TheGrio’s April Ryan sits down with Dr. David A. Thomas about President Biden’s visit to the HBCU campus on May 19. Ahead of President Joe Biden’s travels to Morehouse College for the historically Black institution’s commencement address, the college’s president, Dr. David Thomas, joined “The Hill with April Ryan.” The president’s appearance comes as some schools canceled commencement ceremonies amid campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war that has created a humanitarian crisis for Palestinians in Gaza. However, such mass protests have not hit HBCUs like Morehouse. However, HBCU students hav ..read more

The Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, and attorney Ben Crump have joined in the fight for justice for the former Baltimore state’s attorney. The Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the White House in support of a pardon for Marilyn Mosby, former state’s attorney in Baltimore. The White House and the Justice Department acknowledged receipt of the pardon application for Mosby, who faces 40 years in prison for receiving funds from her own retirement savings during the COVID-19 pandemic. During Wednesday’s White House press briefing, the Biden administration declined to comment on the ..read more

Harris and husband Doug Emhoff went to the Renaissance World Tour concert at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, in August. WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris was gifted tickets to one of last summer’s hottest concerts by the artist herself: Beyoncé. She also attended college football’s HBCU Celebration Bowl, where her alma mater Howard University played Florida A&M, courtesy of ESPN, according to financial disclosure reports released Wednesday. Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff went to the Renaissance World Tour concert at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, in August. She post ..read more

Louisiana has had two congressional maps blocked by federal courts in the past two years in a swirl of lawsuits that included a previous intervention by the Supreme Court. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections in 2024 using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two of the state’s six congressional districts, potentially boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the ..read more

Former Gov. Larry Hogan claimed the Republican nomination in what will be a marquee race in Maryland against Alsobrooks, the top official in Prince George’s County. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Republican voters advanced strong Senate contenders in Maryland and West Virginia on Tuesday, giving the GOP a big boost in its push to claim control of Congress’ upper chamber. Former Gov. Larry Hogan claimed the Republican nomination in what will be a marquee race in Maryland against Angela Alsobrooks, a top local official who could become the fourth Black woman in U.S. history to serve in the Senate. Meanwh ..read more

Harry Dunn tells theGrio he wants to be a “fighter” for democracy against Donald Trump and Republican allies like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. When Harry Dunn resigned from his job as a U.S. Capitol Police officer, he admitted it was a “crazy” thing to do. After more than 15 years on the force protecting members of Congress, Dunn resigned about four years shy of being able to collect a pension to trade in his police badge for the title “congressman.” “I walked away from a job for just an opportunity,” Dunn told theGrio during a phone interview the day before his Tuesday Democratic primary elec ..read more

Harris’ remark drew instant applause and laughter before she said, “Excuse my language!” Vice President Kamala Harris dropped the F-bomb on Monday while speaking about breaking barriers as the “first” to occupy her role inside the White House. Harris, the first Black American, first Asian American and first woman to serve as vice president of the United States, used the expletive during a moderated conversation for a leadership summit hosted by the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS).  The VP was asked by actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang about what it felt ..read more

Thomas rails against inner-workings of Washington, D.C. FAIRHOPE, Ala. (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told attendees at a judicial conference Friday that he and his wife have faced “nastiness” and “lies” over the last several years and decried Washington, D.C., as a “hideous place.” Thomas spoke at a conference attended by judges, attorneys and other court personnel in the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, which hears federal cases from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. He made the comments pushing back on his critics in response to a question about working in a w ..read more

“If there’s no criminal accountability of police for criminal behavior, then … we’re living in a country that’s becoming a police state,” Maya Wiley, an advocate and civil rights attorney, told theGrio. Donald Trump’s vow to give police officers “immunity from prosecution” if elected back into the White House signals danger for Black and brown communities, legal experts and advocates warn.  The Republican presidential candidate has on more than one occasion vowed to empower law enforcement to do their jobs without limits, a stark contrast to the movement for Black lives in 2020 comprised ..read more

EXCLUSIVE: Trey Baker, who served as the 2020 campaign’s national director for African-American engagement, has been hired to reprise a similar role for the reelection team. The Biden-Harris 2024 reelection campaign is turning to a former staffer from President Joe Biden’s 2020 operation to lead its efforts in shoring up the Black vote.  Trey Baker, who served as the 2020 campaign’s national director for African-American engagement, was hired to reprise a similar role for the reelection team as a senior advisor, theGrio exclusively reports.  “Trey was essential in leading the Black o ..read more