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The president of the National Black Farmers Association has called for Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to apologize for his critical comments about a provision of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief billthat will benefit Black farmers.

John Boyd Jr., a fourth-generation Black farmer and civil rights activist, said on a Sunday episode of MSNBCs PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton that the senior South Carolina senator hasnt ever spoken up out against discrimination, despite the challenges they face.

I lobbiedSen. Lindsey Graham as a congressman. I lobbied him as a senator. Ive been by his office and asked him to help me fix the problems at the United States Department of Agriculture that caused Black farmers to lose millions of acres of land and address the lack of loans and subsidies, and hes never once used his megaphone to speak out against the discrimination, he said.

But as soon as we get justice here, some 30 years later, his very first words he said he found it troubling, and in his last part of his statement, he said that we need to check them.

Boyds comments came after Graham criticized a portion of the new legislation set to benefit Black farmers, calling it reparations.

During an appearance on Fox News last week, Graham took aim at the bill. Let me give you an example of something that really bothers me. In this bill, if youre a farmer, your loan will be forgiven up to 120 percent of your loan if youre socially disadvantaged, if youre African-American, some other minority. But if youre [a] white person, if youre a white woman, no forgiveness. Thats reparations. What does that have to do with COVID? he said.

The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden last week. The bill includes $5 billion that will go to socially disadvantaged farmers of color, including Black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian American farmers.

The measure provides $4 billion to go toward covering up to 120 percent of outstanding debt, while $1 billion will be allocated towards education, training, and technical assistance.

Some have applauded the relief for disadvantaged farmers as a steps towards addressing historic inequalities that have contributed to Black farmers shrinking numbers.

I want to reiterate that since 1910, Black farmers have lost 92 percent of their land, some 12 million acres, largely due to systematic racism, said MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton. For our viewers, what does that discrimination look like, specifically where banking and access to federal aid are concerned? You and I have talked about this for years. Youve been on the forefront of it. Explain what has happened historically and why this means something.

The Hill explained last month how Boyd described the way discrimination has often played out for Black farmers:

In counties that have farms, the USDAs Farm Service Agency has governing outposts known as county committees.

Historically, these panels have been overwhelmingly white, purposefully excluding Black farmers. Since loan programs, credit access and other government assistance are doled out through county committees, generations of Black farmerswere often heavily shut off from critical aid.

This not only created stark inequity, but also a cultureofmistrust and lack of communication between Black farmers and the agency.

Boyd said Black farmers continued to remain shut out of financial relief under the previous administration.

Weve been totally shut out. And under the last administration, Rev. Sharpton, they pulled out $29 billion to primarily white farmers in this country, where black farmers didnt participate at all, said Boyd. And when we put this bill in a part of the COVID relief bill, ten senators sponsored amendments to pull our language out. And Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is a very outspoken critic, said it really bothered him that we were a part of this spending bill.

The activist has called for Graham to apologize for his comments. He needs to apologize not only to our Black farmers but to Black people in this country who struggled for so very long and now get a chance for a little bit of justice, and he uses his megaphone to play this race-type thing when he knows firsthand that Black farmers have suffered. When he has 6,000 Black farmers in his state, and he wont help us. but he uses his megaphone to try to deny payments to Black farmers, Boyd said.

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'As Soon As We Get Justice...': Black Farmer Criticizes Sen. Lindsey Graham for Calling COVID-19 Relief Bill Provision That Benefits Black Farmers...

Lyft and Uber will share information on drivers that have been removed from their platforms for the most serious of incidents.

Lyft and Uber have announced the Industry Sharing Safety Program, a first-of-its-kind effort to share information about the drivers and delivery people deactivated from each companys platform for the most serious safety incidents including sexual assault and physical assaults resulting in a fatality.

The ridesharing giants say the goal of the programme is to further enhance the safety of the entire ridesharing industry and equip companies with important safety information to protect their customers. Lyft and Uber will share information about driver deactivations related to the five most critical safety issues within the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers (NSVRC) Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Taxonomy, along with physical assault fatalities.

Sexual assault is drastically underreported, making these crimes less likely to show up in our rigorous background check and screening processes, said Jennifer Brandenburger, Head of Policy Development at Lyft.

With the Industry Sharing Safety Program, Lyft and Uber are working together to further enhance our screening capabilities, as well as the safety of the entire rideshare industry.

Safety should never be proprietary. You should be safe no matter what ridesharing platform you choose. Were thrilled to come together with Lyft to improve safety for the entire industry, said Tony West, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Uber.

Tackling these tough safety issues is bigger than any one of us and this new Industry Sharing Safety Program demonstrates the value of working collaboratively with experts, advocates and others to make a meaningful difference. We encourage more companies to join us.

The programme has been applauded by other groups in the US, who see the cooperation of the two of the countrys biggest ride hailing companies as a boost to the safety of passengers.

The National Action Network applauds Uber and Lyft for coming together to create the Industry Sharing Safety Program, said the Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network.

Preventing serious safety incidents like sexual assault takes cooperation, even from industry competitors, and the work here will benefit everyone in the industry.

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Uber and Lyft to share banned drivers list - Intelligent Transport

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Special from the NNPA

The family of George Floyd will be honored with the Newsmaker Award for Leadership during the National Newspaper Publishers Association Fund (NNPAF) BLACK PRESS WEEK. This years press week will kick off with a two-day virtual conference on Thursday, March 18 at noon.

The NNPAF award recognizes the George Floyd Family for their collective effort for social justice, and their leadership on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Majority Whip James E Clyburn, a former publisher and the highest-ranking African American in Congress, will also be awarded the Newsmaker of the Year Award for his pivotal role in galvanizing the Black vote across America.

NNPA Fund Chair Pluria Marshall Jr., CEO of the Wave Publications, based in California, stated, These awardees are dedicated to advancing the progress of Black people. The Black Press of America is honored to recognize their achievements and express our gratitude for their heroic efforts to improve the quality of life of all Americans.

This years virtual Black Press Week theme is BLACK BUSINESS Challenges, Responsibilities, and Opportunities Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic. The two-day conference will be held Thursday, March 18, and Friday, March 19, from 11:00, am (EST) to 1:00 pm (EST).

Reportedly, 40% of Black-owned businesses have closed their doors permanently as a result of the pandemic. The challenge now is to sustain the remaining 60% struggling to survive during these uncertain times. Black newspapers are Black businesses that are experiencing similar obstacles created by the pandemic.

Because of this shared burden, the NNPA Funds first workshop on Thursday will feature U.S. Congressman and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) and U.S. Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA), a member of the Small Business Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic, Growth and Capital Access. The two high-ranking legislators will address the plans Congress is developing to help Black-owned businesses cope with various economic issues.

On Friday, the second workshop will concentrate on alternative funding for Black newspapers, including representatives from digital companies including Google, Facebook, and Borealis, that invest in nonprofit and for-profit media organizations.

The cornerstone of Black Press Week is the Enshrinement Ceremony. This year, Carter Walker Wesley (1892-1969), an American lawyer, newspaperman, and political activist from Houston, Texas, will be enshrined in the Black Press Archives housed at the Moorland Spingarn Research Center at Howard University.

Black Press Week is held annually to honor the nations first Black-owned newspaperFreedoms Journal on March 16, 1827. Previous NNPAF Newsmakers of the Year include Ben Crump, Al Sharpton, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Barack Obama, and the Trayvon Martin family.

Information provided by NNPA.

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George Floyd family to receive NNPAF 2021 Newsmaker of the Year Award - MSR News Online

CLEVELAND, Ohio Anyone who follows Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice, on social media got a clear look into the frustration that comes with seeking justice for the death of a child at the hands of police.

Rices latest display of vexation began during Sunday nights Grammy Awards. A performance by rapper Lil Baby of his song protest The Bigger Picture opened with the reenactment of a Black man being stopped and ultimately shot by the police. Some critics have called the reenactment of the violence traumatizing and unnecessary.

While Rice says she has no problem with Lil Baby or his message, she does have an issue with the presence of activist Tamika Mallory who delivered a speech during the performance saying, its time we take a stand. We demand the freedom this land promises.

Look at this clout chaser, Rice said of Mallory in a Facebook post on Monday while sharing a clip of the speech. Did she lose something in this fight? I dont think so. Thats the problem. They take us for a joke. Thats why we never have justice cause of s*** like this.

In an interview with Cleveland.com, Rice elaborated on her social media post. She says she feels activists like Mallory, who Rice says shes never met, are benefitting off the blood of families who have lost loved ones, gaining fame in the process.

Who hired them to represent these families? Rice says. She doesnt speak for us. If you were going to do anything you should have had the mothers on stage so they could speak for themselves.

Mallory first gained prominence as one of the lead organizers for the 2017 Womens March, which earned her a spot in Time magazines list of the 100 most influential people of the year. Mallory turned her attention to the Black Lives Matter movement following the highly publicized deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd last year.

Tamika Mallory was representing women. So how did you come over in our fight for police brutality? Rice says. Ive never met Tamika Mallory. But I dont like the way shes moving. Youve seen her over the years and now [her status] is elevated. They need to go get a life and stand back and get up out our fight.

Rice has been vocal on social media about police brutality and other social issues since the death of her son seven years ago.

Tamir was playing with an Airsoft pistol outside the Cudell Recreation Center on Nov. 22, 2014, when someone called 911. Officers were told by the dispatcher that a guy with a gun was outside the rec center. Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann and his partner, Frank Garmback, drove to the park. Garmback drove the car up over the curb beside a gazebo where Tamir sat and Loehmann hopped out of the car and shot Tamir as he approached the car.

A criminal investigation into the shooting lasted more than a year with a grand jury ultimately choosing not to charge the officers in the killing of Tamir.

Following Sunday nights Grammy Awards, Rice also criticized well-known civil rights lawyers like Ben Crump, who leads the legal team of George Floyds family, and Lee Merritt, the lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery.

Not one of you lost anything in this fight, Rice posted on social media. [Youre] robbing your own people from getting justice. They wont talk to me cause they know Im not with bulls***.

Rices social media posts drew both support and criticism, with detractors calling her a bully. But she says it wont silence her.

They can keep coming for me, Rice says. Im tired of it. Theyre making a mockery out of this fight. Theyre making a mockery out of us. Im trying to save your kids, your grandkids. So they can come after me all they want. Im not the only one who feels this way.

One person who fully supports Rice is Lisa Simpson, mother of Richard Risher, an 18-year-old who was fatally shot by LAPD officers in Watts this summer after allegedly pointing a gun at them. Simpson, who has become close friends with Rice, says her son was unarmed and running away from police.

People like Tamika Mallory are making money from this, while Im homeless living in a hotel, says Simpson. If they dont give us justice, were taking it by any means necessary. That goes for the Tamika Mallorys, the Shaun Kings, the NAACP, ACLU, Al Sharpton or anyone trying to get in our way.

Rice and Simpson arent alone in criticizing the efforts of some activists. Last August, Karen Attiah, Global Opinions Editor for the Washington Post, called into question BreonnaCon, a four-day event held in Louisville and put on by activist group Until Freedom, co-founded by Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour, in support of Breonna Taylors family.

The event featured appearances by several reality stars. Meanwhile, celebrities and activists were featured on promotional flyers rather than Taylors. The Louisville chapter of Black Lives Matter refused to work with Until Freedom, feeling the group was parachuting into the city without properly addressing the issues of police brutality.

Almost instantly, [Taylors] death became fodder for various memes and social media gimmicks that draw attention, not so much to what justice for her death would mean, but rather to the wokeness of the sender, Attiah wrote.

Approximately 4,000 people attended the event, which Mallory told the Washington Post was the result of a request made by Taylors mom to organize events to honor her daughter. But thats not enough for Rice.

Youre not going to continue to benefit on the blood of these families, Rice insists. If youre fighting for justice of the families, make sure youve got the families on the front line. Dont make a career out of this, when your loved ones arent the ones who were killed.

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Samaria Rice rebukes Tamika Mallory, others benefitting off the blood of police brutality victims - cleveland.com

CHICAGO (CBS) Uber and Lyft on Thursday announced they are teaming up to protect their customers.

The rideshare companies have launched the Industry Sharing Safety Program, and are creating a database of drivers who have been deactivated because of sexual assault and other cries.

The database will allow the two companies to screen drivers more effectively by sharing information, so dangerous rideshare and delivery drivers cant simply switch from one company to the other undetected.

The information sharing will be administered by HireRight, which will collect and manage the data from each company and match and share information between them.

The program will also be open other transportation and delivery companies throughout the states, provided that they meet specific requirements and accuracy expectations.

Safety should never be proprietary. You should be safe no matter what ridesharing platform you choose. Were thrilled to come together with Lyft to improve safety for the entire industry, Tony West, senior vice president and chief legal officer at Uber, said in a news release. Tackling these tough safety issues is bigger than any one of us and this new Industry Sharing Safety Program demonstrates the value of working collaboratively with experts, advocates and others to make a meaningful difference. We encourage more companies to join us.

Sexual assault is drastically underreported, making these crimes less likely to show up in our rigorous background check and screening processes, Jennifer Brandenburger, head of policy development at Lyft, said in the release. With the Industry Sharing Safety Program, Lyft and Uber are working together to further enhance our screening capabilities, as well as the safety of the entire rideshare industry.

The program has also garnered the praise of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), and National Action Network founder and president the Rev. Al Sharpton.

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Uber, Lyft Team Up To Protect Customers With Database Of Drivers Deactivated Due To Sex Assault, Other Crimes - CBS Chicago