“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated 

under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” (Montesquieu)

In terms of American women’s history, it was not until 1974 that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed, granting women the right to open a bank account and obtain a mortgage without a male cosigner.  Thus, it was trailblazing when Shirley Chisholm declared her candidacy for President on January 25, 1972 and, throughout her campaign, she unapologetically identified as a Black woman who was “unbought and unbossed.” Notwithstanding Chisholm’s bold stance as the first Black American as well as first woman to seek the Presidential nomination of the Democratic National Party, the antithesis of her campaign slogan, “bought and bossed,”  appears to be the dominant paradigm in 2025 national politics.  

For example, more than a half century ago, Chisholm stated, “I stand before you today to repudiate the ridiculous notion that the American people will not vote for a qualified candidate simply because he is not white, or because she's not a male. I do not believe that in 1972 the great majority of Americans will continue to harbor such narrow and petty prejudices. I am convinced that the American people are in a mood to discard the politics and the political personalities of the past. I believe that they will show, in 1972 and thereafter, that they intend to make independent judgments on the merits of a particular candidate based on that candidate's intelligence, character, physical ability, competence, integrity, and honesty…”

Today, as evidenced by the current President’s Cabinet appointments and subsequent behaviors, the President did not “make independent judgments on the merits of a particular candidate based on that candidate's intelligence, character, physical ability, competence, integrity, and honesty…”  Rather, as evidenced by the following examples, the willingness to be “bought and bossed” seemed to be operative.

To the extent that it is true that the one who “pays the piper calls the tune,” what are we to believe after reading articles such as “Elon Musk spent a total of more than $290 million on the 2024 election, new federal filings show, boosting President Donald Trump and Republicans in a staggering effort that has helped to secure unprecedented access for the world’s richest person in the new administration.”  (David Wright and Alex Leeds-Matthews, February 1, 2025)?  Did not the President display what it means to be “bought and bossed” when [1] Musk and his young child dominated a press conference in the Oval Office; [2] Musk and his DOGE gang were permitted to roam recklessly throughout the federal government; [3] the President falsely claimed that DOGE had  “…found hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud;” and, unashamedly, [4] the President endorsed Musk’s Tesla at the White House as Musk’s net worth dropped by more than $100 billion as Telsa stock crashed  (See, Tesla Stock Plummets 50%, Here’s How To Manage The Volatility).  

Is it not clear evidence of “bought and bossed” if the American President [1] cuts off military intelligence and other war assistance for Ukraine; [2] declares that the United States will cease surveillance of Russia; and [3] blames Ukraine for being invaded by Russia?   

One is left to wonder about being “bought and bossed” when, during the Presidential campaign, Trump belittled Marco Rubio as “Little Marco;” then he appointed Rubio as Secretary of State; and subsequently it is reported, “Marco Rubio 'upset' as Trump 'sidelines' him from foreign policy decision making...”  (See Marco Rubio 'upset' as Trump 'sidelines' him from foreign policy decisionmaking: report - Raw Story).

Haven’t “bought and bossed” politics been made crystal clear in higher education as officials eliminated DEI programs in states such as Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and elsewhere (See https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/these-colleges-across-the-u-s-are-scrapping-their-dei-programs/ar-BB1nluX0)?  How clearer can “bought and bossed” be than the scenario in which the anti-DEI Republican Governor of Virginia appointed the University of Virginia Board membership and, in turn, the Board members voted to eliminate DEI?  

Consider also the 2025 “bought and bossed” potential impact on the top colleges/universities given the  President’s executive orders regarding funding from the National Institutes of Health.  One poignant alert came from the University of Pittsburgh Provost Joseph J. McCarthy in his February 9, 2025 letter to Members of the Pitt Community. Therein, he wrote the following: “We want to bring to your attention the guidance announced at the close of business Friday by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Pursuant to this guidance, which is scheduled to take effect Monday, Feb. 10, the NIH will cap “indirect costs” of research grants at 15%. …With the NIH serving as Pitt’s largest federal research sponsor at nearly $700 million (sixth nationally), funding that represents over half of the University’s $1.2 billion in research expenditures (17th nationally), primarily focused on the health sciences, we recognize the significant impact this guidance could potentially have across our entire Pitt community on our work and for the many people involved directly and indirectly…”  For a wider discussion of related matters, see “Chaos on campuses as schools warn Trump cuts could harm US ‘for decades’” by Michael Sainato, March 8, 2025.

Under the current Presidential regime, the stench of 2025 “bought and bossed” has found its way into practically every aspect of American life. It as if an old-school mob boss and his associates have been unleashed when, for example, we hear of a plan to cut the Department of Education in half by firing approximately 1300 workers.  The extent to which pre-K through college education might be “bought and bossed” is of special concern given the importance of our educational system in contributing to a well-informed citizenry.  Also note that dictatorships feed off an uneducated, miseducated, undereducated populace as would be the case if public education in America were to be dismantled.

Given that our democracy is at significant risk, we cannot afford to be neutral regarding the current regime’s “2025 bought and bossed politics.”  As Bishop Desmond Tutu observed, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor…”  Relatedly, Toni Morrison stated,  “There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal…”   We can also buy selectively, protest peacefully, and vote intelligently!

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 14, 2025

Today, as lawmakers, advocates, and community leaders unite for a Day of Action, our coalition of leading civil rights organizations strongly condemns the reckless attempt to freeze critical federal funding. This sweeping action threatened the stability of communities nationwide, by interfering with the delivery of critical programs, raising costs for families and making it harder to access housing, healthcare, education, and other essential services.

Cutting off funding for schools, first responders, food assistance, and housing programs is not just harmful—it is an abdication of the government’s responsibility to the people it serves.

The Constitution is clear: Congress, not the President, controls the appropriation of federal funding. This overreach undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent that must be rejected.

While the administration has rescinded its memo, the executive orders underpinning it remain in place – including those that eliminate all diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, programs, and activities across the federal government. We will continue to advocate for equity-centered programs, policies, grants, and contracts, as they make America stronger and more resilient.

Our coalition stands united with lawmakers, advocates, and communities across the country in demanding a lawful, rational, deliberative approach to federal spending. We will not waver in the fight to protect vital federal resources for the people who need them most.

National Urban League

National Action Network

National Coalition on Black Civic Participation

National Council of Negro Women

NAACP

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Source: By National Urban League
Published01 PM EST, Fri Feb 7, 2025 

Following the November 2024 election, the holiday season provided a bit of a respite for those who woke up January 1, 2025 with freedom on their minds.  Notwithstanding what portends from a Republican administration that has made the expression of racism, sexual misconduct, criminal behavior and other nefarious acts essentially fashionable, freedom seeking people must heed Assata Sakur’s admonition “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It Is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”  

Black folks’ chattel slavery chains were removed centuries ago, but the chains of caste-like systemic racism not only continue to adversely impact Blacks but it is also the case that they and others suffer from the malevolent machinations of a citizenry that elected a convicted felon to be President.  Indeed, the 2025 political climate is so hostile that freedom seeking people should keep in mind the following aphorism:  “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. Whether you are the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”  

In 2009, former President Obama reminded Republicans that “elections have consequences.”  Today, equity and social justice advocates are painfully aware of that fact.  Hence, they must be “running” lest their goals and objectives be severely curtailed by the “Big Cat Convicted Felon” who will be serving as President along with his “Lion Family/Den” of Cabinet, Congress, and Court officials.  Consistent with the practices of “Lion Families” known as “Prides,” the “Maga Movement Lionesses” (White women voters for Trump, plus possible appointees such as Bondi, McMahon, and Noem) are likely to be among the primary hunters.  For example, following the practice of attacking the lone “gazelle” away from the “herd,” the Republican “Lioness” Nancy Mace introduced a bill to ban transgender women from using certain bathrooms on federal property.

The Republican “Pride” dominant males (Trump, Vance, Johnson, Bezos, Musk, and other White male oligarchs) will use whatever means they deem necessary to protect their recently acquired territory, i.e., the political, economic, social, domains of American life.  Their full “Big Cat Den,” along with a Republican dominated Congress and an ultra-conservative Supreme Court, will seek to devour “gazelles” by doing things such as [1] begin mass deportations; [2] fire thousands of federal workers; [3] change Biden administration policies related to education; and [4] continue an incessant attack on diversity, equity and inclusion throughout American institutional life.  As best they can, the foregoing “Lions” will plan their feast in accordance with the infamous menu known as Project 2025.

The Legal Defense Fund and its Thurgood Marshal Institute indicated that Project 2025 “…is a direct, boundless, pregnant threat to the interests and well-being of Black people and our democracy. Our report highlights some of the most alarming and destructive elements of Project 2025 for Black people in America and also offers an alternate vision for the future we are fighting for…”    (https://tminstituteldf.org/what-project-2025-means-for-black-communities/).  Given the Project 2025 content, the only question is how fast and effectively freedom seeking people will “run” to abort that agenda given all that the “Big Cat Lion” has boasted about doing on day one of his reign.  Hence, the following “running” strategies are offered.

While “running,” we must never lose sight of the significance of the third day of Kwanza, i.e., Ujima which refers to collective work and responsibility.  However, important leaders happen to be, grass roots support is essential for a successful social movement.  Therefore, in Pittsburgh for example, if you are not already affiliated, then become an active member of local chapters of organizations such as the Black Political Empowerment Project, the NAACP, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, one of the many politically active Black Churches, or a progressive Black Greek organization.  

Interestingly, the type of “running” that must be done in 2025 was called for by Lurie Daniel Favors within her The Root November 21, 2016 article.  Therein, she wrote “…The only option the black community will have left requires us to center black people as our solution and re-create a culturally grounded economic system based on meeting our own needs…  To protect our community from the threats that loom, we must turn that spending power into job and wealth generators…  A Trump presidency means that the days of relying on government for legal protections from racism are over. But if we take this opportunity to re-create sustainable black streams of income, job and wealth creation, we may be able to advance farther than many dreamed imaginable…”  

Ms. Favors’s above advice is consistent with that of Carter G. Woodson, who wrote, "History shows that it does not matter who is in power or what revolutionary forces take over the government, those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they had in the beginning." (See Mis-education of the Negro).  

What is so troubling about the foregoing statements by Favors, Carter, as well as others who have made the same point regarding the need to “run” together, is the fact that so many of the oppressed have been hesitant to heed these sound doctrines.  Instead, they have naively “hitched their wagons” to the goodwill of their oppressors, e.g., the “good” slave master/coach/employer/politician.  This colonizer-induced reticence to “run” together reminds one of the quotations some attributed to Harriet Tubman, but the actual source remains in doubt, i.e., “I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”  On the other hand, as truly woke folk “run” in 2025 and have need for an “energy drink,” they should refresh their minds with the following lyrics from Beyonce.    

“…Freedom! Freedom! I can't move
Freedom, cut me loose!
Singin', freedom! freedom! Where are you?
Cause I need freedom too!
I break chains all by myself
Won't let my freedom rot in hell
Hey! I'mma keep running
Cause a winner don't quit on themselves…”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 6, 2025

As chattel slaves, for 400 years, Blacks were consigned to the lowest race-based caste-like ranks of American society.  Considered to be mere property belonging to the same class of “farm animals” such as cows, pigs, horses, and dogs, the slaves’ Black Jobs consisted of sun up to sun down drudgery performed for no pay.  Their “fringe benefits” were to survive another day without experiencing gross inhumanity such as [1] severe whippings that ripped open their flesh; [2] castrations for giving a master the “wrong” look; [3] rapes while still a child; and, in some cases, [4] deaths via various forms of torture.  For example, as reported by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers in They Were Her Property (Yale University Press, 2019), “When another formerly enslaved woman forgot to refer to her mistress’s eight-or nine-year old daughter as ‘Miss,’ her mistress put her ‘in a stock and beat’ her.  While she was in the stocks, the woman twisted her leg until it broke, and even then, continued to beat her until she was satisfied her point had been made” (page 6).  

 After the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Black Jobs were those permitted by legal race-based segregation.  Bottom line, for the most part, Blacks did not work in nor make use of facilities owned by Whites.  If they did, they used separate facilities, e.g., separate toilets, water fountains, bus seating, etc.  One unanticipated outcome of race-based segregation is that Blacks were forced to create their own jobs, e.g., Black beauty shops, barbers, farmers, morticians, recreation centers, and roadside assistance  (See Black Entrepreneurs during the Jim Crow Era -- The Henry Ford Blog - Blog - The Henry Ford).

Nevertheless, even the most “enlightened” Whites kept Blacks out of certain jobs.  For example, from Harvard’s beginnings in 1636 to centuries later, there were no professorial and/or administrative jobs for Blacks.  Hence, America began the separate and unequal Historically Black Colleges and Universities beginning  with Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837.  Jobs remain so segregated in higher education that at Pitt, for example, Black faculty presence hovers around a mere 4%! (See University Times, November 30, 2023).   Indeed, throughout America’s historically White institutions of higher education, there are only token numbers of Black faculty and senior administrators.  

As a direct consequence of systemic, race-based, caste-like American forces, Blacks have not had an equal opportunity to hold equal numbers of jobs  [1] in City Governments, State Assemblies, Congress, or elected Executive offices; [2] jobs in STEM related occupations; [3] as health professionals; [4] as commercial pilots; [5] CEOs of major corporations; [6] lawyers; [7] or any profession for which postsecondary education is required, especially a college education.  As with the formal Jim Crow era, today Blacks are often found in jobs that require the “sweat of their brow,” e.g., on basketball courts and football fields which are reminiscent of the forerunner slave economy consisting of White owners and “overseers” (coaches) along with disproportionate number of Black players (workers).

To be sure and, as slowly as it happens to be, Blacks are securing jobs in an increasingly wide array of fields.  Most notably, at the moment, a Black woman seeks to become President of the United States of America.  As this drama plays out, we will witness all of America’s original sin’s remnants in play.  We will witness a convicted White male felon using racial and misogynistic slurs against a Black woman who has served in Congress and as Vice President of the United States.  

The White male, patriarchal script does not include President of the United States as a job for a Black woman. However, the tide for change is more than rising!  All should learn how to say President Kamala Harris because it is now the case that Black Women are for Harris; White Women are for Harris; Black Men are for Harris; White Dudes are for Harris; Indian Americans are for Harris; young voters in Won’t PAC Down are for Harris; some former Nikki Haley voters are for Harris; “Childless Cat Ladies” are for Harris;  Divine Nine members are for Harris; and there is a Republicans for Harris campaign.  Truly we are witnessing a moment when Black Jobs will be radically redefined.  And if there is a Black person who believes the racist fiction uttered by Trump regarding Black jobs, please consider the questions posed by a popular social media post:  [1] When, if ever, did you, as a Black person, lose a job to an illegal immigrant?  [2] When, if ever, did you lose a job to a White person who was less qualified than you?  

Finally, regarding the truth about Black jobs, do know that a critically important Black job has been to make America what it ought to be, i.e., as Nicloe Hannah Jones stated, “Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written.  Black Americans have fought to make them true.” August 14, 2019).  Let us continue this Black jobuntil victory is won!

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

August 8, 2024

During the recitation of her 2021 inaugural poem, Amanda Gorman eloquently stated, “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation, rather than share it.  Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy.  And this effort very nearly succeeded.  But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated…  This is the era of just redemption.”  

As of September 1, 2023, the era of just redemption for Donald Trump was well underway with him facing 91 felony charges.  Moreover, given the fact that many critically important judicial figures pressing the charges are Black, poetic justice is prominently in play.  For example, it was a daughter of the African Diaspora, Judge Tanya Chutkan, who without hesitation set March 4, 2024 as the date to begin Trump’s trial for leading an insurrection with the goal of subverting the 2020 presidential election.  

In contradictory contrast to the racist tropes Trump spews regarding Blacks, Judge Chutkan is a very highly qualified judge.  As noted by the District of Columbia’s United States District Court, “Judge Tanya Chutkan was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in June 2014.  Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she received her B.A. in Economics from George Washington University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was an Associate Editor of the Law Review and a Legal Writing Fellow.“  

Known for his dogged delay tactics, it was poetic justice that Judge Chutkan told P45’s lawyers that the public had an interest in having the case resolved in a timely manner and, as noted above, she acted accordingly.   Earlier, it was Judge Chutkan who warned P45 to be very careful before making inflammatory public statements.  More specifically, she stated, “Even arguably ambiguous statements by the parties or their counsel- if they can be reasonably interpreted to intimidate witnesses or to prejudice potential jurors - can threaten the process."  Meanwhile, it is another Black woman who is approaching a legal checkmate of P45.

 Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been like “white on rice” when it comes to prosecuting P45 for his efforts to steal the presidential election from Joseph Biden.  She too is highly qualified as evidenced by the facts that “Willis graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1992 and Emory University School of Law in 1996. She started working in the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in 2001 and climbed the ranks over nearly two decades, serving in nearly every division of the office. She was lead prosecutor in over 100 jury trials and prosecuted hundreds of murder and other high-profile cases…”  (See For first-term Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis, a historic decision looms in Trump election investigation - CBS News ).  Fearless, it was Fani Willis who defied the “less is more” and proceeded to bring a RICO charge against 19 people, including the “mob boss,” P45.  

 As fearful as a victim of a manhunt, Mark Meadows tried to run from Fani Willis’ prosecution of him, but enroute he encountered U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones, a Black man, who decided Meadows could not move his trial from Fulton County to a federal court.  In his ruling, Judge Jones stated, “The evidence before the Court overwhelmingly suggests that Meadows was not acting in his scope of executive branch duties during most of the Overt Acts alleged.”  Per poetic justice given Trump’s racism and, as reported by CNN on August 28, 2023, “Jones, a Barack Obama appointee, was confirmed by the US Senate in 2011 by a 90-0 vote. A former Superior Court judge, he grew up in Athens, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1987…  Jones has overseen high-profile cases before.  In July, he declined to toss three lawsuits claiming that Georgia’s congressional and legislative districts were drawn in a way that discriminates against Black voters…” 

 It is certainly poetic justice that, in New York City where P45’s racism ran rampant, it is the Black Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who filed charges against Trump related to hush-money payments to a porn star.  Bragg too is a very highly qualified prosecutor.  As noted in a March 31, 2023 ABC news report, “Bragg, 49, grew up in Harlem and received his law degree from Harvard…

In 2003, he joined the New York State Attorney General's office, working under then AG Elliot Spitzer on numerous cases from white-collar crimes to investigations into drug cartels, his campaign bio said.

From 2006 to 2009 Bragg served as the New York City Council's chief of litigations and investigations before moving to the Southern District of New York as an assistant U.S. attorney. In 2017, then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman appointed Bragg as the Deputy Attorney General of New York…”  

 Let us also remember that it was a highly qualified Black woman, New York Attorney General Letitia James who filed the $250 million lawsuit against P45 for defrauding lenders.  As reported in a CNN September 21, 2022 article, “Before James ascended to become the state’s top prosecutor, she established herself as a leading progressive political figure in New York City.  A graduate of Howard University Law School, she worked as a Legal Aid lawyer and assistant state attorney general in Brooklyn. She won her first election, to the city council in New York, in 2003…”  On August 30, 2023, James filed for a partial summary judgment against P45, citing a “mountain of undisputed evidence.”

In terms of experiencing fitting retributions for his impact on individual and systemic racism and, given his 91 felony charges, it must be excruciatingly painful for P45 to experience Black prosecutors playing prominent legal roles that could earn him not only a mug shot but also an orange jumpsuit.  (See How Trump's attacks on prosecutors build on history of using racist language and stereotypes - CW Atlanta (cbsnews.com).)

In addition, as the legal processes involving Trump play out, it should be noted that once again Blacks are playing key roles in making America live up to its highest aspirations, e.g., it was Blacks’ pursuit of equity and social justice that led to [1] the 13th Amendment to the Constitution ending slavery; [2] the Brown vs The Board of Education decision that ended legal segregation; and [3] the Voting Rights Act of 1965.   As brilliant Black legal minds pursue justice related to P45, they are also changing the dynamics to which Langston Hughes referred, i.e., 

That Justice is a blind goddess
Is a thing to which we black are wise:
Her bandage hides two festering sores
That once perhaps were eyes.

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

September 11, 2023

Are you a Victim of Police Brutality? The Police Brutality Center wants you to be aware of the truth about police brutality and what you can do about it.

Who are we?

Police Brutality Center exists to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of police brutality, racial profiling, and excessive force. If we can help save one more life or avoid the severe injury of one more innocent person, our mission will be successful. We believe that the tools and content provided within policebrutalitycenter.org can support those who have experienced trauma at the hands of police and prevent future interactions from turning violent or deadly.

When officers of the law use unnecessary and excessive force, those members of the police should be brought to justice. Police brutality is a human rights violation.

Instances of police brutality are attempted to be justified by accusations of self-defense in order to avoid serious injury or death, but the repeated pattern of cases such as George Floyd and Eric Garner caught on film are examples of the opposite. Minorities and other vulnerable groups are too often targeted by acts of police brutality.

Your Civil Rights

You are not alone

If you or someone you know or love has been a victim of police brutality, the time to take action is NOW. Police Brutality Center features in-depth resources to help you protect your community and your family’s civil rights.

Silence is No Longer an Option

Excessive force and racial profiling can not be tolerated. It is our mission to end the violations of your civil rights that lead to brutality by the police sworn to serve you, your family, and your community.

Contact:  PoliceBrutalityCenter.Org 

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 35TH WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, TOO MANY BLACK WOMEN REMAIN THE “MULES OF THE WORLD”   

“I've got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor to mop

The food to shop

Then the chicken to fry

The baby to dry…

I've got shirts to press

The tots to dress…

I gotta clean up this hut

Then see about the sick

And the cotton to pick”

-Maya Angelou-

The pervasive presence of Black women in overworked and underpaid positions contributed to Zora Neal Hurston deeming them the mules of the world.  During the current pandemic, “These occupations include front-line workers in health care and essential businesses like grocery and drug stores, those who have borne the brunt of job losses in the restaurant industry, and the teachers and child care workers who are critical as the economy struggles to reopen and essential to fully reopening the economy when it is safe to do so…” (See, Black women workers are essential during the crisis and for the recovery but still are greatly underpaid, by Valerie Wilson and Nelat Kassa, August 12, 2020 ).  

In her review of a recent Health Affairs journal article, Julianne McShane wrote, “Black women make up nearly 7 percent of the U.S. labor force, but nearly 14 percent of the health-care workforce…  Within health care,  …Black women are most likely to work in the long-term care sector, currently making up 23 percent of that labor force, and as licensed practical nurses or aides, constituting 25 percent of those workers. These roles are characterized by low wages, lack of benefits, and hazardous working conditions, according to the study…   As co-author Janette Dill, an associate professor in the division of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota, put it: They are taking care of peoples’ bodies, and feeding them, and bathing them, and taking people to the bathroom — it’s very hard physical labor.”  (Philadelphia Tribune, February 25, 2022).

An Institute for Women’s Policy Research Report (July 27, 2021) indicated, “Before the pandemic, Black women were paid just 63.0 percent of White men’s median annual earnings—$24,110 less—even when they were able to obtain full-time year-round work. That represents a wage gap of 37.0 percent for Black women and White men and is much larger than the 17.7 percent wage gap between all women and all men. This illustrates the additional impact of race in shaping women’s earnings. It also means higher rates of poverty, much lower levels of wealth, and fewer resources to weather economic downturns such as the COVID-19 recession.”  

Perhaps one of the greatest overrepresentations of Black and other women of color is, tragically, the area of missing women.   During a recent Congressional hearing, it was noted that “About 40% of the more than 250,000 women and girls reported as missing in 2020 were people of color... Despite making up a smaller share of the overall U.S. population, committee members said Indigenous, Black and Hispanic women and girls are going missing at higher rates…”   In addition, Natalie Wilson,  founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, put the matter in bold relief when she stated, “We can all name Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Chandra Levy and many other white women who have gone missing. But can any of you name a person of color that has garnered national media coverage?" (ABC News, March 3, 2022).  

  Regarding the comparative media coverage for missing White as compared to Indigenous women in Wyoming, Andrea Gonzalez-Ramirez wrote, “Today, #GabbyPetito has more than 956 million views on TikTok. Six law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, devoted resources to finding her. Her case was mentioned 398 times on Fox News, 346 times on CNN, and 100 times on MSNBC’ in a seven-day period ending on September 22, according to the Washington Post.  But had she been an Indigenous woman, this almost certainly would not have happened.” (September 24, 2021).

Refusing to be deterred by societal forces that systematically seek to stifle their growth and development, many Black women continue to succeed in significant ways.  For example, [1] Black women are the foundations for Black institutions such as the traditional Black Church; [2] they were as important if not more significant than any other demographic when it came to electing President Biden and Vice President Harris as well as other Democrats; and [3] they constitute unwavering enablers  through a plethora of organizations with missions related to uplifting members of their race.  

In record numbers, Black women continue to rise as mayors, members of congress, major entrepreneurs, medical scientists, managers in major corporations, military pilots, metallurgical engineers, money managers, and many of the world class athletes.  They have become leading public health professionals, innovative medical scientists, entrepreneurs, senior higher education administrators, judges, and more than can be mentioned herein.  

Kamala Harris’ election to Vice President of the United States is merely a way station for Black women eventually ruling the world!  Lest one believes the foregoing statement to be a bit of hyperbole, consider what Black American women might have achieved had they not been the mules of the world  --if their lives in America had not begun as chattel slaves; if economic, race, gender, and reproductive justice had been realities not still unrealized goals; if they had opportunities to become all that they were capable of becoming unfettered by irrational patriarchy, homophobia, health disparities, and various forms of physical and psychological abuse.  In any event, as with the mythical Phoenix, Black American women will continue to rise from their ashes and their unfolding splendor will be something to behold.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 14, 2022

Message from Allegheny County Common Pleas President Kim Berkeley Clark  

As a former prosecutor, lawyer and judge, I take pride in the American system of justice, including the Constitutional protections that all citizens are afforded. I still have faith in our justice system and I am particularly proud of the justice system here in Allegheny County. We are well-respected throughout the United States and we are never satisfied with doing things the way we have always done them. We continue to work to improve our system of justice by making data-informed decisions, by implementing best practices and by working collaboratively with law enforcement and other stakeholders.

Notwithstanding my pride in our justice system, recent events, including the overdue acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, have led me to the decision that the Court must consciously and publicly address the waning public confidence in the justice system amidst the growing and compelling evidence that persons of color are at a greater risk of death or serious bodily injury at the hands of the police and are more likely to languish in the child welfare and juvenile and criminal justice systems than white persons.

These concerns raise questions of whether the justice system in America, including Allegheny County, is actually fair, whether the citizens perceive that our system of justice is fair, and whether, despite our best efforts, the American system of justice is replete with racial and ethnic disparities or operates under the cloud of systemic racism.

While judges have a duty to uphold the law and, in many cases, impose sanctions and consequences on those who violate the law, we have an equal duty to promote public confidence in the judiciary as an independent and unbiased institution. This means that Allegheny County Courts must be at the forefront in addressing these issues. We must undergo an ongoing and critical evaluation of how justice is administered in Allegheny County. It means we must openly acknowledge and address our flaws, rather than rely on the powers and privileges that may allow us to turn a blind eye to them. Please understand that our history is calling us to work collaboratively and inclusively to make positive changes in the justice system that will benefit all citizens.

Engraved above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court Building, is the phrase “Equal Justice Under Law”. The words stem from the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which was adopted on July 9, 1868, in the wake of the Civil War, and which, among other things, granted citizenship to former slaves. This phrase has shaped American jurisprudence and is considered the gold standard of justice.

Despite the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, our history has demonstrated that justice has not always been equal for many Americans, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities, women, persons with disabilities, those who do not fit into what society has decided are traditional gender roles, and those living in poverty. What we need to do is ensure that we develop a justice system that not only promotes equality, but ensures equity.

To truly achieve justice, the proverbial scales of justice must be balanced. We must take into account the uneven playing field on which racial and ethnic minorities, those who do not squarely fit into traditional gender roles, other disadvantaged persons, and the poor enter the justice system. The public must see members of our local judiciary and court staff working with urgency to attain this goal in equal solidarity with them, with other justice-related institutions, and with each other. The Fifth Judicial District must rise to this generational challenge.

To the hundreds of dedicated civil servants and servant leaders of the Fifth Judicial District, please know that as I acknowledge these pressing questions, I also acknowledge the sacrifices you have made in the interest of serving the public as well as the stress and trauma that many of you endure in your positions. We are fortunate to have judges and staff, police officers, lawyers, victim advocates, and others who are dedicated to public service, who are committed to justice, who demonstrate a strong work ethic, and who possess a keen sense of fairness and respect for humankind. Our Court has been working hard to address the issues of racial and ethnic disparities and systematic racism in the justice system. Some examples of this are:

• Utilization of the PA Detention Risk Assessment, which has significantly reduced the number of juveniles held in pre-trial detention;
• Utilization of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory to help identify the risk factors for recidivism, which has significantly reduced the number of delinquent youth in out-of-home placements;
• Utilization of diversionary programs to prevent entry into the juvenile justice system;
• Establishment of a robust Department of Pretrial Services of Allegheny County;
• Utilization of treatment courts (Mental Health Court, Drug Court, Veteran’s Court, PRIDE Court) to divert individuals from incarceration to treatment;
• Establishment of Housing Court to reduce evictions, and improve judicial access through a Help Desk designed to assist litigants by providing information, forms, and referral resources;
• Implementation of a Language Access Plan to promote equal access for limited or non-English speakers and deaf/hard of hearing court users;
• Fostering collaboration between Magisterial District Judges and community stakeholders to educate the community regarding procedures in landlord-tenant cases;
• The MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge with a focus on meaningfully addressing the racial and ethnic inequities in the justice system;
• The significant reduction of the population in the Allegheny County Jail and the continued efforts to reduce the population;
• Implementation of Anti-Discrimination and Implicit Bias Training consistent with the 5th Judicial District’s Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy that prohibits all forms of discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or religion;
• Prompt investigation and redress of Non-Discrimination and EEO Policy violations to ensure that all individuals including employees, applicants for employment, litigants, witnesses, jurors, and court volunteers are treated in a dignified, civil, respectful, and non-discriminatory manner;
• Collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, the Allegheny County Executive, and the Allegheny Department of Human Services to address criminal justice reform.

We have made progress, but the struggle is ongoing. We are committed to collecting and examining the data to identify disparities throughout all divisions of the justice system and will continue to examine our processes and procedures that might contribute to racial and ethnic injustice.

It may be difficult to know where to begin in the quest to create a system of equal justice for all. Consequently, I propose that in order to achieve a system that is both equal and equitable, we begin with a thorough and critical examination of our own mission to the public that we serve. We must have a mission that sets forth the Court’s responsibility to the public and we must evaluate everything that we do in light of our mission.

The mission will conspicuously appear on our website to remind the public that they have a right to justice that is free of bias and that the Court is firmly committed to addressing and eradicating ethnic and racial disparity, implicit bias, and systemic racism in our system of justice. Accordingly, I have asked a diverse group of citizens in Allegheny County and staff of the Fifth Judicial District to assist me with creating a mission for the Fifth Judicial District that truly sets forth our responsibility to all members of the public that we serve.

I am proud to serve as the President Judge of the Fifth Judicial District and thankful for the opportunity to work with judges and court staff who are so deeply committed to public service. In the near future, I look forward to presenting the new mission for the Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania.

We will continue to examine our processes and procedures to demonstrate our commitment to equal justice under law and to keep us squarely on the path that will enable us to reach this goal. We will do our best to earn and keep your respect, and to hold ourselves accountable to the public that we serve.

I would like to thank the following people for their input, contribution to, and review of this message: Chris Connors, Angharad Stock, Lisa Herbert, Melinda Sala, Judge Mik Pappas, Lisette McCormick (Interbranch Commission of Gender Racial and Ethnic Fairness) Elizabeth Hughes (ACBA President), and the Administrative Team for the Fifth Judicial District.

White supremacy is a long-rooted destructive social determinant that contributes significantly to disparities in education, health, housing, wealth, and, in general, quality of life.  When addressing this Revelations-like “Beast,” we must understand that institutional statements about Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion are just statements unless oppressed people force institutions to also proactively pursue equity and social justice. Otherwise, we witness appalling things such as the Rooney Rule being adopted in 2003 when there were 3 Black Head Coaches and, in 2020, there are 3 Black Head Coaches. 

Because of its ability to regenerate, White supremacy deserves responses as rigorous as those made to Covid-19, i.e., systemic interventions by all societal sectors. Regarding Blacks’ responses to White supremacy, this article was stimulated by my colleague, Dr. Curtiss E. Porter (Chancellor Emeritus, Penn State Greater Allegheny)  who wrote, “I am concerned about this generation’s response to White Supremacy…  It appears to me, that they think ‘words are enough,’ which I will generalize in the headline ‘Dear White People.’ They are brilliant in articulating the vectors and intersections of racial substance, thought and action, such as the negative outcomes posed by micro-aggression but, in the end, it appears, that much is directed toward some ‘great white ear’ which will hopefully respond munificently.” 

In the spirit of Sankofa, a backward look was taken to recall what “brought us thus far” and, based on current circumstances, discern implications for today’s fight against White supremacy. This brief reflection confirms, for example, that “Freedom only comes through persistent revolt, through persistent agitation, through persistently rising up against the system of evil.” (Martin Luther King Jr.) As corroborative evidence, consider two significant periods during the war against White supremacy.

1663-1865 The African Holocaust in America, also known as slavery, remains one if not the worst example of inhumanity --one that produced such excruciating suffering that “ride-or-die” folks were needed in the pursuit of freedom. The horror produced by demonic White supremacists led to people who [1] leaped from slave ships into the seas; [2] conducted more than 250 slave rebellions; [3] implemented work slowdowns by breaking tools and setting fire to crops; [4] killed newborns rather than let them grow up as slaves; [5] served as “House Negroes” but spied on masters in order to help “Field Negroes” plan attacks against the master; and, [6] fled from plantations. These were the proverbial “desperate times that required desperate measures,” including the fact that  it took the bloodiest American war to end slavery.

1954-1980  Immediately after the Civil War, there were continued bombings, burnings, lynchings, and shootings of Blacks. Jim Crow laws were passed to enforce racial segregation. Racism became institutionalized. For more than a century, by law and in practice, Blacks were subjugated second class citizens. Therefore, the Civil Rights Movement was driven by a sense of urgency as well as commitment to a wide array of direct actions undergirded by Martin Luther King Jr’s exhortation “…that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” 

Accordingly, instead of simply hoping that White leaders would respond munificently, [1] Black students confronted and made demands on historically White institutions of higher education; [2] Black national organizations won a series of key court cases; [3] Black community activists boycotted, marched, sat-in and made demands on local governments, schools, and businesses; [4] Blacks, by way of urban insurrections, exploded like a “festering raisin in the sun;” and [5] Let us not forget that Dwight Eisenhower sent troops to Arkansas and, later, Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama.

Blacks’ direct action was supplemented by a plethora of efforts to raise “race consciousness,” i.e., [1] to move from an inferior and subservient self-concept as a “Negro” to a proud and self-assertive “Black” mentality; and [2] to gain “Black power” which included Blacks doing for self as well as taking their rightful places in public spaces, e.g., to freely attend public schools as well as build Black owned and operated schools; to work in corporate positions as well as become entrepreneurs; to be fairly covered in the White-owned press as well as create Black newspapers; and to dine at any public restaurant as well as own and operate restaurants. 

2000-2020 “Diversity and Inclusion” replaced “affirmative action” but did not significantly advance “equity and social justice” for Blacks. During this period, members of the “talented tenth” became the first Blacks to occupy various managerial, political, and staff positions; Black students gained a significant but token presence in higher education; and more Blacks escaped the worst of poverty. However, by 2020, disparities were growing like a lethal virus as evidenced by widening gaps in Black home ownership, health, educational achievement, and wealth. This scenario reminds one of when more than 40,000 Blacks got back on the White folks’ buses instead of also building upon the transportation system they developed during the Montgomery boycott. 

Regarding Blacks’ addressing White supremacy, I have a dream that, one day, the very best Black student-athletes, other students, faculty, administrators and staff will choose to take their talents to several leading historically Black colleges and universities and turn them into externally verified world class colleges and universities.  I have a dream that there will be more OWN channels, Tyler Perry Studios, Black law firms, Black banks, Black construction companies, Black grocery stores, and, in general, an exponential expansion of Black entrepreneurship.

In my dream, Blacks will deal with the full implications of Carter G. Woodson’s statement, “The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate them.” 

I dream of White supremacy withering on the vine when [1] Blacks become the largest active voting block and Black elected officers are multiplied significantly;  [2] Black civic organizations, churches, and families regain their critical importance; [3] Blacks’ undying love for their people is wed to sustained systematic actions; [4] the most talented and highest achieving Blacks constantly speak truth to power instead of being muzzled by “30 pieces of silver;” and [5] the struggle against White supremacy is joined by all people purporting to endorse freedom, justice and equality. 

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 13, 2020