Remembering Neighborhood Nip
It’s been over a week and the Culture is still trying to process the sudden loss of rapper and community figure Nipsey Hussle. While much of his activism was in the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles, Hussle told stories of Black strife and progress that those far beyond his hometown could relate and aspire to respectively. Peaceful vigils have been held throughout the U.S. and in his father’s native land in northeast Africa. L.A. street gangs have initiated peace talks as a way to honor him. U.S. Representative Karen Bass will even be entering Nipsey's contributions into the Congressional Record, forever cementing his legacy in U.S. history. One did not need to be a fan of his music to appreciate his impact. Though many are feeling a void left by his death, his family and fans vow to press forward with the progress that he started. Here’s to hoping The Marathon Continues.
Barr’s Playing Defense
Attorney General Bill Barr is expected to release the “full” Russia investigation report by mid-April, but he is making sure to redact what he considers privileged information before distributing anything to Congress. Democrats are demanding to have the report shared in full because they believe Barr is a Trump-loving Trumpist who will do whatever it takes in the name of Trumpism. Some members of Mueller’s team are also frustrated by Barr’s 4-page letter because they feel his summary did not properly reflect their findings. Republicans, on the other hand, are happy with the information in Barr’s initial recap and have repeatedly blocked House resolutions calling for more information. So what is it that we’ll receive in mid-April? Pragmatists would say nothing too damaging against 45 still, especially if Barr has anything to do with it.
We’re Still Fighting Over the Border Wall? Yes, Yes We Are.
When Drake said “It’s a Rollie, not a stopwatch” he must have been talking about the continuous fight over the border wall. House Democrats are filing suit against the Trump administration over the reallocation of funds for the wall, claiming that he is ignoring the will of Congress and stealing funds that have been appropriated for other purposes. Meanwhile, Trump presses on. It may seem strange that one branch is suing another, but Dems do have a leg to stand on based on a 2014 case when Republicans sued and won over the allocation of funds for Obamacare. Friday’s court filing places House Democrats alongside the ACLU, border communities, and 20 states that have also filed suit over the President’s national emergency declaration.
Meek Takes Aim at Pennsylvania
Meek Mill, Van Jones and the REFORM alliance are pulling up on the state of Pennsylvania and seeking changes to the state’s probation and parole system. Their proposed legislation aims to prevent probationers and parolees from getting trapped in the system for non-violent offenses. They are also looking to change what is considered a technical violation, the very thing that landed Meek back in jail in 2017. Given Pennsylvania has the highest incarceration rate in the western hemisphere and is home to the nation’s second highest percentage of people on parole and probation, success here would be pivotal in the longstanding fight for criminal justice reform nationwide.
History Made in the Chi
History was bound to be made this week when the city of Chicago hit the polls to select their pick for the next mayor. What made this election so special was that a Black woman was for sure going to come out as the winner. Read here about mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot, who is the first Black and openly gay woman to represent the Windy City at the highest level.
2020 Happenings
Democratic presidential candidates vow to sign H.R. 40, a House bill that would create a congressional panel to research the possibility of reparations for the descendants of slaves.
Going back to the border…2020 Democrats are struggling about how to talk about immigration as border crossings swell.
With more Democrats entering the primary race, forever POTUS Barack Obama warns against a “circular firing squad” where progressives go too hard in ostracizing party mates for having varying opinions on key issues.
Fundraising totals are typically used to gauge which presidential candidates have the resources to power a national campaign. Now that Q1 is over and the numbers are in, see which Democrats are currently posed to fuel their presidential campaigns the farthest.
Around the Diaspora
Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo have received an apology from Belgium over the colonial practice of separating of mixed race children from their African mothers.
Zimbabweans aren’t too happy with their government after over $150,000 was spent on blonde colonial wigs for its judges.
In a move to get guns off of the streets, Barbados is giving citizens the opportunity to forfeit unlicensed firearms without the threat of prosecution from April 7 to April 13.
Afro-Colombians are joining their indigenous counterparts to ask that Colombia step up its game when it comes to respecting indigenous land rights.
Culture that Pops
Lupita Nyong’o debuts a children’s picture book that teaches them to love their brown skin.
If you remember “Maxine Shaw, attorney at law,” you’ll remember she was a bad ass lawyer who had no problem putting people in their place. Did you know that she also inspired
Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley and others to go into politics?
Make sure your Netflix subscription is in good standing because Queen Bey is coming with a documentary about her memorable Beychella performance on April 17.