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1. Eric Adams

New York City Mayor

New York City Mayor Eric Adams started his term with a pledge to get stuff done. As far as getting Albany on board with some of those priorities, hes had mixed results. While the states leaders signed off on bail reform changes that he backed, he only managed to secure a two-year extension of mayoral control of schools. Throughout June, hell be keeping busy trying to get the New York City Council to sign off on his budget proposal, which would boost spending for police and set aside $5 billion for affordable housing.

State Senate Majority Leader

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins had a busy legislative session. The Westchester lawmaker passed legislation protecting abortion access and combating gun violence, which became a high priority after the deadly Buffalo supermarket shooting. And thats after an already busy state budget process, which brought her successes such as increased funding for child care and disappointments such as bail reform rollbacks.

Assembly Speaker

New Yorks redistricting snafu left the states political leaders in a tough position, though Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie avoided contending with changes to the Assemblys new district maps and any threats to his unsurmountable majority. Meanwhile, the Bronx legislator delivered a major victory to survivors of sexual abuse by passing the the previously stalled Adult Survivors Act and has kept laser focused on other progressive legislative priorities.

State Attorney General

State Attorney General Letitia James excited many New Yorkers with her gubernatorial aspirations last year. But James said she wanted to finish the job on various ongoing investigations she has spearheaded, shifting her focus to securing a second term as attorney general. With multiple court rulings in her favor, James' probe into the business practices of former President Donald Trump and his associates remains one of her top priorities.

Chair, House Democratic Caucus

As New Yorks court-appointed special master redrew the states electoral maps, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries went on the offensive. The House Democratic Caucus chair said the initial draft maps would make Jim Crow blush and decimate Black districts. In an effort to get the maps changed, the top-ranking Democrat spent tens of thousands of dollars in advertising to denounce the proposal. The final maps ultimately ensured that Bedford-Stuyvesant remained in one district as Jeffries insisted, but he still decried the process, calling it a constitutional travesty.

New York City Council Speaker

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has faced down her first budget negotiation process as the legislative bodys leader. The Queens lawmaker outlined several priorities in her State of the City speech in May, including increasing capital funding for housing to $4 billion, ensuring youth employment programs run year-round and expanding curbside organics collection in the five boroughs. Now, she has to square those goals with the mayors own budget proposal ahead of the July budget deadline.

Assembly Majority Leader

A white 18-year-old driven by racism shot 13 shoppers at a Buffalo supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in May, terrifying Western New York residents. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes called the attack in her district an act of terrorism on the Black community." She has joined other New York officials in pushing for a stronger response to racism and gun violence, while also urging the federal government to do more to regulate access to guns and other military-grade equipment.

Member of Congress

As chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rep. Gregory Meeks has played a key role in Congress monitoring developments in Ukraine. He and other congressional leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv earlier this year and worked with colleagues to pass legislation making it easier for the United States to lend the country military equipment. Meeks also criticized the process for redrawing electoral maps in New York in May, calling it a disaster and anti-democratic.

Chair, Bronx Democratic Party

Throughout state Sen. Jamaal Baileys five years in office, he has been committed to criminal justice reform and greater police oversight. That includes sponsoring the Clean Slate Act and legislation that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in December that raises the minimum age for arrest and prosecution of juveniles from 7 to 12 years old. Bailey also continues to play a key role shaping political developments in the Bronx as the head of the Bronx Democratic Party.

Founder and President, National Action Network

After a white teenager killed 10 shoppers and injured three in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, the Rev. Al Sharpton immediately headed to Western New York to console the families of the shooting victims and plead for change. The veteran civil rights leader pledged that his organization, the National Action Network, would cover the funeral expenses for those killed in the racist attack. He also called on President Joe Biden to hold a summit on hate crimes.

President, 1199SEIU

George Gresham was pleased with this years state budget, praising the meaningful pay raise allocated to home care workers in New York and increased funding for safety net hospitals. Supporting health care workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has been a top priority for Gresham, who was elected president of the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East in 2007. The leader of New Yorks largest union also joined the attorney general in calling for additional protections for nursing home workers.

New York City Public Advocate

In this years gubernatorial election, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is the left-wing foil to Gov. Kathy Hochul. He has been critical of the governors decision to change the states bail reform laws, saying that she was feed(ing) the fearmongering to win the election. The public advocate has also been an avid critic of criminal justice policies on the local level, lambasting New York City Mayor Eric Adams for reinstating the plainclothes anti-gun unit of the NYPD.

Commissioner, New York City Police Department

Mayor Eric Adams said he wanted an emotionally intelligent and compassionate leader when he interviewed a handful of high-ranking female officers last year. He ultimately chose then-Nassau County Chief of Detectives Keechant Sewell to serve as police commissioner. She immediately had to grapple with several severe crimes, including the shooting deaths of two young police officers. Sewell has also criticized the Manhattan district attorneys prosecution policies as soft on crime and successfully lobbied for tougher bail reform measures in Albany.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Under Preet Bharara, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York successfully prosecuted a string of corrupt state lawmakers. Damian Williams, the first Black occupant of the office, has brought renewed attention to Albany misdeeds, bringing a bombshell indictment against Brian Benjamin, a former state senator who had been appointed lieutenant governor, on campaign finance charges. Benjamins subsequent resignation shook up the New York political landscape.

Chief Adviser, New York City Mayors Office

Ingrid Lewis-Martin is one of few people in City Hall who can say with authority she speaks directly for the mayor. Adamss closet adviser also happens to be his longest-serving aide. She handled hiring decisions and operations for Adams during his tenure as a state senator and was appointed deputy borough president when Adams was in Brooklyn Borough Hall. Now she preapproves budgets, recruits candidates for administration jobs and liaises with city agencies and public officials on Adams behalf.

New York City Schools Chancellor

As New York City Mayor Eric Adams made his pitch to state lawmakers that mayoral control of the citys public schools should be renewed, Schools Chancellor David Banks was right alongside him. Banks joined other Adams administration officials on a trip to Albany in May, aiming to assuage legislators concerns and pledging to ensure parents voices are heard. Banks also spearheaded an expansion of the citys Gifted and Talented Program.

New York City Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives

Sheena Wrights track record helping vulnerable New Yorkers attracted the attention of Eric Adams, who put the United Way executive in charge of his transition committee last year. Wright said she would prioritize diversity when filling out posts in the Adams administration and she scored a top position of her own when Adams tapped her to be a deputy mayor. She has since administered a scholarship account for 97% of kindergartners and helped secure $100 million to make child care more accessible.

Chair, Brooklyn Democratic Party

Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn has been busy leading a Brooklyn Democratic Party at war with itself. And this years primary elections, in which many reformer candidates are seeking to unseat incumbent district leaders, will play a key role in determining whether she comes out on top. Yet the Brooklyn Democratic leader continues to maintain strong ties at City Hall, backing Mayor Eric Adams as resolutely as she backed his predecessor, Bill de Blasio.

Bronx District Attorney

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark has been vocal in calling for more flexibility in charging teenagers with gun possession and other limits prosecutors in New York City face. The boroughs top prosecutor who was also the first Black woman to be elected as district attorney in the state was pleased to see the governor and state Legislature take up many of those issues in this years state budget. That includes making it easier to prosecute gun trafficking and making changes to the states discovery laws.

Member of Congress

Rep. Ritchie Torres made history as the first openly gay Afro-Latino person elected to Congress two years ago. Since then, Torres has kept busy in New York City and on Capitol Hill. The Bronx lawmaker has pushed congressional leaders to ensure funding is in place for public housing and rental assistance, and together with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation strengthening fire safety after a devastating Bronx fire killed 17 people earlier this year.

Member of Congress

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Yvette Clarke remains focused on cybersecurity issues and pressing local challenges in New York. Clarke, along with fellow representatives, sent a letter urging the Internal Revenue Service to halt the agencys plan to require anyone trying to access records online to use facial recognition software. After a fire in the Bronx killed 17 residents early this year, the Brooklyn lawmaker and Rep. Ritchie Torres also introduced the Safer Heat Act, which would establish safety standards for space heaters.

President, 32BJ SEIU

More than 30,000 door attendants and building workers prepared to go on strike earlier this year. But Kyle Bragg of 32BJ SEIU managed to secure a contract deal with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, averting a strike. Bragg, who has served as the unions president since 2019, has been leading the push for increased wages for the workers to account for inflation. Having spent 35 years as a member of the 32BJ SEIU, Bragg has also been critical of high health care costs in New York.

Chair, State Senate Committee on Children and Families

The Democratic Socialists of America has made significant inroads in Albany in recent years, winning half a dozen state legislative seats and pushing for such legislation as higher taxes on the wealthy, single-payer health care and tenant protections. While progressive momentum on some issues, such as criminal justice reform, has fizzled this year, the DSA-backed state Sen. Jabari Brisport became the leading advocate of a push for universal child care and notched a victory when the governor got behind a record $7 billion in child care funding.

Manhattan District Attorney

Since making history as the first African American to serve as Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg has struggled with a rocky transition. The district attorney faced backlash soon after taking office for no longer prosecuting people for minor offenses such as marijuana misdeameanors and prostitution. By March, Bragg drew national scrutiny after two prosecutors in his office resigned over disagreements about whether to bring criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. He maintains that the high-profile investigation is still ongoing, and that his office is exploring evidence not previously explored.

Host, Inside City Hall," NY1

New York politicos seeking insight on the latest developments in New York City and Albany tune into Inside City Hall on NY1. Errol Louis has hosted the nightly primetime show for more than a decade, interviewing prominent local, state and national elected officials about pressing political issues in the region. Louis also regularly pens columns in New York magazine, evaluating topics such as the mayors progress on tackling crime and redistricting.

Chair, Assembly Labor Committee

Assembly Member Latoya Joyner has been laser-focused on pushing forward legislation to support workers in New York. The Assembly Labor Committee chair introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act alongside state Sen. Jessica Ramos, and it would prevent employers like Amazon from penalizing workers for failing to meet work quotas because they used rest periods and bathroom breaks. Joyner has also been working to get New York to pass a bill that would increase minimum wage to $20.45 by 2025.

Bronx Borough President

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson made history this year as the first woman and Black person to hold her position leading the borough. But soon after her tenure began, tragedy struck the Bronx, when an apartment building fire in Fordham Heights killed 17 people. Gibsons team mobilized to help other government agencies and organizations connect victims to resources and accommodations in the aftermath. The borough president has also outlined economic development, job creation and COVID-19 recovery as some of her priorities in office.

Member of Congress

The first-term progressive representative who made headlines for defeating a longtime incumbent in 2020 appears to be coasting to reelection this year after emerging unscathed from redistricting. Rep. Jamaal Bowman has drawn some criticism for his decision to break from his fellow Democrats by taking a stance against the Abraham Accords and for voting against the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill. Bowman managed to avoid what wouldve been a tough challenge from Rep. Mondaire Jones, who had the option of running in his district after new congressional maps were finalized.

Chair, City University of New York

The former New York City comptroller has presided over the citys public university system during difficult times and has gotten it through the other side. Bill Thompson, along with CUNY Chancellor Flix Matos Rodrguez, also hauled in $879 million for capital repair costs for its senior colleges and $240 million in operating funds in the state budget this year. There was talk Thompson could serve as Hochuls lieutenant governor replacement, but hes finishing out his term instead, ensuring CUNY continues to lift thousands of students out of poverty.

State Senators

Eleven Black lawmakers currently serve in the state Senate, led by state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Several of these senators hold key leadership positions, including state Sen. Leroy Comrie as chair of the Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee, which involves overseeing important entities ranging from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to the New York City Housing Authority. State Sen. Kevin Parker of Brooklyn chairs the Energy and Telecommunications Committee and state Sen. Robert Jackson of Manhattan chairs the Civil Service and Pensions Committee. State Sen. James Sanders Jr., who chairs the Banks Committee, has been a champion of minority- and women-owned businesses, while state Sen. Roxanne Persaud is a key player in the nonprofit sector as chair of the Committee on Social Services. State Sen. Samra Brouk chairs the Mental Health Committee, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie chairs the Elections Committee and state Sen. Cordell Cleare who won a special election last fall chairs the Committee on Womens Issues.

Commissioner, State Department of Health

Concerns about COVID-19, health care equity and other issues have kept Commissioner Mary Bassett occupied since December 2021. Though the doctor is not on the pandemics front lines, she constantly mans the informational front, providing New York state residents with the latest guidance on COVID-19, monkeypox and other health-related matters. Bassett has also been outspoken about New Yorks continued commitment to abortion access as many states other states prepare to ban the procedure.

New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services

Anne Williams-Isom is Mayor Eric Adams go-to official when it comes to leading New York Citys initiatives around health and social services for vulnerable New Yorkers. That includes playing a key role in supporting an expansion of the citys doula program and broader efforts to improve maternal health care in the region. Williams-Isom, who has previously led the nonprofit Harlem Childrens Zone, also continues to monitor the citys continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Member of Congress

Rep. Mondaire Jones has an unusual midterm election coming up. The first-term lawmaker has represented much of Rockland and Westchester counties, but after redistricting upheavals, is now busy running for an open seat encompassing lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The unusual primary will have him facing off against numerous candidates, including former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera and Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou. Jones has already managed to get the backing of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, among others.

Queens Borough President

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards successfully staved off a tough challenge in his reelection bid last year. Since beginning his first full term as borough president, Richards has been occupied bolstering diversity on Queens community boards and trying to get the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on board for a proposal to establish a ferry service connecting travelers to LaGuardia Airport. He also will continue to be a key voice in proposed rezonings across the borough, including a redevelopment project in Astoria.

New York City Council Members

One-third of the 51-member New York City Council identifies as Black or Afro Latino. Apart from Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Black lawmakers in the legislative body hold some key posts, including Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers as majority whip and transportation committee chair, Council Member Kamillah Hanks as chair of the Public Safety Committee and Council Member Rita Joseph as chair of the Education Committee. Apart from Speaker Adams, who has been in office since 2018 (and Council Members Darlene Mealy and Charles Barron, who returned to the council this year after serving in it previously), the largely youthful group is on track to make its mark in the months and years ahead.

Chancellor, State Board of Regents

Lester Young Jr. has worked to positively impact the lives of students throughout the state on the state Board of Regents since 2021, relying on his experience as a teacher, principal and official with the state Education Department. A public servant for five decades, Young has been focused on attaining educational progress and addressing educational inequities across about 700 school districts. The veteran educator is the son of the late jazz great Lester Young.

Buffalo Mayor

After dramatically losing the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary to candidate India Walton, Byron Brown saved face by securing victory in the general election with write-in votes. Now six months into his fifth term leading New York state's second largest city, he faced a tremendous challenge guiding Buffalo residents after a white teenager allegedly shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket in a predominantly Black east-side neighborhood. We won't let hateful ideology stop the progress that we are seeing and experiencing in the city of Buffalo, Brown said on CBS News in May.

Superintendent, State Department of Financial Services

Heading the state Department of Financial Services, Adrienne A. Harris plays an important role in overseeing and regulating New Yorks financial services industry. To that end, she established a climate division for her agency, which issued guidance pushing insurers to take into account the financial risks presented by climate change. The Department of Financial Services has also been expanding its team focused on regulating and guiding cryptocurrency companies under her leadership.

U.S. Attorneys, Eastern District of New York; Western District of New York

When he rolled out his U.S. attorney nominations last summer, President Joe Biden named Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton attorney Breon Peace to head the Eastern District of New York and Trini Ross, then an investigative director with the National Science Foundations Office of Inspector General, to lead the Western District of New York. Along with Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, their ascension marked the 1st time that these 3 vital roles will be filled by 3 African American legal leaders at once!, as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted in a tweet.

President, New York State Public Employees Federation

Wayne Spence has consistently proven hes got the right stuff to lead the state's second-largest public workers union, and the unions members concurred by reelecting him to a third term as president last year. Through his time as a state parole officer and beyond, hes been active with the New York State Public Employees Federation. Spence has gained member loyalty through concrete results, having negotiated three contracts with pay raises and no givebacks. Recently, Spence and union executives have been conducting a tour to meet with members in their workplaces.

Assembly Member

As abortion bans are on track to take hold in numerous states across the country, Assembly Member Karines Reyes has been one of the key lawmakers bolstering access to abortion in the state. The Bronx legislator has sponsored a bill that would create a special fund New Yorkers could donate to that would help people from other states get abortions and reproductive health care in New York. She has also rallied fellow lawmakers to adopt a measure for single-payer health care statewide.

New York City Council Members

Although New York City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan narrowly won her primary battle with incumbent Bill Perkins last year, she has quickly become one of the most high-profile members of the legislative body. She has been outspoken in her calls to abolish the NYPD, and just notched a major land use victory when a housing developer scrapped the One45 proposal that she argued was unsuitable for her Harlem district. Jordan and New York City Council Member Charles Barron, a veteran politician from Brooklyn and ideological ally on many issues, form an informal, two-member Black socialist caucus.

President and CEO, Community Service Society of New York

The leader of the Community Service Society of New York for over 35 years, David R. Jones has long been one of the foremost defenders of low-income New Yorkers. In his column in the New York Amsterdam News, Jones has called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation to tackle medical debt, demanded that New York City Mayor Eric Adams have the New York City Police Department destroy illegally gathered DNA samples and advocated for more effective alternatives to expanding gifted and talented enrollment in the city.

Editors note: David R. Jones is a member of City & States advisory board.

President, National Grid New York

Amid the push to wean New York off fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy sources, National Grid has another suggestion for fueling households. Rudolph Wynter stressed that the states gas infrastructure should have a role in the states energy portfolio and proposed using fossil-free gas sourced from methane from landfills and green hydrogen. The utility drew up the plans as an alternative to a state bill that would ban gas hook ups to new buildings starting in two years.

New York City Deputy Mayor of Public Safety

New York City Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks found some success pushing state lawmakers to adjust bail and discovery reforms to crack down on crime. Mayor Eric Adams will also be banking on the deputy mayors support as he tries to make good on his plans to crack down on gun violence, which continues to plague New York City. His appointment this year came under scrutiny due the fact that he was an unindicted co-conspirator in a police corruption probe.

Co-Founders, Black Lives Matter Greater New York

The brother-and-sister duo of Hawk and Chivona Newsome arent afraid to make powerful enemies in their efforts to stand up for Black New Yorkers. The Newsomes in recent months have called for NYPD officers to be disciplined for their brutal actions during protests following the killing of George Floyd and for renewed urgency in combating police violence but Hawks warnings of riots, fire and bloodshed in response to a reinstated NYPD anti-gun unit prompted New York City Mayor Eric Adams to tell him to back down.

Executive Director; Chair, State Office of Cannabis Management; State Cannabis Control Board

The states new marijuana law has been a long time coming, but New Yorks cannabis officials Christopher Alexander and Tremaine Wright want to ensure its rollout wont take years to implement. Alexander, a Queens native who was the lead author of the legalization bill, has taken on the role of cannabis czar and held workshops to help entrepreneurs gain a foothold. Wright, a former Brooklyn Assembly member in charge of regulating the industry, has estimated that legal weed would hit retail shops by this fall.

President and CEO, One Brooklyn Health System

Appointed as CEO in 2017, LaRay Brown took a pivotal role in the successful clinical and administrative consolidation of three health systems into the One Brooklyn Health System, serving the heavily populated central and northeast sections of the borough. She now oversees three hospitals, 12 ambulatory care centers, two nursing homes, an urgent care center and other sites serving Brooklynites. Brown joined other health care executives in March to call on state lawmakers to ensure safety-net hospitals are sufficiently funded.

President, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates

The well-connected Albany insider might be the best way to get on Assembly Speaker Carl Heasties radar in the state Capitol. Patrick B. Jenkins once worked for Rep. Gregory Meeks and as a special assistant to Heastie. These days Jenkins fundraises for Democratic candidates and is a top government affairs professional in Albany, lobbying legislative leaders on behalf of clients like DraftKings and del Lago Resort & Casino.

Read more from the original source:
The 2022 Power of Diversity: Black 100 - City & State

Grand Rapids police officer identified in death of Patrick Lyoya

Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr has been identified in the killing of Patrick Lyoya during an April 4 traffic stop.

Patrick Colson-Price, USA TODAY

Christopher Schurr a Grand Rapids,Michigan, police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoyain the back of the head on April 4 has been charged with one count of second-degreemurder, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced Thursday.

Second-degree murder is considered a felony offense. If convicted, Schurr could face a lifelong prison sentence with the possibility of parole.

Becker said the second-degree murder charge was the most severe possible, given the evidence he reviewed there was not any indication of premeditation from Schurr, he said, which prevented afirst-degree murder charge.

Schurr turned himself in, Becker said, and his arraignment could come as soon as Friday. He is likely to be tried in Kent County, with Beckers office overseeing the case.

I wouldnt charge it if I didnt think I could prove it, Becker told media gathered in the Michigan State Police precinct just northwest of Grand Rapids.

PREVIOUSLY: Medical examiner's autopsy confirms Patrick Lyoya was shot in back of head; blood-alcohol levels over limit

WATCH: Rev. Al Sharpton and Congolese community leaders hold funeral for Patrick Lyoya

Lyoya, who was 26 at the time of hisshooting,was a Congolese refugee. His deathsparked protestsin Grand Rapids, Detroit and elsewhere over thepolice departments conductwith the citys Black residents and prompted discussions over the citys commitment to racial equity, something it had pledged to improve in the wake of racial injustice protestsin 2020.

Schurr,who had been with the Grand Rapids Police Departmentsince 2015, was placed on paid administrative leave after the shooting. Police Chief Eric Winstromconfirmed Schurrs name to the publicon April 25.

Winstrom said he will recommend Schurr's suspension without pay from the police force pending termination. Schurr is entitled to an employment hearing, under city policy, Winstrom said, speaking during a press conference with other city leaders following Becker's announcement.

Footage released April 13by policeshows Schurr pulling overLyoya, who was Black,the morning of April 4 in Grand Rapids.Schurr, who is white, told Lyoya that he stopped his car because the license plate didnt match the vehicle.

Lyoya appeared confused by what Schurr was saying andexited his vehicle, prompting Schurr to tell him to get back in and provide his drivers license.

Lyoya ran away from Schurr, causing a chase through the front yards of nearby homes. Schurr eventually tackled Lyoya, the two struggled and Schurr could be heard telling Lyoya to "stop" and to "let go of the Taser, in the footage. Schurrs stun gun was deployed twicebut never made contact.

After about 90 seconds, Schurr was on top of Lyoya, who was facedown on the ground. Schurr, still yelling let go of the Taser, shot Lyoya in the back of the head.

The shooting was investigated by the Michigan State Police, which forwarded its investigation to Becker.

Defense lawyers said the shooting was not murder but an unfortunate tragedy during a volatile situation.

Mr. Lyoya gained full control of a police officers weapon while resisting arrest, placing Officer Schurr in fear of great bodily harm or death, Matt Borgula and Mark Dodge said in a written statement.

Lyoyas familygathered withattorneys to watch Beckers announcement from Detroit, andtheywere informed of the decision beforehand, Becker said. The family previouslycalled for charges and wasgiven a letter about the decision, which was translated into their native Swahili.

In Detroit, Peter Lyoya watched the televised announcement with his lawyer, Ven Johnson, and said he was pleased with the decision.

We strongly believed there was no justice in America, until today, Peter Lyoya said. What I want is the final justice for my son."

In addition to protests calling for Schurr to be charged over the shooting, Lyoyas family, attorneys and national figures like the Rev. Al Sharpton had called for Schurr to be charged.

In a statement, Ben Crump, one of the familys attorneys, said the decision to charge was encouraging and called it a "crucial step in the right direction."

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said the city will continue to evaluate its policing standards in the wake of the shooting.

City officials will examinehow officers are trained to interact during traffic stops and when traffic stops should occur, how the city conducts investigations into officers after shootings, and how officers are trained to wear and use body cameras, City Manager Mark Washington said.

Schurr's body-worn camera was deactivated during the struggle with Lyoya.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Go here to read the rest:
Patrick Lyoya shooting: Grand Rapids officer charged with murder - USA TODAY

The Rev. Al Sharpton on Tuesday called for a national strategy to combat hate and racism, claiming that the alleged shooter in Buffalo, N.Y., was radicalized by extremist language and discourse online.

Sharpton, a civil rights activist, told MSNBCs Morning Joe that leaders need to address the root causes of the mass shooting in Buffalo, including the proliferation of hate and violent messages on social media.

We need a White House summon. We need to set a national strategy on how we deal with hate and how we hold those accountable [who] in any way advance what happened in Buffalo, Sharpton said. It didnt just drop out the sky. It happened because it was methodically organized.

Payton Gendron, 18, is suspected of opening fire at a grocery store in the upstate New York city on Saturday, injuring 13 people and killing 10. Eleven of the victims were Black.

Gendron published a manifesto on social media forum 4Chan in which he ranted about the a white nationalist great replacement theory, which posits that white Americans are being replaced by growing numbers of minorities for political gain.

The tragedy, which follows other mass shootings in recent years in El Paso, Texas, at several nail salons in Georgia and at a Pittsburgh synagogue, led to renewed cries to address hate and racism in the country.

What truly needs to be replaced in this country is ignorance and hate, which is driving division, perpetuating lies, and killing our neighbors, Rep.Brian Higgins(D-N.Y.), said in a statement earlier this week.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) both vocal critics of former President Trump said that Republican leadership in Congress is not doing enough to combat bigotry.

The House GOP leadership has enabled white nationalism, white supremacy, and anti-semitism. History has taught us that what begins with words ends in far worse, Cheney said in a Twitter post. @GOP leaders must renounce and reject these views and those who hold them.

Luis Hernandez, the executive director of Youth Over Guns, told The Hill that President Biden should establish a committee to fight white supremacy.

The community needs commitment, real commitment, about what hes going to do, plans that he will implement, and things that he will work with the state and local government to make happen, Hernandez said.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Congress should pass a bill that supports the prosecution of hate crimes against Black people.

What happened on Saturday was an act of domestic terrorism, Crump said in remarks he published on Twitter, perpetrated by a young white supremacist. There is no question about his intention.

Sharpton told Morning Joe that he expected this was not the last time a shooting like this would happen, pushing politicians to act.

What we cannot do is go from Buffalo to the next, he said.

See the article here:
Sharpton calls for national strategy on dealing with hate - The Hill

Editors note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or emailtalkofthecounty@tribpub.com.

A matter of color

What is the difference between the shootings in Buffalo and Chicago? It was a white person in Buffalo. Thats what makes it a national headline. In Chicago, if a Black person does the mass killings, it does not make national headlines. Joe Biden, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson do not show up in Chicago to make a speech and demonstrate with marchers. It has to involve a white person to get the big wheels attention.

Heed the signs

Driving in Waukegan these days reminds me of driving in Vietnam in 1969-70.They also didnt believe in stop signs. Waukegan doesnt need stoplight cameras, but instead stop-sign cameras.

Political trash and lies

With all the political flyers in the mail, I hope everybody will recycle them. This might overload the paper mills, but they will be able to make some cheap toilet paper from the political trash and lies.

Wonderful place

Twice-weekly

News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday

Just want to post something positive for a change. Green Town On The Rocks, which is down by the Waukegan harbor, is a wonderful outdoor gathering place for those who want to listen to good music on a beautiful day or night. Check it out sometime.

Do what you want

If you want to break the law, come to North Chicago. You can drive go-carts down the streets, drive with loud music and loud, aftermarket mufflers and anything else that your heart desires.

Not soon enough

Great news baby formula should be available in mid-July. How do we explain this to starving babies who cant eat baby food yet?

One minute to remember

The National Moment of Remembrance is an annual event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause for one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the USA The moment was first proclaimed in May 2000 for Memorial Day that year, and was put into law by the United States Congress in December 2000.Musicians are invited to play taps. Visittapsacrossamerica.orgto participate.

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Talk of the County reader opinion: 'It was a white person in Buffalo. That's what makes it a national headline' - Chicago Tribune

In 2018, following a bruising divorce, the British singer Sarah Brown was broke, financially, emotionally and spiritually I had nothing to live for. At her lowest ebb, she turned to a voice that had given her crucial guidance and succour when she was a child: Mahalia Jackson, the pre-eminent gospel star of the 20th century.

Pop music was banned in my home growing up, Brown says. But my father owned records by Jim Reeves, Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson. And Mahalias voice opened my spirit up. I grew up in a volatile home my father beat my mum, he beat my older brother. I was seven years old, living in fear. But in Jacksons volcanic, resonant, impassioned voice, Brown found much-needed shelter and catharsis. I was able to scream along with her, and release that fear. Mahalia helped release me.

Fifty years after Jacksons death, Brown whose debut album, released tomorrow, features her takes on Mahalia standards is one of so many who continue to be inspired by her artistry, life story and activism. She was as big as Beyonc is today the prime gospel artist of the 1950s and 1960s, when gospel was the dominant music, says Al Sharpton, who toured with Jackson as a child preacher in the 1960s.

Mahalias the archetype for what we think of as gospel singing her music is the building blocks for the golden age of gospel, adds musician and label founder Matthew E White. She is to gospel what Louis Armstrong was to jazz: the beginning of this music proliferating throughout culture.

Jacksons mother died when she was five and she was raised by her devout Aunt Duke in New Orleans. She sang Protestant hymns with the choir at Plymouth Rock Baptist church and while Duke forbade her from entering the nearby Pentecostal church, she couldnt resist eavesdropping on their services from the street, seduced by their exuberant, chaotic and joyful noises unto the Lord. Jackson later absorbed the fevered passion of the Pentecostal services into her own singing, along with other verboten influences such as blues artists Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, and the folk songs sung by workers at the docks. Her singing was so vociferous, so impassioned, she was, on more than one occasion, shooed out of the church.

Her voice was magnificent, powerful, like thunder, says Brown. You could hear the rocknroll, spiritual blues singer within this very strongly faith-led person. This delicious dichotomy went both ways: secular music profoundly influenced her singing, but the ecstasy of her belief in a higher power was intoxicating. Often as outsiders appreciating gospel culture, we fail to recognise that this is a true, personal, spiritual relationship the singer is having with their God, says White. Thats what Mahalia is expressing in her performances. When I listen to her sing, I feel shes not with us, the audience shes not addressing us, shes addressing that relationship with God.

The gospel-music recording industry barely existed when Jackson cut her first releases in 1937, the big labels assuming fans of gospel were too poor to afford records. Seemingly validating this scepticism, her earliest 78s for Decca sold badly. Pressured by the label to record blues songs instead, Jackson resisted at the age of 14, shed been visited by a vision of Christ walking across a verdant meadow, which she interpreted as the Lord [telling] me to open my mouth in his name, a mission she accepted without question.

Refusing to sing indecent music, she returned to performing in churches and at revivals, making ends meet by selling her mother-in-laws homemade cosmetics door-to-door. But within a decade shed signed to a new label, Apollo, and her 1947 single Move On Up a Little Higher caught the ear of Chicago DJ Studs Terkel, who played the record incessantly on his radio show, comparing Jacksons ever-ascending vocal to that of legendary tenor Enrico Caruso. Within a month, Move On Up had shifted 50,000 copies in Chicago; it went on to sell more than 8m worldwide.

White says that at first, that very southern, soulful style of singing wasnt what the northern churches wanted they considered it not the correct way to sing gospel. But congregation after congregation was won over. Recalling his childhood days watching from the wings as she performed, Sharpton says that when Jackson sang, her voice would build and build, and her audience would rise with her, to a point where they were overwhelmed.

She brought this sense of being a part of something bigger than herself, says Greg Cartwright, Memphis garage-rock cornerstone and leader of the Compulsive Gamblers, the Oblivians and Reigning Sound. Theres a remarkable amount of redemption in what she sings, and it goes to the core of your heart. When she sings, its like when your mother soothes you when youre a child you feel at peace, and want to let that warm wave just wash over you.

Like Brown, Californian R&B maverick Fana Hues has intimate knowledge of Jacksons gift, and the challenge she left in her wake. When I started singing, my grandma said, Oh, you sound like Mahalia! says Hues. And I didnt, not at all. But when I was 18, I had to perform her version of Precious Lord in a show in Vegas. It was such a huge song to tackle, a mountain to climb. R&B today has a lot of vocal acrobatics, but back then the purity came from her voice being a powerhouse. I had to deconstruct the way I sang I had to get to the root of what it is to sing a song so that people will feel it.

In the years that followed Move On Up, Jackson became gospels crossover star. Her journey was remarkable: a singer born in poverty who was told by an operatic tenor who tutored her earlier in her career that her singing was undignified now found herself enjoying encores and standing ovations in the worlds most celebrated venues. In 1950, she became the first gospel artist to play New Yorks Carnegie Hall. Two years later, she undertook her first tour of Europe, receiving 21 curtain calls in Paris. Her 1958 performance at the Newport jazz festival yielded one of her finest recordings; the same year, she collaborated with Duke Ellington for his ambitious suite Black, Brown and Beige. The whole essence of jazz is to be instinctual, but also intentional, says Hues. That was Mahalia, through and through. In the traditional sense, she was untrained. But there was nothing amateur about her performance her voice was so intentional.

Jacksons appeal transcended religion, race, class and genre. But, says Sharpton, she never lost her authenticity. She wasnt shaped and moulded by her producers. She was the lady you saw at church every Sunday; she just sang better. Everyone knew Mahalia had gone through some marriage problems her first husband, Ike Hockenhull, had a gambling problem and squandered her money; her second husband, Sigmond Galloway, was abusive, cheated on her, and neglected her as her health declined in the 1960s so people felt she was singing from her own pain. After my parents broke up, my mother played Mahalias recording of Precious Lord every day. Mahalia got us through bad times. She did that for all of Black America.

Success didnt spoil Jackson, who once declared: Money just draws flies. And she was keenly aware of the injustices her people suffered in Jim Crow America. Mahalia came from the south, she knew segregation, says Sharpton. She lent her artistry to the burgeoning civil-rights movement, singing in honour of Rosa Parks, raising bail money for jailed activists and working closely with Martin Luther King Jr. A lot of gospel singers and church leaders did not believe in getting politically involved, but Dr Kings was a church-based organisation, so she could participate without leaving the church, Sharpton continues. She was a foundation of the civil-rights movement. Gospel was its soundtrack. They sang gospel songs when they marched, when they went to jail, when they were brutalised.

Jacksons greatest contribution to the movement came with the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. At the Lincoln Memorial, before more than 250,000 marchers, she sang Ive Been Buked, evoking the suffering the civil-rights activists were seeking to overturn, before manifesting the movements hope and defiance with How I Got Over. King was the final speaker that night, as Sharpton explains. Martins chief of staff told me Martin was giving this speech with all these polysyllabic words, and, as a performer, Mahalia could tell he wasnt getting the response he wanted. So she called to him from the side of the stage, Tell em about the dream, Martin!

At Jacksons urging, King delivered the greatest speech of his career. Listen back to it, urges Hues. His intonation was like he was singing. Jackson had once patterned her singing on the way the preacher would preach in a cry, in a moan; now the nations most famous preacher was following her lead.

Jackson never really recovered from Kings assassination in 1968. Shed talk about Dr King in the dressing room, remembers Sharpton. Shed say, Boy Preacher, I miss Martin, I wish he was around to see all this. It was personal for her. As King had requested, she sang his favourite hymn, Precious Lord, at his funeral. The following year, at the Harlem cultural festival, she sang the hymn again, a startling, intense performance, handing the microphone to a 30-year-old Mavis Staples to finish the song, as if she were passing a baton. Its like a summit meeting, a kumbaya moment, says Questlove, who used footage of the performance for his acclaimed 2021 documentary Summer of Soul. Jackson continued to perform, touring Africa, the Caribbean and Japan, but her health was failing. She died in January 1972 at the age of 60, following surgery to clear a bowel obstruction. Aretha Franklin whom Jackson had helped raise, and who had just recorded her acclaimed gospel concert album Amazing Grace sang Precious Lord at her funeral.

Half a century on, Jacksons legacy remains indelible. For Sharpton, she brought gospel mainstream, took it out of the chitlin circuit and brought it downtown. She made the world understand gospel music without watering it down. She made them take us on our own terms. For Cartwright, Jacksons music was a bridge. And after two years of this pandemic, and with nationalism spreading everywhere, her messages of unity, love and forgiveness are exactly what the world needs right now.

For Brown, meanwhile, mimicking Jackson allowed her to find her own voice. As a young woman she joined the Inspirational Choir of the Pentecostal First Born Church of the Living God (who backed Madness on their 1983 hit Wings of a Dove), and later became a session singer, working with Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones, and touring with Roxy Music and Simple Minds. Following her divorce, however, Brown felt estranged from her gift. I didnt feel I could sing love songs any more, she says. I couldnt sing about chasing a man or being chased any more I no longer believed in romantic love, at least not as Hollywood taught it.

Rudderless, Brown once again used Jackson as her compass. She set to work on a project she had been dreaming of for two decades, reinterpreting traditional spirituals that had become synonymous with Jackson. And just as Jackson located her own truths within timeless hymns, Browns album Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson finds her singing her own story through the religious standards. I needed to sing about how Id been abused, how Id seen my father abuse my mother, she says, so I sang Nobody Knows the Trouble Ive Seen. And I sang Didnt It Rain, a song about hope and faith, because I had to believe one day I would sing with happiness. And I will. Returning to Mahalia was a cradle to my sorrow.

Jackson was, and remains, a salvation, Brown says, someone who left us a legacy of authenticity. She was going to sing, whether she was signed to a record company or not. She wouldnt change her voice, she wouldnt change her material. She stood in her greatness. And thats a lesson we could all learn from.

Sarah Brown Sings Mahalia Jackson is released on 20 May on Live Records.

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She told Martin Luther King: tell em about the dream! The eternal life of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson - The Guardian