Today for Black History Month 2019 , we are highlighting the iconic singer– Whitney Houston . Source: Sony Press / Sony Music Birth Date: August 9, 1963 Hometown: Newark, New Jersey Fun Facts: Whitney Houston signed to Arista Records when she was just 19 Whitney Houston is one of the highest selling female artists of all time Whitney Houston was also an actor, and appeared in several movies such as The Bodyguard and The Preacher’s Wife Whitney Houston sang the national anthem in 1991 at Super Bowl XXV Whitney Houston had one child, named Bobbi Kristina, with former New Edition singer Bobby Brown We thank you for your contributions Whitney Houston . [ione_media_gallery src=”https://thebeatdfw.com” id=”3111497″ overlay=”true”]
Black History continues to happen everyday. This month, we decided create a Superhero Guide To Black History Month highlighting musicians, politicians, actors and athletes of influence who are not only dominating in their crafts, but are also helping shape culture in unforgettable ways. Below is a character guide to one of our featured heroes, Andrew Gillum . Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Civilian Name : Andrew Gillum Super Name : Golem Gillum Superpower : Courage Origin : Florida politics Conquered Territory : It takes a lot of courage to run for governor in Florida. Had he won in the 2018 election, he would’ve been the state’s first. Even still, at only age 39, he’s already held the titles of city commissioner and mayor. As former mayor of Tallahassee, Gillum strived to make decisions that were in the best interest of Florida. Using his influence for the greater good, he made headlines when he defeated the National Rifle Association (NRA), which sued Tallahassee over an ordinance that outlawed firearm use in public parks. And he was also the only Democrat in the governor’s race to call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Andrew Gillum’s political revolution is far from over… Click HERE to See More Character Guides — ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Vintage Photos Of Black History Being Made In America “Black Panther” Returns To Theaters For Free In Honor Of Black History Month These Teachers Have The Most Inspiring Black History Month Decorations We’ve Ever Seen! Follow @TheRSMS PHOTO: Creative Services – iOne/Getty
Source: Alex Wong / Getty On Thursday, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a new climate change resolution aimed at bringing a Green New Deal legislation to life. At 29 years old, Alexandria is repping for a millennial generation that’s often unfairly categorized as entitled at best and ill-informed at worst. But somewhere in between this is a generation demanding better from our leaders, and in many cases the youth are following the trails of movers and shakers that came before us. But with that being said, what are the goals of this Green New Deal and maybe more importantly… Should Black and Brown people care? In many instances, politicians might sell an idea to the most marginalized that ultimately won’t benefit us in the end. Well first, a couple of things on the Green New Deal, according to NPR : 1. Right now, this is a non-binding resolution Ocasio-Cortez isn’t actually introducing a bill that would create programs if passed by Congress. Instead, she’s introducing a proposal to the House entitled “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” If agreed upon, the House will affirm that the initiatives in the proposal should be carried out in the coming years. Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Ed Markey is introducing a companion proposal to the Senate. 2. The goal of the proposal is to create millions of “good, high-wage jobs” by aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. No matter if you’re Black, Brown, alabaster… Who doesn’t like a good “high-wage job?” As for greenhouse gases…they’re not cute. They trap a lot of heat in the atmosphere which contributes to global warming and thus climate change, and thus some of the bizarre ( and dangerous ) weather we’ve been experiencing lately. 3. It’s urgent According to the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , the world has 12 years to reverse greenhouse gas emission trends in order to prevent irreversible global warming. So yea, the Green New Deal is trying to carry out it’s plan in the next ten years. 4. The U.S. stay emitting greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide being the biggest one), and that’s gotta stop. According to the resolution, the U.S. is “responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014. 5. The goal is to switch from energy that creates greenhouse gases (e.g. the burning of fossil fuels) to clean, renewable energy (e.g. solar energy, wind energy, etc.) Just think about how oil powers cars or how coal might power electricity. The Green New Deal is trying to stop all of that and switch to renewable energy. O.K. so now that we know the primary goals, how are we going to get this, clean renewable energy AND HOW ARE BLACK & BROWN PEOPLE GOING TO BE AFFECTED? More on Black and Brown people soon. But first, below are some strategies the New Deal laid out in a FAQ sheet and summarized by NPR. A lot of these strategies hope to create new jobs, which can boost the economy: “upgrading all existing buildings” in the U.S. for energy efficiency; working with farmers “to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions … as much as is technologically feasible” (while supporting family farms and championing “universal access to healthy food”); “Overhauling transportation systems” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — including expanding electric car manufacturing, creating “charging stations everywhere,” and broadening high-speed rail to “a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary” Now for the big question… How will this affect Black and Brown people? Well first off, Black and Brown people are deeply affected by greenhouse gases and things that pollute the air. According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency report , when studying areas most affected by particular air emissions, such as soot, people of color and especially Black people are affected the most. The report showed that “those in poverty had 1.35 times higher burden than did the overall population, and non-Whites had 1.28 times higher burden. Blacks, specifically, had 1.54 times higher burden than did the overall population.” This equates to a 54 percent increase for Black people, and it shows that class still doesn’t necessarily keep Black people from dangerous pollution. With many factories and polluting facilities close to Black communities, the health risks increase, including higher rates of asthma, heart attacks and lowered life expectancy rates. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy will help decrease these risks. Now granted, the Green New Deal doesn’t explicitly say it’s goal is to benefit Black and Brown communities, but it does say it’s goal is “to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth…” A.K.A the front line and vulnerable communities, according to the resolution. The New Deal FAQ sheet listed out 15 requirements to adhere to these goals, which you can check out here . So again, should Black and Brown people care about the Green New Deal? Ultimately, yes. But it’ll take a lot more than an announcement and a lengthy fact sheet to get the masses hype. The impact of the Green New Deal will only be felt with further research, accountability and the actions of leaders to get more Black and Brown people invested.
Source: Alex Wong / Getty On Thursday, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a new climate change resolution aimed at bringing a Green New Deal legislation to life. At 29 years old, Alexandria is repping for a millennial generation that’s often unfairly categorized as entitled at best and ill-informed at worst. But somewhere in between this is a generation demanding better from our leaders, and in many cases the youth are following the trails of movers and shakers that came before us. But with that being said, what are the goals of this Green New Deal and maybe more importantly… Should Black and Brown people care? In many instances, politicians might sell an idea to the most marginalized that ultimately won’t benefit us in the end. Well first, a couple of things on the Green New Deal, according to NPR : 1. Right now, this is a non-binding resolution Ocasio-Cortez isn’t actually introducing a bill that would create programs if passed by Congress. Instead, she’s introducing a proposal to the House entitled “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” If agreed upon, the House will affirm that the initiatives in the proposal should be carried out in the coming years. Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Ed Markey is introducing a companion proposal to the Senate. 2. The goal of the proposal is to create millions of “good, high-wage jobs” by aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. No matter if you’re Black, Brown, alabaster… Who doesn’t like a good “high-wage job?” As for greenhouse gases…they’re not cute. They trap a lot of heat in the atmosphere which contributes to global warming and thus climate change, and thus some of the bizarre ( and dangerous ) weather we’ve been experiencing lately. 3. It’s urgent According to the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , the world has 12 years to reverse greenhouse gas emission trends in order to prevent irreversible global warming. So yea, the Green New Deal is trying to carry out it’s plan in the next ten years. 4. The U.S. stay emitting greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide being the biggest one), and that’s gotta stop. According to the resolution, the U.S. is “responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014. 5. The goal is to switch from energy that creates greenhouse gases (e.g. the burning of fossil fuels) to clean, renewable energy (e.g. solar energy, wind energy, etc.) Just think about how oil powers cars or how coal might power electricity. The Green New Deal is trying to stop all of that and switch to renewable energy. O.K. so now that we know the primary goals, how are we going to get this, clean renewable energy AND HOW ARE BLACK & BROWN PEOPLE GOING TO BE AFFECTED? More on Black and Brown people soon. But first, below are some strategies the New Deal laid out in a FAQ sheet and summarized by NPR. A lot of these strategies hope to create new jobs, which can boost the economy: “upgrading all existing buildings” in the U.S. for energy efficiency; working with farmers “to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions … as much as is technologically feasible” (while supporting family farms and championing “universal access to healthy food”); “Overhauling transportation systems” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — including expanding electric car manufacturing, creating “charging stations everywhere,” and broadening high-speed rail to “a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary” Now for the big question… How will this affect Black and Brown people? Well first off, Black and Brown people are deeply affected by greenhouse gases and things that pollute the air. According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency report , when studying areas most affected by particular air emissions, such as soot, people of color and especially Black people are affected the most. The report showed that “those in poverty had 1.35 times higher burden than did the overall population, and non-Whites had 1.28 times higher burden. Blacks, specifically, had 1.54 times higher burden than did the overall population.” This equates to a 54 percent increase for Black people, and it shows that class still doesn’t necessarily keep Black people from dangerous pollution. With many factories and polluting facilities close to Black communities, the health risks increase, including higher rates of asthma, heart attacks and lowered life expectancy rates. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy will help decrease these risks. Now granted, the Green New Deal doesn’t explicitly say it’s goal is to benefit Black and Brown communities, but it does say it’s goal is “to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth…” A.K.A the front line and vulnerable communities, according to the resolution. The New Deal FAQ sheet listed out 15 requirements to adhere to these goals, which you can check out here . So again, should Black and Brown people care about the Green New Deal? Ultimately, yes. But it’ll take a lot more than an announcement and a lengthy fact sheet to get the masses hype. The impact of the Green New Deal will only be felt with further research, accountability and the actions of leaders to get more Black and Brown people invested.
Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images / Getty Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring Admits Blackface, Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax Accused Of Sexual Assualt Throw the whole state away. There’s more political strife in Virginia in the midst of the Virginia Governor blackface scandal. As previously reported Democratic Governor Ralph Northam (above) was outed by a right-wing website who published a photo from Northam’s medical school yearbook that shows him in blackface and standing next to a man in a KKK outfit. He at first admitted that it was him in the photo but then recanted . There are now feverish calls for him to step down, calls that he’s casually ignoring. Now the third in line to be Governor if Northam steps down is confessing that he too has worn blackface. Attorney General Mark Herring admitted Wednesday that he wore blackface to dress up like a rapper at an 80s college party. Source: Katherine Frey/Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty In a statement obtained by CNBC , he said that while an undergraduate at the University of Virginia “some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song.” “It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes – and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others – we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup, Herring said. “This was a onetime occurrence and I accept full responsibility for my conduct.” Just four days ago Herring criticized Governor Northham and said “it is no longer possible” for him to remain in office. If you couldn’t believe that things would get much worse, hold onto your wigs. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, also a Democrat, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Fairfax is second in line to be Governor. Source: Paul Morigi/Getty Images / Getty That woman, Vanessa Tyson, an associate professor of politics at Scripps College in California, has hired Christine Blasey Ford’s legal team to represent her. Fairfax has denied her accusation and said what happened between them was “consensual.” If all three of the Democrats resign, the next Virginia Governor will be Republican Kirk Cox. Cox is the current state’s speaker of the House of Delegates. All top VA officials wore blackface except for the one with a black face who has been accused of sexual assault. Is that…accurate? — Felonious Munk IS Blackface (@Felonious_munk) February 6, 2019 Now, THIS is a mess. Who do YOU think will be Virginia’s next Governor when Northam (finally) resigns???
Source: Orlando Sentinel / Getty Michael Ertel Resigns After Blackface Photos Resurface What the f**k is wrong with white people? (That’s rhetorical) As if America’s political arena isn’t already filled with bigots, misogynists, and plain ol’ a$$holes, enter now-former Florida Secretary of State, Michael Ertel. Ertel was appointed to his former position by Governor Rick DeSantis, the same man who political opponent Andrew Gillam said was friendly with racists. According to Tallahassee Democrat , Michael Ertel is no longer Secretary of State effective immediately as he has formally resigned. The reason Ertel so quickly abandoned the post which he was just given is because 14 years ago he thought it expedient and hilarious to dress up in Blackface, with fake breasts, a headband, earrings, lipstick, and a t-shirt that read “Hurricane Katrina victim”. When confronted with these photos, here’s what he said: “There’s nothing I can say,” Ertel said. The only thing to say was that he was resigning from his job as a high-ranking state government official. We’d bet our most precious coins that if you checked Ertel’s and DeSantis’ text history you’d find all kinds of racist jokes and memes. Good riddance.
She Joins Some Fierce Competition Another politician has announced their vie for president, surely causing 2020 to be an interesting year. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday and announced that she’s forming an exploratory committee for a presidential run. “It’s an important first step and it’s one I’m taking because I’m going to run,” she said to a cheering audience. “I’m going to run for president of the United States because as a young mom, I’m going to fight for other people’s kids as hard as I would fight for my own, which is why I believe that health care should be a right and not a privilege.” Gillibrand joins Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the presidential run, who announced her bid for the seat back in December. Vice President Joe Biden , Sen. Bernie Sanders , California Senator Kamala Harris and Texas politician Beto O’Rourke are also people planning or considering a run for president. According to the New York Post , Gillibrand was first elected to the House in 2006 as a moderate Democrat who rejected amnesty for undocumented immigrants, didn’t support same-sex marriage and had a 100 percent NRA voting record. Gillibrand took on her Senate seat in 2009, succeeding Hillary Clinton who went on to become the secretary of state. Gillibrand has held her seat since 2009 and moved more left with her politics by supporting gun control, same-sex marriage and calling for the end of ICE. We’ll find out if she keeps that same energy in her presidential run. Check out more of her thoughts in the clip above. Continue reading →
T he voter suppression outcries heard during Stacey Abram ’s historic run to become the nation’s first Black woman governor all but disappeared in Georgia’s runoff election—now that Brian Kemp is no longer in charge of the state’s voting process. Last month, Georgia Secretary of State Kemp oversaw his own race for governor, which was close but ended in defeat for Abrams. There was damning evidence that pointed to Kemp using a variety of voter suppression tactics to target Black voters. Kemp resigned under pressure on Nov. 8–after he had declared victory over Abrams. SEE ALSO: Georgia Isn’t Even Trying To Hide Its Racist Voter Suppression Efforts With This Video Georgia elected Republican state Rep. Brad Raffensperger as its new secretary of state in Tuesday’s runoff contest against Democrat John Barrow , a former congressman. The Trump-backed candidate won 52 percent to 48 percent . “There was a significant drop in enthusiasm after the general election. That was true on both sides, but it was greater for Democrats,” state Rep. Scott Holcomb told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . BREAKING: Republican Brad Raffensperger elected Georgia's new elections chief amid debate over access to the polls and election security. https://t.co/C6tCHzaZuD — The Associated Press (@AP) December 5, 2018 Kemp found himself in the middle of a firestorm before Election Day after the Associated Press reported his office had placed more than 53,000 voter registration applications on hold—about 70 percent of them from African-Americans. He also faced multiple lawsuits, including one from a group of voting rights organizations accusing him of using a racially-biased method to purge the names of about 700,000 voters from the rolls. Additionally, voters in predominantly African-American urban districts encountered lots of problems at the polls on Election Day—from faulty electronic machines that switched votes from Abrams to Kemp to excessively long lines because of missing power cords for voting machines. With Tuesday’s election results, Georgia Republicans retained control of all statewide offices. SEE ALSO: Meet Tammy Kemp, The Black Judge Assigned To Amber Guyger Murder Trial For Killing Botham Jean After Bracing For Lawsuit, Hoover Officials Finally ‘Publicly Extend Sympathy’ To EJ Bradford’s Family [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3839191″ overlay=”true”]
B renda Snipes , the Broward County, Florida supervisor of elections, pushed back against GOP Gov. Rick Scott ’s suspension that threatens her pension. SEE ALSO: Brenda Snipes Quits Working As The Broward County Election Supervisor After The Disastrous Florida Midterms Snipes rescinded her resignation letter on Saturday, which was to take effect on Jan. 4. The letter preceded Scott’s suspension of Snipes on Friday for misfeasance, incompetence and neglect of duty, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Scott announced that Republican Peter Antonacci would replace the Democrat. “We believe it’s a malicious action that should not have happened,” Broward elections office attorney Burnadette Norris Weeks said of Scott’s suspension, adding that the governor’s move was an attempt to take away 75-year-old Snipes’ pension. Snipes earns a salary of $178,865 annually and would be eligible for a pension of $71,000 a year after 15 years of service as the county’s elections supervisor. A suspension, however, would eliminate her pension. Brenda Snipes is done with Florida elections. https://t.co/kHXuJVdnlr — NewsOne (@newsone) November 19, 2018 Snipes was attacked by Republicans, and even President Donald Trump , for her handling of the midterm election. She was harshly criticized for her management of the tight Senate race between Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson and Scott, who ultimately won the race. Broward failed to report vote totals to the state every 45 minutes on election night, and the county’s recount process took much longer than most other counties. Snipes also acknowledged that her office had misplaced more than 2,000 ballots included in the original count. Norris Weeks said Scott was partly to blame because he issued time-consuming records requests and lawsuits after the county experienced heavy voter turnout and a significant number of ballots by mail. By rescinding her resignation, Snipes intends to remain in office until her term ends in November 2020. “We will be fighting this to the very end,” Norris Weeks vowed. SEE ALSO: Cops Spark Outrage With ‘Racist’ Christmas Tree Decorations In Precinct With Poor Community Relations Meet Tammy Kemp, The Black Judge Assigned To Amber Guyger Murder Trial For Killing Botham Jean [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3838695″ overlay=”true”]
A fter her election defeat, the only Black Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives Mia Love lashed out at the President Trump -dominated GOP for its hostility toward minorities and women. SEE ALSO: Black Republican Mia Love Loses After Playing The Race Card “So why do they stay with Democrats? I think it’s because they feel like they have a home — or Democrats make them feel like they have a home. I’ve said this to my colleagues, we need to do a better job than just talking about how great our policies are, we need to actually let people know that we care. They need to like Republicans,” the Utah representative told the Washington Examiner recently. Love was defeated in her bid for a third term in Congress by Democrat Ben McAdams in a close race. It’s unclear what the political future holds for Love, who made history as the first and only Black Republican woman in Congress. Many in the GOP hoped that her political success would help to bring racial diversity to the party. Black Republican Mia Love played the race card in a desperate move to retain her congressional seat. But it didn't work so well for her… https://t.co/uR52AoWRzK #RepresentTheVote pic.twitter.com/iJRN2ibqJ1 — NewsOne (@newsone) November 21, 2018 Republicans remained silent while Trump defended white supremacist violence in Charlottesville and labeled Haiti and nations in Africa “ shithole countries, ” in his long racist history that he brought to the White House. Love, the 42-year-old daughter of Haitian immigrants, said she was offended by Trump’s racist rhetoric. Yet, like many of her Republican colleagues, Love went along with Trump’s agenda. Trump publicly showed his contempt for Love on the day after the midterms . “Mia Love gave me no love and she lost,” Trump said mocking the congresswoman, naming her among incumbent House members who didn’t shower him with praise and were defeated. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.” She said it will be challenging for the GOP to achieve racial and gender diversity while Trump is still in office. The Democrats, on the other hand, gained 40 House seats in the midterm election, fueled in part by African-American women candidates. SEE ALSO: Cops Spark Outrage With ‘Racist’ Christmas Tree Decorations In Precinct With Poor Community Relations Meet Tammy Kemp, The Black Judge Assigned To Amber Guyger Murder Trial For Killing Botham Jean [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3838917″ overlay=”true”]
