By press@spotlightpr.org 

Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) joined a bipartisan congressional delegation in Selma, Alabama, this weekend to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, honoring the 600 marchers attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965.  

Landsman joined the bipartisan pilgrimage from Selma to Montgomery, led by Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC-06), to honor Civil Rights icons and reflect on our nation’s history. 

Paul Booth Sr., a Cincinnati community leader and public servant, joined Landsman on the Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage.

During the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, when the threats to our multi-racial democracy are unyielding, Race Forward released the following statement:

“On this day 60 years ago, our ancestors endured brute physical violence,” said Glenn Harris, president, Race Forward. “Civil Rights activists were beaten for no reason other than having the audacity to demand the right to vote. While those who opposed voting rights assaulted the bodies of brave freedom fighters, they could never extinguish our ancestors’ yearning for the ballot box. In the same way our ancestors persisted, we must persist today in our fight against those determined to turn back not only the progress of the past decades, but the very notion that everyone deserves the right to thrive in this country’.

Many state legislatures have proposed or enacted restrictive voting laws. The Brennan Center for Justice reported that “ in 2024, between January 1 to December 31, 10 states enacted 19 restrictive voting laws, 3 states enacted 3 election interference laws, and at least 21 states enacted 32 expansive voting laws. Between 2021 and 2024 the number of restrictive voting laws has nearly tripled the amount passed between 2017 and 2020.” 

“While our struggle may look different from that of our ancestors, make no mistake that we are indeed in the same struggle,” Harris added. “The good news is that the fight of our ancestors shows us how to organize and prepare for this moment.  We have the persistence, stamina, and hope needed to continue our righteous organizing for justice.”

“Our job in this moment is to harness the courage, the tenacity and the drive of people like Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Boynton Robinson, John Lewis, and so many others. We don’t need to be perfect, but we do need to be tenacious.”  

“Regardless of how dire the circumstances may appear, we must never give up,” Harris concluded. “We will win if we remain in the struggle. This is not a battle we fight alone, but together in solidarity. Our collective power is what will carry us through these times and toward the just, multiracial democracy we all deserve.”

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By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

UPDATE:

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert announced assault charges were filed against Richard Roberts, 48; Allen Todd, 23; and Zachery Shipman, 25; at a Tuesday news conference. Albert said one of the men is in custody and the two others are expected to turn themselves over to police Tuesday afternoon. 

“There was no need for this event to take the path it did,” Albert told reporters. He said investigators do not believe the incident was racially motivated. “The people of Montgomery, we’re better than that. We’re a fun city and we don’t want this type of activity to shed a dark eye on what this city’s all about.”

In a quintessential mess around and find out moment, a group of white boaters on the riverfront in Montgomery, Alabama, attacked a Black security guard simply for doing his job.

Within moments, several African American men came to the guard’s rescue, pulverizing the aggressors.

Among those helping the guard was an individual dubbed “Black Aqua man” because he swam across the river to intercede.

The guard had been diligently working and requested the boaters move their vessel to allow a ship to dock.

However, the white boaters violently refused, attacking the guard who tossed his hat in the air, apparently as a way of acknowledging that “it’s on.”

Eyewitness Lauren Spivey told CNN that for nearly 45 minutes the vessel obstructed the docking space at Harriott II Riverboat at Riverfront Park.

“The man, the white individual, hurried down there, and that’s when things escalated,” Spivey said, adding that the guard simply informed the man that he needed to relocate to create space for the larger riverboat.

“[The white boaters] just didn’t think the rules applied to them. It was so avoidable. This never had to have happened,” Leslie Mawhorter, an eyewitness to the incident, told Yahoo! News.

“Everything just spiraled from there,” Mawhorter said. “I knew something was going to go down, because their attitude was just, ‘You can’t tell us what to do.’ They were going to be confrontational regardless of who you were.”

The confrontation escalated, with punches thrown and chairs wielded as weapons.

At least one individual was tossed into the water amidst the chaotic clash.

Police detained several individuals, and charges are pending.

At press time, the guard and others involved hadn’t been named.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed commended law enforcement for their rapid response to detain those responsible for assaulting the security guard.

“Those who choose violence will be held accountable by our criminal justice system,” he said. “While there is a lot of activity and interest in this, we know that we’ll come through this together as a community collectively as we have other situations.”

Major Saba Coleman said an ongoing investigation has led to the issuance of four active warrants.

However, the number is flexible, as authorities meticulously review additional footage, indicating the likelihood of more warrants.

“It was inexcusable behavior,” Christa Owen, who was on the Harriot, told NBC News, adding that she believes alcohol was a factor.

“I can’t imagine anyone just disregarding moving their boat 2 feet so that a three-story dinner cruise boat could park back in that spot.”

The post White Boaters in Montgomery Messed Around and Found Out appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, a 25-year-old Alabama nursing student who told police she was abducted, admitted Monday through a statement from her lawyer that she was not kidnapped.

“We ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward,” Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis  read on behalf of Russell’s lawyer. “Understanding that she made a mistake in this matter, Carlee again asks for your forgiveness and prayers.”

CrimeStoppers has reversed its decision to return over $63,000 in donations intended to help find Russell after her kidnapping story came under scrutiny, the latest fallout from what many now believe was a hoax.

The 25-year-old Alabama woman claimed she was kidnapped after stopping to assist a toddler wandering alone on Interstate 459 on July 13.

However, she reappeared at her home two days later.

Initially, the organization that offers anonymous tips about criminal activity pledged to return the funds raised during the two-day search for Russell.

CrimeStoppers has now said they’ve decided against it because of the suspicions surrounding her story.

Alabama police have also expressed reservations about the alleged abduction, revealing that Russell had conducted suspicious internet searches about kidnappings before the incident occurred.

Those findings have added to the uncertainty surrounding the case.

Still, Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, has pleaded with the public to stop cyberbullying Russell.

Simmons emphasized the importance of considering her mental health and urged people to avoid targeting her online.

Russell went missing shortly after contacting 911 to report a toddler in a diaper walking along the highway.

Her mysterious return home on foot further deepened the mystery.

While her mother, Talitha Robinson-Russell, remains firm in her belief that Carlee was abducted and subsequently returned, law enforcement continues investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

The case has brought attention to the struggles faced by Black families when dealing with missing person cases.

African Americans often encounter delays in police investigations and are sometimes labeled “runaways” immediately.

In contrast, cases involving missing white women and children are urgently treated and receive national attention.

According to 2021 FBI data, Black people account for 31% of missing person reports despite making up only 14% of the US population.

White people represent 54% of such reports and 76% of the population.

Derrica Wilson, co-founder of the Black & Missing Foundation, underscored the significance of not losing sight of the broader picture.

Wilson told CNN that she currently has nearly 6,000 cases of missing Black people in her database, many of which remain unsolved.

She asserted that Russell’s case is an anomaly and that the focus should remain on helping the countless missing individuals of color who need assistance.

Wilson highlighted that disappearances in the Black community often stem from issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence, and mental health incidents.

Wilson stated that amplifying the cases of missing Black people remains an uphill battle, urging the public to continue raising awareness.

“For our community, we can’t lose sight of the bigger picture,” Wilson said. “We are disappointed that there are inconsistencies with her (Russell) story, especially when there are a staggering number of people of color who are still missing, and they need our help.”

The post Carlee Russell Admits Abduction Hoax appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By: Scripps News Staff

The disappearance of Carlee Russell gained a lot of national attention after she reportedly went missing after claiming she checked on a toddler wandering down an interstate. 

Last Thursday, Russell called police and a family member and reported seeing a child walking alone on Interstate 459. The family member heard a scream and lost contact with Russell over the phone. 

She was not seen again until Saturday night when she returned home.

According to the Hoover Police Department, investigators have no evidence that a toddler was walking down the side of the highway. 

At the time, police who searched the area found Russell’s personal belongings and cellphone near her car, but no sign of her or a child.

Police said that Russell purchased snacks at a nearby Target, but these items were not located in the vehicle when she disappeared. 

Police also said investigators examined surveillance video showing that she walked down the sidewalk alone before arriving at her residence. Medics then were dispatched to her home as she was taken to a hospital.

“Fire department radio traffic obtained by several media outlets shows that medics were dispatched to her residence on an ‘unresponsive but breathing’ person,” police said. “That was the term used in the initial dispatch of the Hoover Fire Department to the residence, and the information about her condition was simply a dispatcher relaying information from what a 911 caller told the emergency communicator.  When first responders arrived on scene, they found Ms. Russell conscious and speaking and she was transported in that condition.  She was later treated and released from a local hospital.”

Police are expected to provide an update Thursday at a news conference.

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

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Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, both conservatives, joined the court’s three liberals in the majority.

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In a surprising decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down Republican-drawn congressional districts in Alabama, ruling that they discriminated against Black voters.
The 5-4 vote means state officials must redraw the heavily Republican-favored map of Alabama’s seven congressional districts.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, both conservatives, joined the court’s three liberals in the majority.
The ruling by the court, which currently holds a 6-3 conservative majority, marks a departure from the state’s attempt to make it more challenging to address concerns raised by civil rights advocates regarding the dilution of Black voters’ power in states like Alabama, where voters are divided into districts where white voters dominate.
The cases brought before the court were consolidated and originated from the litigation over the new congressional district map, which the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature drafted after the 2020 census.
The challengers, including individual voters and the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, argued that the map violated Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Black voters.
Under the new map, only one out of seven districts would likely enable Black voters to elect a candidate of their choice.
The NAACP contended that Alabama, with a population of over a quarter Black residents, should have at least two such districts and presented evidence supporting the feasibility of drawing an additional majority-Black district.
In January 2022, a lower court agreed with the challengers, ruling that the plaintiffs had demonstrated, in line with Supreme Court precedent, that Alabama’s Black population was both sizable and compact enough to warrant a second majority-Black district.
The court ordered the redrawing of the map. However, Alabama’s Republican attorney general, Steve Marshall, turned to the Supreme Court, which placed the litigation on hold and agreed to hear the case.
During the November election, the Supreme Court was split 5-4 in allowing the use of the new map. Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, dissented and joined the court’s three liberals.
In the election, Republicans secured six out of the seven seats, while Democrats won the majority-Black district.
If a new map had been implemented, Democrats might have gained an additional seat.
The Supreme Court’s decisions in cases like the Alabama one have been seen as potentially contributing to Republicans’ slim majority in the House of Representatives.
Alabama argued that the lower court excessively emphasized race when reaching its conclusions.
Attorney General Steve Marshall asserted in court documents that the challengers’ ability to demonstrate the possibility of drawing a second majority-Black district did not constitute sufficient evidence of discriminatory actions by the state. Marshall cited other “race-neutral” factors in map drawings, such as regional culture, identity, and the requirement for districts to have similar population sizes.
Over the past decade, the Supreme Court has weakened the Voting Rights Act in two separate cases.
In 2013, the court significantly limited a crucial provision of the law that allowed for federal oversight of election law changes in specific states.
In a 2021 ruling related to Arizona, the court made bringing cases under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act more challenging.
This case is one of three that the court is currently hearing where conservative attorneys promote what they view as politically correct, race-neutral arguments to address racial discrimination.
In other cases, the court may end affirmative action in college admissions and strike down parts of a law that provides preferences to Native Americans seeking to adopt Native American children.
The court is also deliberating another significant election-related dispute in the current term.
The ruling, expected before the end of June, will address a Republican initiative to limit state courts’ authority to enforce state constitutional provisions in federal elections.
Should the court uphold the initiative, it could facilitate Republican-led legislatures’ efforts to restrict voting rights.

#Court Black district Brett Kavanaugh Chief Justice Conservatives culture Democrats discriminatory actions evidence identity John Roberts Judge Legislature Maps Population Republican requirements Supreme Court voting rights

The post Supreme Court Invalidates Alabama’s Republican-Drawn Congressional Districts, Citing Voting Rights Act appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Herald Staff

Four people were killed, and 28 others were injured at a birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The shooting occurred late Saturday night in the small town, which is located about 57 miles northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.

Most of the victims from the shootings were teenagers as the party was for a 16-year-old.

Among those killed was a high school senior who planned to play college football.

This is a breaking story. More to come…

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By KIM CHANDLER and MIKE BALSAMO

Associated Press

The death of an Alabama jailer found shot in the head with a gun in her hand after a weeklong manhunt has only deepened the mystery of why a trusted official would help free a hulking murder suspect with a violent and frightening history.

Vicky White, 56, was pronounced dead at a hospital after Casey White, 38, gave up without a fight in Evansville, Indiana. The fugitives had spent more than a week on the run.

NBC’s “Today” show reported that federal marshals said Casey White told officers at the scene, “Please help my wife. She just shot herself in the head and I didn’t do it.” The two Whites were not related, let alone married, officials said.

Before Vanderburgh County Coroner Steve Lockyear announced her death, the sheriff in Alabama had said he hoped to get answers from his once trusted jail employee.

“I had every bit of trust in Vicky White. She has been an exemplary employee. What in the world provoked her, prompted her to pull a stunt like this? I don’t know. I don’t know if we’ll ever know,” Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said.

Authorities closed in after receiving a tip on Sunday that a man closely resembling Casey White had been recorded by a surveillance camera at a car wash getting out of a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck, the Marshals Service said. White stands 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall and weighs about 260 pounds (118 kilograms).

A local police officer then spotted a vehicle they were looking for on Monday, and members of a U.S. Marshals task force went to investigate, leading to a brief chase, Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said on “Today.”

“The pursuit was very short. It went up a major artery here in Vanderburgh County and they cut across a parking lot at a large factory. They were in a grassy area so three of our task force members actually rammed the vehicle, pushed it into a ditch so it ended up on its side. As they approached the vehicle it was obvious that the female driver was unconscious and still had a weapon in her hand. And they removed the murderer from the vehicle simultaneously,” Wedding said.
Wedding said it has not been officially determined yet that Vicky White had in fact taken her own life.

“The coroner’s office will do an investigation and they will determine if it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The initial indication is that it was, but we won’t rule anything out until we have a thorough investigation by the coroner.”

The manhunt began April 29 after Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections for the jail in Lauderdale County, told co-workers she was taking Casey White, who was awaiting trial in a capital murder case, from the jail for a mental health evaluation. There was no such appointment.

“We got a dangerous man off the street today. He is never going to see the light of day again. That is a good thing, for not just our community. That’s a good thing for our country,” Singleton said.

Casey White was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other charges at the time of his escape. He was awaiting trial in the stabbing of a 58-year-old woman during a burglary in 2015. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Federal and local law enforcement officials also learned Casey White threatened to kill his former girlfriend and his sister in 2015 and said “that he wanted police to kill him,” the Marshals Service said.

A warrant was issued on May 2 for Vicky Sue White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree.

Vicky White’s family members and co-workers said they were stunned. Singleton said it appeared the plan had been in the works for some time. Jail inmates said the two had a special relationship and she gave

Casey White better treatment than other inmates.

In the past several months, she bought a rifle and a shotgun and also was known to have a handgun, U.S. Marshal Marty Keely said. She also sold her house — for about half of market value — and bought a 2007 orange Ford Edge that she stashed at a shopping center without license plates.

“This escape was obviously well-planned and calculated. A lot of preparation went into this. They had plenty of resources, had cash, had vehicles,” Singleton said.

On what Vicky White said would be her last day at work, video showed the pair went from the jail to the shopping center, where they picked up the Ford and left, Singleton said. Their flight was not discovered for much of the day.

Associated Press writer Ken Kusmer contributed from Indianapolis.

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Contributed

ARLINGTON, Texas — The University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team made history with its appearance in the College Football Playoff semi-final Saturday, as the first non-power conference team to make the college football playoff.

Alabama beat them, ending the Bearcats undefeated season.

Alabama will face Georgia for the National Championship.

For the sixth time in the eight seasons of the College Football Playoff era, Alabama has advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship after the top-seeded Crimson Tide downed No. 4 Cincinnati – the first-ever non-Autonomy 5, non-Notre Dame team to qualify for the playoff – 27-6 in the Cotton Bowl.

Alabama scored a touchdown on the game’s opening possession after running the ball on its first 10 plays and while Cincinnati scored on its first possession to cut the deficit to 7-3, the Bearcats managed just 76 yards of offense in the first half, 60 of which came on their first possession. Alabama had 302 yards of offense in the first half, by comparison, and the Crimson Tide shut out the Bearcats in the second half, thanks to forcing Cincinnati into two punts and two turnovers on downs in the second half.

Alabama’s fourth-quarter touchdown from Bryce Young to Cameron Latu gave the Crimson Tide some extra breathing room, 24-6, and while Young threw for just 181 yards in the game, he did have three touchdown passes. Cincinnati intercepted the Heisman Trophy winner once, which was just his fifth pick of the season.

Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a monster performance with 26 carries for 204 yards, while former Alabama transfer Jerome Ford, who’s now Cincinnati’s lead back, managed just 77 yards on 15 carries.

The post Bearcats historic run ends with loss to Alabama in College Football Playoff appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By: PJ O’Keefe

CINCINNATI — History made: The University of Cincinnati Bearcats are the first non-power conference team to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, marking them as one of the four best teams in the country and giving them a shot at the National Championship.

The team will play No. 1 Alabama in Dallas at AT&T Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, December 31. The game will air on ESPN.

UC proved its worthiness of the selection by completing an undefeated season with a convincing victory over Number 21 Houston in the AAC Championship game Saturday.

The Bearcats also beat a top-ranked Notre Dame earlier in the season, at South Bend, which showed the team could compete with the best in the country. The College Football Playoff selection committee was hesitant at first, leaving UC off the top 4 rankings for several weeks as the season wound down. But as the chips fell around them, UC took care of business to make an undeniable case to be included in Sunday’s final rankings.

“There were a a lot of teams that had a very small percent chance of getting into a 4 team playoff and we’re happy to be one of them,” Coach Fickell said. “Maybe that’s because of the conference and it hasn’t been done, but nonetheless it’s us. We’re not carrying a flag for anyone but the UC Bearcats, our community, our campus, our university, and our city.”

On the other side of the bracket, Michigan will play Georgia in Miami. The winner of both games plays for the National Championship. UC’s football program has never won a national championship.

The Bearcats began this hot streak last season when it went 9-0 in a COVID-19 shortened regular season. The team’s only loss was to Georgia in a tight 24-21 Peach Bowl that showed UC could compete with the top teams in the country.

Making the playoff is an exclamation point for the Bearcats before they move into a power conference next year when the team joins the Big 12. Oklahoma was the only previous team from the Big 12 to make the playoffs, but the Sooners will be leaving for the SEC, making UC the only Big 12 team to have ever been to the playoff.

LET'S GO BEARCATS!!! Here are the matchups for the College Football Playoff. UC plays in Dallas at AT&T Stadium. pic.twitter.com/ckEEsWdhu5

— WCPO 9 (@WCPO) December 5, 2021

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

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By Amy Traub

Many observers were surprised when workers at Amazon’s warehouse outside Birmingham, Alabama, filed for a union election in October 2020. It’s not that workers’ dissatisfaction was unexpected; the hardships faced by Amazon’s warehouse employees are well known.

The company was slow to provide protective equipment during the pandemic; it curtailed its COVID-19 pay bonuses and access to unlimited unpaid time off long before the health crisis was resolved; shifts are long and work schedules are erratic; a failure to invest in climate control means warehouses are often swelteringly hot or viciously cold; and worst of all, the company’s algorithmic management system imposes brutal productivity quotas that penalize workers for taking too many minutes on bathroom breaks or pausing work even briefly.

What startled some people was that it was predominantly Black workers in Alabama — an “unlikely place,” according to the New York Times — who were standing up, organizing with the Retail Warehouse and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and challenging the power of a $1.7 trillion company.

But it shouldn’t be a surprise. Just as Black voters in Georgia made history in the 2020 election by delivering the state to Joe Biden and electing two Democratic senators, Black workers in the Alabama warehouse stand to keep making history as they vote on union representation.

In this case, what’s at stake is not political democracy, but the potential for a more democratic economy — a chance for working people to have a collective voice in the decisions that shape their working lives. If the union drive succeeds, managers at one of the nation’s largest and wealthiest companies will have to sit down with workers’ representatives and negotiate about the conditions that make their jobs unbearable. Black workers will have shifted a degree of power from Amazon’s corporate headquarters into their own hands.

Of course, Amazon is not letting go of power easily. The company is notoriously anti-union and has spared little expense to crush the latest organizing attempt. Workers report being forced to attend intimidating one on one anti-union meetings with supervisors and mandatory group meetings every few shifts.

Amazon bombarded workers with text messages and even placed anti-union signs in the warehouse’s bathroom stalls.

As is so often the case, political and economic democracy are deeply intertwined. Political strength contributes to greater economic power. Because Black voters in Georgia organized, registered, turned out and voted, legislation strengthening workers’ rights to join a union and negotiate with their employers now stands a chance of being signed into law. Under the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, reintroduced in Congress, workers banding together to form a union would not have to overcome the same obstacles to unionization that Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama are facing.

Employers would no longer be able to interfere in workers’ union elections. If Amazon warehouse workers succeed in gaining union recognition, the PRO Act would facilitate their ability to negotiate a first contract, requiring Amazon to enter binding arbitration if it refuses to negotiate in good faith.

“Alabama has a rich history of labor organizing,” Resha Swanson, of Adelante Alabama Worker Center told The American Prospect. “For generations, Black workers have risked their lives to spearhead worker rights efforts — fighting for their lives in the face of lynching, death threats, job loss, and most of all, White supremacy. Workers at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse have the power to keep making history by voting for their union.

(Amy Traub is associate director, policy and research at Demos, a New York City-based “think-and-do” tank that powers the movement for a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy.)

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