Let’s be clear, African Americans have done our part, we have fought in every war built businesses advanced science created culture and strengthened our democracy, often while being denied its full benefits There has been undeniable progress, but significant challenges still remain As Chairman of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, I believe this moment calls for our collective vigilance and less complacency
See See 250 Years
By Zack Linly, NewsOne
President
fund for
may
but
are issues regarding the settlement that brought the fund about that need to be addressed, particularly the part where Trump and his family members were granted immunity from IRS investigations Fortunately, a federal judge is on the case and on Trump s neck, accusing the president of suing an agency he currently controls for an “improper purpose ”
See N Scott Phillip, p 6
Cashless Payment Systems are the boring move every Black shop needs
By Amy Kang, BlackPressUSA
Silently guard your small shop s revenue with the understated cashless payment systems Do not let that card-and-phone sale miss your counter If you want to grow your black-owned business this clean record really matters compared to any flashy storefront feature
See Cashless Payment Systems p 6 A history of the Racist Rebranding Of Watermelon in the US
By Nicky Childers, NewsOne
Dear reader please feel free to roll your eyes right along with me Oh, watermelon Ordinarily, this midsummer food and its holiday pass by without me paying it much if any attention
As a kid, I wasn t all that into watermelon Cantaloupe, either The ones I had access to on summer lunch trays and from the local grocery store didn’t vibe with my burgeoning palate Eating watermelon meant undertaking the cumbersome task of sifting through a mess of black seeds for flesh that lacked any real flavor Cantaloupe was no better I found it just as bland and watered down
See Racist Rebranding, p 6
County commission secur es a new ambulance
On Monday, July 13th, the county commission met for a regular session to discuss contracts, repairs, and their continued support of Greene County’s EMS
All county commissioners were present to discuss new minutes and approve the minutes of the previous session All financial reports and claim payments were approved as well
The county commission is not solely responsible for funding EMS but they have surely done their due
Greene County
diligence in the absence of towns that have not offered the much-needed support (except Union) Chairman Garria Spencer wanted to report the assistance for the ambulance service received from government officials such as Bobby Singleton and Terri Sewell EMS board members and the county commission have been tirelessly calling representatives and doing whatever they can to undo the wrongs of the previous EMS board members
Their efforts convinced representatives to secure a new ambulance for the county to lease to the EMS, free of charge While a new ambulance was secured the county commission still discussed the need to contribute funds to the EMS Chairman Spencer proposed that the county’s Bingo Fund could support the EMS if funds were allocated to it
He also reminded commissioners and those present that the commission has been supporting the sheriff department’s payroll as well As the loaned funds have not been paid back to the commission as agreed, the agreement will be terminated Spencer urges citizens to review the state audit for the sheriff's department and join him in ensuring Bingo Fund proceeds support the county’s public resources
See Commission, p 5
City council a ppr oves r esolutions for water quality and welcomes new city cler k
Eutaw’s city council met for a regular session on Tuesday, July 14th All council members and administrators were present, including new city clerk Ke Undra Cox Citizens raised concerns about road hazards in their respective districts
During council member reports, Councilman French urged citizens to attend the upcoming city council work session on Tuesday July 21st at 5:00 pm This session will be the perfect time to discuss ideas for initiatives and city improvements with city officials The mayor also informed attendees that community meetings will continue sometime next month
Attending citizens raised a myriad of concerns about road safety Some were worried about dangerous levels of speeding over-
Free, family-friendly outdoor concert series returns to the Selma Riverfront Amphitheater with an immersive lineup of distinct cultural themes, kicking off with the Bridge City Jazz Festival on July 25th
SELMA, AL July 14, 2026: The countdown to an unforgettable season of free live music under summer sunsets and into autumn evenings in historic Selma is officially underway The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) announces the themes and calendar for 2026’s return of the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series
hanging limbs, and transport trucks destroying the roads The mayor assured them that speed signs and speed bumps had been ordered for the roads mentioned He also discussed that they were working with the county to clear overhanging limbs to prevent any further damage to vehicles
The following agenda items were approved at the meeting:
Resolution Number
2026-08: To apply for the PY 2026 CDBG Grant
Resolution Number 2026-09: For Professional Administrative Services from Grant Management LLC
Resolution Number 2026-10: For Professional Engineering Services from Thompson Engineering
Resolution Number 2026-11: An Amendment to the 2022 Water System
power of free live music in bringing community together
Resiliency Restoration Project ADEM Project No
FS010444-02, Contract for Professional Services with the Cassidy Company Amendment No 2
Resolution Number
2026-12: An Amendment to the 2022 Wastewater Contract for Professional Services with the Cassidy Company, Amendment No 1 Restoration Project, ADEM Project No
CS011013-01
Resolution Number
2026-13: Supplemental Application No 2 for a loan (Drinking Water)
Resolution Number 2026-14: Supplemental Application for a loan (Wastewater)
Resolution Number
2026-15: Banking Signatories to add Ke’Undra Cox, City Clerk Approve Payment of Bills
Selma Music Series, p 2 Black Belt Community Foundation announces the
the very best of downtown Selma "
Season of Immersive Themes: Instead of focusing purely on individual performers the 2026 series is designed around seven planned experiences that offer something for every member of the family
Beginning Saturday, July 25, the series will bring seven unique cultural experiences to Selma's Riverfront Amphitheater Families, friends, and neighbors from across the region are invited to bring their blankets sunbrellas and lawn chairs to the amphitheater lawn to experience the transformational
Supported in large part by the Levitt Family Foundation a social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space, and community building, the Levitt AMP Music Series program injects new life into public spaces through free, outdoor concerts across the country The 2026 season marks an exciting new chapter for
Selma building on the success of past seasons to present professionally produced, immersive themed festival dates running through late October
"This season is about so much more than just the music on stage," says Lydia Chatmon, TRHT Selma Director "It's about bringing people together supporting our local business ecosystem, celebrating our rich cultural heritage and showcasing
•July 25 The Inaugural Bridge City Jazz Festival: The season sets sail with an elegant smoothjazz atmosphere Concertgoers are encouraged to come dressed in all-white attire for this premier opening night event •August 8 Joy Jamboree: A dedicated day of play music and smiles designed specifically for children and families, featuring bounce houses, face painting, games, and youth-oriented fun
County Commissioners with new ambulance and EMS workers
City clerk Ke’Undra Cox and Mayor
We Make Do
Those dusty roads and fields stretching far toward yonder are always home for us or reminding us of home, a place to return to, even in times of falling back and losing rights our hearts reach for a place where We make do.
Our hands can still grow peas,tomatoes, and greens and we can walk through our fields We eat what we grow and market all produce we can, hoping to generate income for other needs We make do
Now a days, we hardly see a mule in the fields (we could feed the mules)
We run those tractors on so much fuel, We live in a mirage of plenty with fewer resources to keep the family provided We just make do
We try lifting our voices in leadership sacrificing to govern for the greater good hoping the young will value giving before grasping power wearing blindfolds when we all struggle and know We just make do
We make do to keep our land We make do to give our children schooling We make do to keep struggling to keep our vote
And we will always make do to come back home, to that place we need to know we can return to
Carol Prejean Zippert
Selma Music Series
•August 22
Smoke in the City: BBQ & Blues Festival: Fire up the grill and claim your bragging rights! This date blends a competitive community barbecue atmosphere with a soulful soundtrack of regional blues
•September 12 Classic Cars & Chrome: Cruise in for this celebration of sleek vintage automobiles and deep musical grooves, featuring a car show paired with the absolute best in classic R&B Soul and Funk
•September 26
Gospel Fest: An uplifting community favorite that elevates local and regional voices, celebrating the profound spiritual and musical heritage of the Black Belt
•October 10 Fiesta on the River!: A vibrant cultural celebration packed with high-energy Latin music salsa beats and a community taco-eating contest, so don’t forget the hot sauce
•October 24 Southern Soul: The Grand Finale: The ultimate season closer bringing the community together one last night to celebrate some funky soul, great food, and collective joy
Event Details & Vendor
Info
To satisfy every craving, a diverse rotation of local food trucks and vendors from across the region will be on-site for every event The Levitt AMP Selma Music Series is held inside Selma's Riverfront Amphitheater and surrounds, located at 3 Lawrence Street in Downtown Selma
(directly across from the Evans Reception Hall)
Admission to all events is completely free and open to the general public
Specific artist announcements, finite scheduling details, weather updates, and information regarding parking and wheelchair accessibility will be updated continuously The public is highly encouraged to visit the official website at w w w
and follow the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series on social media, including Facebook for the most up-to-date schedule The main FB page- Levitt AMP Selma”- is found at https://www facebook com /LevittAMPSelma
In 2023 the Black Belt Community Foundation was named one of a select group of nonprofits across America to receive a Levitt Music Series grant from the Levitt Family Foundation to present free outdoor concerts This ongoing initiative is made possible through vital local partnerships, including the City of Selma the Selma Center for Nonviolence Truth and Reconciliation, and the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce, all under the umbrella of BBCF s TRHT Selma begun through a multi-year grant from the W K Kellogg Foundation About Black Belt Community Foundation: The mission of the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) is to forge a collective stream of giving that transforms our 12county region in Alabama and connects those interested in having an impact in this region with nonprofits that are making a difference today Founded in 2004 with the idea that
of a
those living and working in the Black Belt best knew the area s challenges and opportunities, the Black Belt Community Foundation actively puts needed resources into the region that make a lasting impact The Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation initiative in Selma (TRHT Selma) is a core program of BBCF and serves as the lead programmatic organizer implementing the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series TRHT Selma is a comprehensive, community-based process to plan for and bring about transformational, sustainable change while addressing the historic and contemporary effects of racism all supported by a multi-year grant from the W K Kellogg Foundation About Levitt Family Foundation: The Levitt AMP Selma Music Series is supported in part by the Levitt Family Foundation which partners with changemakers and nonprofits to strengthen the social fabric of communities in America through free live music in outdoor public spaces Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming Levitt concerts are welcoming, inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together In 2026 the Levitt Family Foundation is supporting over 900 free concerts in 90+ towns and cities across the country bringing joy to over a million people In addition to supporting free concerts, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing vibrant music ecosystems through partnerships, field-building initiatives, and research levitt org
July 26- St Paul United Methodist Church will host Family and Friend Day Program at 2:00 p m Pastor Joe N Webb of New Generation Church, along with his congregation choir and male chorus Eutaw AL The public is invited Rev LaTonya M Brown is church pastor July 26-Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church of West Greene, Alabama, will celebrate its 160th Church Anniversary on July 26, 2026, beginning at 1:30 p m We are honored to welcome Rev Corey Savage Pastor of Plum Grove Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa Alabama as our guest speaker for this special occasion Come and join us as we give thanks to God for 160 years of ministry, worship, and service to the community and for the LORD The public is invited!
Missionary Gospel singers 20th Anniversary Celebration, Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 7:00 p m From the Southside Church of God in Christ Tuscaloosa, AL, Elder Ben Jackson Jr Pastor Climaxing: Sunday, August 9, 2026 Mt Zoar Missionary Baptist Church Boligee Alabama Location: Boligee Highway 11 South/ County Road 138 Rev Robert Johnson interim pastor and speaker The public is invited
August 16- Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Church Boligee, AL will host their Pastor Rev Jeffery and 1st Lady Kelly 5th Annual Pastoral Appreciation at 1:30 p m Pastor Jimmie Cockrell from Pine Hill Baptist Church Columbus MS is the guest speaker, for 11:00 a m morning worship and at 1:30 p m speaker Pastor Pastor Robert Chandler Second Baptist Church Brooksville, MS This is also a time for those who have been a part of our church body to "come home" and join us to celebrate their time as a part of our congregation
-WantedSaint Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Boligee, Alabama is prayerfully seeking a full-time pastor to lead and grow our membership through preaching, teaching, shepherding and providing overall spiritual leadership It is required that the chosen male pastor is Holy Ghost-filled and is married to a female wife Please send resumes and inquiries to: Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church, PO Box 158, Boligee, AL 35443
(Placing this ad is Deacon Detrick Hodges My phone number is 205-496-9523 )
Man A novel by Senator Hank Sanders Available at The Greene County Democrat $26 plus $4 shipping and handling
The Greene County Democrat P O Box 598, Eutaw, AL 35462
Gr eene County Deacons’ W ives Sponsor Fr ee Giveaway
The Greene County Deacons’ Wives sponsored an outreach community “Love Giveaway” on Saturday, June 27, 2026 New and gently used men, women, and children clothing, shoes and handbags, household items, seasonal décor, and more were given to families from 10:00a m until 11: 00p m at the Greene County Missionary Baptist District Christian Center Our organization is small, but we wanted to do something. Our desire was to let people know that we care about them because our role as christians is to reach out and help others We look forward to providing this outreach annually
Gr eene County Childr en’s Policy Council announces next One Book-One community r eading event
On February 1, 2022 the Greene County Children’s Policy Council launched the “Read Greene Read” project The project is designed to get all Greene Countians both children and adults excited about reading The next event of Read Greene Read will be held on August 9, 2026, at the Eutaw Activity Center The read-
ing will begin at 2:00 p m
The event will feature Mynecia Steele reading her book “Picture That ” According to Judge Lillie Jones-Osborne a free soul food dinner will be served and individuals will receive a copy of Mynecia Steele s book
We are encouraging all churches, organizations, youth groups, children, and parents to attend this free event For additional information you may contact Hon Lillie Jones-Osborne or Cortnei’ Cook-Hood at 205372-6924 We hope to see you on August 9 2026 at 2:00 p m , and let s Read Greene Read
Pleasant Valley Ba ptist Chur ch youth enjoyed a day of fellowship
Building strong young people doesn't just happen in church it happens through fellowship, fun, and meaningful relationships!
On Saturday July 11 the youth of Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church recently enjoyed an exciting outing that included bowling at Shindig in Tuscaloosa followed by a delicious meal at CiCis pizza
Special thanks to our ded-
icated youth leaders Rev Terrance Fletcher Cassandra Jordan Monica Jordan Pamela McGhee, Sheila Tillman, Jessica Williams and Linda Alford for investing their time and energy into our young people We are also grateful to all who supports the youth department Their commitment helps create lasting memories while strengthening faith, friendships, and fellowship
Also joining the group was our pastor Dr Larry D Williams whose continued support and encouragement of our youth ministry is deeply appreciated
We thank God for a wonderful day filled with laughter, fellowship, and love Our youth are not just the church of tomorrow they are an important part of the church today!
Eutaw Ar ea Chamber of Commer ce selects new of ficer s
Members of the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank everyone who has served as an officer or board member this past year Thank you for your time, dedication, and vision you all have brought to the roll Your commitment to supporting local businesses, fostering partnerships and encouraging community growth has been truly appreciated
Thank you for your service and for all you've done to strengthen our community Wishing all of you continued success in all that lies ahead
On June 9, 2026 we elected new officers and board members for the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce Welcome to the Board! We are delighted to have you join the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to the ideas, experience, and enthusiasm you bring Thank you for committing your time and talents to this important venture
President - Desiree Seymore with Legacy Medical Training Center
Vice President- Trey Dively with Merchants &
(PARA) Divine Divas perfor mance at Renaissance T heater
The Greene County Park & Recreation Authority (PARA) proudly congratulates the Divine Divas on a spectacular showcase at the Renaissance Theater June 27, 2026 From the youngest performers to the oldest each dancer took the stage with confidence, grace, and determination, reflecting months of hard work and dedication They don't just show a dance recital they show confidence, joy, teamwork, and pride
This unforgettable event was made possible through the commitment of our in-
The Greene County Board Of Education will meet in REGULAR SESSION Thursday, July 23, 2026 @ 4:30 p m in the Central Office Auditorium
credible coaches Coach Dai, Coach Jai, Coach V, and Coach Nae whose passion and guidance continue to inspire our girls to dream big and believe in themselves
We extend our sincere appreciation to our generous sponsors: FOGCE Federal Credit Union, the Greene County Sheriff's Department Main Street Bar & Grill Jr Food Mart and Felicia Smith for investing in the future of our youth
A special thank you goes to our dedicated parents, whose countless hours of preparation, encouragement, and support helped bring this vision to life, and to the people of Greene County for filling the theater with love and applause When a community believes in its children amazing things happen The success of the Divine Divas Showcase marks another step forward in PARA's commitment to providing meaningful opportunities that empower Greene County's youth through recreation leadership and the arts
Farmers Bank
Secretary - Leah Banks with Alabama Power Co
Treasurer - Carrie Logan with City of Eutaw
Board Members
Tammi Holley with Street Fiber Alabama LLC
Rev Joe Webb with New Generation Church
Cynthia Cooper retired Doug Fulghum with the Greene County Extension Service
Reginald Cheatem with Boligee Electric
HBCUs ar e still the vanguar d
The Greene County Democrat newspaper is published each Wednesday by the Greene County Democrat Newspaper Company Inc 206 Prairie Avenue Eutaw Alabama (USSR 700680) Subscription rate in county is $25 per year; elsewhere in Alabama, $30; and out of state, $35
Publishers: John and Carol Zippert
Editor: Maya Quinn Office Manager: Barbara Hunter
The Greene County Democrat 206 Prairie Avenue P O Box 598 Eutaw AL 35462
Phone: 205-372-3373
Fax: 205-372-2243
Website:greenecodemocrat com & facebook
By Marc Morial, President
and CEO, National Urban League
(TriceEdneyWire com) -
“The 1976 celebration was a more vital and happy one
because of a broad belief that two years earlier the system had worked, and we were celebrating a system that had cleansed itself We were in a period of renewal and relief, and today we’re in a period of fear and loathing We don’t have any reason to celebrate our founding documents, because we re living in an authoritarian state that is quite different from the one that the founders created -Jonathan Alter
See Marc Morial, p. 7
By Ben Jealous
(TriceEdneyWire
com) -
When we forget the first fights over voting rights, we forget who profits when the many are divided Voting rights is back in the news because some people are still trying to decide whose votes deserve trust In Georgia, the Justice Department and FBI under President Donald Trump have reopened questions around Fulton County s 2020 election records after agents seized hundreds of boxes of ballots The Associated Press reports the FBI has assigned 260 analysts and operations staff to review them
Fulton County includes most of Atlanta and sits at the heart of Georgia s transformation It has a large Black electorate growing Latino and Asian American communities, and many newer residents drawn by the Atlanta region s jobs and universi-
Greene County The Democrat Send Letters to the Editor: The Greene County Democrat P O Box 598 Eutaw, AL 35462
by Julianne Malveaux
TriceEdneyWire com)
-
This week I am thinking about what it means to go back to school in a country that still rations opportunity The stores are selling backpacks and dorm décor but the deeper question is who gets access to education, who must borrow for it and which institutions continue to carry the burden of Black possibility
The fireworks have dimmed and the Fourthof-You-Lie sales are waning In this country, we commemorate through commerce and celebrate through retail activity so even though we are just a few days into July, back-toschool signs are already shouting from store windows and websites
Who is going back to school, and under what circumstances?
As with every milestone in this country inequality roars Some students will return to school with new laptops, quiet rooms, family-paid tuition and networks that cushion every stumble Others will return carrying debt, doubt, family obligations food insecurity transportation challenges, and the accumulated disadvantages of underfunded schools and under-resourced communities
The back-to-school season is marketed as a fresh start For too many students it is also a reminder that opportunity in America has always been rationed
That is why Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) still
matter Indeed, that is why HBCUs remain the vanguard
The vanguard is not always the largest part of the army It is the front edge It moves first It absorbs blows It clears the path By that definition, HBCUs have always been the vanguard They were built because this country s higher education system excluded Black people by law, custom violence and contempt Their founding question was not, How do we reproduce privilege?” Their founding question was “How do we cultivate genius where America has refused to see it?
That question remains urgent
HBCUs enroll only a fraction of Black college students, but their impact is outsized In 2022, HBCUs enrolled about 9 percent of Black college students yet they produced 16 percent of the bachelor ’s degrees earned by Black students in 2021–22 UNCF reports that HBCUs generate $16 5 billion in annual economic impact, support more than 136 000 jobs and that the 2021 HBCU graduating class is projected to earn $146 billion over their lifetimes
These are not sentimental institutions They are economic engines, leadership factories, and community anchors
Still HBCUs are too often asked to do transformative work with transactional support
That contradiction is especially sharp now as federal student loan policy shifts under the feet of students and families The Biden-era SAVE plan
Saving on a Valuable Education was designed to make repayment less punishing by tying payments to income and family size reducing monthly payments for many borrowers, limiting runaway interest, and creating a shorter forgiveness path for some
small-balance borrowers
Now SAVE has ended and millions of borrowers have been told to move into other repayment plans
The change lands first on borrowers already in repayment but current students are not untouched
Undergraduates will face a narrower repayment landscape when they leave school Families will confront new Parent PLUS limits Graduate and professional students will face new borrowing caps just as advanced credentials remain expensive and often necessary Graduate PLUS loans which previously allowed many graduate students to borrow up to the cost of attendance, are being phased out for new borrowers Grad PLUS was the backstop many students used when tuition and living costs exceeded unsubsidized loan limits
These numbers are not abstractions They determine who can become a nurse practitioner a physical therapist a psychologist, a professor, a public health leader, a lawyer, a dentist, a physician, or a minister They determine who can move from the first degree to the next rung They determine whether talent is nurtured or stranded
For Black students the stakes are higher because the debt burden is heavier
Black students are more likely to borrow for college, more likely to borrow more, and more likely to struggle in repayment because the racial wealth gap follows them from home to campus and from campus to workplace A loan policy that may look race-neutral on paper can still deepen racial inequality in practice That is the context in which HBCUs do their work They educate students through inequality, against inequality, and beyond inequality They do not merely polish privilege They cultivate possi-
bility They take seriously the students America too often treats as afterthoughts, and they turn potential into leadership
Having led an HBCU, I know both the miracle the math and the myth At Bennett College, I saw daily what HBCUs do with too little: stretch dollars nurture brilliance hold students close, and insist that Black women s futures were worth fighting for I know the devotion of faculty the exhaustion of administrators, the anxiety of families, and the constant scramble for resources I also know this: HBCUs cannot be praised in February and underfunded in July They cannot be applauded at commencements and ignored in appropriations They cannot be celebrated as cultural treasures while their students are left to navigate a debt system that punishes aspiration The country loves the symbolism of back-toschool season New backpacks New notebooks New slogans But the real question is not what is on sale it's what is at stake If HBCUs are the vanguard, then the question is not whether they have earned our admiration They have The question is whether they will receive the investment, protection, and respect that their record demands Back to school should not mean back to debt, back to rationed opportunity, or back to the same old inequalities dressed up in fresh retail packaging It should mean back to possibility Back to purpose Back to institutions that have carried us when the broader society would not HBCUs are still carrying us The question is whether public policy will finally carry its share
A nation that for gets its histor y is bound
ties It voted against President Trump Yet Georgia’s 2020 result was not some partisan rumor Local officials counted the ballots
The state counted them three times, including once by hand Republican officials certified the result Each count confirmed the same outcome That matters because vote suppression has often followed the same pattern: discredit the voters, divide the people, deprive enough citizens of the ballot, and move power upward
The country has largely forgotten one of its earliest broad voting rights victories: the campaign to end property qualifications for white men In many states, a man could be white, free, taxed, armed and called to defend the Revolution and still be denied the vote because he did not own enough property
Those men did not suffer as long as Black men, women, Native people or others shut out of democracy Their exclusion still reveals the old fault line Power rightfully belongs to the people Yet wealthy interests have often tried to keep too much of it for themselves
Some people profit from our forgetting If we forget that landless white men once had to fight for the vote we can miss the pattern when it returns in new
clothes
Benjamin Franklin saw the absurdity He told the story of a man whose vote depended on owning a jackass worth enough money to qualify him
When the animal died the man lost the vote Franklin asked the obvious question: “In whom is the right of suffrage? In the man or in the jackass?”
Thomas Paine gave the moral answer Man did not enter into society to become worse than he was before nor to have fewer rights than he had before but to have those rights better secured ” There is irony in President Trump’s love of President Andrew Jackson Jackson and his allies built the Democratic Party with a founding promise: government should answer to the landless many not merely the propertied few Jackson’s democracy was badly bounded It excluded Black people, women and Native people
His politics also embraced slaveholding white supremacy Still he saw one danger clearly In his veto of the national bank he warned that “the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes
That warning fits this moment Vote suppression has often worked by discrediting voters dividing
working people against one another and depriving the many of their full voice so some rich and powerful people can bend government toward themselves
That was much of the logic of monarchy: divide and conquer It was much of the logic of Jim Crow: tell poor white people their enemy is Black freedom It was true in the 1820s It was true in the 1920s, when immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries like Ireland and Italy were cast as threats to real America It is true today when immigrants from predominantly Catholic countries like Haiti and Mexico are made into scapegoats again Tell rural voters their enemy is city voters Tell Election Day voters their enemy is mail voters
The tools change The purpose often does not Property requirements became poll taxes Poll taxes became literacy tests Literacy tests gave way to purges, ID rules, closed polling places and attacks on early voting same-day registration and mail ballots
The burden comes as paperwork, deadlines, long lines, missing names and ballots questioned after the people have spoken A poll tax charged money A long line charges time Cutting early voting can tax people
who do not control their schedules Restricting mail ballots can tax seniors, disabled voters, rural voters and caregivers
The Rev Jesse Jackson spent his life widening the meaning of the many He urged young people to hold “a diploma in one hand” and “a voter registration card in that other hand ” Education and the ballot Knowledge and power I come to this history as a son of the Revolution, the abolitionist movement, and the Southern populist tradition that rose in the decades after the Civil War and united working men across color lines My g r e a t - g r e a t
Edward David Bland, was born enslaved and died a Virginia legislator
He helped build the Readjuster Party a postCivil War multiracial voting rights movement that brought together Black men who had been enslaved and white men who had fought for the Confederacy Their cause was schools, fairer taxes, debt relief voting rights and democracy When they gained power they abolished Virginia’s poll tax
After they were broken, Virginia’s ruling Democrats wrote a new constitution in 1902 that brought the poll tax back with literacy tests and other barriers Black voters were almost
wiped out as a political force White voting was cut roughly in half The old ruling class knew whose coalition it was trying to prevent from rising again Imagine if every schoolchild learned that the poll tax was not only an attack on Black voting power but also on poor white voting power We might see the trick more clearly when it returns in new clothes The Democratic donkey did not come from Franklin s parable It came from Jackson s enemies calling him a jackass an insult he embraced and cartoonists later made stick Still, the echo is hard to miss
If Democrats keep the jackass, they should remember Franklin s question The right was never in the jackass It was never in the deed the poll tax the ID card the Tuesday work schedule, the mailbox or the database The right is in the people Every generation that won more democracy ultimately did so by resisting efforts by the few to divide the many That is our work now: remember the history reject the division and defend the vote for every one of us Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP
Dr Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author Read the paper online
T he Bicentennial was healing. "Fr eedom 250" was a nar cissistic embar r assment
Kalshi's 'Se g r e gation Mar ket' tur ns Black suf fering into a
betting line
By Hazel Trice Edney
The legendary Jackie Robinson about to swing the bat PHOTO CREDIT: Library of Congress
(TriceEdneyWire com)How much would you have bet on Rosa Parks moving to the back of the bus? This is the kind of information that Kalshi, a U S prediction market, wants to know For America's 250th birthday the market platform rolled out an ad campaign inviting the country to ridiculously and insultingly imagine placing wagers on the color line – a segregation market, if you will The centerpiece of the campaign which Kalshi founder Luana Lopes Lara called her "favorite " is a 1946 market: Will Baseball End Segregation? Odds: 0% A Bob Feller quote sneers that even Robinson lacks "the qualities of a big-league ballplayer " Click forward and the year turns to 1947 The market we are told has "settled " The color line breaks Payouts, presumably, are issued
The romanticization of segregation markets by a multi-billion dollar company currently battling state law enforcement officials is not only a new one but one that is highly insulting to African-Americans who literally built America on our backs, from enslavement through civil rights and beyond For America's 250th anniversary the company reimagined our nation's history as a series of gambling questions, each with stylized illustrations Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball is one of them The image Kalshi chose to accompany it depicts young Black men lounging on a stoop a baseball tossed in the air like a coin Some might see it as a pretty picture It is also, if we are being honest, an obscene and absurd one
Let me say plainly what this ad asks us to imagine:
It asks us to imagine a world in which Americans in 1946 could have logged on and wagered on whether an entire race of ballplayers would finally be allowed to earn a living at their craft A market in which Branch Rickey's conscience and Jackie Robinson's dignity were data points, and the fifteento-one vote of white owners to preserve the color line was pricing information Kalshi asks us to imagine a world in which the question "Will Black men be treated as human beings?" was simply a gaming line you could take action on This is not a celebration of history It is a belittling of our suffering and our achievements thus far
The company will say I am missing the point that the campaign honors a country that defied its own worst instincts But look again at what is actually being sold Kalshi is not marveling at Jackie Robinson Kalshi is marveling at the profit that would have been available to any speculator willing to take the "yes" side against a country that hated him
And there was so much hate, and so much to lose Robinson received death threats mailed to his home
He was spiked on the base paths spat on in the dugout, refused hotel rooms that his white teammates could freely enter There is no line on a prediction market for what that costs a man There is no ticker for what it costs the country that made him pay
Nor is there any accounting, in Kalshi's tidy timeline, for the Black ballplayers who did not get their April 15th: The men of the Negro Leagues who aged out before the door opened; the pitchers whose arms gave out in exhibition games in Jim Crow towns; the families whose fathers came home from segregated buses too tired to play catch History did not "settle" in 1947 It shifted, painfully, and left a great many people uncompensated on the losing side of a market they never chose to enter
I do not object to Kalshi as a business I object to the instinct – increasingly common in this economy –that treats every human question as a market question and every market as a stage on which we may now perform the past The trouble with Ms Lopes Lara's "favorite campaign" is not simply that it is offensive, though it is It is that it reveals a worldview in which nothing is sacred enough to be exempt from the wager
Senate Sketches #2038.....by Hank Sander s Just One Step
Just One Step One step can be so powerful One step does not seem like very much In fact, one step seems negligible or inconsequential I want to explain the power of one step Just one step
There is a proverb that says a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step When we think about it, that makes sense Every journey, whether one mile, one hundred miles, one thousand miles or tens of thousands of miles begins with one step Just one step
Several years ago I wrote a song in my mind about just one step This is not easy for me to share with you I can’t sing I can t dance I can t do the rhythmic steps of fraternities I even have problems clapping in rhythm with others I am just limited in collective rhythm But I know the power of steps I know the power of one step Just one step I want to share the spirit of that song since I cannot recapture the words or the rhythm or the tune of that song in this moment This is difficult for me to share so I first need to share an experience from my childhood that informs you why this is so hard to share As a child, I used to write songs and poems I even mailed some of the songs to WLAC 1510 AM Clear
Channel Radio Station in Nashville Tennessee which reached South Alabama and went much further west There was a recording that urged listeners to write and send in songs so I sent in a few of my songs However I never heard back from them Just one step I kept my songs and poems in what we called a “looseleaf notebook ” I had a lot of them One day I accidentally dropped my notebook in a classroom
The clamps in the notebook sprung open and the poems and songs scattered about the room Some of the school children helped pick up the papers All the girls gave me what they picked up Some of the boys returned what they picked up Other boys did not and kept the papers read and remembered the poems and songs Every time these boys saw me they would start reciting some portion of the poems and or songs It was a very traumatic experience for me I never wrote another poem or song Just one step
Several years ago I was out walking in the early morning A small pond was on my right The trees and grass were beautiful As I was about to take the next step, I saw a moccasin snake in the road curled up near a stick Moccasins are venomous (very poisonous) Instead I moved one step back If I had taken that next step forward, I would have stepped on or too near the venomous snake and may well not be
We are 250 years into this experiment – not counting the 157 years, starting in 1619 and leading up to 1776 Within those 407 years, we should have learned by now that some things must no longer be for sale – including Black dignity Commission
alive today The step I did not take saved me Just one step As a result of that venomous poisonous snake experience, I was inspired to create a song entitled Just one step I created it in my mind but never recorded it on paper or in any other way I never even tried to sing it out loud I don’t remember much of the original lines in the song But it stayed in my memory, my spirit, my mind, my emotions, my being The refrain was Just one step Just one step We tend to think that we have to move a lot physically or emotionally or spiritually or otherwise to see things differently or make things be different I understand that we can move just one step I moved one step forward and I saw a danger I had not previously seen I moved one step back and I was out of that particular danger Just one step I began to think about so many things where one step makes a critical difference Sometimes one step physically is enough to dodge a lethal bullet Sometimes one physical step helps us see something we had not seen, be it beautiful, dangerous or otherwise Just one step We don t just take steps physically We take steps emotionally mentally spiritually intellectually relationally etc I have taken one step back in relationships It did not end the relationship, but it provided space for self-correction By the same token, I have taken one step forward or sideways that cemented a relationship We think it is always bad to sidestep a question or issue Sometimes it is good because to answer or not respond causes harm and to side step does not cause harm
There was a time when I thought it was cowardly to not say the full truth no matter the impact on others So I spoke what I thought was the truth no matter what I learned to sometimes take one step sideways Just one step I remember hearing Dr Martin Luther King Jr ’s last speech In it he shared a near-death experience Dr King was stabbed by a Black woman in Harlem, New York City
The knife just missed the aorta vessel and was still in his breast It was so close to the aorta that the doctor said if he had just sneezed he would have died Dr King repeated “If I had sneezed” as a refrain in his speech describing what would have changed with just one sneeze A sneeze is one step Just one step
Sometimes in track races particularly in the 100 dash the race is so close that one step or one half or one fourth of a step is the difference between a person’s winning and losing Second place is losing even if you get a ribbon or
medal The difference in the race is miniscule maybe just a fraction of a second But the difference in results can be enormous
The winner is celebrated
The same may be true in other races such as horse races The race is so close that the human eye cannot see the difference A photo of the finish is required
They describe it not as “a step” but “by a nose ” Just one step I know this writing does not remotely convey what was in that song composed in my mind when I missed the poisonous snake by a step other than the venomous snake experience I have not written a song or poem in more than 70 years But I feel a poem or song coming on I may yet write this one step in another song Just one step
Now on to the Daily Diary
Saturday, July 4, 2026 – It was July 4th
However, it was another workday for me I handled various matters participated in an event at the National Voting Rights Museum (NVRM) and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following; Phalecia Young of the NVRM, Faya Rose Toure and Twanya Dixon of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Reverend Jarmal Sanders Reverend Michael Bowen and Queen Jackson of Selma; Ainka Jackson of the Selma Center for Nonviolence and the Bridge Crossing Jubilee
Sunday – I hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Dr Margaret Hardy on Facebook Live and Z105 3 FM Radio Station, handled various matters and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of the Selma to Montgomery March Foundation; Barbara Pitts of Decatur Georgia; Law Professor Kindaka Sanders; and Dr Carol Zippert of Lake Charles, Louisiana
Monday – I walked, handled various matters traveled to Tuscaloosa handled additional matters returned to Selma and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: Greene County School Board President Leo Branch; Jonathan Raulston of Jefferson County; Josephine Curtis Marilyn Cosby and Karen Jackson of Selma; and Montgomery Businessman Raymond Craig
Tuesday – I handled various matters and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following; AL com Reporter Ivana Hrynkiw concerning the Alabama Death Penalty; Andrew Mark of Washington, D C ; Lela Taylor of
Montgomery; Wallace Community College President Dr Donitha Griffin; Rosie Whiting of Lowndes County; and Alabama New South State Coordinator Shelley Fearson
Wednesday – I walked handled various matters participated in meetings and worked into the night Among others, I communicated with the following: SCLC President Emeritus Charles Steele and wife Cathlene Steele; Selma Businessman Floyd Hatcher; Retired Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick; Charlene Wiliams Jessie Sanders, Lemetrius Dillard of Selma; and James Hall of Florida
Thursday – I handled many matters traveled to Montgomery returned to Selma handled additional matters traveled to Lowndes County and returned to Selma Among others, I communicated with the following: Dallas County Tax Assessor Carroll Bronner; Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton; Lowndes County School Superintendent Samita Jeter and Board members Steve Foster Ben Davis, Robert Grant and Brant McCant; Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson; Latonia Tisdale of Alabama Power; and Former Alabama State Senate Ted Little belatedly about his birthday
Friday – I handled various matters, participated in the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement Summer Camp and Mock Trial and worked into the night Among others I communicated with the following: Ted Quant of New Orleans; Former Selma Municipal Judge Christmas Greene; Reverend Dr Kenneth Glasgow, President of the New National Christian Leadership Movement; Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier; and Selma Original Foot Soldiers Betty Strong Boynton and Sheyanne Webb Christburg
Epilogue – We can physically step forward We can step backward We can step to the left or the right One step can change everything in the moment and for the future When we know the power of one step, we take that one step It is the beginning to our changing so much Just one step
During public comments citizens raised concerns regarding the pollutants from gravel roads Gravel roads can cause sedimentation in waterways and create airborne dust that settles onto structures and vehicles A citizen from Forkland in particular wanted to acknowledge respiratory issues caused by inhaling road dust Chairman Spencer expressed that he will consult the engineering and highway depart-
ments on the best course of action He assures they will come up with a solution
The following agenda items were approved at the meeting:
Contract with M&H Contractors for $8 500 00 for roof replacement of the Golf Course Building Leasing of a new ambulance to the Greene County Ambulance Service
Ratifying a $8000 00 contribution to the Greene County Ambulance Serv-
ice; Turner opposed 2026-2027 BCBC Contract ABC License for Boligee Truck Stop Sprinkler repair at the jail for $8000 00 Turning Ct Rd 78 into a gravel road
Issuance of notice to terminate the Budget Supplement Agreement for the Sheriff Department and pursue any necessary collection efforts
Providing $50,000 00 to the IDA board for match-
ing funds for the improvement of the industrial park Repairs and replacement of tablets for the Probate Judge for approximately $4,500 00
Retiree bonus for $12 019 00
Payment to Thompson Engineering for $27 500 00 for services rendered for Water Park Development
Payment of $10,000 00 to WMA for Project Administration
EarthTalk From the Editors of EThe Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: Is overfishing affecting the evolution of marine life? -- Katy, Y , Falmouth, MA
Overfishing happens when fish are caught faster than they can be replenished resulting in an overall depletion of the fish population This not only poses a threat to ocean health and biodiversity but also to the well-being of the people and communities that rely on fishing A lesser-known consequence of overfishing is a phenomenon known as Fisheries-Induced Evolution (FIE)
FIE refers to the evolutionary pressure on marine populations resulting from excessively high fishing levels Despite the deeprooted assumption that evolution occurs over millions of years FIE suggests that the gene pool of organisms can change in just a few decades In fact, a recent study published in Science found that the average length of mature Eastern
Racist Rebr anding
All of that changed when I was around 8 or 9 years old, living in Alexandria Egypt with my biological mother
The watermelon there tasted sweeter, denser, and far more flavorful It became one of my go-to delicacies for beating the heat, and I couldn’t get enough melon or any of the other succulent fruit Egypt had to offer
Looking back, it makes all the sense in the world that the best watermelon I ever had was in Egypt on the same continent as its birthplace
Genetic research from the University of Munich has even traced the origins of the modern sweet variety to an ancient tomb in Egypt, uncovered in 1876 Leaves of the fruit found inside the 3 500-year-old tomb proved that local farmers were cultivating the sweet, red fruit we love today DNA tests showed that this Egyptian variety of watermelon had its roots in a watermelon variety grown in Sudan From there researchers have traced the watermelon’s ancestry to the Kordofan melon, a wild, sweet, white-fleshed fruit believed to have been first domesticated in Sudan before making its way up the Nile into Egypt
Watermelon came to the United States via the transatlantic slave trade Watermelon seeds were among the provisions carried on slave ships alongside crops like okra, sorghum and black-eyed peas Enslaved people kept garden plots on plantation land where they grew food like watermelon for themselves
After emancipation, formerly enslaved people across the South began growing watermelon on their own land and selling it as a cash crop The fruit was relatively cheap to grow and required little land or capital which made it accessible to people who had just been declared free Freed people used the fruit to enact and celebrate their new property rights, growing it, eating it, and selling it in the public square
After the Civil War, Black farmers became the nation’s largest producers of watermelon, and the fruit became a means of building income and property ownership outside a plantation system designed to keep them landless This also made it one of the first tangible paths to Black economic independence during Reconstruction
After my mother and I settled back into the United States I quickly lost my newfound interest in watermelon and cantaloupe All it took was one bite of cantaloupe added to my lunch tray, and I was reminded why I didn’t like it Nothing about the melons from local markets carried the vitality of taste I remembered from those available in Alexandria What further moved me away from the fruit was hearing
Customers are changing their habits as time progresses Federal Reserve research found that Americans averaged 48 payments a month in 2024 and used cash for only seven of them leaving credit and debit cards far ahead Most shoppers who use cash payments would rather use their cards This system, when done right, gives you a clean record of every sale Cashless payment systems are not glamorous but they recover lost transactions, document cash flow, and build the records Black businesses need to grow What Cashless Payment Systems Actually Do for a Small Shop?
A modern setup can turn each of your sales into a dated searchable entry, not just reading cards This does not leave you guessing at the end of each month This visibility is the actual product
A connected system handles these tasks at once: Accepts cards, taps, and phone wallets at the counter Logs each sale with a time date and amount Tracks which items move and which sit Flags refunds, voids, and tips on their own
These actions reduce the friction that chases buyers away Smooth payment processing keeps that line moving
Why Cash-Only Quietly Costs a Neighborhood Business
Going cash-only feels safe but it narrows your pool of shoppers and sends them to other retailers Completely dropping the use of cash can also be costly since there are people who solely rely on it FDIC data shows that twothirds of unbanked households rely entirely on cash and Black households are more than five times as likely to be unbanked as white households
The smartest move is to adapt to both forms of payment
This balance has modernized black-owned businesses and leaves no buyer out Cards allow shoppers to leave a deposit for a service, tip on the screen, or order ahead for
N Scott Phillip
Baltic cod roughly halved from 40 cm in 1996 to 20 cm in 2019, suggesting that genetic changes have occurred over approximately 20 years “When the largest individuals are consistently removed from the population over many years, smaller faster-maturing fish gain an evolutionary advantage, says Professor Thorsten Reusch, senior author of the research and lead researcher in the marine ecology research division at the Geomar Helmholtz Centre
Marine populations are particularly vulnerable to FIE due to the aggressive nature of exploitative fishing practices Trophy hunting and trawling often target the largest and fittest specimens, impacting the long-
kids telling jokes on the playground about Black people eating fried chicken and watermelon That planted in me the understanding that liking either one, as a Black person, would confirm I was lazy and dirty by default It made little sense then to keep eating a fruit that barely tasted like anything just to hand someone the satisfaction of watching me confirm for them a persistent stereotype they held about Black people In my mind avoiding the fruit felt like I was taking power away from the stereotype
In reality, I was placing a restriction on myself and, in a way bending to the very thing I thought I was resisting
What I didn t know as a child huddled on that playground was that my impulse to avoid eating watermelon in mixed company had been carefully engineered generations before I was born
Watermelon jokes are leftover remnants of a post-Civil War smear campaign designed to turn what had been a tool of self-reliance for Black people into a badge of laziness
The economic progress that watermelon paved the way for threatened the existing social and economic structures of that time In response critics weaponized the fruit through popular culture, print ads, and minstrel shows They intentionally sought to create a narrative through imagery that Black people were unrefined easily satisfied lazy and distracted by a piece of fruit
The campaign gaslit the public by actively rebranding the watermelon, twisting a vivid sign of liberation into a manufactured symbol of laziness By mocking the fruit the original campaign removed economic progress entirely from the equation creating a narrative that was easier to spread and harder to refute than a direct political argument for systemic oppression and inequality
From a psychological standpoint, this caricature worked because it replaced a complex person with a simple fixed image with the aim of permanently linking watermelon to Black people Once that image was repeated enough, people stopped questioning it and instead reacted to the stereotype, rather than considering the multifaceted humanity standing before them
The lasting legacy of this caricature is a persistent attempt to take away the simple right to look at that fruit with pride, denying us the enjoyment of something our ancestors cultivated to build economic freedom
To read the article in its entirety visit: https://newsone com/6866126/watermelon-racist-rebranding-black-people/
pickup How Digital Records Open Doors To Credit and
Growth
If your business only uses cash it is very hard for you to receive loans from moneylenders Cashless payment systems allow lenders to verify the sales history of your enterprise This can help them decide to allow or reject your loan request
Many business owners struggle to get capital A Federal Reserve analysis noted that credit availability is a challenge for more than a quarter of small businesses and lenders lean on documented, steady revenue when they decide
Steady digital records help an owner do more than borrow They;
Build a credit profile that lenders trust
Spot best sellers and slow weeks
Prove income for leases and suppliers
File cleaner, faster taxes each year
None of this is possible when your earnings are in a cash
box These records also help you receive grants, relief programs, and get a lease for your shop
Choosing Payment Hardware That Fits a Small
Storefront
A proper small business payment hardware matches the foot traffic, the counter, and the budget
When weighing point of sale systems a few questions cut through the noise:
Does it take cards taps and phone wallets
Are the fees flat and easy to predict
Will it keep working if the internet drops
Can it grow with a second register?
Answering these keeps you from paying for features your small shop will never use Tools built for accepting cashless payment at a small storefront keep checkout quick and the data clean For everything to flow, choose a system you can run without a manual
The distance between our founding ideals and our lived reality has narrowed since the civil rights movement but it has not disappeared Equity in economic and educational opportunity, access to affordable housing, fair protection under the law, and competent political representation remain unfinished business
Maryland has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the political ascension of African Americans in our state None but the Old Line State can boast that Blacks serve as Governor Attorney General State Treasurer US Senator Mayors and County Executives of over 62% of Maryland’s population and a legislative Black Caucus that comprises 29% of the legislature the largest percentage in the nation We have made meaningful investments in education, entrepreneurship, criminal justice reform, and community development
The timing of this year ’s Independence Day reflection is especially significant as Maryland prepares for Governor Moore to convene a special legislative session on congressional redistricting Redistricting is far more than drawing lines on a map It determines whose communities remain whole and whose interests are represented in the halls of power
The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus believes that we have an obligation to ensure that African American voting strength is not diluted and that the hard-fought gains secured through generations of sacrifice are preserved Fair representation is not about guarantee-
term health of the population Over time this shifts the species traits toward early maturation and reduced size, skewing the gene pool and thus accelerating genetic evolution
The legitimacy of FIE is being widely contested in the scientific community as not all scientists assign the same weight to overfishing in these genetic changes
Some researchers claim that it is unclear whether evolution occurs solely from human-driven pressures or an indirect effect due to changes in the environment
A Rutgers University study found no strong correlation between overfishing and the Atlantic codfish population
The findings suggest that environmental stressors, like climate change, pollu-
tion and habitat loss may exert greater influence on the evolutionary changes of marine organisms than overfishing alone Yet one fact holds: Fish are removed from oceans beyond sustainable levels This alone bends the course of evolution if not alone then as a co-actor with the climate and pollutants
Since human activity accelerates these harms our collective action can also reverse these trends Governments can enforce regulations like lowering fishing quotas and limiting destructive practices Citizens can choose sustainably sourced seafood and supporting marine conservation organizations
As we previously reported, in May Trump withdrew a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS which he had filed over the leak of his tax returns while he was being investigated by the FBI The Justice Department announced the settlement included the launch of a now-defunct “antiweaponization of lawfare fund but was less forthcoming about the fact that the agreement also barred all IRS investigations of Trump and his family members for past tax-related complaints
On Monday, in a scathing decision, a judge not only rebuked Trump and the DOJ for filing the suit but also referred two of the president s lawyers for potential disciplinary action
From the Associated Press:
U S District Judge Kathleen Williams accused Trump and his lawyers of having manipulated the court system when he sued a federal agency under his control, bypassing a requirement that parties in a lawsuit must have adverse interests and laying the groundwork for a settlement that granted him immunity from tax audits and created a fund to compensate allies of the president who say they were unjustly persecuted
The judge stopped short of explicitly voiding the deal shielding Trump from tax scrutiny but said the government cannot claim that the agreement was the result of a legitimate legal process
“Whether Executive Branch actors can privately agree to give themselves and their former clients blanket immunities and billions of dollars in tax monies for legally undefined grievances was never an issue advanced to this Court,” said Williams, an appointee of President Barack Obama The question is whether the Parties could do so by claiming to be adverse and engaging the legitimacy of a court proceeding The answer is a resounding no It’s like I wrote in our previous report about the settlement: The leader of the federal government s executive branch sued a federal executive branch agency Then Trump settled the suit with the agency he’s ultimately in charge of included a fund to pay reparations to his criminally inclined supporters and allies, and secured an immunity agreement for himself and his family members
Sometimes the corruption and conflicts of interest that happen at the highest levels of government are subtle
That’s never the case with this administration After all this is the same president who became some $2 billion richer last year from his investments in cryptocurrency which he called a scam against the dollar just a few short years ago after he signed multiple executive orders that were clearly aimed at boosting the cryptocurrency industry
Anyway, back to Judge Williams’ 56-page ruling
“The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law ” Williams wrote “The President may be the functional dominus litus of the Executive Branch, but as a party to a civil suit he as well as all the parties and lawyers before a court, are bound by the rules Ensuring that our courts are used only for the express purpose created by the Constitution is the obligation of every judge and an obligation that this Court must discharge in light of the matter before it ”
According to the Washington Post, Williams referred two of Trump’s attorneys for potential disciplinary proceedings in the state of Florida, where the IRS lawsuit was launched, and ordered that her ruling be sent to attorney oversight bodies in New York and Washington that are already investigating disciplinary claims against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Stanley Woodward, the Justice Department’s No 3 official both of whom were key figures involved in the settlement agreement Look I’m just going to point out that attorneys flushing their careers down the drain just to do Trump’s dirty work is what brought about the downfall of one Rudy Giuliani who is still unconscionably loyal to the most brazenly corrupt president in recent history We can likely expect the same from Blanche and any other legal official caught in the MAGA web, because a cult is going to be a cult Sad
ing outcomes; it is about guaranteeing opportunity Every Marylander deserves an equal voice in choosing those who represent them
The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus will continue to advocate for policies that expand opportunity protect civil rights and strengthen our democracy We recognize that representation is only the beginning True progress will be evident in positive measurable outcomes in economic mobility, educational achievement, better public safety, and fair access to justice for every Marylander
As we gather with family and friends this Fourth of July, let us celebrate how far America has come but never denying how far we still must go Patriotism is not measured solely by our willingness to celebrate our nation’s achievements, but also by our commitment to perfecting our imperfect union
That is the work of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus and all people of good conscience who lead while serving as educators, mavens of business and industry, faith leaders and community activists; and this task before us cannot be lost amid celebratory parades commemorative speeches and patriotic celebrations from the city to the shore It requires us to redouble our persistence, and principled leadership in the pursuit of America s promise
As I Prepare to Meet the Day
Let the dawn fall softly on my shoulders Lord
As I prepare to meet the day,
Legal Notice Notice to Creditors of the Lucy Hedgemon
Letter Testamentary upon the Estate of said decedent having been granted to the undersigned on the 24th day of June 2026 by the Probate Judge of Greene County Alabama , notice is hereby given that all person having claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same, duly sworn to in the Probate Court of said County within the time allowed by law or else same will be forever barred
Demetria L Scott Executix
Woodford W Dinning Jr , Attorney for Adminstator P O Box 480545
Carolyn’s Tid Bits...by Carolyn Young
Let the sunshine wrap its warmth round me, As I go along my way
Let me feel Your presence near me
As the gentle breezes play
Through blades of grass and the trees Causing leaves to sway
Let me show some kindness to each persons that I meet
Let me see Your image in each person that I greet Happy birthday to Happy birthday to Vincent Carter Jr Micah Olukoya
Samuel Austin, Rebecca Coleman, Josh Wesley, Jr , LaSharon Brown, Slyvester Perry Kaylei
Miles Kiera Murphy
Kendall Mays, Rev Eric
M Prewitt, D’Angela
Archibald Darryl Bloxon
Desarae Archibald Ross Wabbington, III , I Yaanna
Edwards, Rev Charles
Hunter, Ashley Polk, Ike
Lipsey Jarrett Harris
Mary Helen Colvin
Pamela Whitfield, Barbara
Newell, Shirleria Williams, Charleshia Johnson Kaden Raby Kaylen Raby
Le gal Notice
Linden AL 36748 334-295-8782 3tcg 7/1 8 15
Notice of Completion
In accordance with Chapter 1, Title 39, Code of Alabama 1975, notice is hereby given that, Goldman Contractors, LLC, of 306 Bennett Road P O Box 1620 Livingston Alabama has completed the contract for 2022 Wastewater Restoration Project ADEM CWSRF Project No CS011013-01, Contract B: Sewer Pump Station Rehabilitation, for the City of Eutaw, Alabama and has made request for the final settlement for said contract All persons having made any claim for labor materials, or otherwise in connection with this project should immediately no-
In a proclamation declaring 1976 The Bicentennial Year, President Ford called upon “every man, woman, and child to celebrate the diversity of tradition culture and heritage that reflects our people and our patrimony ”
A half century later President Trump used the occasion of the nation s 250th anniversary to celebrate Trump In 2016, a bipartisan act of Congress created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, branded America250, to “foster shared experiences that spark imagination showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories inspire service in our communities honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America In 2025, the Trump administration began diverting funds intended for the nonpartisan commission to “Freedom 250 ” a public–private partnership through which donors purchase access to Trump and millions of dollars could be funneled to Trump allies Among the events it produced were an IndyCar street race around the National Mall and a mixed martial arts combat event on the White House lawn
On July 5, 1976, President Ford addressed newly naturalized Americans in Virginia: ‘Black is beautiful’ was a motto of genius which uplifted us far above its intention Once Americans had thought about it and perceived its truth, we began to realize that so are brown, white, red, and yellow beautiful You came as strangers among us and you leave here as citizens, equal in fundamental rights equal before the law with an equal share in the promise of the future ”
In a speech to open the sparsely-attended Great American State Fair, Trump denigrated immigrants as murderers, gang members, drug dealers, and dangerous criminals” and bragged about eliminating racial justice initiatives
In 1976 the nation was struggling to recover from one of the most notorious episodes of presidential corruption in our history up to that point: a political espionage program, illegally funded by donor contributions, which the Nixon administration tried to cover up by destroying evidence, obstructing investigators, and bribing burglars
The bipartisan resolve with which Congress confronted the Watergate scandal seems unthinkable today Not only did a congressional committee vote unanimously to subpoena audiotapes that exposed the President s guilt, mem-
Joseph Mays, Justin Wagner, II , Karson Falls, Ethan Alexander Ezell, Candance Hodges Raby Braxton Long
Happy anniversary to Mr and Mrs Richard & Rosie Robinson and Mr and Mrs Jerrimie and Markeisha Deloach
Times change, people change interest rates change even the land itself can change But God is the same yesterday today and forever
tify: Calvin Cassady P E
The Cassady Company 4700 Highway 69 North Northport, AL 35473 All claims should be filed within 30 days of the final publication of this notice
3tcg 7/1 8 15
Legal Notices IN THE PROBATE COURT OF GREENE COUNTY, ALABAMA
IN RE: Estate of Daniel Wayne Blair, Case No : 2026-015
Deceased
NOTICE OF LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION
TAKE NOTICE that Letters of Administration having been granted to Donna Blair as Personal
Representative of the Estate of Daniel Wayne Blair on July 1 2026 by the Honorable Rolonda M Wedgeworth, Probate Court of Greene County, Alabama NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that all persons having claims against the said Estate are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred
Donna Blair
Administrator of the Estate of Daniel Wayne Blair
Gibbs & Seller P C P O Box 1276
Demopolis, AL 36732
3tcg 7/8, 15, 22
bers of the President’s own party stood ready to vote not only for his impeachment, but for his conviction, and urged him to resign
But the reforms passed in the wake of the scandal did not anticipate a future president willing to flout institutional norms and test the limits of every available safeguard
In his Bicentennial speech, Ford asked, “Are the institutions under which we live working the way they should? Are the foundations laid in 1776 and 1789 still strong enough and sound enough to resist the tremors of our times? Are our God-given rights secure, our hard-won liberties protected?
Fifty years later, these questions no longer sound like a celebration of American resilience they stand as an urgent test of whether our democracy can still summon the courage accountability and civic faith that once enabled it to correct its own course
Mar c Morial
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AUTOMOTIVE
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