Politics and Current
After being wrongly convicted, this black man obtained a law degree. He now advocates for criminal justice reform
Brittany Hudson
As a teenager, Jarrett Adams was wrongly convicted and served 10 years in prison, though he had not committed a crime. After his release, Adams earned a law degree and co-founded the nonprofit Life After Justice, which fights to forestall others from suffering the identical fate.
Adams believes that with the upcoming presidential election, President Biden should prioritize wrongful convictions as a part of his criminal justice reform campaign.
According to the 2022 report, “Race and wrongful convictions in the United States“, “Blacks make up 13.6% of the American population, but account for 53% of the 3,200 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations. Judging by the acquittals, innocent black Americans are seven times more likely to be falsely convicted of serious crimes than white Americans.”
In addition, Death Penalty Information Center The (DPIC) study “found that in two-thirds of overturned death sentence convictions, misconduct, perjury, or false accusations played a role in 70.7% of black cases and 93.8% of Hispanic releases.”
A review of Biden’s history dating back to his time within the Senate shows the president has been aware of the problem for a long time. When the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was being considered within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Biden “proposed several amendments, ranging from removing the restrictions from the bill altogether to applying them only to federal prisoners. “Biden and other opponents of the bill have made the now-predictive argument that, without amendments, the restrictions will make it nearly impossible for federal courts to hear credible claims of innocence,” he added. Washington Post Office reports. However, Biden’s amendments failed and President Bill Clinton ultimately signed the bill into law.
Nearly fifteen years later, in 2020, Biden she ran a campaign on a commitment to “strengthen America’s commitment to justice and reform our criminal justice system.” Did the president keep his word?
Biden “A plan to strengthen America’s commitment to justice,” it states, “[b]Because we cannot ensure that death penalty cases are handled correctly every time, Biden will work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level and encourage states to follow the federal government’s lead. Instead, these individuals should serve life sentences without probation or parole.”
But to date, Biden still hasn’t concluded the method death penaltydespite expressing opposition to its use, although legal experts consider that using presidential powers, Biden could do it “in minutes, with a few strokes of a pen.”
Biden used his power to grant clemency for the primary time in 2022, issuing three such sentences Sorryone among which went “to the first Black Secret Service agent who worked on the details of a president who had long maintained he was wrongly convicted.”
But once more, the president didn’t take more aggressive actions. During the conversation, wrongfully convicted Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velasquez asked the president directly: “how can we create clear, uniform standards for clemency so that inmates are motivated to change and know what they need to achieve to show it” are willing to return to their families and communities?” The president response: “standards of leniency cannot be set. You can’t write a law saying that under these circumstances the CEO will be granted a pardon, like the governor did for you, or what I just did to anyone who has ever been convicted of possessing and smoking marijuana. I can only do this in federal prisons, for example.”
The bottom line is that Biden must do more on this issue. As Adams told ESSENCE: “Justice cannot be selective; it must be a universal promise fulfilled. We need real reform by addressing the system that allows false imprisonment and the post-conviction obstacles that block acquittals with impunity. Terence Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne – two men found not guilty of murder and yet spent twenty years in prison because of the crime – are prime examples of this injustice.”
“It is time not only to talk about reforms, but to implement changes that will ensure accountability for those responsible for false imprisonment and allow innocence to break down all procedural barriers,” Adams continued.
“Granting clemency to individuals like Terrence and Ferrone is a critical step in demonstrating our commitment to a fair and equitable system,” Adams added. “Let us turn promises into action and bring about the changes our justice system so desperately and immediately needs.”
New York Senator Zellor Myrie released his black program for New York He reports that before the Mayor’s campaign in New York.
His The agenda deals with 4 key points The increase in the black wealth of the community – international, public health, economic development and climate resistance and infrastructure repair – all based on his experience growing up in Brooklyn. “I grew up around Black New Yorkers who understood that if you were working hard, you had the opportunity to succeed in this city. Being on the road to success,” said Myrie during a press conference.
“But for too many black New Yorkers this is no longer a reality. The city is different, and the next mayor of this city must have a plan that will help black New Yorkers.”
Myrie’s term of office as a senator of state from 2019 has placed him to support civil rights of black New Yorkers.
Together with the latest administration of Trump in office, a 38-year-old politician believes that one should concentrate on protecting pioneering citizenship by black leadership, because he says: “We have a president who clearly attacks black people throughout the country. The president, who eliminates disputes regarding civil rights, accuses employees of accused of enforcing civil rights,” said the candidate for Rican.
“The victories that we have fought for decades to achieve are now erased under this president.”
It has a strategy coping with all points in the public program, with one of the premises is accessible to everyone. When parents have difficulty obtaining inexpensive childcare in the city, Myrie He proposed an out -of -school program that may be free and would come with children from the age of three to seniors of high schools. . progRAM will operate until 18:00 on weekdays and guarantees Stains in a free summer academic city and the enrichment youth program.
Others concentrate on his program include the establishment of the Fund for Buyers of First Generation Houses and counting on regulations regarding anti -discrimination in mortgage loans. While coping with public security, Myrie announced plans to expand the program of each CountS block, a pilot program launched in October 2024, which directs the prevention of violence using weapons. Taking public health, his agenda positions funds for dedicated delivery centers in black superiority districts and the extension of the Medicaid range for Doulas and midwives in the hope of reducing the high mortality of moms amongst black women.
His plan may even take care of mental health resources, implement free mental health services and a profession path for young black men and launches the center of trauma in the Rockaways districts in Queens.
Along with the democratic basis, which took place on June 24, 2025, Myrie collected nearly $ 4 million donations during her campaign, but is one of 4 black candidates applying for the mayor’s place. Candidates are the current mayor Eric Adams, Marshal of the City Council of Adrienne Adams and a former member of the Congregation Michael Blake.
(Tagstranslate) nyc Mayor
Politics and Current
Trump’s staff are trying to stop the “abuse” of Elon Musk’s relationship with the president, who cannot demand him because “there is no leverage over him, and Elon gives Zero FS”
He is a spoiled brat of the inner circle of the magician, opening the thumb with Donald Trump’s “Tatus”, seemingly remaining a privileged son.
A jealous older brother Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Trump, who once enjoyed the same close president, declared war with the younger, richer Nemesis a couple of months ago, swearing that he banished him on January 20.
But this date has passed, and Elon is still standing, often alongside the president.
However, this week, the General Director of Tesla could go too far. Musk undermined Trump’s announcement on Tuesday about an investment price $ 500 billion in the infrastructure of artificial intelligence, claiming that supporters of the “Stargate project” only a fraction of the proposed investments price $ 500 billion.
He even published a joke This suggested that the directors were burning Crack “to come up with the number of $ 500 billion for Stargate.”
Bannon saw, telling Musk journalists, “he should not reverse what the president was already talking about. This is unacceptable and unsatisfactory. You see how he is out of control.”
Trump, when asked about the number of Musk’s failures at a press conference on Friday, seemed to move his arms.
“I mean that Elon does not like one of these people,” Trump replied, referring to musk contempt for the general director of OPENAI Altman itself, one of the primary investors of the Stargate project.
That’s all? No pink slip? Even insult? What does the President’s Musk have?
“It is obvious that he abused the proximity of the president,” Trump’s ally he said Politico. “The problem is that the president has no levers over him, and Elon gives zero f – s.”
As Politico noted: “It is very unusual for the senior adviser-Muska-in public to criticize the president’s initiatives, and his broadly favorable speculation in GOP circles about whether he and Trump will finally seem.”
But there are no signs of the upcoming breakup. Trump is unable to hide his feelings and although there have been reports that he has enough musk, the general director of Starlink retains almost unusual access to the president.
Musk even has an office in West Wing, during which he pilots the “Department of Government”, an advisory commission created by Trump to eliminate waste in the federal government.
“We are now working with him to understand his ideas – the ideas are innovative. Make done not so much,” said a political official of the White House.
Bannon called on the chief of staff of Susie Wiles to “sit (musk) down” and “immediate sorting”.
He should already know: no person puts Elon in the corner.
Politics and Current
Black historians and leaders condemn the executive order of Trump addressed to the Smithsonian African American Museum: “Literal attack on Black America” - essence
The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, near the Washington monument. (Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group by Getty Images)
One of the latest executive orders of President Trump is to arouse serious slack and for a reason. New order entitled “Restoring truth and mental health to the history of America” He follows the Smithsonian institution particularly the National Museum of History and Culture of African American-conquering it consisting in pushing “a divisible, focused ideology on the race.”
But about this: the executive order ignores key facts about the history of America, akin to the founders’ fathers wrote slavery in the structure and announced enslaved people as three fifth people.
As Essence informed earlier, the order is about by JD Vance Vice President liable for reviewing the museum content and gives the internal secretary Doug Burgum the right to examine whether any monuments have been removed or modified “to consolidate a false reconstruction of America’s history.” In other words, direct effort is to rewrite history to match the president’s narrative – one which removes the influence of racism and black contribution to the nation.
In 2017, at the starting of his first term, Trump actually praised the African American Museum and culture, saying that “he was deeply proud, that there is now a museum that honors millions of African Americans and women who built our national heritage.” Now he conducts the effort to undermine the institution itself, which he once called the treasure. But historians and black leaders don’t withdraw. As Clarke put it: “Let’s be a bright, black story is America’s story. Every rhetoric that opposes this concept is not only incorrect, but grossly racist.”
Historians, supporters of civil rights and black political leaders shouldn’t have this. Here’s what that they had to say about the latest attempt to whiten history.
01
“A literal attack on Black America” - Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
“Black Smithsonian, what his name is, is indeed one of the bits of the hearts of Black America. Also one of the bits of the heart in the whole nation.” Kendi, a well -known historian and creator, called Trump’s order “A literal attack on Black America itself” And he warned that this was part of a bigger strategy for starvation of black resource institutions. “For me it is part of the plan to starve those institutions that are already starving resources so that the only institutions that tell the story of America in fact tell political propaganda,” said Kendi for the Associated Press.
New York, New York – March 10: Ibram X. Kendi Visits Build to discuss the book Stamp: racism, antiracism and you at Build Studio on March 10, 2020 in New York. (Photo of Michael Laccisano/Getty Images)
02
We don’t run or remove our history ” – Congress Chairman Black Caucus Yvette Clarke
“There is nothing brave or inappropriate in telling the truth. We reject the constant efforts of this administration to whiten the history of our nation.” Clarke and the Congress Black Club issued a powerful statement, condemning Trump’s order as “clearly funny”, emphasizing that it was Trump’s administration – not historians – that is distorting history, falsely accusing others of it. “We do not run or remove our history just because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We fully accept good, evil and ugly.”
United States – July 13: Rep.
03
“They want to deny slavery even existed” -morehouse College Professor, Clarissa Myrick-Harris
“It seems that we are heading in a direction in which there is even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery existed at all, or that Jim Crow’s rights and racial violence against black communities, black families, black individuals.” Myrick-Harris, a professor of Morehouse College, warned that this movement concerns something greater than just museums-this is an attempt to erase the truth about the past of America.
04
“You can’t erase our past”- Rep. Jasmine Crockett
Rep. Jasmine Crockett condemned this movement, calling him a broader effort to erase marginalized voices from each the present and the past. “The first Trump removes all reference about the diversity from the present – now he is trying to remove it from our history,” wrote Crockett on X. “Let me be completely clear – you can’t remove our past and you can’t stop us from fulfilling our future.”
Washington, DC-26 February: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks during the interrogation with the government’s subcommittee in the US Capitol on February 26, 2025 in Washington. The supervision of the Chamber carried out a hearing to consider witnesses regarding foreign aid in the USA. (Photo Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
05
“Museums exist to tell the whole story” – former president of Naacp Ben Ben Jezechny
“Attempts to tell the country’s general history always omit … and the place where we came to the possession of these museums so that we can better tell the full history of this country.” Jealous, he pushed himself to the concept that the recognition of the black history is dividing, arguing that museums dedicated to marginalized groups exist precisely because the mainstream history ignored them so long.
Atlanta, Georgia – August 28: former president of NAACP, Ben Jealous, speaks on a march for voting rights at King Center on August 28, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo Derek White/Getty Images)
“It was waiting for me”: Brian Tyree Henry opens up to the loss of his father for weeks before he wraps his most emotional scene in “Dope Thief”
Students of young, talented and black yale collect $ 3 million on a new application
Ester Dean Pens Open letter on the drama Keri Hilson and gossipped Beyoncé Diss to determine the album straight
Pepa and daughter Treach Weds “Gorning up hip hop” in a small ceremony in Las Vegas
Viola Davis on power, parenting and playing president in “G20” – essence
-
Press Release1 year agoU.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Press Release1 year agoCEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Business and Finance10 months agoThe Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Business and Finance1 year ago360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Ben Crump12 months agoAnother lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
-
Theater1 year agoTelling the story of the Apollo Theater
-
Ben Crump1 year agoHenrietta Lacks’ family members reach an agreement after her cells undergo advanced medical tests
-
Ben Crump1 year agoThe families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright hold an emotional press conference in Minneapolis
-
Theater1 year agoApplications open for the 2020-2021 Soul Producing National Black Theater residency – Black Theater Matters
-
Theater10 months agoCultural icon Apollo Theater sets new goals on the occasion of its 85th anniversary