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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 16, 2023
Sybil’s Birthday shoutouts
MC Ren, 54 (NWA)
Roberto Duran, 72 (Boxer famous for battles with Sugar Ray Leonard and for quitting in the middle of one of his final fights by saying “No Mas”)
1. Indictment Announced in Homeless Black Man’s Death
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What You Need to Know:
Marine veteran Daniel Penny was indicted Wednesday by a Manhattan (NY) grand jury, in the May 1 chokehold death of a homeless man on a New York City subway. The 24-year-old Penny was initially arrested on a second-degree manslaughter charge in the death of Jordan Neely. According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, the exact charges of the indictment will not be unsealed until a later date.
Daniel Penny was questioned by police on the day of the encounter and released. He was arrested two weeks later and released on a $100,000 bond. Numerous protests were held around the city, even on subway tracks, demanding Penny’s arrest. The former Marine has his share of supporters, with many contributing to a defense fund that is nearly $3 million.
2. Biden’s Juneteenth Block Party
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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY
What You Need to Know:
President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday which the president said will “breathe a new life in the very essence of America.”
“To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand the war was never fought over it, it wasn’t just about a union, but it was most fundamentally about the country and freedom.”
3. Black People and Melanoma
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What You Need to Know:
Although Black people get melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, far less frequently than Whites, their survival rates are lower when diagnosed.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops when melanocytes, the cells that give the skin its tan or brown color, start to grow out of control. It’s much less common than the two other major types of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma—but much more likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body. Most deaths from skin cancer are caused by melanoma.
4. Man Barred From School For Allegedly ‘Accosting’ 9-Year-Old Claiming She’s Trans
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WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED BY KWYN TOWNSEND-RILEY
What You Need to Know:
In Kelowna, British Columbia in Canada at an elementary track meet, a 9-year-old girl was accosted by a couple who claimed the athlete was trans and shouldn’t be playing on the girls’ team.
According to the superintendent of Central Okanagan Public Schools, Kevin Kaardal told ABC News that the couple will be banned from the school district’s events and property.
5. Eat Black: Black Restaurant Week Celebrates Juneteenth
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What You Need to Know:
In the African American community, holidays and food go hand in hand. And to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth next Monday, Black Restaurant Week (BRW) will kick off in the New York City/New Jersey area. More than 100 African American, African, and Caribbean-owned restaurants are ready to take part in the celebration.
Under this year’s “More Than Just Enough” campaign, BRW is looking to strengthen Black-owned restaurants, many of which have had to deal with a lack of financial support because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Thousands have been forced to close their doors.
