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Remember when candidate Donald Trump repeatedly promised supporters that Mexico would pay for a border wall? Now, the loyal members of his base are learning what many knew on the campaign trail -- it is highly improbable that Mexico will ever pay for a wall. Turns out Donald Trump has privately floated the idea of funding the construction through the U.S. military budget. Quick lesson in governing: Congressional budgeting is done with very specific instructions for how federal dollar amounts are spent. Any repurposing of funds requires congressional approval, which Trump is unlikely to get. There’s more Stormy weather hovering over the White House. Michael Avenatti, attorney for adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, has asked a federal judge this morning for permission to depose the president about his knowledge of an agreement to pay the porn star $130,000 a week and a half before the 2016 election. POTUS45 could definitely use some sunshine right now. Enter a former Disney Channel star. Twenty-two-year-old Caroline Sunshine, best known for her role in the Disney Channel show Shake It Up opposite Zendaya about teenage dancers, will join the Trump administration as a Press Assistant. If you feel the nation’s politics are a circus right now, it’s high time we have a clown. So, right on time, one is running for Congress. Steve Lough -- an Ivy League-educated professional clown -- is throwing his hat into the ring, running in the Democratic primary in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District and hoping to unseat Congressman Ralph Norman (R). In other news, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will “check-in” on Capitol Hill April 12th to testify before lawmakers. The company has been under fire ever since it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a data firm with ties to Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, reportedly accessed information from about 50 million Facebook users without their knowledge. And that’s not all. Fair housing groups filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday saying that Facebook continues to discriminate against certain groups, including women, disabled veterans, and single mothers, in the way that it allows advertisers to target the audience for their ads. Lastly, in a far too common headline, there’s this: a pair of white police officers in Baton Rouge, LA will not be prosecuted by state authorities over the fatal shooting almost two years ago of a Black man, Alton Sterling. Last year, the DOJ also declined to bring charges in the case. Time to push through. We’re kicking off Wednesday with this...
- Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) kicks off re-election campaign.
- Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and CA AG Xavier Becerra weigh-in on police shooting of unarmed Black man in Sacramento, CA.
- Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT) backtracks on guns.
- My Brother’s Keeper Alliance announces New Advisory Council with new members.
- FCC Chairman Ajit Pai names new member to diversity working group.
- HUD CIO Johnson Joy and several other staffers depart the agency.
- Former Xerox head Ursula Burns assumes CEO duties at VEON.
- Meet the new Program Director at the Committee to Protect Journalists.
- Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) to donate to charity to offset contribution from restaurateur accused of fraud.
- Judge throws out CHC Chair’s restraining order against former intern.
- Oprah wants to take the Times Up movement global.
- The pushback over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census heats up.
- Former President Barack Obama to headline a Beverly Hills fundraiser in May.
- American Samoa residents sue for U.S. citizenship.
- Meet the first-ever Chief Content Officer at BuzzFeed.
- CHC BOLDPAC adds more endorsements.
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|  | Journo Roland Martin on Sunday returning to DC from a trip to Detroit. | |  | NM congressional candidate Deb Haaland on Saturday at the March for Our Lives in Albuquerque. | |
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Doris Matsui and Xavier Becerra Weigh-in on Police Shooting of Unarmed Black Man in Sacramento
Sacramento, CA Police Chief Daniel Hahn said Tuesday that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra will hold an independent investigation into the shooting death of Stephon Clark in his grandmother's backyard in Sacramento. The announcement came a week after 22-year-old Clark was killed by officers who say they believed he was pointing a gun at them. Officers fired 20 shots, hitting Clark multiple times. No weapon was found at the scene. The only item discovered was a cell phone, police said. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) weighed in on the tragedy gripping her district. “In this instance, an independent investigation will help ensure that our community can begin the process of healing, reform, and change as quickly and collaboratively as possible,” Matsui said, adding, “No family should have to experience the kind of tragedy that the Clark family is going through right now. We must do better as a city and as a society, and I know that we can do better.” Becerra stressed that his office was "not taking over" the investigation but merely "providing independent oversight." More here.
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Mia Love Backtracks on Guns
Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT) has come under fire for walking back public support for gun control in a private right-wing Facebook group. In the days after the Parkland shooting that left 17 people dead at a Florida high school last month, Love told Utah state senators that “everything has to be on the table.” Love specifically asked why the teenaged shooter was able to buy an AR-15. She also told The Salt Lake Tribune that she would support stronger background checks, consider banning semi-automatic rifle sales to people under 21, and opposed Trump’s proposal to arm teachers. However, in a private Facebook group of LDS (Mormon) conservatives, Love backtracked and said she did not support any additional restrictions on gun sales, according to screenshots obtained by ThinkProgress where Love personally responded in the group to criticism of her comments. The stance upset some members of Love’s conservative base. Hence, she responded to the complaints by backtracking, saying what she actually meant by everything being on the table was that she was open to looking at violent music and movies. Love also said in the private group that she was “not elected by the president” and doesn’t see Trump as the leader of her party. More here.
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Bob Menéndez Kicks Off Re-Election Campaign
Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), just a few months after surviving a federal corruption trial that threatened to land him behind bars, announces today that he will seek another six-year term. The 64-year-old will kick off his campaign in his hometown of Union City. Joining him at the event will be fellow NJ Democratic Senator Cory Booker, Governor Phil Murphy, and other area community leaders. Menéndez’s main opponent in November will likely be a well-funded Republican Bob Hugin, a Marine Corps veteran and former pharmaceutical executive. Menéndez’s campaign has called Hugin “a greedy CEO who became a multi-millionaire by jacking up prices again and again on medicine that cancer patients depend upon.” Though Menéndez is now free of the charges, he still faces a Senate ethics probe into the allegations that he traded political favors for luxury vacations, flights on private jets, and $600,000 in political donations from Salomón Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor and longtime friend. The trial ended in a hung jury, and prosecutors decided to drop the case in January. A recent poll gives Menéndez a 17-point lead over Hugin. More here.
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) on Friday with Mercedes, a student at Spelman College. | |  | Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro with Hillsborough (FL) Community College President Ken Atwater at the 12th Annual Black Brown & College Bound Summit in Tampa. | |
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My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Announces New Advisory Council with New Members
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an initiative of the Obama Foundation, has announced a new diverse Advisory Council. New members include Angelique Albert, the Executive Director of the American Indian Graduate Center. The 1995 Salish Kootenai College graduate who went on to earn her MBA from Gonzaga University in 2014, is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribe. She is also an award-winning artist. Attorney Karol Mason, who is President of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She was the head of the DOJ's Office of Justice Programs leader in the Obama administration on juvenile justice issues, bail reform, and re-entry for individuals leaving prison. The University of North Carolina graduate, who went on to complete law school at the University of Michigan, managed a distinguished career at Alston & Bird LLP where she was the first African American woman elected as Chair of the Management Committee at any major national firm. Filling one of the two young adult member slots is Malachi Hernández. The Northeastern University student is due to graduate in 2021 and is currently an MBK Ambassador for the Boston chapter. Filling the other slot is Senegal Mabry. The Binghamton University student is due to graduate in 2020 and is an Ambassador for MBK New York. MBK Alliance became an initiative of the Obama Foundation in October, after the independent nonprofit organization MBK Alliance of the same name ceased operations. Tom Geddes, the CEO of Plank Industries also joins the Advisory Council. These new members join the majority of the former MBK Alliance’s Board of Directors who transitioned to the Advisory Council, including Scott Budnick, Executive Director, Anti Recidivism Coalition; Toni Cook Bush, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Government Affairs, News Corp; former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Managing Partner, Emerson Collective, Chicago CRED; Joe Echevarría, Retired CEO, Deloitte; Lori Fouche, Head of Individual Solutions, Prudential Financial; Walter Isaacson, Retired CEO, Aspen Institute; Broderick Johnson, Partner, BryanCave; George Logothetis, Chairman and CEO, Libra Group; Robert Raben, President, The Raben Group and founding investor of The Beat DC; John Rogers, Chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments; Juan Sabater, Partner, Valor Equity Partners; Jim Shelton, President, Chan Zuckerberg Education; Tony West, Chief Legal Officer, Uber; and David Williams, Principal, Deloitte. More here.
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Barack Obama Slated to Fundraise in Beverly Hills
Former President Barack Obama will appear at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May for Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO). POTUS44 is listed as a special guest at the May 6th fundraiser hosted by the actress Katie McGrath, film studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and other LA A-listers. This is his first post-presidential fundraising event for an individual candidate. Politico reports that the fundraiser is paid for by McCaskill 2018 Victory -- a joint fundraising committee for McCaskill, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Missouri Democratic State Committee. We don’t know the price tag but given the guest list, we can imagine it’s pretty hefty. McCaskill, who was an early back of Obama’s, is one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking re-election this year. She will likely face Republican state Attorney General Josh Hawley. More here.
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Ajit Pai Names New Member to Diversity Working Group
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced last year the appointment of members to serve on three working groups of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE). These working groups -- Broadcast Diversity and Development, Digital Empowerment and Inclusion, and Diversity in the Tech Sector -- will assist the ACDDE in carrying out its work. This week he announced the newest member. Pai has appointed Monica G. Parham, Director, Diversity, Inclusion, and Talent Consulting, to serve as an additional member of the ACDDE. The independent consultant and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate, who went on to graduate from Yale Law School, previously served as Diversity Counsel at Crowell & Moring LLP. The previously announced members include Julia Johnson, President, NetCommunications, LLC -- a firm specializing in regulatory policy and analysis, public affairs, and advancing diversity. She serves as Chair of the ACDDE. It’s her second stint at the FCC. In 2003, the University of Florida graduate also served as Chair of the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age. Diane Sutter serves as Vice Chair. The President & CEO of ShootingStar is a broadcast executive with extensive experience in station acquisitions, operations, strategic planning, marketing/branding, and talent development. More here.
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Staff Departures at HUD
HUD is on the hunt for a new CIO after Johnson Joy (pictured right) abruptly stepped down from the job last week. The Guardian first reported Joy’s departure, following stories that alleged the CIO and one of his aides, Naved Jafry, had ties to an obscure religious nonprofit in Houston. Jafry had also been the subject of multiple fraud lawsuits and may have included inaccuracies in his official biography. On the heels of these absences comes the departure of Leah LeVell (pictured left), a former White House staffer, who had worked as a Communication Aide in Joy’s office. She was among three staffers let go. Sources at HUD said the aides had their contracts terminated unexpectedly by Accel Corporation, a Maryland-based private employment agency that supplied Joy’s office with multiple staffers. LeVell’s father, Bruce, is an Advisor to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Two senior HUD Advisors, Sophia Edwards and Paul Fulcher, also departed. None is accused of wrongdoing. Rumors continue to dog Secretary Ben Carson that he is among those who Trump may replace. However, no personnel announcements have come from the White House at the time we hit send. More here.
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Dana Canedy, the first woman of color to run the Pulitzer Prizes, with HuffPost Editor-In-Chief Lydia Polgreen on Tuesday. This year's awards will be presented at Columbia University on April 16th. | |  |
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation VP Tasha Cole (middle) with two Emerging Leaders on a delegation to Japan for a nine-day study abroad trip with young leaders from 18 CBC districts. | |
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Ursula Burns Assumes CEO Duties at VEON
Ursula Burns will temporarily assume the CEO duties at VEON to replace Chief Executive Jean-Yves Charlier, who resigned on Tuesday after three years -- during which he led the company through a period of upheaval and repositioned the telecom operator to become a new internet service provider. Burns, who formerly headed Xerox and was the first African American woman at the helm of a Fortune 500 company, will step back from some of her board duties at other firms, including Uber. The appointment has also delayed Diageo PLC from naming Burns to the company's board. The spirits company had announced her appointment in July 2017 as the non-executive director, and the appointment was originally effective beginning April 2nd. “I’ll be able to lead the company through this phase with some confidence,” Burns said of her role at VEON in an interview with Reuters. “Now we have to look for growth and transformation. That’s what we are doing.” Burns said the search for a new leader was underway and would seek candidates in both the telecommunications and digital technology industries. “We want to make sure we have someone who can fit in well and drive the type of expansion and transformation we are going through,” she said. Transforming Veon’s core network infrastructure and billing systems to become more digital, tailoring its Veon mobile messaging app to conditions in specific markets, and adding new online services will remain top priorities in 2018, she said. Veon’s messaging app, which is designed to compete with the likes of Facebook’s WhatsApp and Rakuten’s Viber, offers services to customers via its mobile network without incurring data charges. The app has been introduced in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Pakistan since first being launched in Italy in late 2016. Reuters reports that by the end of 2018, the company plans to have it available in all of its markets. More here.
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BuzzFeed Names Chief Content Officer
BuzzFeed has named Melinda Lee as its first-ever Chief Content Officer of BuzzFeed Media Brands. The newly formed division will include lifestyle brand Tasty, home brand Nifty, and health and wellness brand Goodful, along with two new outlets: beauty and style brand As/Is and parenting brand Playfull. She will now be responsible for growing BuzzFeed’s lifestyle portfolio, led by Tasty, which has become the No. 1 branded content partner on Facebook and has more than 6.2 million subscribers on YouTube. Lee, who formerly served as SVP and General Manager of video at Meredith Corporation, will oversee BuzzFeed Media Brands’ editorial and business operations, as well as development and partnership for the company’s advertising, commerce, and studio teams. “Whether it’s food, beauty, health and well-being or home, BuzzFeed has an unmatched talent for creating brands that facilitate human connection and draw people together,” Lee said. “I’m so honored to join BuzzFeed in its next growth phase of the business.”The 1997 Rutgers Law School graduate previously served as VP of Content and Audience Development at Hearst Magazines International, overseeing video an and digital content for Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, and Harper’s Bazaar. And before that, she was General Manager of Getty Images Music. More here.
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CPJ welcomes Carlos Martínez de la Serna as Program Director
The Committee to Protect Journalists has named Carlos Martínez de la Serna as Program Director. Martínez de la Serna will serve as Chief Strategist of CPJ's regional programs and as a member of its senior management team. Prior to CPJ, Martínez de la Serna worked as a reporter and digital journalist in the U.S., Spain, and Japan, covering issues including current affairs, biomedical research, and North Korea's nuclear program. He is a founding member of the mapping startup Carto, Co-Founder of the nonprofit organization porCausa, and a former Director of Digital innovation at Univisión News. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid graduate is a Research Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University and a former John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University. More here.
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American Samoa Residents Sue for Citizenship
American Samoa residents are suing to earn citizenship at birth. Residents of the U.S. territory aren’t considered citizens, but are recognized as U.S. nationals, meaning they not permitted to vote, sponsor relatives immigrating to the U.S. or run for office. Yet, they do pay taxes to the U.S. Although American Samoans can pursue naturalized citizenship, the lawsuit says it is a “lengthy, costly, and burdensome” process. The cost to apply is $725, and legal fees pile up if applicants hire an attorney to help navigate the process. The AP reports that the lawsuit was filed by American Samoa residents living in Utah, which has a major Samoan population. They are suing for the right to citizenship under the 14th Amendment, which grants American citizenship at birth to anyone born in the country. Known as the “Insular Cases,” the Supreme Court distinguished between “incorporated” and “unincorporated” territories. The former, such as Arizona and New Mexico, mostly settled by white people, were thought destined to be a permanent part of the U.S. The latter, such as American Samoa, weren’t considered candidates for statehood, whose inhabitants were described as “alien races” and “uncivilized,” and thus weren’t granted full constitutional rights. Over the years, Congress has decided on a per territory basis to allow those born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands to claim citizenship by birth. American Samoa’s population of about 55,000, however, has continued to fall by the wayside. If the case there is decided favorably, it would create a “circuit split” -- a conflicting ruling to what was previously decided in another court, which could add pressure to the U.S. Supreme Court to review. More here.
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Pushback from Lawmakers, Activists, and States to Block Census Citizenship Question Takes Off
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) is planning to introduce a bill that would block the contentious question regarding citizenship from appearing on the 2020 Census. In an op-ed for the New York Daily News, Meng wrote that “This fight isn't over, and I intend to explore all available avenues, including through the House Appropriations Committee, towards stopping the inclusion of the citizenship question. We don't need a citizenship question in the 2020 Census; what we need is an accurate census count.” Many lawmakers and civil rights leaders have questioned the potential long-lasting negative effects of adding this question. Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has called for hearings on the constitutionality of the question. Former AG Eric Holder’s National Democratic Redistricting Committee has also announced that they would fight the Trump administration's decision. "We will litigate to stop the Administration from moving forward with this irresponsible decision," Holder said. "The addition of a citizenship question to the census questionnaire is a direct attack on our representative democracy." And while CA AG Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit against the Department of Commerce over the question, NY AG Eric Schneiderman is leading a coalition of 11 states also suing over the decision. They say that immigrant communities, fearful of deportation, are less likely to respond. An undercount could have severe consequences on minority and low-income communities, as the Census not only determines political representation, but affects other issues, such as public health, infrastructure, and school lunch funding, among many more. These are also the reasons the NAACP said it is planning to file a lawsuit against the Census Bureau, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Donald Trump. More here.
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|  | GA gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams with small business owner Gabriel Vásquez on Saturday in Gainesville. | |  | Janet Murguía from UnidosUS at the March for Our Lives on Saturday in DC with her niece and nephew.
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CHC BOLD PAC Announces Seven More Endorsements
The CHC BOLD PAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political body, announced that it was throwing its support behind seven candidates. One of them is Xochitl Torres Small who is running for New Mexico’s Second Congressional District open seat, as the current incumbent, Republican Congressman Steve Pearce, makes his run at Governor. They’re also endorsing Steven Horsford in Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District for the seat being vacated by Congressman Rubén Kihuen, who is stepping down amid harassment allegations. In the race for California’s 45th Congressional District, BOLD PAC is throwing its weight behind Dave Min, who is running to unseat Congresswoman Mimi Walters (R). Joe Neguse, running in Colorado’s Second Congressional District, was also among the endorsements this round. Neguse is running to fill the open seat left by Congressman Jared Polis’ (D) gubernatorial run. “BOLD PAC is also proud of the diversity represented in this latest round of endorsements — from race and background to geography and gender — I am confident these individuals will play a pivotal role in helping take back the House,” said BOLD PAC Chair Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). The group also announced that they were backing fellow Democrats Susie Lee (NV-03), Kathy Manning (NC-13), and Max Rose (NY-11). This brings the number of BOLD PAC endorsements to 21 candidates so far. More here.
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Yvette Clarke Will Donate $2K to Charity to Offset Contribution from Accused Restaurateur
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) will donate $2,000 in campaign funds to charity to offset a contribution from a restaurateur who claims Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) encouraged him to secretly funnel illegal donations to Clarke’s campaign. The announcement came after Clarke’s Democratic primary challenger, Adem Bunkeddeko, called on her to give back the money that Federal Election Commission records show she got from Harendra Singh on March 31st, 2012. Taking the gloves all the way off, Bunkeddeko, who’s set to face off with Clarke in the June 26th primary, also called on the FEC to audit her fundraising records. The NY Post reports that last week, Singh testified at the federal corruption trial of former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano that de Blasio twice asked him to funnel donations to political cronies, including Clarke. De Blasio adamantly denies the claims. Clarke campaign spokeswoman Ronnie Oliva hasn’t yet said what charity would get the money. More here.
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Judge Kills CHC Chair’s Restraining Order Against Former Intern
A state district judge has quashed a restraining order obtained by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) -- also a gubernatorial candidate -- against a former intern. Luján Grisham applied for the restraining order after Riley Del Rey disrupted her speeches at the recent state Democratic Party's pre-primary convention and another event. In an order issued late last week, Judge Clay Campbell wrote that Del Rey has a constitutional right to political speech and isn't accused of making any threats of violence against the Congresswoman. Del Rey, who says she was discriminated against by the Congresswoman's office for being transgender, is facing allegations that she became violent as officers removed her from the convention, where she shouted and sounded an air horn to disrupt the Congresswoman's speech. More here.
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Angela Rye, FLOTUS44 Michelle Obama, Luvvie Ajayi, and Symone Sanders earlier this month at BET's Leading Women Defined gathering in Miami. | |  | Minnesota state Representative Ilhan Omar on Saturday with her family. | |
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Oprah Wants to Take Times Up Movement Global
Oprah says she is now talking to other women in the Time's Up movement to take the campaign globally and look beyond just show business. The movement has already spawned other versions around the world, including in Australia this week where stars launched the NOW campaign -- a celebrity-driven nonprofit organization to end industrial and systemic sexual harassment in the workplace. "There are conversations with the Time's Up women about how we move this into a global environment and not just confined to the United States and not just confined to what's happening in Hollywood," Oprah said. "There's some shifts. There are some things that are trends. There's some moments. But that's not change," she said. "Change is deeply rooted. It's systemic. It's when something moves and does not go back, and I don't think we're there yet. But I feel like we're at the precipice of it and we're at a place where it's highly possible." Employers may boast a slight increase in staff diversity and data may show women gaining ground in male-dominated industries, but according to Tina Tchen, the lawyer spearheading the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund and Michelle Obama's former Chief of Staff, the surface has barely been scratched. "We're a lot of years away from gender equality," she said. More here.
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| FOMO
Thursday, March 29th, 5:30P: The Congressional Hispanic Staff Association hosts a happy hour to say goodbye to the outgoing board members and to welcome the new ones. 201 Bar, 201 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Thursday, March 29th, 8P: Jazz, hip hop, and soul combine in August Greene, the newly formed supergroup featuring emcee Common, pianist and composer Robert Glasper, and percussionist and producer Karriem Riggins. Kennedy Center. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Tuesday, April 3rd, 9A: The National Civil Rights Museum's MLK 50 Symposium. Scholars, historians, and thought leaders from across the country will present on the state of civil and human rights issues including Moving Memphis Forward, Economic Equity & Justice for All, and The Promise of Education. Moderated by former NPR Host Michele Norris. Rose Theatre, University of Memphis, 470 University, Memphis, TN. Free. Click here to register.
Wednesday, April 4th, 5:45P: The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) hosts its 2018 Latino State of the Union. Time Warner Center, One Time Warner Center, 10th Floor, The Screening Room, New York City. To RSVP, contact Heaven Ocampohocampo@maldef.org or 213.629.2512 ext. 143.
Tuesday, April 17th, 8A: The Hill Latino hosts "Latinos in College: Closing the Graduation Gap." The program will feature lawmakers, university presidents, education officials, and students in a series of conversations exploring strategies to boost Hispanic college completion rates. The event is sponsored by Excelencia in Education and Gallup. 901 F Street, N.W. RSVP to events@thehill.com.
Wednesday, April 18th, 6P: The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) 2018 Gala and Awards. Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. To purchase tickets, contact Heaven Ocampo, hocampo@maldef.org or 213.629.2512 ext. 143.
Wednesday, April 18th - Saturday, April 21st: The National Action Network hosts its annual conference, this year commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Sheraton Times Square, NYC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, April 19th: The University of North Dakota sponsors a conference on the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock protests. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, April 25th - Friday, April 27th: The African American Mayor Association 2018 Annual Conference. DoubleTree Hotel, 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA. Click here to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 6P: The Latino Victory Fund hosts Latino Talks 2018, on how Latinos are changing America. Special guests include former Univisión anchor María Elena Salinas. Click here to purchase tickets.
Friday, May 11th, 9A: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights holds a public briefing on hate crimes and bias-related incidents. The Commission will examine best practices for local law enforcement on collecting and reporting data, and the role of the Education and Justice Departments in prevention and prosecution. USCCR, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 1150. RSVP to publicaffairs@usccr.gov. Click here to watch a livestream of the briefing.
Thursday, June 21st - Sunday, June 24th: The Black Millennial Political Convention, which aims to increase engagement of Black millennials in the political sphere and shed a light on policy issues impacting black communities. This year’s theme is The Advocacy of Policy, Pipeline and Power for the People. Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, VA. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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