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A VIEW FROM THE SOUTH LAWN ByMark Walsh on Apr 8, 2022 at 5:43 pm

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks at a White House ceremony on Friday to celebrate her confirmation to the Supreme Court. (Mark Walsh)

One day after the Senate confirmed her nomination to the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson delivered a powerful message of gratitude and acknowledgement extending generations during an event on the White House South Lawn on Friday.

It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, Jackson said before President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Cabinet members, lawmakers, civil rights advocates, her family, and others. But weve made it. Weve made it. All of us.

Her use of the plural we sparked an extra burst of applause from a crowd that included such African American women as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge; Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, and Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.; Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Kristen Clarke, the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights.

Also present were Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. There were eight other senators and about 20 other House members.

Doug Jones, the former senator from Alabama who guided Jacksons nomination through the Senate and whom Jackson called an absolute godsend, frequently removed his Biden-style aviator glasses to snap pictures with his phone.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, along with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial.

The crowd was festive on a mostly sunny, 60-degree day after three days of rain in the nations capital. Before the ceremony began, there was some speculation about just what was going to take place, and a few attendees could be heard asking who would administer the oath to Jackson.

But there would be no oath on Friday. That will come later, as Justice Stephen Breyer has said he will retire when the court begins its summer recess in late June or early July.

Supreme Court justices were invited to Fridays event, but none showed up. It seems likely that, without the cloak of being an official swearing-in ceremony, the event had too much of a political cast for the courts tastes.

The entire court has sometimes appeared at the White House for the swearing-in of a new colleague. The justices, for instance, attended oath-taking ceremonies when Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh were appointed. But Kavanaughs 2018 ceremony was marked by some sharp political barbs from President Donald Trump.

When Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed in 2020, a number of factors gave most of the justices some cover in skipping a South Lawn ceremony. The event was just days before the presidential election, COVID-19 was a major concern, and it was being held at night just hours after the Senate had confirmed Barrett. Still, Justice Clarence Thomas participated by administering one of Barretts two required oaths.

In any event, Jackson is now in the unusual position of being what some have dubbed a justice in waiting. Marcia Coyle wrote in February in The National Law Journal that no new justice has taken the oaths of office before the member of the court being replaced has left service. But a few have been sworn in the same day as the outgoing justice retired, including Breyer on Aug. 3, 1994 (replacing Harry Blackmun), and Justice Samuel Alito on Jan. 31, 2006 (replacing Sandra Day OConnor, who had extended her service beyond her initial retirement target after Chief Justice William Rehnquists death created another vacancy.)

When Jackson arrived with the president and vice president, it was Harris who took the lead.

The road toward ourmore perfect union is not alwaysstraight and it is not always smooth, Harris said. But sometimes it leads to a daylike today. A day that reminds us what ispossible, what is possible when progressis made.And that the journey, well, itwill always be worth it.

Biden said, This is going to let so much sun shine on so many young women, so many young Black women, so many minorities.

The president risked spoiling a bit of the positive vibe permeating the event by referencing the verbal abuse he said Jackson faced from Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The anger, the constant interruptions, the most vile, baseless assertions and accusations. In the face of it all, Judge Jackson showed the incredible character and integrity she possesses. Poise. Poise and composure. Patience and restraint. And yes, perseverance, and even joy, Biden said.

Jackson kept her message gracious.

Our children are telling me that they see now more than ever that here in America anything is possible, Jackson said. They also tell me that I am a role model, which I take both as an opportunity and as a huge responsibility.

I am feeling up to the task, primarily because I know that I am not alone, she added. I am standing on the shoulders of my own role models, generations of Americans who never had anything close to this kind of opportunity, but who got up every day and went to work believing in the promise of America. Showing others through their determination and, yes, their perseverance, that good, good things can be done in this great country.

She quoted the late poet Maya Angelou: I do so now while bringing the gifts my ancestors gave. I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

Link:
We've made it. All of us: Jackson is honored at White House ceremony - SCOTUSblog

Ashley Bembry-Kaintuck is enjoying her own winning season.

The filmmaker celebrated the debut release on March 14 of the documentary On & Coppin, which she co-directed with her father, renowned sports journalist Jerry Bembry.

She also attended the 94th Academy Awards on March 27,where she won an Oscar for her work as an associate producer on Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), directed by Ahmir Questlove Thompson.

Before the Oscars, I thought This should be cool, Bembry-Kaintuck said. Being there makes me want to be in a position where Ill be there again.

Bembry-Kaintuck was legit rubbing elbows with famous actors, artists and celebrities at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. She watched Questloves acceptance speech and met actors Will Smith, Tracee Ellis Ross, Bill Murray, Sam Jackson and John Leguizamo.

Leguizamo congratulated me on the Oscar, said Bembry-Kaintuck, who also spoke to musician Sheila E and civil-rights activists Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, among other celebrities, while discussing Summer of Souls depiction of the almost two-month-long 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which celebrated black history, culture, music and fashion.

The On & Coppin experience was probably the most exciting project Ive worked on even more so than Summer of Soul because it was a chance to work with my father on something that weve talked about for years, said Bembry-Kaintuck. For both of us, it was very personal. We know all the guys from those teams because I went to those games when my dad covered Coppin for The Baltimore Sun.

Narrated by The Wires Felicia Snoop Pearson, On & Coppin chronicles the unlikely first-round upset of South Carolina by Coppin State University of Baltimore on March 14, 1997, when the Eagles became the first team from the historically black Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to win an NCAA mens basketball game.

Bembry-Kaintuck discussed her journey with Zenger.

Zenger: Where did you grow up? What is your educational background?

Ashley Bembry-Kaintuck: I graduated from North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and later went to American University in Washington, D.C.

I ran track in high school and for two years in college. I ran sprints and did the long jump and triple jump. I majored in film, minored in African-American Studies and graduated in 2012.

Zenger: How does it feel to be called an Oscar winner?

ABK: Thats a hard one to answer. It feels weird because it was such a small project to start, so I didnt think it was actually going to be a thing. Its the first feature film I ever worked on, and I never thought when I started down this path I would be attending the Oscars or working on a film that won an Oscar.

Zenger: When did you feel like Summer of Soul might be in the running for an Oscar?

ABK: Probably the week before, when The New York Times ran a story that said we were the favorite to win. I had no expectations about it. When The New York Times predicts youre going to win, its a good gauge.

Zenger: What was the atmosphere like at the Oscars?

ABK: Exciting. I didnt know what to expect, and we had a lot of fun.

Zenger: What was it like walking the red carpet?

ABK: It was cool to see all the different celebrities. That was exciting.

Zenger: Who were the most exciting people you were able to meet?

ABK: John Leguizamo and Wesley Snipes, the stars of To Woo Fong, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, which is one of my favorite movies.Ive been watching that since I was young. Seeing the two of them they were both so nice and receptive. John Leguizamo congratulated me on the Oscar.

Zenger: What exactly was your role in Summer of Soul?

ABK: I was an associate producer. I pretty much found all the festival goers that appeared in the documentary and built up relationships with them. They felt comfortable when they were interviewed. I also helped out on the edit.

Zenger: Which of the musicians from the documentary did you meet?

ABK: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. from The 5th Dimension, the drummer from Sly and the Family Stone, one of the women from the Edwin Hawkins singers and the people we interviewed about the concert, such as Sheila E, Chris Rock, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Zenger: Was it exciting to work on that project?

ABK: It was a part of history. Some people, of course, I didnt know because that festival happened when my dad was a young boy. The real excitement for me was connecting with the festival goers, especially the Black Panther who was there just because my minor in college was African-American studies. So it was great to meet people who were a part of history.

Zenger: How important was Summer of Soul from a historical standpoint?

ABK: It was very important. It brought to light something that people have forgotten about, except for people who were in Harlem. There was no social media during that time, so the knowledge of what happened that summer stayed in Harlem.

While everyone equates music and 1969 with Woodstock, it was nice to work on a project where we were able to showcase another event that was just as important but not publicized.

Zenger: How rewarding was doing On & Coppin with your father?

ABK: It was probably the most exciting project Ive worked on, even more so than Summer of Soul. It was a chance to work with my father on something that weve talked about for years.

For both of us, it was very personal. We know all the guys from those teams I went to those games when my dad covered Coppin for The Baltimore Sun. Theyre like family. It was a very big deal.

Zenger: What was the significance of Coppin, as a historically black college and university [HBCU], beating South Carolina?

ABK: No one knew who Coppin was, so for this tiny HBCU to go into the NCAA tournament and beat a powerhouse like South Carolina was big.

Its something that people should know about because a lot of times, like Summer of Soul, those moments are lost in history.

That win in 1997 was big, and Fang Mitchell the Coppin coach made a difference in the lives of a lot of student athletes. To bring that story to life and to ESPN was very important.

Zenger: How did the work process on the Coppin documentary differ from what youve done on other projects?

ABK: It was different because I did everything. I handled the money, I worked on scripts, I organized shoots. I had my hands on a bit of everything.Doing that was rewarding because I got to experience sides of a production that I [otherwise] wouldnt have. It gave me further appreciation of everyones role in a project.

Zenger: Describe your relationship with your father, his guidance and creative influence on you.

ABK: He had a big influence on the fact that I wanted to be a storyteller. I went to work with him so often and saw what he did. Originally, I was going to go to school for journalism, and he told me that it probably wasnt the best route to pursue. So I studied film at American University, and I went into this field because of him.

Zenger: Do you want to work with your father again?

ABK: Yes, 100 percent, yes! And we will.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Sin Speakman

More:
'Summer Of Soul' Oscar Winner Bembry-Kaintuck's Star Is On The Rise - MSR News Online

Jackson took aim at SB 202 signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp last year, allowing state takeovers of local elections, shorter absentee ballot deadlines and new voter ID requirements for absentee ballots.

Rather than discouraging people from voting, Jackson said he hopes instead the law will spur more voters to cast their ballots.

McDonald said people are circling the wagons. I havent been engaged in action like this in probably 20 years.

While he cited tremendous advances last year in clear reference to the elections of President Joe Biden and Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael G. Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, he added, Weve got to keep this ball rolling up the hill.

Also on Tuesday, Marc Morial, the former mayor of New Orleans and now president of the National Urban League, will be in Atlanta to release the 2022 State of Black America report.

The report Under Siege: The Plot to Destroy Democracy will be unveiled at 10 a.m. at Clark Atlanta University. There will be series of panel discussions that include the Rev. Al Sharpton, who will attend virtually, and MSNBCs Tiffany Cross, who will attend.

Link:
Voting will be top at the agenda for faith leaders during upcoming rally - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton on Saturday called for the NBA to close its investigation into the Phoenix Suns and remove majority owner Robert Sarver -- or soon provide a clear timetable for a resolution. If not, Sharpton said, he might take demonstrations to Phoenix.

"The owner of the Suns was revealed in the ESPN story last November -- how Sarver, the principal owner of the Phoenix Suns, made all these racist and misogynist statements. And [the NBA] said they were going to investigate it," Sharpton said at the New York City headquarters for the National Action Network, a civil rights organization that he founded in 1991. "Well, how long does it take for an investigation when you have videos and people that come forward?

"I put the call in [Friday] to the NBA that we want them to close the investigation and remove [Sarver] or tell us the timetable by the convention."

The National Action Network is slated to hold its annual convention April 6-9 in New York City.

"We are not going to allow people to affect the culture of the NFL or the NBA and insult us and act like that's acceptable behavior," Sharpton said. "They think, because it was November, everybody forgets about it, and that's why we wanted to put that pressure on. So we are, on the Phoenix Suns."

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN on Saturday the investigation, which is being handled by the Wachtell Lipton law firm, is "ongoing and will take the time necessary to complete a thorough and comprehensive review of the matter."

Bass said any potential action by the NBA wouldn't happen until after the investigation is completed.

The NBA began its investigation into the Suns and Sarver in early November 2021, hours after ESPN published its story -- based on interviews with more than 70 current and former employees -- that included allegations of racism and misogyny in a sometimes hostile and toxic workplace in Phoenix during Sarver's 17-year tenure.

Sarver has denied most of the allegations detailed in ESPN's story.

Since then, lawyers for New York-based Wachtell Lipton, which previously led ownership-centered investigations into the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks, have interviewed more than 300 individuals, largely current and former employees, sources close to the investigation previously told ESPN. The lawyers have also had access to extensive documents, namely internal emails and human resources records, those sources said.

Employees have confirmed a range of published allegations while introducing others, sources previously told ESPN, and have provided the investigators with documents, specifically emails.

Sharpton's proclamation Saturday comes after members of a new coalition of civil rights activists, which includes four members of Sharpton's National Action Network, sent a letter on March 11 to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, as well as the NBA board of governors, that called for Sarver's removal.

"We are profoundly disturbed by the reports of racism, misogyny and abusive behavior allegedly committed by Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver," the letter from the 10-person group, which announced itself as the American Sports Accountability Project, said. "There is zero tolerance for such behavior in today's society, and we expect the NBA and its leadership to hold Mr. Sarver accountable for these despicable actions, as was done in the case of Donald Sterling."

Sharpton was part of a delegation that met with Silver in 2014 and pushed for a quick resolution regarding the investigation into Donald Sterling, the former Clippers owner who was banned from the league for racist comments that emerged from a recorded conversation.

The American Sports Accountability Project, or ASAP, also launched a website and a social media hashtag in its campaign: #SackSarver.

Excerpt from:
The Rev. Al Sharpton calls for NBA to end Phoenix Suns investigation, remove owner Robert Sarver - ESPN

A former Arkansas deputy was convicted Friday of negligent homicide and sentenced to a year in jail for fatally shooting an unarmed white teenager whose death last year drew the attention of national civil rights leaders

ByThe Associated Press

March 18, 2022, 8:35 PM

4 min read

CABOT, Ark. -- A former Arkansas deputy was convicted Friday of negligent homicide and sentenced to a year in jail for fatally shooting an unarmed white teenager whose death last year drew the attention of national civil rights leaders.

Jurors acquitted Michael Davis of the more serious offense of manslaughter while finding him guilty of the misdemeanor charge in the death of 17-year-old Hunter Brittain during a June 23 traffic stop outside Cabot, a city of about 26,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Little Rock.

The maximum jail term that Davis, a former sergeant with the Lonoke County sheriffs office, faced was one year. Manslaughter is a felony for which he would have faced between three and 10 years in prison. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Davis also was sentenced to a $1,000 fine.

Davis remains free on bond pending an appeal.

Davis, who is white, told investigators he shot Brittain once in the neck during the stop outside an auto repair shop after the teen exited his truck and reached into the bed of the pickup while failing to comply with Davis' commands to show his hands, according to the arrest affidavit. A passenger and another witness testified they never heard Davis tell the teen to show his hands.

The jurys deliberations, which began Thursday afternoon and resumed Friday morning, lasted less than three hours total.

After the verdict was announced, Brittain's family and friends chanted justice for Hunter" outside the Army National Guard facility that was used for the trial, which began Tuesday.

Rebecca Payne, Brittain's grandmother, said family members wanted the deputy convicted of the felony to ensure he could not serve as a law enforcement officer again.

Now what's going to happen? Are people going to have to fear for their lives again?" she told reporters.

Davis was fired by Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley for not turning on his body camera until after shooting Brittain. The footage, presented at the trial, shows only the moments after it happened.

The passenger in Brittain's truck said he and the teen had been working on the pickup's transmission. Brittains family members have said he was grabbing a container that held antifreeze to place behind the trucks wheel to stop it from rolling backward. Investigators found no evidence of firearms in or near the truck.

Emotionally recounting the shooting, Davis testified Thursday that he thought the teen was grabbing for a gun.

I didnt get into this job to kill people, Davis said.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Devon Jacob, who represent Brittains family, criticized the sheriff for not firing Davis over the shooting itself. The civil rights attorneys, who also represented George Floyd's family after Minneapolis police killed him in May 2020, said: Hunter deserved better."

The jurys decision is a declaration that an Arkansas law enforcement officer, in full uniform, unlawfully killed Hunter Brittain," the attorneys said in a written statement.

Robert Newcomb, Davis' attorney, said he was pleased jurors didn't find his client guilty of manslaughter but planned to challenge the standard they used to determine whether he was negligent.

The police officer has a lot more situational awareness of a danger than maybe your or I would be aware of," Newcomb told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The sheriff said he respected the jurys decision.

As I have said since day one, this was a tragic event and we all need to continue praying for those involved, Staley said in a statement posted on his offices Facebook page.

Brittain was eulogized last year by the Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as Jacob and Crump. They said the teens death highlighted the need for interracial support for changes in policing.

Go here to see the original:
Arkansas deputy convicted in teen's death, gets year in jail - ABC News