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Richard Overton, oldest World War II vet, oldest man in U.S., dies at 112
Richard Overton, the nation’s oldest World War II veteran who was also believed to be the oldest living man in the United States, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, a family member said. He was 112.
Guilty
Former Minneapolis police officer faces decades in prison after a jury convicts him of three counts in the heinous kill of George Floyd; tears of joy and relief flood the nation
MINNEAPOLIS Black Americans and others from Missouri to Florida to Minnesota cheered, marched, hugged, waved signs and sang jubilantly in the streets Tuesday after a Minneapolis jury found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murder in the death of George Floyd.
Auschwitz survivors warn of rising anti-Semitism 75 years after camp's liberation
Survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp prayed and wept as they marked the 75th anniversary of its liberation, returning Monday to the place where they lost entire families and warning about the ominous growth of anti-Semitism and hatred in the world.
Jewish community prays for miracles after condo collapse
Numerous members of an Orthodox synagogue are among those missing after the collapse last week of a seaside condominium tower in Surfside, Fla.
Rep. Cummings remembered as ‘fierce champion’
First African-American lawmaker to lie in state at Capitol
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings was eulogized as a leader with the fiery moral conviction of an Old Testament prophet at a funeral last Friday that brought former presidents and ordinary people alike to the Baltimore church where the congressman worshipped for four decades.
Churches mobilize to help families impacted by immigration raids
The children of Sacred Heart Catholic Church streamed out into Mississippi’s blistering heat last Sunday afternoon, carrying what they said was a message of opposition against immigration raids their parents could not.
Lt. Gov. Fairfax files $400M defamation suit against CBS
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax is suing CBS for $400 million, claiming the company defamed him when it broadcast interviews with two women he said have falsely accused him of sexual assault.
Missy Elliott honored at MTV Awards
Missy Elliott, the rapper-singer-songwriter-producer-dancer and Portsmouth native whose music videos have moved the needle over the last two decades, was honored at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, where Taylor Swift also took center stage with her gay pride anthem, “You Need to Calm Down.”
More U.S. churches commit to reparations
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas acknowledges that its first bishop in 1859 was a slaveholder. An Episcopal church erects a plaque noting the building’s creation in New York City in 1810 was made possible by wealth resulting from slavery.
Melvin Van Peebles, ‘godfather’ of modern Black cinema, dies at 89
Melvin Van Peebles, the groundbreaking filmmaker, playwright and musician whose work ushered in the “blaxploitation” wave of the 1970s and influenced filmmakers long after, has died. He was 89.
Plans advance to build memorial, museum to U.S. lynching victims
The Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners denied fair and just treatment in the legal system, plans to open the first national memorial to African-American victims of lynching.
Malia, Sasha turn heads at first state dinner
Sasha and Malia Obama, the teenage daughters of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, were nothing less than stunning for their first state dinner, where they were first clad in designer fabrics and later in controversy. During the official White House event last Thursday night welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, both Sasha and Malia ruled the red carpet, rubbed elbows with dignitaries and enjoyed a rare star-struck moment with “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds.
LGBT activists see had work ahead despite U.S. Supreme Court victory
LGBT rights activists are elated by a major U.S. Supreme Court victory on job discrimination, and hope the decision will spur action against other biases faced by their community despite Trump administration efforts to slow or reverse advances.
Pharrell Williams wants to grow Virginia’s film, TV industry
Two years ago, Pharrell Williams co-produced the movie “Hidden Figures.”
Closure pending as Bennett College loses accreditation
After two years of probation, Bennett College, one of just two historically black private women’s colleges in the country, has lost its accreditation, threatening the 145-year-old school’s survival.
Episcopal bishop ‘outraged’ by Trump church photo op
The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington sharply criticized President Trump on Monday for staging a visit to the historic St. John’s Church across from the White House, where he held up a Bible after authorities had cleared the area of peaceful protesters using tear gas.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush dies
A private funeral for former First Lady Barbara Bush, the only American woman to see her husband and son both sworn in as president, will be held on Saturday, April 21, at a Houston church where her family has been members since the 1950s, officials said.
Dr. Patricia Bath, whose patents advanced cataract treatment, dies at 76
Dr. Patricia Bath, a pioneering ophthalmologist who became the first African-American female doctor to receive a medical patent after she invented a more precise treatment of cataracts, has died. She was 76.
George Floyd, ‘cornerstone of a movement,’ is laid to rest
Fifteen days after George Floyd cried out for his mother with his final breaths, the 46-year-old who has become a worldwide symbol in the call for justice was laid to rest beside his mother after a funeral Tuesday in his boyhood home of Houston.
49th Annual NAACP Image Awards slated for Jan.15
Final preparations are underway for the 49th NAACP Image Awards, which will air in a live, two-hour television special on Monday, Jan. 15, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
