PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATION FOR PROGRESS WILL HOLD PART TWO OF VOTING RIGHTS FORUM IN MONTCLAIR NJ

The second part of a forum entitled “The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” will be held Friday, June 26, 2026, 7:00pm at St Paul’s Baptist Church, 119 Elm Street in Montclair, New Jersey.

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP), a grassroots volunteer group that works for racial, social, economic justice and peace.

“The purpose of this forum is to give people an opportunity to continue our dialogue on the negative impact of the racist and fascist domestic and foreign policies of the Trump administration on Black people and strategies for fighting back,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

Part one of the forum was held on May 29th at the same location. During that session numerous presentations were made by elected officials, community leaders, and activists.

“During the last seasion most of the program consisted of presentations by the invited speakers. This time most of the program will be devoted to audience participation so we can hear what the people have to say,” Hamm said.

“At the end of the of the last program we polled the audience and asked them if they wanted to have a second session to continue the dialogue and the overwhelming majority responded affirmatively,” he said.

Hamm said POP decided to have the first program after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling eviscerated the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

“In terms of civil rights and racial equity that was one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the Dred Scott case of 1857 when the court said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.

Hamm said the court’s decision enables racist state legislatures to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those which have large black populations. This could result in the loss of as many as 19 congressional seats now held by African Americans.

Besides voter suppression and the attack on voting rights Hamm cited other reasons for calling the forum.

“Black people continue to experience the highest rates of racist violence. Black Americans experience the highest rate of police brutality and fatal shootings by police. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than whites.

“Black student enrollment at colleges and universities continues to decline due to the Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action in higher education.

“Since the beginning of Trump’s second term Black unemployment has doubled with more than 600,000 black people losing their jobs, including 350,000 Black women, due to a sagging economy, federal budget cuts, and the ending of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs,” he said.

“The Trump administration is perhaps the most openly racist and certainly the most corrupt in my lifetime. His racist and fascist rhetoric and vitriolic attacks exceed that of his contemporaries,” he said.

“The reactionary policies of the White House, ultra conservative decisions of the Supreme Court, and right wing legislation of Congress and state legislatures makes it feel like there is a war on Black people in this country,” Hamm said.

“The response to the first forum was so positive that we have decided to have this same discussion in other cities and towns across New Jersey. Other programs are already scheduled and will be announced soon,” he said.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.

MARCH AGAINST TRUMP DICTATORSHIP IN NEWARK, NJ ON SUNDAY, JUNE 14TH

A counter protest will be held in response to the Trump administration’s celebration in Washington DC this weekend. 

An “End The Trump Dictatorship March And Rally,” will be held Sunday, June 14, 2026, 2:00pm at the Rodino Federal Building, 970 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey. 

The demonstration is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress. It has been endorsed by the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance Planning Committee. 

The event will begin with a rally at the federal building. After the rally the protesters will march to Martin Luther King Statue at 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. 

“We are having this demonstration to protest the sham celebration that President Trump is having in the nation’s capital on Sunday,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated. 

“We will not celebrate this president who is a would be dictator nor will we celebrate a false racist history of this country. We must protest against it,” Hamm said. 

He said that the demonstration is also being held to protest Trump’s racist, fascist, and draconian policies at home, and his administration’s imperialistic wars abroad.

“Trump is celebrating himself this weekend. He says it’s about the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country but it’s really all about him, his administration, and his policies,” he said. 

“This is what dictators do. They try to make people believe they are the personification of the nation,” he said. 

“Like King Louis XIV, Trump believes he is the state. In his mind being loyal to the country means being loyal to him,” he said. 

Hamm said the historical narrative of the nation being used by the Trump administration for these celebrations is a whitewashed history that conforms to a white supremacist perspective. 

“In their version of history the genocide against the Native Americans and theft of their land, the enslavement of Africans and oppression of Black people, and other similar episodes are downplayed or nonexistent,” he said. 

“We cannot celebrate a history that does not tell the whole truth or does not recognize the contributions of those who have been oppressed and exploited,” he said. 

For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001.

Nearly a Century After Founding Michigan's Only HBCU, Detroit Declares Violet T. Lewis Day

The City of Detroit officially declared May 27 as Violet T. Lewis Day during a historic ceremony held Wednesday at Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC Detroit), where a representative from Mayor Mary Sheffield's office presented the official declaration to Dr. Violet Ponders, granddaughter and namesake of Dr. Violet T. Lewis, honoring the extraordinary legacy of the educator, entrepreneur, and civic leader whose institution later became Michigan's only historically Black college.

The recognition arrives amid growing national conversations surrounding Black educational legacy, institutional preservation, and pathways to economic and creative opportunity.

Approximately 250–300 guests attended the celebration, including civic leaders, educators, creatives, students, entrepreneurs, community members, and partners such as the Gilbert Family Foundation, Apple, Carhartt, StockX, Nike, and adidas, reflecting PLC Detroit's growing influence across education, culture, business, and design innovation.

Guests wearing shades of violet entered an immersive experience honoring the spirit and legacy of Dr. Violet T. Lewis. Storytelling activations, commemorative experiences, and a violet-hued specialty beverage curated exclusively for the occasion by Fixins Soul Kitchen transformed the event into both a cultural and celebratory experience. As guests departed, they received packets of violet flower seeds and customized planters, symbolizing the continued growth of Dr. Lewis' vision and the enduring impact of the institution she founded.

The celebration also welcomed members of Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated, reflecting the enduring influence of an organization Lewis co-founded more than 80 years ago.

Dr. Violet T. Lewis founded Lewis Business College in 1928 during a time when opportunities for Black Americans — particularly Black women — remained severely limited. In 1939, she relocated the institution to Detroit, where it became a cornerstone of Black education and professional advancement, educating more than 20,000 students.

Her influence extended beyond education. In 1943, Lewis co-founded Gamma Phi Delta Sorority, Incorporated alongside her sister, Elizabeth A. Garner, creating new pathways for leadership development, sisterhood, and professional advancement for women.

When Dr. D'Wayne Edwards revitalized the college in 2022, he reestablished it as the nation's only design-focused HBCU while preserving Lewis' name and institutional identity.

"We are honored to celebrate Violet T. Lewis' legacy and continue the mission she began," said Dr. Edwards. "This declaration reflects the transformative power of education, opportunity, and institutional impact."

"My grandmother understood that education was not simply about learning — it was about access, dignity, independence, and the ability to transform lives across generations," said Dr. Violet Ponders. "To witness the City of Detroit formally recognize her contributions in the community where her work impacted thousands of lives is deeply meaningful."

The observance of Violet T. Lewis Day will now serve as an annual recognition of Black educational achievement, institutional vision, and the enduring role historically Black institutions continue to play in shaping culture, industry, leadership, and economic mobility in America.

The National Black Church Initiative Support and Endorse Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities, comprising 27.7 million members, support and endorse Karen Bass. She is one of the mothers of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black church is honored that she is willing to serve another term. NBCI Los Angeles churches voted to endorse to keep Karen Bass in the office of mayor.

Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, says “We are proud to endorse and support Karen Bass for another term as mayor of Los Angeles. I am asking through Christ all eligible voters in NBCI's 3,677 Los Angeles churches to pray, support and vote for Karen Bass. God Bless Mayor Bass!

NBCI stands by Karen! These are her accomplishments.

• Historic Decreases in Street Homelessness: LA achieved back-to-back annual decreases in homelessness, with street homelessness dropping by double digits.

• Inside Safe Initiative: Bass’s signature program transitioned tens of thousands of Angelenos from tents and RVs into temporary and permanent housing.

• Executive Directive 1 (ED 1): This directive accelerated the approval of tens of thousands of affordable housing units by cutting the approval process down to 60 days.

• Rent Protection: Signed the first update to LA's Rent Stabilization Ordinance in 40 years, capping annual rent increases at 1% to 4%.

Public Safety & Policing

• Crime Reduction: Homicides have dropped to their lowest levels in decades, reversing a post-pandemic spike, with gang-related homicides dropping by over 50%.

• Police Recruitment & Civilian Response: Reversed the steady decline in LAPD staffing with accelerated hiring, while simultaneously creating the Office of Community Safety to fund unarmed alternative crisis responders for non-emergency calls.

• Retail Crime Crackdown: Established an Organized Retail Crime Task Force that made hundreds of arrests and recovered tens of millions in stolen merchandise.

Infrastructure & City Operations

• LA's First-Ever Infrastructure Plan: Created a comprehensive roadmap to proactively repair sidewalks, streets, and streetlights.

• Economic Development: Authorized the groundbreaking for a major expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center and cut city fees to attract the film and television industry.

• Emergency Response: Safely navigated the city through extreme weather events (such as Tropical Storm Hilary) and reopened the 10 Freeway in days rather than weeks following a massive arson fire.

ABOUT NBCI

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment. The mission of NBCI is to provide critical wellness information to all of its members, congregants, churches, and the public. NBCI utilizes faith and sound health science, partnering with major organizations and officials to reduce racial disparities in various areas, as cited above. NBCI's programs are guided by credible statistical analysis, science-based strategies and techniques, and methods that deliver effective solutions to complex economic and social challenges.

ATTACKS ON VOTING RIGHTS FORUM SCHEDULED IN MONTCLAR NJ

“The Attack On Voting Rights And The War On Black People,” will be the subject of a panel discussion that will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, 7:00pm at St Paul’s Baptist Church, 119 Elm Street in Montclair, New Jersey.

The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) a grassroots group that works for racial, social, economic justice and peace.

“The purpose of this forum is to examine the negative political, economic, and social impact of the racist and fascist Trump regime, right-wing Congress, and ultra conservative Supreme Court on Black people and to discuss strategies and tactics to fight back against this onslaught,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.

The panelists will include Rev Campbell Singleton, Union Baptist Church of Montclair, James Harris, former president New Jersey Association of Black Educators, State Senator Britnee Timberlake, and Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. The panel moderator will be Ingrid Hill, Vice Chairwoman, People’s Organization For Progress.

Invited special guest speakers include Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman Monica McIver and Congresswoman Analilia Mejia.

“We decided to have this forum after the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case. That ruling effectively killed the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” Hamm said.

“That was one of the worst U.S. Supreme Court decisions since the ruling in the Dred Scott case of 1857 which said that black people had no rights that white people were bound to respect,” he said.

Hamm said the court’s decision enables racist state legislatures to redraw their congressional districts and eliminate those districts which have large black populations.

“These states, most of which are part of the old Confederacy, have already redrawn their maps or are in the process of doing so. Ultimately, their efforts could result in the loss of as many as 19 congressional seats now held by African Americans,” he said.

“It could possibly leave the South, where the majority of African Americans still live, with little or no Black congressional representation,” he said.

However, the attack on voting rights is not the only reason the program is being held. He said Black people feel that they are being attacked politically, economically, and socially.

“The racist and fascist vitriol of President Trump, reactionary policies coming from the White House, the right wing decisions of the Supreme Court, failure of Congress to uphold the Constitution and stand up for equality and democracy makes it feel like we are being attacked from all sides,” Hamm said.

He stated additional reasons. Racism and racist violence against black people continues to rise. African Americans continue to have the highest number of victims of race-based and bias related crimes.

Black Americans experience the highest rate of police brutality and fatal shootings by police. Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than whites.

Enrollment of black students at colleges and universities has declined due to the Supreme Court decision to end affirmative action in higher education.  

Black unemployment has doubled this past year, with more than 600,000 black people losing their jobs, including 350,000 Black women, due in part to a sagging economy, federal budget cuts, and the ending of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs.

“It feels like we are being dragged back to the nightmare of Jim Crow segregation. We feel under siege. We feel like there is a war on the black community,”he said.

The program will basically have two parts. The first part will consist of a panel discussion. The second part will consist audience participation.

For more information please call People’s Organization for Progress at 973 801-0001.