Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
California
The California State Legislature recently passed a bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Davis, to end so-called prison-based gerrymandering in California, and Assembly Member Mike Davis sponsored the bill. This legislation will help bring California’s redistricting process in line with basic principles of democracy, and will serve as a model for other states in the effort to count incarcerated populations correctly in the next round of redistricting. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund consulted on drafting the legislation and advocated its adoption. During the current redistricting cycle, California counted prisoners where they are incarcerated, a practice known as “prison-based gerrymandering.” Prison-based gerrymandering artificially inflates population numbers, especially in outlying areas where most prisons are located—and thus, political influence—in those districts at the expense of mostly urban districts, where most inmates typically come from. With approximately 140,000 incarcerated persons in California, the proper counting of individuals is critical to ensuring fair representation throughout the state.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League’s (LAPPL) Eagle and Badge Foundation, which provides funding to families of Los Angeles police officers and children in the communities they serve, recently held its 10th anniversary gala honoring the new Los Angeles Lakers Coach Mike Brown at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live. Also honored were Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, and the Los Angeles Lakers. TheVoice finalist Frenchie Davis performed at the event.
District of Columbia
Registration for the 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference, which will bring business leaders and top minority business owners to Washington this month, is now open. The MED Week conference, hosted jointly by the Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency takes place Sept. 27-30, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. This year’s MED theme is “Emerging Industries & Markets: A Blueprint for Success,” and its focus will be on helping minority-owned small businesses expand their operations and establish a presence in the global marketplace while helping them weather the current economic climate. The conference also will include sessions on high-speed rail construction projects, public utilities and green business.
Illinois
The National Black MBA Association Entrepreneurial Institute, an all-day series of business development workshops and breakthrough training sessions, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 5, during the association’s 33rd annual conference and exposition, taking place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The Entrepreneurial Institute was created to help aspiring, newly established, and seasoned business owners jump-start growth, collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs and generate new ideas. Designed to encourage and support entrepreneurship among Black professionals, the institute is divided into three tracks—Start-up, Growth, and Social—tailored specifically to address the unique needs of each entrepreneur and the different phases of their business.
