W hile Democrats did not get the blue wave they hoped for during yesterday’s midterm elections, there were some major wins such as regaining control of the House of Representatives. However, there are 19 wins that not enough people are celebrating — 19 Black women who ran for judicial seats in Harris County, Texas won last night. This is the biggest victory for Black women in the county’s history. See Also: Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3 To 10 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault Conviction The women call themselves the #Houston19. Back in August , one wrote on Facebook, “I’ve waited for the reveal of this photo of 19 judicial candidates for several weeks — 19 Black women running for judge in Harris County, Houston, TX. This entire time I’ve thought of what I’d say the day we were able to share this moment in history with everyone. But really I’m humbled. Never did I imagine that the day I decided to run to be judge, I’d become a part of a club of phenomenal Black women, sisters-in-law, gifted, brilliant, strong — everything I hope to be!” See the beautiful photo below: Now they are officially winners. Sandra Peake, Judge Ramona Frankin, Germaine Tanner, Angela Graves-Harrington, Cassandra Hollerman, Tonya Jones, Dedra Davis, LaShawn A. Williams, Latosha Lewis Payne, Linda M. Dunson, Toria J. Finch, Erica Hughes, Lucia G. Bates, Ronnisha Bowman, Michelle Moore, Sharon Burney, Shannon Baldwin and Lori Chambers Gray were all elected, and mostly by double digits. A huge congratulations and a reason to celebrate last night. That said, we are still pushing for every vote in Georgia to be counted so the true victor of the gubernatorial contest can rise up—not the won who is claiming a win because of voter suppression. SEE ALSO: All The Ways Cops Are Still Trying To Cover Up LaQuan McDonald’s Execution Outrageous! Figurines Of White Cherub Crushing Head Of Black Angel Removed From Dollar Store Meet Jogger Joe, The Man Who Took Racist Cue From BBQ Becky In Tossing Homeless Man’s Clothes [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3828001″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Georgia Public Broadcasting / Georgia Public Broadcasting According to Stacey Abrams camp, Fulton County did not have the adequate amount of machines for voters. They discovered 700 wrapped machines in a warehouse. This evidence is mote proof of widespread voter suppression throughout the state. Three of the four largest counties in the state – DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb – have reported only a portion of the votes that were submitted by early mail. In Cobb County alone, anywhere between 25,000 and 26,000 votes were submitted early by mail. Four other large counties – Chatham, Henry, Douglas, and Clarke – have reported exactly 0 votes by mail. Absentee ballots represent another major pickup opportunity for Abrams. In Gwinnett County alone, more than 20,000 absentee ballots are waiting to be counted. Additionally there is an unknown number of absentee ballots that were potentially wrongly rejected which will also need to be counted. An historic number of provisional and paper ballots were cast throughout Georgia, these have yet to be counted. Machine breakdowns and shoddy election administration on the part of Secretary of State Brian Kemp contributed to the exceedingly large number of provisional and paper ballots. We will continue to update the public as more info arrises.
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On this episode of Extra Butter with Xilla Valentine , I head out to Rome, Italy to sit down with my girl Claire Foy to check out her new movie The Girl In The Spider’s Web . In this film, she plays the role of Lisbeth Salander who has to steal a computer program that can access codes for nuclear weapons worldwide from Lakeith Stanfield who plays Alona Casales. When the stakes are this high the NSA is bound to be on the case, so they track the activity all the way to Stockholm. Things go off the wall when Russian thugs take Lisbeth’s laptop and kidnap a math whiz who can actually make the program work. This is when Lisbeth gets the help of and an unlikely ally to try to save the boy and recover the codes to avert disaster. One of the highlights of the film is the great acting by Lakeith and Claire, that director Fede Alveres explains their chemistry was beautiful to watch develop saying, “They are apart for a long time, but a big part of the story is Lakeith going after her and you can’t wait for him to get to her to see what’s going to happen because both of them are very capable at what they do. I think the audience never expects to see where it goes.” It was great to see these two develop magic. I asked Claire about Lakeith and she was very intrigued by the Atlanta star revealing he left her mesmerized, “I love Lakeith, I can listen to him talk for hours and the man is incredible young which I find terrifying. I love him, I think he so fascinating, he is an amazing actor. I think he is brilliant. We had a couple of nights where I just sat and went what do you think about this and what do you think about this? and Why? and What’s this? Yeah… I love him.” While her love for Lakeith was on one hunnid, his love for her might not have been on the same level. “I tried really hard to become his friend,” Claire explains that things didn’t go her way, adding. “Maybe I made him feel a little uncomfortable and he was like step back a little bit.” Maybe they’ll never be best friends forever, but they do a great job acting in scenes together. The Girl In The Spider’s Web is in theaters November 9th. Check out my interview with Claire Foy and you get to see me riding through the streets of Rome on a Vespa and roaming through the Colosseum then closing this episode out with one of the most beautiful backdrops ever.
Source: Jessica McGowan / Getty With so much uncertainty the day after the Elections in Georgia, many people are wondering, what’s next for the Governor’s race? Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams after running at about 50% v 49% respectively. In Georgia a candidate has to receive more than 50% of the votes, if not the other candidate can request a run off be held. Georgia is the only state that uses the majority voting runoff system for general elections. If a run off were to take place, if would be held on Tuesday, December 4th. Any voter registered before Oct. 9th, will be eligible in the runoff election. RELATED: Stacey Abrams Refuses To Concede Georgia Governor Race Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Source: Jessica McGowan / Getty CLICK HERE FOR MORE
U PDATED: 6:34 a.m. EDT, Nov. 7 — After a suspenseful Election Night, Stacey Abrams said she wouldn’t concede the race to be Georgia’s next governor to Brian Kemp, who was accused of orchestrating widespread voter suppression against Black people before and during Election Day. Abrams hinted at a possible runoff election next month because of Kemp’s razor-thin lead that continued to dwindle Wednesday morning, according to the Atlanta Journal-Consitution . WATCH: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams: “I promise you tonight, we’re going to make sure every single vote is counted. Every single vote.” https://t.co/6pqqY4AD1c pic.twitter.com/aeVBUUaA7t — NBC News (@NBCNews) November 7, 2018 “And I need you to know that it is my mission to serve you, to serve Georgia, to make you proud,” Abrams said late Tuesday night. “And for those who didn’t pick me the first time, to change your mind about me and what we can accomplish together.” GEORGIA! This race is NOT over. @StaceyAbrams is now closer than ever. And 9% of voters are still outstanding in heavily Democratic areas. — Shaun King (@shaunking) November 7, 2018 She continued : “Votes remain to be counted. Voices waiting to be heard. We are going to make sure that every vote is counted – because in a civilized nation, the machinery of democracy should work everywhere for everyone.” Original story: G eorgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp stooped to a new low, even for him, in his ongoing efforts to keep Black people from voting for Stacey Abrams , the Black woman running against him for governor. Voting machines, which fall under the responsibility of the secretary of state, were delivered to majority Black precincts without any cords to provide them with electrical power for voters to cast their ballots. Kemp’s “dirty tricks” caused delays of up to four hours at polling places where hundreds of voters at a time were left waiting. See Also: Coincidence? Black People In Georgia Typically Get The Oldest Voting Machines, Increasing Chances Of Error “Brian Kemp is playing in the game and he’s also the referee!” Rashad Robins , president of the racial justice group Color of Change, told NewsOne Tuesday afternoon. “The word we’re hearing is about suppression and dirty tricks, long lines and broken down polling places.” Kemp, who has President Donald Trump ’s endorsement, oversees the election system. He’s also been on the receiving end of multiple federal lawsuits over his attempts to suppress Black votes. They range for rejecting certain absentee ballots , blocking approximately 53,000 voter registration forms and purging some 700,000 voters from the state’s voting rolls—all targeting African-American voters. Here are just a few of the reports that flooded social media about suppression in Georgia. No power cords for voting machines in African American majority neighborhood in Georgia. This is a disgrace. I don’t believe in coincidences. Everyone should assume this is all orchestrated by Kemp. Who’s the biggest cheater in Georgia politics in years. pic.twitter.com/zmv24R7TJ3 — Scott Dworkin (@funder) November 6, 2018 There’s only 3 voting machines at this Atlanta polling place. SMH! @tomreganWSB pic.twitter.com/YTXdXLAHzG — Everything Georgia (@GAFolIowers) November 6, 2018 Many of the reported problems apparently stemmed from old, decrepit voting machines that are concentrated in poor communities. “The counties and cities with the fewest resources are voting on the oldest equipment that tend to have the most problems,” Edgardo Cortés , an election security advisor at the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, confirmed to NewsOne during an interview on Monday. Kemp and Abrams were locked in a neck-and-neck race. Abrams has the chance to become the nation’s first African-American woman governor—in a red state that has not elected a Democratic governor in two decades. “Stacey Abrams’ opponents recognize that the only way they could win—when our folks are fired up—is to suppress the vote,” Robinson, of Color of Change said. “What I do think is really exciting is that folks, in the face of all that, are still turning out in large numbers.” SEE ALSO: Make Massa Happy! Ben Carson Campaigning Against Mayor Andrew Gillum In Florida Brian Kemp Pops A Blood Vessel After Stacey Abrams Is ‘Endorsed’ By The New Black Panther Party [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835357″ overlay=”true”]
B en Jealous fell short in his effort to become governor of Maryland when he lost the election on Tuesday night to incumbent Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. NBC News projected Hogan’s win. The former NAACP president had been leaning on his roots in civil rights in his unsuccessful bid to become the first African-American governor in Maryland. While Jealous, 45, had been consistently polling behind Hogan, he made some strong moves ahead of Election Day, including recruiting legendary comedian Dave Chappelle to knock on doors and encourage people to vote for him. One major platform that appealed to Black people, in particular, was Jealous’ plan to increase funding for and bring better academic programs to the states historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “I’ve put a detailed plan on the table to ensure that we finally treat our state’s HBCUs fairly,” Jealous recently told the AFRO. “We’ve been underfunding public higher education for too long and we need to reorient our state’s priorities back towards making sure we’re preparing our kids for the workforce. As governor, I’m committed to putting an end to this lawsuit and fulfilling the state’s obligations to our HBCUs.” Jealous won the state’s Democratic primary in late June to add to be one of three Black people running for governor, along with Florida’s Andrew Gillum and Georgia’s Stacey Abrams. SEE ALSO: Stacey Abrams’ Unapologetically Black Journey To The Doorstep Of History Political Races To Watch In 2018 Midterm Elections Featuring Black Candidates [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835357″ overlay=”true”]
T here was a big win for African-Americans on Election Day even as tight election races appeared to minimized the anticipated Black wave. SEE ALSO: Here’s What Happened In Alabama When Voting Rights Were Restored To Ex-Felons Florida voters approved Amendment 4, which automatically restores voting rights for people who served their time in prison for felony convictions. “The passage of Amendment 4 tonight in Florida is a victory for democracy. An estimated 1.4 million people will now have a second chance and be able to exercise their right to vote, having paid their debt to society by completing their sentences. We applaud the people of Florida for making the right choice tonight,” People For the American Way said. Florida, which banned more felons from voting than any other state, was blocking 21.5 percent of African Americans from casting ballots , achieving the goals of felony disenfranchisement laws that were historically intended to reduce Black voting power . BREAKING: Amendment 4 in Florida has just PASSED! YES! YES! YES! 1.4 million former felons who had been banned from voting for life will all now be granted back their voting rights. A HUGE and hard fought victory. One of the most important of our lifetime. — Shaun King (@shaunking) November 7, 2018 Looking ahead to the 2020 elections, there’s plenty of reason for Republicans to stay awake at night worrying about the potential political impact of Amendment 4. With voting rights restored, an estimated 258,060 felons would likely register as Democrats and just 46,920 would join the Republican Party, according to a study reported by the Sentencing Project . In the purple state, where presidential elections and statewide races are usually razor thin, this could swing elections in favor of Democrats. President Donald Trump won just 1.3 percent more votes than Hillary Clinton in 2016. Florida was one of a handful of states that does not automatically restore voting rights after its citizens finish serving their time in prison. Approximately 6.1 million felons across the country have lost their right to vote, according to the Sentencing Project . Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia are among the states with large populations of Black felons who must petition their states to restore their voting rights . SEE ALSO: Make Massa Happy! Ben Carson Campaigning Against Mayor Andrew Gillum In Florida ‘Dirty Tricks’: Voters Won’t Be Denied As Brian Kemp Rigs Voting Machines [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3835026″ overlay=”true”]
F ormer national teacher of the year Jahana Hayes has been declared the winner of her congressional race in Connecticut, paving the way for her to become the Constitution State’s first Black woman ever elected to Congress. Jahana Hayes wins the House race for Connecticut's Fifth District. #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/aErMwTQ8Lb — Vox (@voxdotcom) November 7, 2018 “People have said to me: ‘She doesn’t have what it takes,’” Hayes, 45, said in declaring victory. “Not only am I built for this, I’m Brass City built for this.” She continued: “You … believe that we have to protect the future that we promised for our kids. You also believe that we have an obligation to be of service to someone else, … that true leaders lead from the front and lead by example, and reject all of this hate and intolerance and this indescribable fear that does not define who we are.” With the election, Hayes added to a number of historic results for a large group of African-American candidates running in the midterm elections across the country. The former national teacher of the year was still teaching full-time in the months leading up to Election Day. What will soon be her former profession has really helped inform the way she approaches politics, she told the Hartford Courant recently. “When you’re a teacher, you don’t pick and choose who you advocate for. You don’t choose who comes to your class. You don’t ask kids, ‘Is your mom a Republican or a Democrat,’ because that’s how I’m gonna decide how hard I’m gonna work for you,” Hayes said . “They come to you and you have a responsibility to leave them better than when they came. I think that’s what government should be doing.” Not unlike other Black women running for key state-wide elected seats, Hayes encountered her fair share of resistance from Democratic Party insiders who initially favored other candidates. Because of some creative maneuvering by the Connecticut state Democrats, Hayes didn’t get the party’s nomination. Still, she won the primary in August and forced Democrats to support her as the party’s nominee. That phenomenon was similar to those we saw for other Black women who were still able to win their respective primaries with little or no help from Democrats. Hayes explained why she was running for Congress when she declared in July. “Who will speak for them?” Hayes recalled asking herself one day while looking at her students. Thanks to the voters of Connecticut, that question has been answered, and then some. SEE ALSO: Blue Party: Say Hello To The Black Wave Black Women Candidates Feel Forgotten By Democrats [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3826898″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards / Getty Idris Elba is clearly doing something right to be named People ‘s Sexiest Man Alive. The magazine unveiled their prestigious cover on Tuesday and the 46-year-old British sex symbol won the crown. Elba was surprised, but grateful when he received the title. “I was like, ‘Come on, no way. Really,’” he told People . “Looked in the mirror, I checked myself out. I was like, ‘Yeah, you are kind of sexy today.’ But to be honest, it was just a nice feeling. It was a nice surprise — an ego boost for sure.” Elba is People ‘s 33rd Sexiest Man Alive and the magazine’s first Black cover star since Denzel Washington in 1996, according to E! News . Blake Shelton infamously took the crown last year , while the whole Sexiest Man Alive title started with Mel Gibson in 1985. The pick for Idris was a long time coming, considering the years of lust fans had to endure scoping out the 6’3″ actor. However, Idris didn’t reach his peak sexy status overnight. In fact, he wasn’t always a ladies man in general. “I was very tall and skinny,” Idris said, describing his coming-of-age years in London. “And my name was Idrissa Akuna Elba, okay? I got picked on a little bit. But as soon as I could grow a mustache, I was the coolest kid on the block. Grew a mustache, had some muscles, bonkers.” Now Idris is a well-respected actor and DJ, who kickboxes on the side. He’s also engaged to the gorgeous model Sabrina Dhowre . To get to this point in life, Idris had to endure two failed marriages and years of up-and-down dating. Through his experiences, Idris has gained a Rolodex of life advice for those who might be on the struggle team. Hit the next pages for six Idris Elba quotes you can use out here in these dating streets!
