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NNPA Wraps Convention in Nashville with Powerful Messages
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia
L-R: Rod Doss, Karen Carter Richards, Carl Anderson, Sonny Messiah-Jiles, Brenda Andrews, Bobby Henry, Atty. Stephanie Williams,
Jackie Hampton, Cheryl Smith, Fran Farrer, Janis Ware, and Dr. Toni Draper - new board members of the NNPA and NNPA Fund
P resident Joe
Biden’s re
marks in salut
ing the Black Press of America
during the NNPA’s annual con
vention in Nashville, making
it clear how important African
American-owned newspa
pers remain, underscored the
gathering’s theme. After all,
the theme of the conference
and for this 196th anniversary
of the Black Press was: “The
Black Press of America: Am
plifying Progress, Excellence,
& Voices of Black America.”
“Congratulations to
the Black Press of America for
celebrating 196 years of serv
ing communities across our
nation,” Biden stated in the
address which aired on July
1. “Ida B. Wells once said,
the way to right wrongs is to
turn the light of truth upon
the wrong. That’s the sacred
charge of a free press. That’s
the charge African American
publishers have pursued for
nearly two centuries,” Biden
continued. “With every story
you publish, you make our de
mocracy stronger. Thank you
for what you do to turn the
light of truth wherever your
work leads you. Thank you.”
Dr. Chavis and NNPA
Chair Karen Carter Richards
praised the President for rec
ognizing the importance of the
Black Press of America. “The
NNPA is especially honored
to hear directly from President
Joe Biden for his continued
support and advocacy of the
importance of the Black Press
of America,” Chavis stated.
“As we celebrate 196 years
of the Black Press, it’s always
gratifying and encouraging to
have the support of the Presi
dent of the United States. In
the wake of the recent U.S.
Supreme Court decisions on
civil rights, the Black Press
rededicates our journalism to
be a clarion voice for freedom,
justice, equality, and equity.”
Richards, who com
pleted four years as NNPA
Chair, also thanked the Presi
dent. “To have the President of
the United States take the time
out to be a part of our con
vention is of course special,”
Richards related. “But it’s also
a testament to just how vital
the Black Press remains. Col
lectively, as Black publishers
and Black business owners, we
are stronger than ever, and the
President’s message reinforces
that.”
The week began with
a chairman’s reception at the
National Museum of African
American Music sponsored
by Nissan, with greetings and
acknowledgments from Rich
ards; Chavis; and convention
planning committee chair
Terry Jones, the publisher of
Data News Weekly in New
Orleans. Rosetta Miller-Perry,
the publisher of the Tennessee
Tribune, served as host for the
week.
Continued on Page 4
Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Announces Annual Conference
In Savannah
The Georgia Legis
lative Black Caucus (GLBC),
chaired by State Representative
Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah), re
cently announced that it will
host its annual conference in
Savannah from Friday, July 21,
2023 - Sunday, July 23, 2023.
“I am excited to host
this year’s Georgia Legislative
Black Caucus conference in
my hometown of Savannah,”
said Rep. Gilliard. “This year’s
theme, ‘A Call to Action,’ is
especially fitting as our caucus
has been on the forefront of
calling injustice to account. We
want to invite all Black Geor
gians who are looking to make
a difference in their communi
ties to join us for this confer
ence.”
This year’s confer
ence will feature strategic pan
els and workshops on health
care, voter education, the crim
inal justice system, agriculture
and economics, the economic
impact of the African Diaspora,
developing young leaders and
minority contract participation.
Rep. Carl Gilliard
The conference will
begin with the Urban League
of Atlanta’s presentation on
the “state of Black Georgia” at
the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil
Rights Museum. Participants
will also hear from lawyers,
judges and district attorneys
during a free “Black Roundta-
Bishop Reginald Jackson
ble” event at Savannah State
University’s Elmore Audito
rium. The first day will finish
with private events for GLBC
members, including a tasting
dinner on Tybee Island and a
Savannah riverboat cruise with
live entertainment.
On the second day,
Shirley Franklin
guest speaker Bishop Reginald
Jackson will host the GLBC’s
“Unity Prayer Breakfast.” The
breakfast will be followed by
panel sessions focused on vot
ing rights, criminal justice re
form, international commerce
and health care access.
Continued on Page 2
What’s Happening In The Supreme Court?
By Team When We All Vote, whenweallvote.org
WHEN WE
ALL VOTE
Last month, the U.S.
Supreme Court released deci
sions in two important voting
rights cases, Allen v. Milligan
and Moore v. Harper. The court
has also ruled on other critical
cases that impact our rights as
citizens, including Students for
Fair Admission v. Harvard and
Students for Fair Admission v.
University of North Carolina,
Biden v. Nebraska, and 303
Creative v. Elenis.
When We All Vote is
here to break down what some
of the recent Supreme Court
rulings mean and the impact on
voters moving forward:
What is Allen v. Milligan?
Allen v. Milligan
(https://bit.ly/46xqgrU) chal
lenged Alabama’s 2021 con
gressional map, which had just
one majority-Black district
out of seven. The lawsuit was
filed on behalf of voters and
nonprofit organizations who
believed the Alabama map re
duced the voting strength of
Black Alabamians in a state
whose population is about 27%
Black.
On Thursday, June 8,
the Supreme Court issued a 5-4
decision that upheld Section 2
of the Voting Rights Act and
affirmed a lower court’s or
der that Alabama would likely
need to redraw the state’s con
gressional map to allow an ad
ditional Black majority district.
What happens next with
Allen v. Milligan?
Allen v. Milligan
leaves Section 2 of the Voting
Rights Act intact. This decision
will allow future cases to con
tinue challenging other racially
discriminatory maps in court.
The majority of ongoing cases
are in southern states such as
Georgia, Louisiana, Missis
sippi, and Texas, all of which
share histories of enacting ra
cially discriminatory electoral
maps.
What is Moore v. Harper?
In Moore v. Harper
(https://bit.ly/448kpbb), the
Supreme Court was asked to
decide whether the North Car
olina Supreme Court had the
power to strike down the ille
gally gerrymandered congres
sional map for violating the
North Carolina Constitution.
North Carolina argued that
the ‘independent state legisla
ture theory’ rendered the state
courts and state constitution
powerless in matters relating to
federal elections.
Continued on Page 4
Major Henry “Hank” Gibbs, III
Promoted To Major
Maj. Henry Gibbs,
III has been promoted to Major
from Captain effective May 12,
2023. He is the Commander &
Senior Air Reserve Technician,
940th Maintenance and Air
craft Maintenance Squadrons,
940th Maintenance Group,
Beale Air Force Base, Cali
fornia. He is responsible for
the sustainment maintenance
of the eight unit equipped KC
135R Strata tankers as well
as the training and equipping
of 260 reserve personnel for
worldwide deployment in sup
port of national security objec
tives.
Maj. Gibbs enlisted
into the Georgia Air National
Guard January 2001 where he
trained and performed duties
as an Electrical and Environ
mental Systems Specialist.
While working as a federal
technician, Maj. Gibbs contin
ued to seek higher education
and earned his bachelor degree
in 2010. Maj Gibbs contin
ued his enlisted service until
2013 when he earned his com
mission. Since 2013, he has
served in 5 different squadrons
in varying capacities as well as
served at the MAJCOM level
on the AMC staff as Deputy
Chief, Surveillance and Eval
uation Branch, Commercial
Airlift Division. During his
Maj. Henry “Hank”
Gibbs III
enlisted time, he served four
tours in support of Operations
ENDURING FREEDOM and
JOINT ENTERPRISE.
Major Gibbs is the
proud son of Pastor Henry
Gibbs, Jr. and Jane I. John-
son-Gibbs, both of Savannah,
GA. Local ROTC student
pinned as Major of the US Air
force, June 15, 2023. A gradu
ate of Robert W. Groves High
School class of 1995.
To God be the glory
for all He has done for our son
& daughter.
Inside This Week’s Edition of
The Savannah Tribune
•2023 Rev.
William
Daniels
Scholarship
Program...
Page 3
ROBERT E. JAMES
Preticfenf Smce
December 1971
CARVER'
STATE BANK
est, Feb, 23, 1927
96 Years of Service, Leadership and Success!
LOUIS 6 TOOMER
founder ond
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