National
More than 12 announced candidates for the 2nd Congressional seat vacated by Jesse Jackson Jr. last month told a group of Democratic leaders on Saturday why they should be the party's candidate. The slating, held at South Suburban College in South Holland, brought out up and coming politicians, veteran lawmakers and those just trying to make a name for themselves. The all-day event had several light-hearted moments, in addition to serious questions being asked by party leaders of potential candidates. Each of the 15 people slated to talk had 15 minutes to impress party bosses.
Absent from the event was Cong. Mel Reynolds, who has indicated that he will run as an independent and Sandi Jackson, wife of the former congressman, who up until last week was being rumored as running for her husband's old seat. Those the committee members liked at times were brought into a separate, private room for more questions. But the committee also offered very harsh words for some of those like state Senator elect Napoleon Harris and former state Rep. David Miller. Harris, who just elected on Nov. 6 and has never served in public office, said he is running because people in his community are telling him he should run.
"My heart is for the people," Harris said. "I will still be serving people of the 15th district. I believe I can serve them on a federal level as well." But Chicago Ald. Leslie Hairston did not believe what Harris was saying and said Harris needs to stick to doing things at a job he has not even started yet. Hairston seemed particularily bugged that Harris felt he should be able to jump to the front of the line when there are other lawmakers that have put in their time and perhaps may deserve the opportunity.
"You haven't even been sworn in yet and you're running for another seat?" asked Hairston with a sense of indignation.
Former Rep. David Miller's presentation turned off some members of the committee. Miller a local dentist, at times was screaming into the microphone which had to be turned down. Miller said healthcare is a right and that he would fight if elected to bring it to all members of the district. But his vocal volume and oratory skills were more suited for a sermon and committee member Ald. Carrie Austin told him so. "Perhaps you should drop the congressional campaign and go to ministry school," said Austin drawing laughter from the crowd, but not from Miller.
Rev. Anthony Williams, who ran as an independent and lost in November, was back again. This time he was wearing a black armband to symbolize those who have lost their lives or been a victim of violence. Williams said if elected he will seek to bring more anti-crime resources to the district.
Chicago Ald. Anthony Beale told party bosses if elected he would work to extend the CTA Red Line train to 130th street to serve far South Side and South Suburban residents. Beale is being pushed by Austin, but will have a tough road in the race because of his strong ties to Jesse Jackson Jr. The two were political allies until just a couple of years ago. Former state Rep. Robin Kelly said she believes the district is set for a "renaissance in the wings." Kelly is one of four female candidates in the race. Debbie Halvorson, who has served in Congress before, is the only white candidate. Halvorson said the district has its own brand of terrorism going on with all the violence and is shocked that nobody seems to want to address that problem.
State Sen. Donne Trotter, arrested last week after trying to take a gun through airport security, got the most applause and support. Trotter was one of the candidates taken into the behind closed-door meeting. He told reporters they only asked him one question about the gun charge. Trotter tooted his horn when he was stating his case. He said he has been a lawmaker a long time and his record speaks for itself.
"As a lawmaker you're either sitting at the table or on the menu," Trotter said. "I've ordered great things from the menu for our community."
At the end, the slate approved for an open primary as none of the candidates got a majority of the vote. Meeting Chair Frank Zuccarelli reported the closed-door voting would remain private. So with no consensus candidate, and the primary less that 60 days away, political analysts say voters can expect to see an ugly campaign, one where there may be five or six legitimate candidates come election day.
Read more: http://www.nnpa.org/news/national/those-seeking-to-replace-jackson-make-their-case/#ixzz2G90t6gPq
In 2012, the majority of stories in this election year focused on the hard-fought battle for the White House between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. The ideological and other differences between both candidates and parties made the race a bitter one and produced an increasingly contentious race.
Other issues The Informer covered included the lingering effects of the 2008 recession; the attempts by the GOP to implement widespread voter suppression tactics; the steady uptick of poverty in the country; the Occupy movement; the changes brought about in the Middle East by the Arab Spring; the murder of 17-year-old Travyon Martin and the national outrage and protests that ensued for 44 days until the man who shot and killed him was jailed; the gridlock that brought Congress and much meaningful political activity to a standstill; and the global economic meltdown in parts of Europe and countries around the world.
Sandusky Sentence Well Deserved, the Public Says – As he has read and listened to televised accounts of the abuses the disgraced former Penn State University defensive coordinator visited on defenseless young victims, Del McFadden said he has one recurring question: How could this have gone on so long without Jerry Sandusky being detected? That is just one of a number of questions the public is left to ask following a high-profile trial after which Sandusky was found guilty in 45 of 48 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over the course of 15 years. The 68-year-old convicted pedophile could spend the rest of his life in prison if his appeals are rebuffed.
FAMU Still Reeling from Hazing Death – Robert Champion's death was totally unnecessary and as details of his death emerge, has cast a pall over two renowned institutions: the university and the famed Florida A&M Marching 100. Champion, an Atlanta resident, died last November after what police described as an incident of hazing. He died after witnesses said he ran a gauntlet where he was beaten with drum fists, bass drum mallets and drumsticks. Champion, 26, is alleged to have entered a bus in a parking lot in Orlando at the Florida Classic football game in the hopes of gaining his peers respect by enduring the abuse.
President Obama Delivers Third Address to the Nation – President Barack Obama delivered the third State of the Union of his presidency before a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives, and for much of the hour-long address he spoke of his determination to help restore the fortunes of America's beleaguered middle class.
Supreme Court Considers Health Care Reform – Supreme Court convenes hearings on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and affordable Care Act, dubbed Obama Care. The case was considered the most significant since Brown vs. Board of Education – a landmark case that led to the end of legalized school segregation 50 years earlier.
Smiley and West Shine Spotlight on Poverty – The 48-year-old mother of one tentatively approached the microphone at the conclusion of The Poverty Tour 2.0 stop at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., and captivated the crowd with her story. "I am a single mother, unassisted. I have no support from the system. I want to work. What am I to do?" she asked plaintively. "I feel like I'm being punished by the system. To have no support from the system. I grew up in Alexandria, I went to public school here. I have excellent credit but I can't get a home because I don't make $30,000 ... my daughter deserves better. Every child does."
Turnage Spencer said that she's estranged from her husband and escaped an abusive marriage. She said she lived a very comfortable lifestyle and is facing these financial difficulties because she chose not to stay. Radio personality Tavis Smiley, Princeton Professor Cornel West, Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader, as well as most of the people left in the auditorium turned their full attention to the petite woman who sobbed softly as she talked.
U.S. Census: Blacks Flee Cities for Suburbs – Newly released census data shows that blacks moved away in large numbers from many of America's major cities to the suburbs, with the most significant shifts in population occurring in the South. The motivation behind the move between 2000 and 2010 included the promise of well-paying jobs, better amenities and a desire on the part of parents to move to stronger schools and safer neighborhoods. Meanwhile, as blacks move away from urban centers, there has been a corresponding influx of whites which is changing the complexion of these cities.
Five Largest Mortgage Servicers Agree to $25B Payout – After more than a year of negotiations, five of the nation's largest mortgage providers agreed last week to pay $25 billion after investigations by the Department of Justice, state attorneys-general and state regulators revealed widespread abuse and fraudulent practices that led in part to the meltdown of the housing market. This is the largest federal or state civil settlement in U.S. history and sets the stage for the Obama Administration, through the federal government, to put in place safeguards to ensure that consumers and homeowners are protected going forward, said U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan in a conference call on Thursday, Feb. 9.
The National Bar Association has appointed Demetris W. Cheatham the first female executive director in the Association's 87-year history. Representing approximately 44,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students, the NBA is America's oldest and largest organization of minority attorneys and judges.
George Zimmerman, who has been charged with 2nd-degree murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, has been released on bail. Zimmerman, 28, admitted shooting 17-year-old Trayvon on Feb. 26 as the unarmed youth walked along a gated community in Sanford, Fla.
During a 90-minute conversation with Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes last week, Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) spoke eloquently and at length about the philosophy, discipline and principles of non-violence and its importance in America's daily discourse. The event marked The Washington Informer's highly-anticipated presentation of "A Conversation with Civil Rights Icon John Lewis."
Charles Taylor only smiled once during the court hearing in the Netherlands before he was found guilty of aiding and abetting during the bloody civil war in Sierre Leone. Looking up, the warlord, who became Liberia's president before he was finally convicted on Thursday, April 26, for helping bring about years of terror in neighboring Sierra Leone, beamed when he caught the eye of his daughter.
To combat the high toll of HIV and AIDS among Black women in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched Take Charge. Take the Test., a new campaign to increase HIV testing and awareness among African-American women.
George Zimmerman has been released on bond for the second time in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Dems Roll Up Their Sleeves to Re-elect Obama – Blanche Drakeford and Cora Floyd each addressed a small group of Obama supporters gathered in a meeting room at San Antonio Grill in Brookland last Thursday to watch the last evening of the Democratic National Convention.Their message to the listeners was unvarnished and blunt. Register, vote and encourage friends, family and all who they come in contact with to go to the polls.
Smiley, West Kick Off Poverty Tour 2.0 – Talk Show Host Tavis Smiley will be at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., today as a part of the "Poverty Tour 2.0: A Call to Conscience." Virginia is one of four presidential battleground states that Smiley and Princeton University Professor Emeritus Cornel West will make stops in, to build on what Smiley calls "the continuing moral crusade to make the eradication of poverty a top priority in America."
Religious Leaders Chastise Politicians; Call Lack of Attention to Poverty a Moral Outrage – No more excuses. That's the message that a group of spiritual leaders had for political leaders who they say have ignored the crushing poverty that is decimating more than 46 million Americans. The faith leaders, at a September 12 press conference, promised to hold candidates accountable before, during and after the November 6 election. Now, they said, is the time to stop ignoring the issue of poverty.
Panelists Decry GOP Voter Suppression Efforts – A panel discussion on voter suppression, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus [CBC], produced more than 90 minutes of pointed conversation, fireworks, verbal sparring – all a microcosm of the contentious nature of the issue playing out on the national stage. The Rev. Al Sharpton and conservative commentator Crystal Wright wrangled most frequently during the town hall at the 42nd Annual Legislative Conference, each sparring, jostling to make their point, battling for verbal supremacy, dismissing the other's comments.
First Lady Galvanizes Crowd at Phoenix Awards Dinner – The wife of the president of the United States, during an historic occasion, urged guests at an elite and extremely chic dinner to focus their efforts on re-electing her husband and to get involved in the political process. First Lady Michelle Obama told thousands of guests and honorees at the Phoenix Awards Dinner of the 42nd Annual Legislative Conference on Sept. 22 that even though legal racial segregation has ended, "our journey is far from over."
AT&T Initiative Aims to Combat Texting While Driving – In the past, traffic officials have urged drivers not to drink and drive. Today, they're cautioning young drivers not to text and drive. In 2010, distracted driving – which includes texting while driving – claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people nationally and transportation and other officials say those numbers are likely to increase as the number of cellphones people own recently surpassed the population of the United States – at 311 million. As a result, officials are ramping up awareness efforts.
Voter Suppression Foes Lay Foundation for Nov. 6 – When a Republican-dominated U.S. Supreme Court selected George W. Bush as president in 2000, experts, political pundits and others said they hoped the debacle of hanging chads, ineligible ballots and purported electoral improprieties would not be repeated. But 12 years later, there are growing fears that the Nov. 6 elections might be fraught with similar issues and problems that could throw the result of the race between President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney into doubt for weeks after balloting is completed.
Fiscal Cliff: In a statement released Wednesday, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) was critical of a proposal by President Obama that included a cut to Social Security. Lewis' response shows why Social Security remains the third rail in American politics.
Rep. John Lewis: "After seniors suffered through two years during some of the roughest economic times in recent American history without seeing a Cost of Living Increase, there are some suggesting a significant change to the formula used to calculate cost of living adjustments for Social Security beneficiaries. An obscure term is being used to refer to this cut—"the chained Consumer Price Index or chained CPI".
What it means is that all current and future retirees receiving Social Security, including veterans and the disabled, would see a dramatic cut to their current and future benefits, and the cuts would compound over time. So for example, if the average Social Security beneficiary receives about $14000 yearly, then this cut to the COLA would represent a $653 loss by the time a retiree is age 75, a $1139 cut by age 85, and a $1611 cut by age 95, according to the Social Security Administration's figures released in September of this year. Rep. John Lewis was deeply disturbed by this proposal.
"The people of this nation are depending upon us to be true to our word," said Rep. John Lewis. "I don't know how many members ran on a promise not to cut Social Security. Now, without any hard proposal to raise taxes on the rich, some are using Social Security as a carrot to get a deal. We cannot, and we must not play with the lives of senior citizens. People work hard in America, and they deserve to retire with dignity. The reward of their hard work should not be a significant reduction in resources the longer they live and the more vulnerable they become. Something is wrong with this equation.
"Social Security is solvent. It is insurance citizens have paid into in good faith. They have honored their commitment, and the federal government should honor its commitment. We should not tolerate cuts to Social Security. It is a sacred trust that should not be violated, not a piggybank used to fix fiscal problems.
"Democrats have made concessions in these negotiations. We created $492 billion in Medicare savings, and in prior negotiations around the nation's fiscal problems we offered another $300 billion in cuts. We have done our part. Why can't Republicans do theirs? Why can't they simply put tax increases on the table that they would vote for, instead of requiring us to cut the sick, the veterans, the seniors, and the orphans until it hurts. This is not right. It is not fair or just negotiation. We should not offer more concessions. We should demand solutions in light of the concessions we have already made."
Civil Rights legend and longtime D.C. community activist Lawrence Guyot spent most of his 73 years seeking to help usher in equality and unanimity between the races.
At a packed memorial service on Saturday, Dec. 15, the several hundred mourners at Goodwill Baptist Church represented a rainbow of colors and ethnicities, a fitting tribute to the man they came to honor.
Led by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Mayor Vincent C. Gray, the standing-room-only crowd in the Northwest church consisted of luminaries, D.C. government officials, colleagues from the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), civil rights warriors, Freedom Riders, family, friends and mentees.
Guyot died Nov. 23 and was buried in Pass Christian, Miss., on Dec. 8.
"Let me start with the simple truth. Lawrence Thomas Guyot Jr. was the bravest man I knew up close and personal," said Norton, 75, who moderated the service. "Many of my friends and colleagues in ... SNCC were arrested. Even I have been in jail. No big deal ... But I personally saw what Mississippi jailers did to Guyot when I went to the jail in Winona, Miss., in the heart of the Delta. He almost surely carried those scars with him when Guyot left this world on Nov. 23. Yet, there were no scars on Guyot's soul. It remained unblemished."
Despite enduring the worst of the American experience, including time at the notorious Parchment Farm Penitentiary, Guyot was the most upbeat of human beings, Norton said.
"That spirit kept him ever-poised for the next fight. Yet, Guyot was born and raised in a state bathed in racial hatred," she said. "Guyot's Mississippi had not much changed since the Civil War. Blacks were supposed to adhere to its racial code – and to like it. Guyot abhorred it and lived to help bring down that code."
Bernice Johnson Reagon, a social activist, former SNCC member and founder of the a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, provided musical accompaniment in between remarks, singing several Civil Rights standards and leading mourners – who stood holding hands – at the end of the service in "We Shall Overcome."
The memorial afforded old friends the opportunity to reconnect, recall their shared past and reflect on the arc of growth in issues of race and society since they marched as young people for change. Guyot's friends also talked about the need to remain vigilant because of fears that the Voting Rights Act which is now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court might be amended or eliminated. Outside of Civil Rights, Guyot's attention was always focused on the Voting Rights Act.
A succession of speakers, including Gray (D), Ward 8 Council member and former four-term mayor Marion Barry and activist and comedian Dick Gregory described Guyot as a force of nature who was impatient with indecision and hesitation and as someone used to bending circumstances to his will.
"I didn't know Lawrence Guyot in the days of the Mississippi freedom fighting but I knew him in the District of Columbia," said Gray, 70. "If he was half the person in Mississippi that he was in the District, I wouldn't want to tangle with Guyot. He was resolute, he was clear, he was eloquent and he was brilliant."
Barry, 76, called Guyot "an unsung hero" who brought a revolutionary zeal to everything he did.
"SNCC was formed in 1960 at Dr. King's request in Raleigh, N.C. and there was not one student from Mississippi," Barry recalled. "In 1962, blacks made up 40 percent of the population but only three percent of those were registered to vote. These were the conditions that Guyot was born into."
"Guyot was up and down the highways registering people to vote," said Barry, who told the throng that he was at the memorial "not as the mayor, not as 'Mayor for Life' but as a friend. "He had the courage, guts, tenacity and he had the feeling of freedom. I'm glad God gave me the strength and the courage to be a part of that movement. To lead in that kind of condition was not easy ... this band of brothers, this freedom trust, knew that freedom is a constant struggle."
When Guyot came to Washington, he brought with him the same fervor that served him so well in the Civil Rights movement, speakers said. He helped Barry win his first mayoral term in 1978 and worked in the administration.
"He said he wanted to work for me and we put him in the Department of Human Services but I knew then and there that I couldn't put Guyot behind a desk from 9-5," Barry said to knowing laughter from the mourners. "I told his supervisor, 'don't worry, don't worry about him; he's out there fighting for the people.'"
"Guyot, I love you brother," Barry concluded.
Gregory had the crowd nodding their heads in agreement when he said a lot of people were surprised that Guyot died in his bed.
"I never thought he'd lie in bed and be attended to by doctors. We always thought that they would have killed him. This is one of the few funerals where we could speak the truth," Gregory said.
Courtland Cox, a former SNCC field secretary, remarked on Guyot's will, grit and determination.
"He was unrelenting and worked until the very end. Every day, Guyot faced being shot on plantations, on the highways and beaten as he actually was in 1963," said Cox. "The terrorist tactics of the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens' Council did not prevent him from doing his life's work. It must be said at the end of the day, that Lawrence Thomas Guyot, Jr., led a consequential life and contributed to the common good."
Civil Rights Activist Joyce Ladner said Guyot helped her to become more decisive and deliberative. While they studied at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., Ladner called the institution "an oasis in the desert, a safe haven for those cast out" for their civil rights activities.
"We were discussing an issue and he got impatient. 'Joyce, if we follow your logic, we'll never do anything.' I learned to take positions. He was decisive and never wavered. He was a passionate leader who went with his gut, a brilliant analyst with a mind that churned faster than most."
Guyot's daughter, Julie Guyot-Diangone evoked laughter when she said her lullabies were freedom songs and bedtime stories were of jailings, beatings and busing. She also wrote a letter which was read at the service. In it, she said doctors pronounced her father dead on April 13th, when he had the first series of heart attacks and as his kidneys began to fail.
"But, he had stuff to do. He wasn't finished yet, and spent the next eight months confusing his doctors with his sheer willfulness, his determination to see things through," she said. "It was the first time I got a sense of what everyone had been telling me since childhood about the strength of a man who endured so many beatings, daily death threats, and the tireless efforts he put forth with every step in the Movement."
"The doctors shook their heads. They took his numbers. He just wasn't supposed to still be here. But, the months passed and he continued to organize, ignoring the doctors and his own body. He was going to be the one to make the decision. And he left when he was ready to do so. Not a moment sooner."
Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye from Hawaii has died at the age of 88 after being hospitalized for respiratory problems for the past few weeks.
Inouye served in the Senate since 1963. He was the longest serving senator at the time of his death and was the President pro tempore, which made him third in line to the presidency after the vice president and the Speaker of the House.
Inouye was the first Japanese American to serve in the House and later in the Senate. He was a decorated World War II veteran having received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Inouye met Sen. Bob Dole at a military hospital when they were recovering from war injuries; the two would later become colleagues in the Senate.
According to a statement released by his staff, Sen. Inouye's last word was "Aloha."
President Obama said the following in a statement about the late senator:
"Our country has lost a true American hero with the passing of Senator Daniel Inouye. The second-longest serving senator in the history of the chamber, Danny represented the people of Hawaii in Congress from the moment they joined the Union. In Washington, he worked to strengthen our military, forge bipartisan consensus, and hold those of us in government accountable to the people we were elected to serve. But it was his incredible bravery during World War II – including one heroic effort that cost him his arm but earned him the Medal of Honor – that made Danny not just a colleague and a mentor, but someone revered by all of us lucky enough to know him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Inouye family."
On Friday morning, Dec. 14, most Americans were either contemplating last minute Christmas gifts or deeply involved in a divisive debate over how to avoid the fiscal cliff. Then suddenly, the nation found itself united in grief, joined by people around the world.
They were responding to the unthinkable act that has brought the nation to its knees at Christmas time and caused the President to cry. That is when 20 children and seven women at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., were brutally murdered – all shot multiple times – by a 20-year-old gunman who then killed himself.
"The majority of those who died today were children – beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them – birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers – men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams," President Obama detailed the tragedy as tears streaked his face in the White House Press Room Dec. 14.
"As a nation, we have endured far too many of these tragedies in the last few years," he continued on his Weekly Radio Address that evening. "An elementary school in Newtown. A shopping mall in Oregon. A house of worship in Wisconsin. A movie theater in Colorado. Countless street corners in places like Chicago and Philadelphia. Any of these neighborhoods could be our own. So we have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this. Regardless of the politics."
Political observers have described the Sandy Hook massacre as a "tipping point" for President Obama and Congress to finally discuss the gun control issue as well as mental health issues.
It is clear by his words that this incident will be the impetus to action. Speaking at an Inter-faith Prayer Vigil in Newtown Sunday night, he promised to take swift action.
"In the coming weeks, I will use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens – from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators – in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. Because what choice do we have? We can't accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?"
Gun lobbies, including the politically powerful National Rifle Association, will no doubt oppose new gun laws, giving their usual argument for the Second Amendment and that it is people – not guns – that kill people. Still others will argue that the key is keeping the guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. It is not clear what affect new gun laws could have on the homicides in city streets that's killed hundreds of thousands since the FBI started counting homicides in the early 1970s.
Early this week, authorities said they were finding "very good evidence" in their search for a motive in the Sandy Hook killings, according to widespread reports. The questions are why Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, a former teacher at Sandy Hook; then took multiple weapons that legally belonged to her and shot his way into the locked elementary school. He then killed the school principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, five other teachers and administrators and 20 children. By the time the killing spree was over, 28 were dead, including Adam Lanza.
He was widely described as "troubled" by friends and acquaintances interviewed by the news media. Multiple sources told the New York Daily News that he had Asperger's syndrome or a personality disorder; that he had a tortured mind, was subject to outbursts and had a condition that caused him not to be able to feel physical pain. A former babysitter told CNN that his mother once warned him never to turn his back on the young Adam. At that time, he was about 10.
The Sandy Hook massacre comes at the end of a year with multiple mass killings. In fact, Friday's news eclipsed reports on a random shooting in an Oregon mall in which a 22-year-old killer shot and killed two people before killing himself. Police said his gun jammed, preventing more deaths. And then there was the Aurora, Col. movie theatre massacre on July 20 that killed 12 people.
President Obama pointed out that this is the fourth time during his administration that he has had to comfort grieving loved ones after mass shootings. That also includes the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford by Jared Loughner, who remains incarcerated. Six people died and 13 were injured in that shooting at a Tucson political gathering in a grocery store parking lot. On August 5, White supremacist Wade Michael Page killed six people at the Sikh Temple of Oak Creek, Wis. before killing himself.
President Obama has become known for his compassion amidst crisis – not only following mass shootings, but in disasters such as his recent visit to New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Seeking to comfort the families gathered at Sunday evening's prayer vigil he spoke these words: "...Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away...inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."
Closing his speech by calling the names of each of the children, he continued to focus on the responsibilities of those people left behind: "God has called them all home. For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on, and make our country worthy of their memory. May God bless and keep those we've lost in His heavenly place. May He grace those we still have with His holy comfort. And may He bless and watch over this community, and the United States of America."
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in collaboration with the National Museum of American History (NMAH) held the opening of its exhibition titled "Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and The March on Washington, 1963."
The exhibit explores the historical context of these two crucial events, their accomplishments and limitations, and their impact on the generations that followed.
Film footage, old and modern-day photos and other memorabilia that pertain to both the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington will be on display at NMAH through Sept. 15, 2013.
Click here to see exhibit opening photo gallery. /Photos by Shevry Lassiter
President Barack Obama has expressed his condolences to the famlies who lost their children and other loved ones in the horrific shooting that occurred early Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Reportedly, at least 18 children and eight adults were killed.
During a White House press conference held in the afternoon, Obama -- who wiped away tears and referenced the recent mall shooting in Oregon and the theater massacre in Colorado -- made these remarks:
"We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years," the president said, noting that he was reacting as a parent -- and not as president. "I know there's not a parent in America that doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief as I do."
Obama,who said the children had their entire lives ahead of them, added:
"Our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children ... Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well."
In urging every parent to hug ther children a little tighter and to tell them they love them, he said, "While nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need."
Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has withdrawn her name from consideration as secretary of state.
Rice, who drew heavy criticism from Republicans over statements she made regarding the Benghazi attacks in September that killed four Americans, announced her decision on Thursday in a letter to President Barack Obama. Her letter in part read that "the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly -- to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities. That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country."
Obama responded to Rice's withdrawal, stating that she is "an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant."
Meanwhile, Rice – who was seen as the forerunner to the post that is currently held by Hillary Clinton, said she will continue her duties as ambassador. Clinton announced her plans after Obama' re-election to step down, saying she would make her departure as soon as a successor was confirmed.
Obama has defended Rice's statements on the Benghazi attacks in which Chris Stevens, ambassador to Libya, was killed. According to Obama, the criticism level at Rice from several key Republicans was outrageous.
"If Senator (John) McCain and Senator (Lindsey) Graham and others want to go after someone, they should go after me," Obama said at a White House news conference in late November. "When they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has now been mentioned as a possible nominee for the secretary of state post.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968
Early next year, the incorrect quote now seen on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial will likely be removed, not replaced, as was the original plan. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar endorsed a plan Tuesday to remove the incorrect quote.
The current plan is to scratch the misquote off. The cost of the blunder will be between $700,000 and $900,000 and the fix is expected to be privately funded. After much drama regarding the quote over the past year, a plan to alter the King Memorial will be formally presented by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission in January. A review will follow.
The paraphrased quote now reads: “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” The correct full quote by the legendary civil rights leader is seen above. King said the words about two months before his death.
“While our family would have of course preferred to have the entire ‘Drum Major’ quote used, we fully endorse and support the Secretary’s proposal,” King’s sister, Christine King Farris, told USA Today regarding the plan. Members of the King family viewed the plans for the original memorial — which included the misquote — several times before the sculpture was rendered.
“The plan to remove, instead of replace, the quote was recommended by statue’s sculptor, Lei Yixin, as the safest way to ensure the structural integrity of the memorial,” NBC News reported.
ORLANDO, FL — George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the February death of Trayvon Martin, recently filed a lawsuit against NBC and three affiliated reporters, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police to make it sound like he was racist.
The former neighborhood watch volunteer, who has pleaded not guilty in the youth's shooting death, filed the lawsuit in Seminole County, Fla., near Orlando, seeking an undisclosed amount of money.
Zimmerman's complaint reportedly states that the edited call has caused him emotional distress and that he fears for his life. He also claims to have suffered from nausea, insomnia and anxiety.
According to a report, "NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about to create a myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit claims.
NBC has said through a spokeswoman, that the network strongly disagreed with Zimmerman's accusations.
The unemployment rate for black men 20 years old and older dramatically dropped in November as the nation's private businesses added a 146,000 new jobs. As a result, the overall jobless rate to fall to 7.7 percent, according the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report.
The BLS findings added that the unemployment rate for black men was 13 percent in November compared with 16.4 for the same month last year.
November's jobless rate for black women 20 years old and older was 11.4 percent compared with 13 percent in November 2011, and the overall jobless rate for blacks was 13.2 percent in November compared with 15.5 percent in November 2011.
Although the black-jobless rate improved, unemployment among African-Americans still remains twice as high when compared with other major working groups, which includes whites, Hispanics and Asians. The overall unemployment rate for whites in November was 6.8 percent compared with 7.6 percent in November 2011.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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