The 44 Percent: The Tennessee two + Texas Southern makes history + Rolling Loud
A dangerous precedent was set last week.
The Republican majority in Tennessee’s House of Representatives ousted two of their Black colleagues — Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) — for breaking decorum by participating in an anti-gun protest. As of Thursday, the Nashville Metropolitan Council and Shelby County Commission voted to reinstate Jones and Pearson, respectively. Rather than give a long explanation about the First Amendment and whatnot, I want Pearson to speak for himself.
“They tried to kill democracy. They tried to expel the people’s choice and the people’s voice. And they awakened a sleeping giant.”
INSIDE THE 305
New Miami Gardens Boys and Girls Club gets funding for activities at elementary school:
More than $6 million was allocated for a new Boys and Girls Club in Miami Gardens. The Herald’s Raisa Habersham broke down how the funding will be used and more:
Of the funds allocated, $2.4 million will go toward two tennis courts and a miniature golf course for the Dr. Frederica S. Wilson Club, Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade President Alex Rodriguez-Roig told the Miami Herald. The remaining $4 million will be split between the Northwest and NFL clubs for staffing and activities.
“The Boys and Girls Club has been a testament to what is possible with the resources we already have in the schools and the impact it makes,” Wilson said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Miami Gardens club. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America provides after-school programs for young people.
The new club, located at Dr. Frederica S. Wilson/Skyway Elementary School, is the first time the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade has had a chapter within a school setting. The club offers students STEM activities, arts and crafts, and physical-fitness exercises, among other programs. Registration for the club is $25 per child.
OUTSIDE THE 305
Lawmakers sought to remove DEI from higher ed. Now they’re scrubbing it from the bill:
After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican allies attempted to remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from higher education, they have officially pivoted.
On Wednesday, a key Senate panel approved a complete rewrite of one of those bills — Senate Bill 266, the companion to House Bill 999 — and scrubbed any references to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” One of the concerns was that the restrictions on those initiatives could potentially endanger accreditation of certain higher-education courses and programs.
The change, however, doesn’t mean everything is peaches and cream.
While DeSantis and his Republican allies have placed much of the focus on diversity and equity programs, the proposed legislation is sweeping and also makes changes to state universities’ hiring practices and accreditation protocols, and could make it harder for faculty members to maintain tenure or reverse a termination.
Texas Southern cheerleaders make history:
You know we support our HBCUs on this side.
With that said, Texas Southern University’s cheer squad deserves a huge round of applause for becoming the first Historically Black College or University team to win the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Championship.
“When I first came to TSU, I told the team we’re going to Nationals,” head coach Shontrese Comeaux told HBCU Buzz. “When we earned our gold bid at NCA Camp, I told the team, ‘it’s time to go to work.’ I knew this was the year and the team to get the job done. I’m so proud of them and where we’re going to take the cheer program next.”
Big up the Black excellence.
HIGH CULTURE
Rolling Loud Miami just announced its lineup for this year. Here are the headliners:
Playboi Carti. Travis Scott. A$AP Rocky.
Those three acts will headline Rolling Loud Miami 2023, the biggest hip-hop festival in the world. Other big names on the bill include Lil Durk, Kodak Black, City Girls and Ice Spice.
Take 6 to headline 8th Annual Sankofa Jazz Festival:
The preeminent Quincy Jones called them the “baddest vocal cats on the planet!”
Now, the Grammy Award-winning a cappella group Take 6 will perform at the Sankofa Jazz Festival at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. A bastion of the arts in Liberty City, the AHCAC will also feature an exhibit by multimedia artist and filmmaker Kirk Urdin.
For tickets, click the link in the title.
Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.
