by Errin Haines

ATLANTA (AP)—As American colleges and universities gear up to meet a presidential goal to deepen the nation’s pool of college grads, historically Black institutions face extra pressure from threats to the financial support that many of their students depend on, the presidents of some colleges said June 23.

PROTEST—Tennessee State University supporter Kwame Lillard speaks outside a meeting of the Tennessee Board of Regents at Nashville State Community College June 24. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, John Partipilo)

About 100 presidents of historically Black colleges met in Atlanta and discussed their role in President Barack Obama’s call for America to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

Meanwhile, Pell Grants are under fire as some members of Congress look at cutting such programs to trim the budget. Many minority students depend on the needs-based grants to stay in school.

by Chanelle Bell

For nearly four years the world has restlessly waited for justice to be served for the killing of outspoken Oakland Post Editor Chauncey W. Bailey, a tireless advocate for the Black community.

On June 9, just 2 months shy of four years after Bailey was mercilessly gunned down as he pled for his life, in downtown Oakland, Aug. 2, 2007, while walking to work to meet with Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb, who was also walking to work from the opposite direction to meet with him, the jury released their verdict.

Chauncey W. Bailey

Yusuf Bey IV, the leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, Antoine Mackey, a follower and driver of the car used by the shooter, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder with a mistrial on the third murder charge.

by Dwight Ott

(NNPA)—The flashbacks to Vietnam for Lorenzo “Jamaica” Banks were coming fast. They were mixing with the horrors of the reality of being back home.

So Banks decided to do something about it.

MCKEESPORT VETERANS PARADE 2007 (Courier Photo/J.L. Martello)

He stepped off the Ben Franklin Bridge.

His near death turned into a resurrection. He ended up getting physical treatment in a nice warm hospital bed along with mental health treatment.

1773—Massachusetts slaves petition for their freedom. As a result of the petition, a bill ending slavery in the state was actually drawn up and passed by the legislature. But the governor refused to sign it and there were not enough votes to override his veto.

1941—President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order #8802 banning racial discrimination in the nation’s war industries on the eve of America’s involvement in World War II. The order came as a result of pressure from Black labor leader A. Phillip Randolph who had threatened a massive “March on Washington” to protest discrimination by the military and the military industry.