AFRICAN-AMERICANS

For more than 50 years, the day after Christmas has marked the celebration of family, life and culture in the African-American community.

The House passed legislation Wednesday that calls for removing from the Capitol a bust of the U.S. Supreme Court justice who wrote the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision that held African-Americans were not citizens. The bust of Roger B. Taney, the nation's fifth chief justice, sits inside the entrance to the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. Capitol. Taney led the court in that period, from 1836 to 1864.

I grew up in a tough neighborhood in Boston. The first homicide I witnessed happened when I was just 5 years old. But today I am thriving. I am not a victim and Democrats don't like it.

A museum in Amelia Island that shares the story of an important chapter in Black history unveiled a new sign Monday ahead of its grand re-opening in October.

Until there is more diverse representation in healthcare, communities of color will continue to be hesitant about Covid vaccination efforts, says Dr. Ashish Jha.

The breadth of what it means to be a Black American is widening, according to new analysis of the latest migration statistics.

Linda Blackford: Sometimes gaffes have a way of stating the truth and they confirm many people’s suspicions about who is worthy of our democracy and who is not.

Plus: Write in with your most controversial culinary opinions.

The judges who upheld Dylann Roof’s death penalty for the hate crime murders of nine African-Americans at a Charleston church said “his crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty a just society can impose.”

Robert L. Johnson, who founded BET, suggested a total sum that could equate to more than $300,000 per person.

Charities should not use taxpayers' money to pursue "contentious doctrinal ends" through running diversity training, MPs have said in the wake of a Citizens Advice Bureau row. Tory MPs from the Common Sense Group have urged ministers to "ensure that public funds are not being used to further militant ends" by charities. It comes after The Telegraph unearthed mandatory "woke" equality and diversity training for Citizens Advice staff. This included an optional self-help glossary of 26 key concepts

Property seized from a Black family a century ago is being returned to their descendants.

Mariame Kaba, a New York City-based activist and organizer, is at the center of an effort to “build up another world.”

President Biden reiterated his call for the United States to combat systemic racism through policy initiatives on Thursday in his first public response to remarks made by Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

The House Judiciary Committee plans to prepare and vote on the measure first proposed by the late Congressman John Conyers in 1989.

Twenty percent of white respondents taking the survey said they don't need stimulus checks, and that the government should give the money to someone else who needs it. "Checks are likelier to get lost in the mail, so if you don't have a bank account for direct deposit, then it's easier to miss your stimulus payment," says Barajas. A plurality of survey respondents spent the stimulus payment on everyday expenses (31%), but a higher proportion of Blacks and Hispanics spent it on rent or mortgage payments than whites. Twenty-six percent of Black respondents indicated spending a stimulus payment on housing, versus 12% of whites. White (20%) and Asian-American (25%) survey respondents were the most likely to say they saved a Covid stimulus payment, versus 9% of Black respondents and 14% of Latinos.

It all started with one week in 1926, when one organization chose the second week of February to promote the achievements by Black Americans and other people of African descent.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In honor of Black History Month, News4Jax is sharing local places and people in the history of our community. Charles attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945. Before becoming an Olympian and NFL star Jacksonville Native “Bullet” Bob Hayes went to Matthew Gilbert High School where he played football and ran track. Now, every year, the top high school athletes from around the country compete for the top prize. On March 20th, the 56th Annual Bob Hayes Invitational Track and Field Meet will be held at Raines High School.

February is now underway, and with that comes Black History Month.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Brunswick was a segregated city until the 1960s and Albany Street served as the main historical corridor for African-Americans. An available walking tour of the district begins at the old Wigfall Building -- a lounge at one time -- which now serves as the Brunswick African-American Cultural Center. “Segregation is going to be the backdrop or the narrative of everything on the street,” said Whitney Fuller, as we began the tour. “That is the house and offices of Dr. Jackson, who is African-American doctor for the street. The Brunswick African-American Cultural Center’s director, Aundra Fuller, wants to make sure history won’t be forgotten.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you’ve ever been on the Jacksonville University’s campus, there’s one piece of history you’re almost guaranteed to overlook, an African-American cemetery from a time period shortly after the Civil War. The old cemetery no longer has any headstones. “This is an African-American cemetery that dates back to around 1873. Jacksonville University published a story on the cemetery in 2019 in its University Magazine. Memorial Cemetery Assessment/Restoration - $3,005,900Sunset Cemetery Assessment/Restoration - $1,550,000Old City Cemetery Assessment/Restoration - $1,150,000Hillside Cemetery Assessment/Restoration - $230,000Mt.

We want to know: What does Black History Month mean to you? Did you talk about it, growing up? Did you attend events? We want to hear, in your words, about your experience with the month.

Black leaders have some advice for the next generation of African-Americans about how to bridge the racial wealth and income gap in the U.S., which has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Akbar Gbajabiamila, 'American Ninja Warrior'Advancing financial literacy can help close the racial wealth gap, said "American Ninja Warrior" co-host and former NFL star Akbar Gbajabiamila. "That's how you truly minimize the financial gap in this country," Gbajabiamila said. Croft wants the next generation of Black leaders to think about the shoulders they are standing on now. McGhee hopes that the next generation of Black Americans has the courage to start a business.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING — Shanghai has imposed lockdowns on two of China’s best-known hospitals after they were linked to new coronavirus cases. The state health department says only 15% of vaccinations administered so far in Mississippi have been to Black residents, with around 70% going to white residents. The state had previously been directing the vaccine to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. It expands the use of telemedicine and adds flexibility in health care licensing through March 31. The move comes as Kelly said communities can move beyond immunizing health care workers and long-term care residents.

A group including some of the biggest U.S. companies is launching a nationwide campaign to hire 1 million Black Americans over the next decade, with a goal of economically uplifting communities of color. One million family-sustaining careers for Black Americans. OneTen is targeting Black workers first, Rometty said, but the plan is to eventually seek out other racial groups. The November unemployment rate for Black Americans was 10.3%, compared to 8.3% for Hispanics, 6.7% for Asian Americans and 5.7% for White Americans, according to labor data. Narrowing the widening wealth gapHistorically higher Black unemployment and lower annual income, exacerbated by structural racism, have widened the wealth gap between Black and White households.

The comments from Michelle Bachelet came in a catch-all speech to open the latest session of the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council on Monday. She also raised concerns about the human rights situation in Myanmar, Nicaragua and Venezuela, among other places on her agenda. Many see the law as Beijing’s boldest move yet to remove a legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong and the mainland’s Communist Party system. “The Hong Kong authorities have consistently stated that the law is not intended to impact negatively on the peaceful exercise of human rights by Hong Kong residents,” said Bachelet. She said her office had documented 47 killings of human rights defenders in Colombia this year.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Supreme Court on Friday unanimously rejected Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointment of a circuit judge to the panel and ordered him to name a new justice by noon Monday. When DeSantis named Francis to the high court, he had already missed the constitutionally mandated deadline of March 23. Well, that’s what the Florida Supreme Court gave him with this case: Strict constructuralist,” Thompson said. On Friday, Democratic State Sen. Perry Thurston called for the resignation of the nine-member Judicial Nominating Commission that improperly nominated Francis for the high court.

Agape Family Health is partnering with the Northeast Florida Community Collaborative and the city of Jacksonville to bring new COVID-19 testing sites to communities who need it the most. Starting Saturday, new testing sites will be available for use through the end of the year. 31 in select communities:Monday-Wednesday11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Agape Family Health Center: 1680 Dunn Avenue Jacksonville, 32218Agape Family Health Center: 5460 Blanding Blvd Jacksonville, 32244Thursday - Friday11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Clanzel Brown Community Center: 4575 Moncrief Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32209Saturday9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Various LocationsA mobile unit will also go into different communities every Saturday to make the testing even more accessible. Testing will kick off Saturday at Centennial Tower for residents only from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. -- with weekly testing available at certain Agape Family Health Locations for everyone else starting Monday, Sept. 14.

FILE - In this June 25, 2020, file photo, State Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, discusses one of the more than one dozen budget trailer bills before the Senate at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. California lawmakers are setting up a task force to study and make recommendations for reparations to African-Americans, particularly the descendants of slaves, as the nation struggles again with civil rights and unrest following the latest shooting of a Black man by police. The state Senate supported creating the nine-member commission on a bipartisan 33-3 vote Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

The state Senate supported creating the nine-member commission on a bipartisan 33-3 vote Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. The state Senate supported creating the nine-member commission on a bipartisan 33-3 vote Saturday. “Let's be clear: Chattel slavery, both in California and across our nation, birthed a legacy of racial harm and inequity that continues to impact the conditions of Black life in California,” said Democratic Sen. Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles. Although California before the Civil War was officially a free state, Mitchell listed legal and judicial steps state officials took at the time to support slavery in Southern states while repressing Blacks. It said reparations could take the form of cash, housing assistance, lower tuition, forgiving student loans, job training or community investments, for instance.

Coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 146,000 Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the pandemic began, public health experts say, Black Americans nationwide have died at an alarming rate -- two and a half times that of whites and Asians. Weve been putting Band-Aids on a lot of these issues, but not addressing the core issues, said Dr. Adam Milam, of Cedars-Sinai. One reason for the disparity: Black Americans have a higher incidence of other health conditions. Racism is not on the death certificate, said Dr. Noble Maseru, of the Center for Health Equity at Pitt Public Health.

Edelman said he hopes that recent anti-Semitic social media posts by Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson can be a teaching moment not just for him but others as well. In a video posted to Instagram Thursday, July 9, 2020, Edelman joined the Eagles, NFL and others who have condemned Jacksons posts over the weekend. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)BOSTON New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman said he hopes recent anti-Semitic social media posts by Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson can be a teaching moment, not just for him but others as well. I know he said some ugly things, but I do see an opportunity to have a conversation, Edelman said in the video. Edelman later acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press that he has heard anti-Semitic taunts during games.

Greg Drumwright, a minister at the Citadel Church & Campus Ministries, helped organize a group of Black fans to attend the NASCAR race at Talladega and support driver Bubba Wallace. We want to see that the call for diversification and true equity in the sport extends beyond the banning of the Confederate flag, Drumwright said. The group was about two dozen strong but only one had been to a NASCAR race before. We were there to stand with Bubba but what we learned through the media coverage is that it seems as if were standing with NASCAR, Drumwright said. Theres a willingness to listen and engage that NASCAR has that I dont believe they were sincere about earlier, said Bill Lester, one of at least seven other Black NASCAR drivers before Wallace.

In this video grab issued Sunday, June 28, 2020, by BET, Beyonce accepts the humanitarian award during the BET Awards. The singer dedicated her award to the Black Lives Matter movement, and encouraged activists to continue to push forward. DaBaby rapped a verse from the Black Lives Matter remix of his hit song Rockstar with Roddy Ricch at the awards. While holding a baseball bat, DaBaby then stood on a stage behind a group of people who had their fists raised high while others held Black Lives Matter signs. During the performance, video clips were shown of the national protests over the deaths of unarmed Black people including Floyd, Arbery and Taylor.

The BET Awards served as an extension of the voices of Black people protesting in the streets about the inequalities Black people face daily, as artists used their performances to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement, civil rights and the lives of those lost because of police officers, including George Floyd. The BET Awards kicked off with Black artists rapping and singing anthems about the Black experience and fighting for equal rights. Nipsey’s family, we love you.”The BET Awards, one of the first awards shows to air virtually, featured performances that were sharp with artsy stage production, giving extra life to the songs being performed. “I used to watch the BET Awards all the time thinking, ‘One day that’s going to be me going up there accepting my award’ — and now it is.”Though the BET Awards are technically about handing out trophies, the awards were an afterthought. Beyoncé won the BET HER award for “Brown Skin Girl,” shared with daughter Blue Ivy Carter as well as Wizkid and Saint JHN.

(Neon via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. Written and directed by Chinonye Chukwu, “Clemency” was well-reviewed but got unjustly overshadowed by some of the higher profile awards contenders when it was released in December. “Doctor Sleep: The Director’s Cut”: This Danny Torrance-focused sequel to “The Shining” was a little divisive upon release, which wasn’t all that surprising. — Film Writer Lindsey BahrMUSICGrey Daze: Fans of the late Grammy-winning screeching rock singer Chester Bennington will get a chance to hear him one more time. HAIM: It’s been three years since sister trio HAIM have released a new album.

Anna Lopez Brosche, president of Jacksonville City Hall at the time, called for an inventory of all monuments on city-owned property, with the intention of asking for them to be removed. The Parks and Recreation Department found there are three Civil War-related monuments and eight historic markers on city property. Critics have questioned how the memorials would be removed and put in places such as museums or universities. "Some of them crossed the line a little bit, in terms of wishing me bodily harm, things like that," Brosche said. Broche asked the citys general counsel to determine what the laws are regarding the removal of monuments or perhaps put in others that tell the whole history of Jacksonville.

Economists have forecast that the government will report Friday that employers shed 8.5 million more jobs last month on top of 21.4 million lost in March and April. The economic shock, like the pandemic itself, has widened economic disparities that have disproportionately hurt minorities and lower-educated workers. But business closures related to the unrest could cause job losses that would be reflected in the June jobs report to be issued next month. That is still more than all the jobs lost in the Great Recession. Oxford Economics estimates that the economy will regain 17 million jobs by years end, a huge increase by historical standards.

Thompson, who played for the Jaguars from 2014-17, said that he had a healthy conversation with Marrone on Monday after he made a social media post that insinuated players were essentially told not to kneel to protest social injustice causes. I had a healthy conversation with Marrone, yesterday, Thompson said in a message posted on Twitter. Thompson said that players were discouraged to join the kneeling movement in fear of getting Kaepernickd" from the league. Widespread speculation has attributed his kneeling and social justice crusade as the reason why hes out of the league. Action needs to start with the owner and coaches...If they Jags wont do it, what organization will?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. hip-hop community is using its bullhorn to bring awareness and money to the battle against the coronavirus as data shows that African-Americans are dying at a disproportionately high rate. The New York City-based Universal Hip Hop Museum and entertainment company Mass Appeal will host a Hip Hop Loves NY livestream on Thursday to honor frontline healthcare workers. Everyones talking about health regimens. Im gonna get a chance to sit back and see my hip hop brothers and sisters do their thing, she said. Organizers said funds raised will be donated to SOMOS Community Care, a network of over 2,500 healthcare providers in New York City, and The Bronx Community Relief Effort.

New data from the New York Federal Reserve indicates that the default rate for black students is now about 17.7%, compared with 9% for whites. The default rate for Hispanics is around 13%. Central bank economists arrived at the conclusions by studying student loan activity according to ZIP codes, breaking them down by racial composition and using that information to determine debt loads. Student loan debt in total stands at $1.5 trillion, up $20 billion in the third quarter, with 10.9% borrowers in default, or 90 or more days past due for the 43 million Americans impacted. (The actual default rate including deferment, forbearance and other delayed stages is about double that.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Northwest Jacksonville neighborhood is getting some new food options as Rockin' Waffle Cafe steps in to help address a neighborhood food desert. People living in Northwest Jacksonville near Moncrief Road and Myrtle Avenue have a new much-needed option for food. Rockin Waffle Cafe doesn't only put a twist to the traditional waffle, it also celebrates African-American music history. And this is right down the street, so we will definitely be coming back," said Jabri McKinney, a Northwest Jacksonville resident. Rockin' Waffle Cafe is at 3416 Moncrief Road, Suite 104, in the heart of Northwest Jacksonville.

The three-time NBA champion has announced he will fund the first six years of a new NCAA Division 1 program at Howard University -- but for golf, not basketball. Golf isn't just a sportClint Sanchez has seen firsthand how the game of golf can change a young person's life. Given the slow pace of the sport, golfers spend long periods of time with other players. The students who participate in the Howard golf program will have the chance to broaden their network with other Division 1 schools, especially those in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which includes Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University and Morgan State University. Langston was built in 1939 and remains one of the nation's most important historically black golf courses, which made Curry's choice of venue even more profound.

If the blacks only ceremony happens, then I encourage violence and death at it. Im thinking two automatics with extendo clips, Zuckerman wrote in an Instagram post 10 days before the ceremony, according to prosecutors. That same day, prosecutors said, Zuckerman under the username russian_goalkeeper94 posted another online comment, which read: #bombharvard and end their pro-black agenda.The ceremony went forward as planned with a heightened law enforcement presence. The FBI eventually tracked Zuckerman down in Arizona, and in an interview he admitted making the threats, prosecutors said. He was arrested in June 2018 and pleaded guilty in April to two counts of transmitting a threat to injure another person.

Support for Biden among blacks, a critical Democratic voting bloc, was cut in half, with about two out of 10 saying they backed President Barack Obamas former vice president, compared with four out of 10 in the June poll. Harris, the daughter of a black father from Jamaica and an Indian mother, appears to have benefited from her debate performance. The poll found Harris now the third most popular candidate for the Democratic nomination, behind Biden and U.S. Support for Harris, who was fourth in the previous poll, rose with black voters, as well as among women and people who make at least $100,000 a year. Twenty-one percent of all Democrats and independents said they did not know yet which candidate they would support.

Martha Teichner reports on the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, which features a look at how the war changed life for African Americans and Native AmericansPhiladelphia is the site of the liberty bell. So what better place for the Museum of the American Revolution? "There were about 15,000 black people who fought for the British during the American Revolution and about 5,000 black people who fought for the patriots," Brown said. "How could we have manacles for a child in a museum about the American Revolution, which is supposed to be about freedom? So that, alongside the muskets and child-friendly entertainment, a nuanced, warts-and-all version of the american revolution shines through.

August will mark the 400th anniversary of the first documented arrival to America by Africans, who came by way of Point Comfort, Virginia, and were enslaved, in 1619. Last November, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke appointed the 14 members of the commission who will organize the commemoration of the anniversary. The commission will plan and carry out programs and activities throughout the country to highlight 400 years of contributions by African-Americans. Others are using the anniversary as a way to highlight what they believe is 400 years of inequality. The website 400yearsofinequality.org is encouraging people to tell their stories of oppression and resistance and ultimately unite to eliminate inequality going forward.

Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo was acquitted of manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two unarmed African-Americans. A judge ruled that when Brelow fired 49 bullets into the car they were driving the shooting was "reasonable despite knowing now that there was no gun in the car." Jericka Duncan reports.

Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo was acquitted of manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two unarmed African-Americans. A judge ruled that when Brelow fired 49 bullets into the car they were driving the shooting was "reasonable despite knowing now that there was no gun in the car." Jericka Duncan reports; On this Memorial Day weekend, a few veterans of "the greatest generation" are getting a high-flying thanks for their service. Mark Albert reports.

#IfTheyGunnedMeDown creator on the representation of Michael Brown Many tweets have been organized around hashtags like #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, in which African-Americans post two pictures of themselves - one they feel plays into stereotypes and one that doesn't - and ask which the media would use. Jim Axelrod spoke with CJ Lawrence, a lawyer from Jackson, Miss., and creator of the hashtag.