also, Black voters are excited about the fact that five Black women are running for state offices at one time for the first time in history.”

The myriad of get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities include: hosting rallies, festivals, #PoweroftheSisterVote events, twitter townhalls, and other social media events to motivate voters.  Volunteers are providing rides to the polls and coordinating marches from churches and college campuses for early voting. Celebrity voices enlisted to urge Black women to vote include TV Judge Glenda Hatchett and actress, Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air).

“In Michigan, access to good jobs with good wages, childcare and the shifting of the tax burden to the poor and middle class are key issues,” says Danielle Atkinson, convener, Detroit BWR. “Black mothers are also worried about the lack of school programs and  high expulsion rates for Black children.”

According to Black Youth Vote fellow, Sherman Justice, young voters are still motivated by the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson and other police brutality and criminal justice issues so they are getting a lot of students volunteering for the final push on college campuses.

On Election Day, in addition to the local mobilizing efforts in the states, in Washington, DC the NCBCP will host a national war room – The Ronald H. Walters Election Day Command Center – monitoring voter turnout and potential problems at the polls.  This year the command center will be co-hosted by Howard University’s Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center on Howard’s campus.

For anyone interested in volunteering or participating in any of the state events, NCBCP has a detailed schedule of GOTV activities and local contact information on their website at www.ncbcp.org or call the national office at (202) 659-4988.

BIRMINGHAM – U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance has announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Meadows will lead the efforts of her office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the Nov. 4 general elections.
Meadows will serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Alabama. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” Vance said. “The department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local contacts within the department so the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protection for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, it may violate federal voting rights law to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that those actions are designed to uncover illegal voting. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to choose someone to assist them.
The voting franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 4, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Meadows will be on duty in the Northern District while the polls are open. The public can reach him at the following number: (205) 244-2001.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The phone number for the local FBI field office is (205) 326-6166.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-3961, by e-mail to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” Vance said. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI or the Civil Rights Division.”

On Thursday, the Washington, D.C. chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the D.C. Branch of the National Organization for Women came out in support of marijuana legalization and endorsed D.C.’s Initiative 71.
Initiative 71, which is on the November 4 ballot would legalize the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, and allows individuals to grow up to six plants in their home. D.C. laws prevent the ballot initiative from addressing the taxation and sale of marijuana; however, the D.C. Council is currently considering a bill which would account for such provisions.
Additionally, the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs released its groundbreaking report yesterday entitled, The Collateral Consequences of Arrests and Convictions under D.C., Maryland, and Virginia Law. The report is the first of its kind to examine the effect of the collateral consequences associated with arrests for residents in the DMV area.
“The endorsements of the local NAACP and D.C. N.OW. chapters further underscore the fact that ending the war on drugs is a civil rights issue of significant importance in the District of Columbia,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, D.C. policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Additionally, the release of the Washington Lawyers Committee’s report on collateral consequences, begins to deconstruct some of the additional harms caused by the war on drugs and points to opportunities where tax revenue from marijuana can be used to advance restorative justice.”
The possession of one ounce of marijuana is currently decriminalized in the District of Columbia, and persons found with more than this amount face a $25 civil infraction. Data from the Metropolitan Police Department reveals that 77 percent of tickets written during decriminalization have been in communities of color. “The NAACP D.C. Branch strongly advocates to end the war on drugs, which has caused significant damage in our communities. Endorsement of Initiative 71 does not mean that the NAACP is pro marijuana, however, we view Initiative 71 as a step towards ending discriminatory drug polices.” said Akosua Ali, President of the NAACP D.C. Branch.
Earlier this month, the D.C. Council voted unanimously to allow individuals with criminal records for marijuana possession to have those records sealed. This is the first of two votes required for this law to take effect, the second vote will take place later in October.
“Criminalization of marijuana has played a major role in the racial disparities and injustice in the criminal justice system,” said Susan Mottet, president of D.C. N.O.W. “D.C. NOW works to end all discrimination in D.C. and urges the voters to pass Initiative 71 to help put an end to this tool for discrimination.”
On October 30, the D.C. Council will hold a joint hearing of the Business Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Tax and Revenue Committee to look at the business and fiscal impact of marijuana legalization in the District of Columbia. Advocates will provide testimony support of using the proceeds from legalization towards rebuilding the communities harmed by the war on drugs.
“Given the damage that has been done to our communities from the war on drugs, it only makes sense that the revenues generated from the taxation of marijuana be reinvested into the communities harmed the most, this is the definition of socioeconomic justice,” said Akosua Ali.
This endorsement comes on top of D.C. Working Families, local SEIU, and local UFCW who endorsed Initiative 71 early last week.
“The D.C. Community is coming together to make a strong stand in its commitment to not only ending marijuana prohibition, but to restoring the communities most damaged by these policies” said Dr. Malik Burnett.

ATLANTA AND WASHINGTON, D.C. – Judge Christopher S. Brasher of Fulton County Superior Court heard arguments Monday morning on the lawsuit filed against Georgia Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, and three county boards of election on behalf of Third Sector Development, the parent organization of the New Georgia Project, the national NAACP, and the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP. The lawsuit seeks a writ of mandamus to require the Secretary of State and county boards of election to promptly process voter registration applications submitted by eligible voters in time for these citizens to cast a regular ballot in the midterm elections. The plaintiffs continue to demand immediate action to ensure that every voter who submitted a complete and valid application be immediately processed and placed on the rolls.
However, arguments from the defendants indicated a lack of urgency about the situation and questioned whether the failure to properly register these voters meets the “extraordinary” requirement for a successful writ of mandamus. The hearing concluded at noon with no immediate ruling.
Plaintiffs warned the judge of the consequences of inaction, noting that without timely information, voters will not be able to vote at their assigned precincts and may be forced to cast provisional ballots.  Provisional ballots may be rejected by the counties, leaving the voter without any recourse. Lawyers also noted several deficiencies and discrepancies between the Georgia law and the practices imposed by the Secretary of State.
“The writ of mandamus shed light on the Secretary of State and local election officials’ voter registration system, and we now have more questions than answers.  The rejection of qualified applicants due to flawed data systems and clerical errors are not acceptable in the 21st century.  More importantly, the immediate impact of this flawed system is that tens of thousands of eligible Georgia voters may not able to vote. The right to vote is a constitutional right that should not be delayed or denied by technology glitches, clerical errors, or artificial deadlines that apply only to applicants and not to elections officials. We hope that the court recognizes the urgency of the approaching election and instructs the Secretary of State to act accordingly.”
– Julie M. Houk, Senior Special Counsel, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
While awaiting the outcome of today’s hearing, the plaintiffs continue to urge voters to contact their county officials and the Secretary of State’s office to guarantee they can vote by November 4. The lawsuit was brought by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P, Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein & Birkenstock, P.C. and attorneys for the NAACP.
Since the initial filing, two counties, DeKalb and Chatham, have been dismissed from the case after a joint request from the county and plaintiffs.

 LEWISVILLE, Texas (BlackNews.com) — William (Bill) Lawrence, a Black American lawyer, Vietnam veteran and retired United States Air Force Reserve Colonel, is no stranger to achieving breakthroughs despite the odds. In year 2000, he made history as the 16th and first Black American elected Mayor of Highland Village. Bill announced that he has also been elected the first President of the Denton County Federation of African American Republicans (DFAAR) and Vice President for the Eastern Region State Auxiliary.
According to Lawrence, DFAAR is part of a leading edge multi-ethnic engagement approach by Texas GOP Leadership to help the Republican National Committee (RNC) win greater voter support from Black communities. Bill is a long-time conservative Republican and said, “My long association with the party is due to similar values. I believe we are “One Nation Under God”, our country is exceptional and that our Constitution should be honored and upheld. Lawrence said in a news release, “Specific goals of DFAAR include; correcting misinformation, improving an anemic public relations image and increasing engagement of the Black press/media. A key focus is on promoting Republican ideals, asking Blacks for their support and growing the voter base.”
Lawrence said, he is confident critical problems for Black America like jobs, education, healthcare, family and the justice system are resolvable. He noted that well into the current Democratic Administration’’s second term; only Black unemployment escalated to a high of 13.4 percent, despite the fact that Democrats enjoy voting support of over 90 percent of Black America. “As a result, I think Blacks are fed up and beginning to weigh the pros and cons of both political parties. This opens the door of “opportunity” for Republicans and for a future of bright possibilities within our party,” he said.
In addition to a law degree from Indiana University, Lawrence received a masters’ degree from St. Mary’s and a bachelor degree from Tuskegee University. He was also born in Tuskegee, Alabama, while his dad served in World War II, with the U.S. Army Air Corp’s all Black combat flying unit, known as the “Tuskegee Airmen.” Bill Lawrence and his wife, Grace are 30 year homeowners in Highland Village. They have three adult children and four grandchildren.

FHLBank San Francisco Hosts Roundtable on 
Availability Of Senior Citizen Housing

GARDENA, Calif. – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) was a special guest participant in an important discussion on Gardena’s housing issues, which emphasized increasing the supply of affordable senior housing for the city’s aging population.
Hosted by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBSF), the Roundtable Discussion on Senior Affordable Housing Development in Gardena brought together more than 35 participants, including banking officials, economic development professionals, affordable housing developers and social service providers. The event was held at the Nakaoka Community Center.
“I am grateful to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for inviting me to participate in this meaningful discussion on the challenges facing the development of  affordable senior housing in Gardena,” Rep. Waters said. “I am pleased we could bring together advocates, experts and community leaders to have a candid discussion of the affordable senior housing needs of Gardena, what programs and initiatives may exist that can help, and what we can do to ensure more is available in the future.
“In Washington, I remain committed to using my role as Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over housing issues, to ensure we are working to meet the housing needs of our aging population in Gardena and across our community,” Waters added.
Among those attending the event were representatives from the California Bank & Trust, Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute, Little Tokyo Service Center, Cathay Bank, Coalition for Responsible Community Development, Union Bank, Operation Hope, Community Bank, Bank of America, California Independent Bankers, Hahn Partners, Inc. and Summit Consulting.
Lawrence H. Parks, Senior Vice President, Legislative and External Affairs, for FHLBank San Francisco, noted that 14 percent of Gardena’s population of 58,829 is over the age of 65 or slightly more than 8,200 members of the community, which  has created a strong demand for senior housing.
“Housing is a critical element in the lives of seniors,” Mr. Parks said.  “The affordability of housing affects the ability of the elderly to afford other necessities of life such as food and medical care. The lives of senior citizens can be enhanced by housing that is located near hospitals and doctors, shopping, transportation, and recreational facilities. FHLBank San Francisco and our member institutions will work with the community stakeholders to find ways to increase the supply of affordable housing suitable for seniors.”
A number of participants – and stakeholders – expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to discuss the city’s housing challenges.
“In the 15 years I have worked for the City of Gardena, we have never had such a diverse group of business and community leaders at the same table to discuss this issue in depth,” said Yvonne Mallory, who is Manager of Economic Development for Gardena. “It is gratifying to have them working on solving our city’s challenges.”
Dean Matsubayashi, Executive Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center, said “We value the leadership of FHLBank San Francisco to bring together the City of Gardena, local financial institutions, and community-based organizations to begin a constructive dialogue on how we can collectively increase the affordable housing stock for seniors and other low-income households. I also applaud Rep. Waters for her strong support on affordable housing issues.”
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco delivers low-cost funding and other services that help member financial institutions make home mortgages to people of all income levels and provide credit that supports neighborhoods and communities. FHLBank San Francisco also funds community programs that help members create affordable housing and promote community economic development.

By M.L. JOHNSON, Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The family of a Black man shot 14 times by a white police officer in a Milwaukee park marks the spot where he died with red spray paint before starting a rally and marching through city streets.
“Shame on you. People of color are people, too,” protesters chant while carrying signs declaring, “Black Lives Matter.”
The rallies are one way Dontre Hamilton’s family has kept his name in the news in the six months since his death. Smaller and more orderly than those in Ferguson, Missouri, the protests have not drawn national attention but have produced results. The man who shot Hamilton was fired, the first Milwaukee officer in decades to face such discipline in a fatal on-duty shooting.
Now the family wants more: criminal charges for the officer, and improvements in the way mentally ill people — Hamilton had schizophrenia — are treated by police and social service programs.
“They messed with the wrong family. … I’m not going to back down,” said Nate Hamilton, Dontre Hamilton’s brother.
Hamilton’s family participated in a vigil days after his April 30 death but then said little publicly as they waited out an investigation into the shooting. They wanted details about what happened and the officer disciplined. They were frustrated months later, when protests erupted in Ferguson following the shooting of a Black 18-year-old, Michael Brown, by a white officer.
“We tried to be accepting and respectful of the way the system works. … Until it got to the point where the Mike Brown thing happened,” Nate Hamilton said. “Now, you know who this police officer is, you’re seeing them get information, and in Milwaukee, we’re not getting no information.”
The family joined a Milwaukee demonstration organized to support those in Ferguson, and attention quickly focused on the similarities between the Brown and Hamilton cases. Nate Hamilton acknowledged some missteps, such as when protesters blocked a freeway exit ramp or became disruptive at a Police and Fire Commission meeting.
But overall, the protests have been peaceful, which Nate Hamilton said is crucial to building support for the family’s goals. While the protests have highlighted that Manney is white and Hamilton was Black, Hamilton’s family is focusing on broader issues, including mental health.
Police Chief Edward Flynn promised more training for officers dealing with people with mental illness and, on Oct. 15, fired Officer Christopher Manney for instigating the fight that led to the shooting. Manney has appealed.
Hamilton’s family wants to see Manney charged. The district attorney’s office has delayed a decision until it gets a recommendation from a national use-of-force expert.
The Hamiltons have been studying the law and police policy to better advocate for changes. They’re also finding other ways to channel their grief.
Hamilton’s mother is organizing a support group for women whose sons died in police shootings or custody and hopes to address shortcomings in mental health and social service programs. Maria Hamilton had struggled to get her 31-year-old son care after insurance problems caused him to miss his medication last winter. Until then, he had been doing well, living in group housing and working. Without the drugs, he became paranoid and began moving from place to place, eventually ending up in the park, where he was sleeping when Manney responded to a call from a nearby business about him.
“Had he had that medication, he might still be sitting here with us,” Maria Hamilton said.
Nate Hamilton and another brother, musician Dameion Perkins, wrote a song expressing their grief, anger and frustration. The song describes their “worst fear” — a brother “shot 14 times, didn’t do no wrong. Laying in the park, really I don’t see no harm. The investigation is still going on.”
Proceeds from the song sold on iTunes will benefit a foundation established in Hamilton’s memory.
“We can’t bring Dontre back,” Perkins said, “but what we can do is help somebody along the way.”
Perkins and Nate Hamilton remain bothered by police descriptions of their brother as homeless and violent. They describe Hamilton as fearful, but not dangerous. He checked into a hotel two days before the shooting and had almost $150 in cash on him when he died.
“He wasn’t dressed bummy, he was still dressed well, he had some Air Jordans on his feet … so we just felt like that was uncalled for,” said Nate Hamilton, who followed his brother into the roofing business before starting a remodeling company.
Maria Hamilton moved her sons from Gary, Indiana, to Milwaukee in 1995 to escape growing gang violence. She raised them to work hard, have faith and look out for one another. But Perkins said the shooting showed them that they had to be leaders.
“It’s taught us,” he said, “to use our minds on a broader scale.”

Contributions will support International Medical Corps efforts in Sierra Leone and Liberia

SAN FRANCISCO (BLACK PR WIRE) – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Wells Fargo & Company is donating $150,000 to International Medical Corps to help fight the Ebola crisis in the West African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia. Since the initial Ebola outbreak in the region in December of 2013, the virus has spread, with more than 9,000 confirmed cases of infection and more than 4,000 deaths. International Medical Corps has been delivering humanitarian support in West Africa since 1999 and is currently deploying medical professionals to treat patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola infection.
“Wells Fargo has team members who have family and friends living in West Africa,” said Tim Hanlon, head of Strategic Philanthropy and Partnerships for Wells Fargo. “As Ebola continues to be a concern in West Africa and elsewhere, we feel it is vitally important to support the ongoing efforts to stem the outbreak and to bring relief to those who are direct and indirect victims of it.”
International Medical Corps, which was established in 1984, is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization that works to relieve suffering and save lives through health care training, relief, and development programs. With headquarters in Los Angeles and offices in Washington, D.C., London, and field offices in more than 30 countries, the global first responder has delivered more than $1.8 billion of assistance in more than 70 countries over 30 years.
Team members from the Wells Fargo Black/African American Connection (B/AA Connection) are researching opportunities to assist communities with family members affected by the Ebola epidemic. B/AA Connection is an enterprise-wide team member network that helps provide insights about the African American segment to influence Wells Fargo’s business strategies and impacts that can make a difference in the community.
“Caring is a core part of our culture. We are all concerned about the devastation of this global epidemic,” said Jimmie Paschall, Wells Fargo’s head of Enterprise Diversity and Inclusion. “Our Black/African American team member network was instrumental in recognizing that we as a company could offer some level of support to help make a difference.”
“The Ebola epidemic touches all of our team members personally, through family members affected by it, and through concern for those who are on the front line, caring for those affected,” said Lisa H. Robinson, Wells Fargo’s head of Risk Management, Virtual Channels and Enterprise President of the B/AA Connection. “We continue to look at how we can partner and support these efforts through volunteerism and education in our local communities.”

Reuters  | By HEIDE BRANDES

(Reuters) – A man was taken into custody on Friday on suspicion of knocking over a Ten Commandments monument with a car on the grounds of the Oklahoma statehouse and then fleeing the scene, law enforcement officials said on Friday.
The U.S. Secret Service detained the man, who has not been identified, after he was alleged to have made threatening statements at a federal building in Oklahoma City. The man told agents he urinated on the monument and ran it over with a car, said David Allison, the assistant special agent in charge.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said they believe a single person was responsible for the act on Thursday night that left the 6-foot (1.8-meter) monument broken in several large pieces not far from where it was mounted. The man will be turned over to Oklahoma police.
The man said the devil told him to knock down the monument, local broadcaster KOCO quoted law enforcement officials as saying.
“He made those kind of statements,” Allison said, without adding further details.
Conservative Christian groups fought for years to have the Ten Commandments displayed at the statehouse. Legislative approval was eventually granted to the groups, who said they were using private funds to commemorate a historical event and were not in violation of constitutional restrictions on the state sponsoring religion.
The monument went up in 2012.
The American Civil Liberties Union has sued to have the monument removed on the grounds that it violated church-and-state provisions. Groups including Satanists and Hindus have petitioned to erect their own monuments on the capitol grounds, saying their monuments also will mark historical events.
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, said the monument will be rebuilt.
“This monument was built to memorialize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in guiding our own laws and lives,” Fallin said.
(Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott and Jim Loney)