Source: RgStudio / Getty Meet Interabled Interracial Couple Charisma And Cole Cole Sydnor, from Richmond, Virginia had a life-changing accident in August 2011, when diving in a local river and hitting a rock, that left him paralysed from the triceps down. The now 23-year-old has gone through rigorous rehabilitation to help accept his new body, but also found love in Charisma Jamison, who was a Rehabilitation Technician at the centre. Charism and Cole are now in LOVE love! The couple has been together for a year and now run a YouTube channel documenting their lives as an interabled couple. Here is an introduction to their story, as told by them on BarCroft TV.
T here have been many public figures who have inspired educational courses. Songstress Beyoncé ’s work has inspired college courses across the country, her hubby Jay Z was the subject of a course at Georgetown, and last year Jordan Peele ’s work was the focal point of a class at UCLA. The latest person to have a curriculum centered on her achievements and experiences is former first lady Michelle Obama , Black Enterprise reported. Turning Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ Into a Class Curriculum for Black Girls https://t.co/tf48hFOUlQ — Black Enterprise (@blackenterprise) December 28, 2018 After reading Obama’s best-selling book Becoming , Lauren Christine Mims identified valuable lessons that would be impactful for Black girls who are coming of age, the news outlet writes. Mims—who served as the assistant director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and is currently enrolled in the University of Virginia’s Educational Psychology doctorate program—was so inspired that she conceptualized a curriculum for young Black girls that intertwines Obama’s journey and key principles for success. For Mims, it’s all about representation. When young girls see themselves reflected in successful Black women it changes their perspective on life. “Reading Becoming was like sitting on the couch with your best friend and having one of those soulful conversations about life,” she told the news outlet. “Reading about how Michelle Obama felt unchallenged in elementary school, teased for the way she spoke, and noticed a difference in how she was perceived during adolescence was affirming. I disrupt the traditional practice of talking about Black girls in pejorative ways and center them and their unique experiences to study how we can support them.” She also added that there should be safe spaces for Black girls to discuss their challenges and how they can overcome them. Michelle Obama is nothing short of an inspiration. In fact, she recently topped Gallup’s “Most Admired Woman list ; edging out Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey . SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama Surprises Black College Students In Detroit 10 Reasons Americans Chose Michelle Obama As The Most Admired Woman Of 2018 [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3358541″ overlay=”true”]
GPS Inventor Gladys West Inducted Into Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame Gladys West is a “ hidden figure ” just like her sorority sisters Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson who inspired the film by the same name. West was instrumental in creating the navigation systems that we now call GPS (Geographical Positioning System) during her 42 year career working at the naval base in Dahlgren, Virginia. She was a graduate of Virginia State University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated . Unable to attend the Aug 2018 induction ceremony, Dr. Gladys West was honored at the Pentagon as one of the 2018 Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers for her contributions to the @usairforce space program. Read more about her incredible career: https://t.co/1b1L9OyANI pic.twitter.com/a4tnTYXOxn — AF Space Command (@AFSpace) December 12, 2018 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Earlier this month, Gladys West was inducted into the Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Pentagon according to Blavity . “This involved planning and executing several highly complex computer algorithms which have to analyze an enormous amount of data,” Ralph Neiman, her supervisor who recommended her for commendation in 1979, said. “You have used your knowledge of computer applications to accomplish this in an efficient and timely manner.” Here’s how the Patrick Air Force Base website described Ms. West’s work: Dr. Gladys West is among a small group of women who did computing for the U.S. military in the era before electronic systems. Hired in 1956 as a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, she participated in a path-breaking, award-winning astronomical study that proved, during the early 1960s, the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune. Thereafter, from the mid-1970s through the 1980s, using complex algorithms to account for variations in gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth’s shape, she programmed an IBM 7030 “Stretch” computer to deliver increasingly refined calculations for an extremely accurate geodetic Earth model, a geoid, optimized for what ultimately became the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbit. We thank you, Gladys West, for sharing your brilliance with the world and giving us a much needed technological breakthrough that changed the world forever.
F lorida’s Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson won’t shed a tear for ousted White House Chief of Staff John Kelly ’ s last day on the job because of his disrespect for African-Americans—and the personal hell he caused her. President Trump announced Kelly’s dismissal on Saturday. See Also: Omarosa Takes A Swipe At John Kelly’s Dismissal As White House Chief Of Staff Kelly has not apologized for slandering her name and for the death threats she received stemming from their public feud, Wilson told “CNN Tonight” host Don Lemon on Tuesday. She said Kelly lied about her falsely taking credit for obtaining funding for construction of a new federal building in Florida. “[He] made up the whole story to side with the president to make it look like I was some sort of a clown or someone who was, who just lies all the time, and I think that’s why he never apologized, and because he does not respect women, and he definitely does not respect Black women, and I don’t think he respects Black people,” she said. “I don’t think that Mr. Kelly did a good job, and I think I want to say good riddance to him. Goodbye.” The death threats she received following Kelly’s comments prompted her to hire armed security guards, the congresswoman stated. Rep. Frederica Wilson receives lynching threats, the latest in an emerging pattern from Trump supporters. https://t.co/l6LkGnzGe6 pic.twitter.com/6Wx0egSqfn — NewsOne (@newsone) October 26, 2017 Wilson was vindicated when the Sun-Sentinel republished a video of Wilson’s speech, which Kelly referenced, proving she did not brag about raising the $20 million needed to construct the FBI building. The feud between Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, and Wilson stems from a dispute between the congresswoman and Trump over his mistreatment of Army Sgt. La David Johnson ’s widow Myeshia Johnson . Wilson and Myeshia Johnson’s aunt overheard the president’s insensitive remarks in his condolence phone call to the widow in 2017. La David Johnson was one of four U.S. soldiers killed in an October 2017 ambush in Niger. Wilson publicly criticized Trump, and the president called the congresswoman a liar. Myeshia Johnson later confirmed on ABC’s “ Good Morning America ” that Wilson’s version of the conversation was “100 percent correct.” Kelly ignited controversy on his own when he disregarded slavery as a cause of the Civil War and praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee during an interview with Fox News. “The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand,” Kelly said during an interview on the cable channel’s “The Ingraham Angle,” avoiding any mention of slavery. Lee was “an honorable man,” Kelly also said, despite the deadly violence that erupted at a white supremacist protest in Charlottesville , Virginia over the statue’s removal in 2017. SEE ALSO: Meghan McCain Reprimands ‘The View’ Audience For Clapping That Openly Racist John Kelly Was Fired ‘Pool Patrol Paula,’ The White Woman Who Beat A Black Teen And Bit A Cop, Gets No Real Punishment [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3839980″ overlay=”true”]
W hile Democrats made some noteworthy strides in last week’s midterm elections, the consensus seemed to be that the party has been going down the wrong path of politics as of late. And nowhere has that been more clear than among its leadership, which has suffered a series of missteps and blunders that may have contributed to Democrats not being as successful as they had hoped in the crucial elections. All of which likely explains the apparent internal revolution going on with the Democratic Party, which could emerge post-elections with new leadership. See Also: Black Women Call Out DNC And Ask For Meeting: ‘Organizing Without Black Women Will Prove To Be A Losing Strategy’ With the party struggling to recover from a political retreat for several election cycles, Speaker of the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been in the political crosshairs of Democrats who are eager to take her position . Ohio’s Rep. Marcia Fudge , a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), is one of the latest to hint at plans to compete for the coveted House Speaker post, telling the Huffington Post on Thursday that she’s “overwhelmed” by all the folks who want to see her challenge Pelosi’s leadership. “I don’t hate Nancy. I think Nancy has been a very good leader. I just think it’s time for a new one,” she said, adding that there are far more lawmakers who oppose Pelosi’s leadership than the 17 who signed a letter saying they won’t vote for her to continue as speaker in 2019. “I've not made a decision, I'm still thinking about it,” Rep. Marcia Fudge tells @ElizLanders tonight, adding she's been “overwhelmed” by people urging her to run. pic.twitter.com/0vP9686qZ7 — Ashley Killough (@KilloughCNN) November 15, 2018 Fudge dismissed the narrative that Pelosi led the party back to power in the House and criticized the California Democrat for failing to advocate for Black lawmakers in Congress. Perhaps most troubling to Black Democrats is Pelosi’s eagerness to make peace with President Trump , who brought his long history of racism with him to the White House. Shortly after Democrats won control of the House, the speaker began talking about the same bipartisanship that the Trump-led Republicans have avoided like the plague. Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez also came under fire from the CBC. Caucus members passed a vote of no confidence on Wednesday against Perez who took over the DNC in February 2017. Perez praised Black women for leading the party to victory last year in key races in Virginia and Alabama. However, when it came to several Black women candidates in 2018 races, the party showed little support initially, like in the case of Ayanna Pressley . Yet those same Black women stepped up as voters and candidates alike to help the party regain control of the House. SEE ALSO: Watch Racist White Women Harass An Andrew Gillum Supporter: ‘Go Back To Africa!’ Stacey Abrams Campaign Files Federal Lawsuit For Every Vote To Be Counted [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3836761″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Lisa Werner / Getty Amazon has officially announced that they selected Northern Virginia and New York City for their new headquarters. 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 The new Washington, D.C. metro headquarters in Arlington will be located in National Landing. Tens of thousands of additional jobs are expected to be created starting in 2019. “We are excited to build new headquarters in New York City and Northern Virginia,” said Jeff Bezos, founder, and CEO of Amazon. “These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come. The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities.” SEE ALSO: Nas-Backed Medical Service PillPack Sells To Amazon For $1 Billion National Landing is an urban community in Northern Virginia located less than 3 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The area is served by 3 Metro stations, commuter rail access, and Reagan National Airport – all within walking distance. The community has a variety of hotels, restaurants, high-rise apartment buildings, retail, and commercial offices. National Landing has abundant parks and open space with sports and cultural events for residents of all ages throughout the year. As part of Amazon’s new headquarters, Virginia and Arlington will benefit from more than 25,000 full-time high-paying jobs; approximately $2.5 billion in Amazon investment; 4 million square feet of energy-efficient office space with the opportunity to expand to 8 million square feet; and an estimated incremental tax revenue of $3.2 billion over the next 20 years as a result of Amazon’s investment and job creation. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of $573 million based on the company creating 25,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Arlington. This includes a workforce cash grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia of up to $550 million based on $22,000 for each job created over the next 12 years. Amazon will only receive this incentive if it creates the forecasted high-paying jobs. The company will also receive a cash grant from Arlington of $23 million over 15 years based on the incremental growth of the existing local Transient Occupancy Tax, a tax on hotel rooms. The community and Amazon employees will benefit from the Commonwealth investing $195 million in infrastructure in the neighborhood, including improvements to the Crystal City and the Potomac Yards Metro stations; a pedestrian bridge connecting National Landing and Reagan National Airport; and work to improve safety, accessibility, and the pedestrian experience crossing Route 1 over the next 10 years. Arlington will also dedicate an estimated $28 million based on 12% of future property tax revenues earned from an existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for on-site infrastructure and open space in National Landing. “We are proud that Amazon has selected National Landing for a major new headquarters. This is, above all, a validation of our community’s commitment to sustainability, transit-oriented development, affordable housing, and diversity,” said Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol. “The strength of our workforce coupled with our proximity to the nation’s capital makes us an attractive business location. But Arlington’s real strength is the decades of planning that have produced one of the most vibrant, civically engaged communities in the world. Those plans have paved the way for this investment, and we look forward to engaging the Arlington community about Amazon’s plans and how we can grow together.” You can click here to read more from the Amazon Press Release . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Jaden Smith Reveals Fellow Rapper Tyler The Creator Is His “Mother F*cking Boyfriend” [VIDEO] Jill Scott Got Everybody Talkin’ Nasty For This One Reason [VIDEO] Juelz Santana Displays His Teeth After Being Clowned Into Toothless Oblivion Follow @TheRSMS
C candidates were making their final pushes on Election Day eve to turn out the vote, with celebrities expected to help make the case to Floridians. In one of the most widely watched races in the nation, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was expected to lead a rally Monday night at Florida A&M University for Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum . See Also: Political Races To Watch In 2018 Midterm Elections Featuring Black Candidates “I am so proud to endorse Andrew Gillum, who will become the first Black governor of Florida,” Combs said in a video, underscoring that he’s not endorsing Gillum because he’s Black. “He’s running a campaign for the people. I’ve spoken to him at length. I believe in him — his focus, his ideas, what he stands for.” Diddy was scheduled to be joined by several other stars, including Tiffany Haddish and Will Packer. Gillum continued to hold on to a slim lead in the polls, according to the NBC News/Marist survey released Monday. The Tallahassee mayor had an edge of four percentage points over former Rep. Ron DeSantis , a Republican who has the full endorsement of President Donald Trump . Meanwhile, in Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams reiterated her dismissal of rival Brian Kemp ’s unsubstantiated claim that state Democrats may have hacked into computers that hold voter registration data. It was another example of Georgia Secretary of State Kemp’s “pattern of voter suppression,” she told “CBS This Morning” on Monday. Abrams, who could become the nation’s first African-American governor, planned to spend part of Monday campaigning in southwestern Georgia. Several high-profile politicians and celebrities have campaigned for Abrams, including former President Barack Obama, media legend Oprah Winfrey and rapper Common. Oprah rallied a crowd of Stacey Abrams' supporters. Here are some memorable moments… https://t.co/hB9uBUDWDw #RepresentTheVote #TeamAbrams @staceyabrams @Oprah pic.twitter.com/lDDVa39iqY — NewsOne (@newsone) November 1, 2018 Comedian Dave Chappelle has been in Ben Jealous ‘ corner. Jealous, the former NAACP president, was attempting to make history as the first African-American governor of Maryland. . @staceyabrams I’m raising your @Oprah door knocking video with one Dave Chappelle helping people carry their groceries while door knocking video! pic.twitter.com/F5kE2fgtw2 — Ben Jealous (@BenJealous) November 4, 2018 Other important races have not drawn celebrity involvement, but President Obama’s endorsements have gone a long way in boosting campaigns that were not in the national spotlight. That was the case for Antonio Delgado . Honored and truly humbled to receive an endorsement from @BarackObama . He stands for so many of the values that we hold as our foundation – preserving and improving our democracy, a commitment to service, hard work, and the promotion of dignity and respect for everyone. https://t.co/n2i0xGrjKO — Antonio Delgado (@DelgadoforNY19) August 1, 2018 In one key race for Democrats, congressional candidate Antonio Delgado planned to send out more troops to knock on doors and make massive numbers of phone calls on Monday. This team knocked on 62,000 doors and made 100,000 phone calls on Sunday, with plans to repeat that effort on Election Eve. Delgado is part of the blue wave that Democrats hope will help them retake the House of Representatives. Republican John Faso currently holds New York’s 19th Congressional District seat, but Democrats believe they have a good chance to swing the district, which is 90 percent white, over to their side. Recent polls showed Delgado and Faso in a statistical tie. Yesterday we knocked on over 62,000 doors and we are heading out to hit even more!! Thank you so much to everyone out there helping to get out the vote. Let’s go!! #NY19 pic.twitter.com/lrSOcF46XD — Antonio Delgado (@DelgadoforNY19) November 4, 2018 On the eve of what the Washington Post said could be “the most important election of our lifetime,” several other Black candidates were making last-minute campaign moves to do their share to help sweep Republicans out of office. They included Ayanna Pressely in Massachusetts; Lucy McBath of Georgia; Vangie Williams of Virginia; Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin; and Jahana Hayes of Connecticut. Most of the candidates were competitive in their races, according to the polls . SEE ALSO: Brian Kemp’s Latest Move Shows His ‘Desperation,’ Stacey Abrams Says Make Massa Happy! Ben Carson Campaigning Against Mayor Andrew Gillum In Florida [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3834873″ overlay=”true”]
T he 2018 midterm elections are just a couple of days away, and Black candidates are a big part of the blue wave that Democrats hope will push the Republicans out of office in Congress and state governments. SEE ALSO: Blue Party: Say Hello To The Black Wave Here are several key congressional and statewide races to watch that feature African-American candidates: Stacey Abrams : Georgia Governor Abrams will become the first Black woman governor in the nation if elected. In 2010, Abrams made history as the first Africa-American Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives. Oprah rallied a crowd of Stacey Abrams' supporters. Here are some memorable moments… https://t.co/hB9uBUDWDw #RepresentTheVote #TeamAbrams @staceyabrams @Oprah pic.twitter.com/lDDVa39iqY — NewsOne (@newsone) November 1, 2018 DD Adams: U.S. Congress North Carolina 5th District Denise Darcel Adams has served as councilmember for the North Ward of Winston-Salem since 2009, and she’s currently serving as vice chair of the Finance Committee and the Community Development/Housing/General Government Committee. Unions of working people are proud to endorse DD Adams for NC's 5th Congressional District ! @DDAdamsCongress pic.twitter.com/lEjXDGOqX8 — NC State AFL-CIO (@NCStateAFLCIO) October 30, 2018 Colin Allred : U.S. Congress Texas 32nd District Allred is a civil rights attorney. He worked previously as a special assistant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of General Counsel. Join me in supporting Colin Allred via @actblue https://t.co/s9amKmfZ6W — Charles Lindsey (@FEB131313) November 2, 2018 Mandela Barnes : Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barnes is a Milwaukee native born in the city’s poorest and the nation’s most incarcerated zip code. At age 25, he was elected to the State Assembly. He will become Wisconsin’s first African-American lieutenant governor if elected. Wisconsin: We need Mandela Barnes as Lieutenant Governor! Please vote Nov. 6 for Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes! Follow: @TheOtherMandela and visit https://t.co/bfjLK93KHf to learn more about this amazing candidate! #UniteBlue #FlipItFriday #wipolitics pic.twitter.com/lZUkxVZLpH — UniteBlue Wisconsin (@UniteBlueWI) October 26, 2018 Adrienne Bell: U.S. Congress Texas 14th District Bell is a second-grade teacher. She is an advocate for early childhood education and vows to fight for quality education and healthcare for all while in Congress. I just gave to Adrienne Bell for Congress! https://t.co/MIkstCsGFu https://t.co/Au0yeWKNWx — Vote November 6 (@lang51b) October 18, 2018 Brandon P. Brown: U.S. Congress South Carolina 4th District Brown served as a state deputy director for then Sen. Joe Biden ‘s 2008 presidential campaign. He previously made history in 2004 as the first African-American nominated from a major party to run for Congress for the 4th District, which was an unsuccessful bid. Brandon P Brown is running for Gowdy's seat. Let's give him a boost. @brown_congress on twitter https://t.co/oyBKNboMqR . https://t.co/TRl36wXESm — Ghettonewz America (@Ghettonewz) July 13, 2018 Linda Coleman: U.S. Congress North Carolina 2nd District Coleman’s elected offices include Wake County North Carolina Commissioner and three terms in the North Carolina General Assembly. @LindaForNC is not afraid of the NRA! She will stand up and fight for the safety of her constituents in #NC02 . To pass strong gun laws and build a safer America, we need champions like Linda Coleman in Congress! #ElectionDay is on Tuesday! #VoteGVP pic.twitter.com/PL2uaUzOYA — CSGV (@CSGV) November 2, 2018 Deidre DeJear: Secretary of State, Iowa DeJear, a small business owner, is the first African-American candidate nominated by a major political party to run for a statewide office in Iowa. . @DeidreDeJear received an early education in public service from her grandmother. #TheChisholmList : https://t.co/J8m6100GxJ — ESSENCE (@Essence) November 1, 2018 Antonio Delgado : U.S. Congress New York 19th District This former rapper earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University in England and went to Harvard Law School. If elected, he will become the first African-American to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District. District 19 Congressional hopeful Antonio Delgado shows up at final Faso Friday in Midtown Kingston , NY to encourage supporters to bring people to the polls. pic.twitter.com/gjkxkBRtIu — Tania Barricklo (@tbarricklo) November 2, 2018 Keith Ellison : Minnesota Attorney General This deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee has served in Congress for the last twelve years. He stepped down from the House for the chance to become Minnesota’s first Black attorney general. He was the first Muslim elected to Congress. A domestic abuse allegation won't go away for Rep. Keith Ellison's campaign. Here's the latest… https://t.co/7OdA0J20TA pic.twitter.com/t4I0hYJ4F9 — NewsOne (@newsone) September 20, 2018 Aaron Ford: Nevada Attorney General Ford has served in the Nevada Senate where his colleges elected him Minority Leader for the 2015 legislative session. Meet Aaron Ford, the rising Democratic state lawmaker running for Nevada Attorney General https://t.co/9BhjhAQ6iu — Rent My Billboard (@4konWheels) October 25, 2018 Andrew Gillum : Florida Governor The Tallahassee mayor won an amazing come-from-behind victory to win the Democratic nomination. He’s on the path to becoming the state’s first African-American governor. NewsOne talked with @AndrewGillum about his campaign, as he races toward the finish line in the #FloridaPrimary for governor…. https://t.co/e2D9Xg3KE8 @peoplefor pic.twitter.com/aKGq5PwpWf — NewsOne (@newsone) August 28, 2018 Jahana Hayes : U.S. Congress Connecticut 5th District Hayes earned the prestigious National Teacher of the Year award in 2016. If elected to Congress, she’ll be the first Black woman to represent Connecticut in Congress. One of the nation’s most celebrated teachers, Jahana Hayes, joins a lineup of impressive Black female political candidates…. https://t.co/GURXkr2IL8 pic.twitter.com/fa6hFgUfEZ — NewsOne (@newsone) July 22, 2018 Yvonne Hayes Hinson: U.S. Congress Florida 3rd District Special needs teacher Yvonne Hayes Hinson specialized in educating children with neurological and behavioral challenges. After retiring from Miami-Dade Public Schools, she launched her own education company. I am proud to announce our banner of endorsements. Thank you to the organizations who endorsed our campaign. @FLAFLCIO @MomsDemand @progressivedemsfl @dwcfl @leap_forward @fllgbtadems @HRC https://t.co/BQxr4F6Jx2 pic.twitter.com/Npm5rdwtUX — Yvonne Hayes Hinson for Congress (@YvonneHinsonFL) September 29, 2018 Steven Horsford: U.S. Congress Nevada 4th District Horsford is a seasoned politician who was elected to Congress in 2012 and served as a Nevada state senator from 2004 to 2012. He was the first African-American Senate majority leader in Nevada. Nevada needs a candidate who has placed issues of work, wages, and wealth that affect the Black community at the center of their policy agenda. Nevada needs @StevenHorsford . #BlackEconomicAlliance #StevenHorsford #2018 Midterms #Nevada pic.twitter.com/kNKPy4PbkA — Black Economic Alliance (@BlkEconAlliance) November 2, 2018 Letitia James : New York Attorney General James will become the first Black woman to hold statewide office in New York if elected. As the city’s current public advocate, she was the African-American woman to win citywide office in New York. Letitia James is a step closer to the New York Attorney General office after her history-making Democratic primary win. Here are five things to know: https://t.co/Wg7qG1mhRV pic.twitter.com/1RIqXCWzD5 — NewsOne (@newsone) September 14, 2018 Ben Jealous : Maryland Governor At age 35, Jealous was named the youngest ever national president and CEO of the national NAACP . He will become Maryland’s first Black governor if elected. Congratulations to Ben Jealous on winning the Democratic governor primary in Maryland! There are now two Black nominees for governor, and counting. @BenJealous #BlackHistory https://t.co/zy2rDT2S7i pic.twitter.com/ScVjFAuJWd — NewsOne (@newsone) June 27, 2018 Francys Johnson: U.S. Congress Georgia 12th District Johnson is a criminal and civil law attorney, as well as a former president of the Georgia NAACP. Francys Johnson for Congress wants to share this story Francys Johnson for Congress: Let's take this Seat! https://t.co/Z37KAwaEvS — Francys Johnson for Congress (@francysjohnson) September 24, 2018 Lucy McBath : U.S. Congress Georgia 6th District Lucia “Lucy” McBath is the mother of Jordan Davis , who was shot and killed in 2012 by a white man at a Florida gas station. She’s been a leading voice against the state’s infamous stand-your-ground law. #Georgia don’t forget about Lucy McBath. She is the mother of slain teenager #JordanDavis . Get her into Congress on November 6th! #midterms #election2018 #VOTE https://t.co/s5gBdB2FFV — Keri Henderson (@KeriLHenderson) November 2, 2018 Joe Neguse: U.S. Congress Colorado 2nd District Neguse is an attorney and civic leader. His parents fled the war-torn African country of Eritrea and immigrated to the United States as refugees. Honored to earn the endorsement of The @coloradoan ! “Policy experience gives Joe Neguse an edge in race for Congress” https://t.co/EFVbOHadkb #copolitics — Joe Neguse (@JoeNeguse) October 14, 2018 Ilhan Omar : U.S. Congress Minnesota 5th District Born in Somalia, Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was 8 years old. In 2016, she became the first Somali-American Muslim legislator in the United States. ‘In love with democracy,’ Ilhan Omar draws diverse supporters in bid for Congress https://t.co/43oMmfRDbc pic.twitter.com/Lwu2kH3eCk — CALANKA MEDIA (@CALANKAMEDIA) November 2, 2018 Ayanna Pressley : U.S. Congress Massachusetts 7th District Pressley made history in 2009 as the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council. She’s poised to become the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts Here's what Ayanna Pressley's victory means for Black Boston… https://t.co/DAvmYRKle4 pic.twitter.com/ArDPvjXHLa — NewsOne (@newsone) September 5, 2018 Sean Shaw: Florida Attorney General Shaw is a first-term member of the Florida House from Tampa. The consumer insurance lawyer will become Florida’s first Black attorney general if elected. His father, Leander Shaw , was the state’s first African-Amerian chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Vote for Sean Shaw for Florida Attorney General! https://t.co/LuqRAOWodV pic.twitter.com/LSffNYxMLy — DPCF (@ProgressiveFL) November 1, 2018 Stephany Rose Spaulding: U.S. Congress Colorado 5th District The Rev. Dr. Spaulding is a newcomer to politics. She serves as a professor of women’s and ethnic studies and as the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Help Stephany Rose Spaulding, PhD, make history. Elect her as the 1st Dem ever for #CO05 @StephanyForCO will fight for all residents & areas: military, civilian, rural & urban Be A Voter by 11/6 https://t.co/y5EDPSzDFi https://t.co/LjzvEEocmC #Ally4US #FlipTheHouse pic.twitter.com/qCBTeCCyPz — Sophie Be a Blue Voter (@geekresister07) November 1, 2018 Lauren Underwood: U.S. Congress Illinois 14th District Underwood is a registered nurse and health policy expert who served as a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama . Lauren Underwood's unlikely campaign is all about health care https://t.co/hUmwbgxoSG — MorallyBankruptGOPMustGo (@WeChooseBoth18) November 2, 2018 Lavangelene “Vangie” Williams: U.S. Congress Virginia 1st District Williams is new to politics but has emerged as a powerful voice for the underserved working-class in her community, and she could make history as the first African-American to represent Virginia’s First Congressional District. #NOTheOne is giving shine to all the Black women currently owning the political space this season. Read Vangie Williams story and learn how she made history! https://t.co/hvrDqMnZ3U pic.twitter.com/sMUI4jfPvA — NewsOne (@newsone) September 27, 2018 SEE ALSO: The Power Of The Black Vote And How To Make Each One Count Watch: Drunk White Woman Who Racially Harasses Black Women Faces Consequences After Sobering Up [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3834782″ overlay=”true”]
B lack women are raising the bar in the realm of academia. In July, Miami native Mareena Robinson Snowden became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and now another woman has hit the same milestone at another institution. According to the Huffington Post , Ciara Sivels has become the first African-American woman to earn a nuclear engineering Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Dr. Ciara Sivels is 27 years old. https://t.co/tZXmP1JdoS — HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) November 2, 2018 The institution has one of the top nuclear engineering programs in the country, the news outlet writes. 27-year-old Sivels—who hails from Virginia—submitted her thesis titled “Development of an Advanced Radioxenon Detector for Nuclear Explosion Monitoring” last month and earned her doctorate degree. Sivels wasn’t always passionate about STEM. She initially wanted to pursue a career in the culinary industry. It was her high school chemistry teacher who convinced her to give STEM a try. “I was originally going to go to culinary school. In my junior and senior years, I was in culinary arts,” she told the news outlet. “I remember the teacher from that class saying, ‘Oh, you’re really smart, you should think about doing something other than culinary.’ So that’s kinda how I switched over into engineering and eventually ended up at MIT and ended up in the nuclear program.” Sivels’ academic journey was far from easy. Although at times she wanted to give up she decided to stay the course because she realized that what she was working towards was something that was bigger than her. Now that she has her Ph.D. under her belt, Sivels is focused on becoming a professor. She’s relocating to Baltimore and will work in Johns Hopkins University’s physics department. She believes in the power of representation and hopes that her journey will inspire other people of color to pursue careers in STEM. “My two big things are representation and exposure. I still feel like exposure is key and representation also helps, because you have people that look like you that can help pull you up when you’re failing,” she said. Sivels’ accomplishment is one step forward towards changing the narrative about Black women in STEM. According to Catalyst Inc. , Black, Latinx, and Asian women made up less than 10 percent of engineers and scientists in 2015. SEE ALSO: Mareena Robinson Snowden Becomes First Black Woman To Earn Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. From MIT Brown University To Rename Building After First Black Graduates [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3834873″ overlay=”true”]
G eorgia is one of the reddest states on the political map, yet Democratic nominee for governor Stacey Abrams is running neck-and-neck against her GOP rival in the polls. SEE ALSO: Georgia Isn’t Even Trying To Hide Its Racist Voter Suppression Efforts With This Video Republican nominee Brian Kemp held the slimmest of leads among likely Georgia voters, 47-46, over Abrams, according to an Ipsos/Reuters/University of Virginia Center for Politics poll reported on Wednesday. Kemp’s 1 percentage point lead is statistically insignificant. That poll reinforced results reported on Oct. 11 from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel 2 Action News survey that also found a 1 percent lead for Kemp. The race is stunningly close in a state that last elected a Democrat ( Roy Barnes ) for governor in 1998. If Abrams wins, she will become the nation’s first African-American woman governor. The wave of Black women candidates just got stronger with this grassroots funding milestone. #RepresentTheVote https://t.co/s58JvQWrMA pic.twitter.com/wA4csBNFc1 — NewsOne (@newsone) October 19, 2018 Republicans control the Georgia legislature. Both U.S. senators from Georgia are GOP members, and the state gave its electoral votes in 2016 to President Donald Trump . Despite all the madness coming from the White House, around 50 percent of Georgia voters still approve of the president’s job performance, the Ipsos poll showed. Yet Abrams is making headway in a historic bid for governor. Part of the reason is the demographic changes taking place across the state, according to Fox News . Metro Atlanta’s nonwhite population almost doubled from 1970 to 2015, and those minority voters largely support Democrats. At the same time, Georgia has seen a record number of people register to vote for the midterm election. No wonder Kemp, who oversees elections in Georgia as secretary of state, is trying every trick in the book to suppress minority voters from participating in November. His efforts include an attempt to block 53,000 voter registration applications —about 70 percent of whom were African-Americans. SEE ALSO: Chicago Police Suspect Foul Play In Disappearance of Kierra Coles But Has Poor Record Of Solving Homicides Watch: Malcolm D. Lee Spins Wave Of White Women Calling 911 Into Voter Turnout Message [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3832050″ overlay=”true”]
