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A federal report says safety lapses at the Oregon State Hospital contributed to recent patient-on-patient assaults. The report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services investigated a recent choking attack and sexual assault, among other incidents. It found that staff didn't always adequately supervise their patients, and that the hospital didn't fully investigate the incidents. In a statement, the hospital said it was dedicated to its patients and working to improve conditions. It has 10 days from receiving the report to submit a plan of correction. The hospital is Oregon's most secure inpatient psychiatric facility
Police Detain Driver Who Accelerated Toward Protesters at Portland State University in Oregon
The Portland Police Bureau said in a written statement late Thursday afternoon that the man was taken to a hospital on a police mental health hold. They did not release his name. The vehicle appeared to accelerate from a stop toward the crowd but braked before it reached anyone.
Portland Government Will Change On Jan. 1. The City’s Transition Team Explains What We Can Expect.
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What Marijuana Reclassification Means for the United States
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The Justice Department proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis but wouldn’t legalize it for recreational use. Some advocates for legalized weed say the move doesn't go far enough, while opponents say it goes too far.
Legendary Civil Rights Leader Medgar Wiley Evers Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
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April 30 is the Registration Deadline for the May Primary Election
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Chair Jessica Vega Pederson Releases $3.96 Billion Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025
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New Funding Will Invest in Promising Oregon Technology and Science Startups
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Unity in Prayer: Interfaith Vigil and Memorial Service Honoring Youth Affected by Violence
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Want to show teachers appreciation? This top school gives them more freedom
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Escaped zebra captured near Seattle after gallivanting around Cascade mountain foothills for days
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Defending national champion LSU boosts its postseason hopes with series win against Texas A&M
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The Bo Nix era begins in Denver, and the Broncos also drafted his top target at Oregon
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Multiple recent announcements from the Biden administration offer new hope for the 43.2 million borrowers hoping to get relief from the onerous burden of a collective
Op-Ed: Why MAGA Policies Are Detrimental to Black Communities
NNPA NEWSWIRE – MAGA proponents peddle baseless claims of widespread voter fraud to justify voter suppression tactics that disproportionately target Black voters. From restrictive voter ID laws to purging voter rolls to limiting early voting hours, these...
Loving and Embracing the Differences in Our Youngest Learners
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Gallup Finds Black Generational Divide on Affirmative Action
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The family of Irvo Otieno criticizes move to withdraw murder charges against 5 deputies
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Civil rights leader Daisy Bates and singer Johnny Cash to replace Arkansas statues at the US Capitol
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They shared a name — but not a future. How two kids fought to escape poverty in Baltimore
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Ashley Judd speaks out on the right of women to control their bodies and be free from male violence
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Movie Review: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are great fun in ‘The Fall Guy’
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Asian American Literature Festival that was canceled by the Smithsonian in 2023 to be revived
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3 bodies in Mexican well identified as Australian and American surfers killed for truck's tires
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What are tactical nuclear weapons and why did Russia order drills?
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Columbia University cancels main commencement after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests
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More than 40 workers trapped after a building under construction collapsed in South Africa
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A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
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John Swinney expected to lead Scotland after taking the helm of the Scottish National Party
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Whenever the president of the United States speaks to a national convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), millions of people pay attention. As a former Executive Director and CEO of the NAACP, I listened very carefully last week to President Barack Obama’s historic keynote address to the organization’s 106th annual convention in Philadelphia.
There was a noticeable deliberate “freedom of expression” style and substance in President Obama’s speech to the NAACP. He was confident, candid and clear. Obama was unrestrained, passionate and focused. In other words, the president went straight to his main subject matter: The urgency and mandate today for criminal justice reform in the United States.
President Obama stated, “But today, I want to focus on one aspect of American life that remains particularly skewed by race and by wealth, a source of inequity that has ripple effects on families and on communities and ultimately on our nation – and that is our criminal justice system.”
Obama’s remarks were timely and welcomed by millions of families that have been devastated as a result of the injustice of the current court and prison system. It was full of analysis and statistics that went beyond typical political rhetoric. He cited the following facts to stress that now was the time for bipartisan corrective action by all levels of government:
We all should be willing to join and support the emerging criminal justice reform movement in America. Hopefully, President Obama’s address to the NAACP will stimulate the passage of bipartisan legislation that will stop racial profiling and other legislative measures that will help to dramatically reduce the prison population in the United States. In the absence of real reform, the issues surrounding mass incarceration will not be adequately resolved
President Obama made reference to the fact that on reaching the ultimate goal of criminal justice reform, there are today converging interests between the NAACP and the politically conservative Koch brothers, as well as between the ACLU and Americans for Tax Reform and among other divergent groups who have not worked together on social justice issues in the past. That is a good sign of what might be possible going forward.
Frederick Douglass said it best, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” But the struggle to reform the criminal justice system must move beyond just a momentary national news cycle event response to whenever President Obama makes an outstanding speech. I wish social change was that easy to achieve. It is not. The work has begun, but we still have a lot of hard work and coalition building to do to make real reform happen.
I believe we in the African American community has to take more responsibility to end mass incarceration and to challenge all the inequities of our society. Ending poverty and injustice, first and foremost, is our demand and it also has to be our responsible leadership to keep pushing forward. The government has its role, but we should not solely rely on the government. I believe in self-development and self-improvement. Our struggle for freedom, justice, equality and empowerment must continue with renewed energy and determination.
Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached for national advertisement sales and partnership proposals at: dr.bchavis@nnpa.org; and for lectures and other professional consultations at: http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc