On Monday, June 16th, NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson announced that for the first time in 116 years, the sitting president of the United States will not be invited to the NAACP National Convention, coming up July 12-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He shared the following statement:
“For 116 years, the NAACP has invited the sitting president of the United States to address the NAACP National Convention — regardless of their political party. There is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending our convention — from Harry Truman to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and beyond. We’re nonpartisan and always welcome those who believe in democracy and the Constitution.
“But right now, it’s clear — Donald Trump is attacking our democracy and our civil rights. He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections; he has illegally turned the military on our communities, and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government.
“The NAACP Convention has always been a place where people across the country come together to map out our advocacy and mobilization strategies to advance civil rights and democracy for all. Our annual convention is meant to be a safe space for all people — regardless of political ideology — who believe in multiracial democracy and the ideal of building a more perfect union.
“To that end, the NAACP has made the decision to break with tradition and not invite Donald Trump or J.D. Vance this year. This administration does not respect the Constitution or the rule of law. It would be a waste of our time and energy to give a platform to fascism, which would be unacceptable.”
CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett spoke to Johnson on “The Takeout with Major Garrett” to discuss the organization’s reasoning for not extending an invitation to the 47th President, Steven A. Smith’s critique of not inviting the sitting president, as well as Mr. Trump’s budget bill.
On Friday, June 20th, ESPN sports analyst, Steven A. Smith, host of The Steven A. Smith Show, criticized the NAACP for not inviting President Donald Trump to speak at its convention, rejecting the organization’s 116-year-old custom.
“He has been the most powerful, the most influential member of the GOP since 2015,” Smith said. “How do you refusing to invite him, ostracizing him, not wanting to hear what he has to say to you all — how does that help you? How?”
Garret read Smith’s comments and asked how he responds to Smith’s criticism of the NAACP
“Anytime I’m looking for advice about sports or sports analysts, sports commentary, I go to and listen to him, among others, but when it comes to politics, policy, and what we should do as an organization, he’s the last person I would go to. It is really important for all Americans to understand that the role of the NAACP is to make democracy work for all
NAACP President Johnson further emphasized that Trump has declined all previous invitations to address the NAACP convention.
Specifically, in 2016, as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, he declined to speak at the convention. He also declined invitations to address the conventions in 2017 and 2018 while serving as president. In 2019, he also declined, citing changes in the planned format of the appearance, as he had agreed to deliver a speech, but organizers preferred a question-and-answer session.
“We invited him as candidate Trump in 2016, we invited him all 4 years when he was in office, he was invited in 2020 when he was again candidate Trump, and he has yet to ever accept the invitation. But this time, not only are we not going to waste an invitation, we don’t want him on our stage because when he has done in the past, he displays a lack of discipline when he gets the microphone…” Johnson shared on The Takeout.
Thousands are expected to flock to uptown Charlotte, NC, Wednesday, July 09th – Wednesday, July 16th for the NAACP’s 116th National Convention. “The NAACP National Convention is an empowering and immersive experience held each year to celebrate our community’s collective power,” the organization says. “The Convention attracts innovative change-makers, thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars, entertainers, influencers, and creatives to network and exchange ideas.”
The 2025 NAACP National Convention’s theme is “The Fierce Urgency of Now”. This theme emphasizes the ongoing need for action and unity in the fight for civil rights and social justice, especially given the current political climate and challenges faced by the Black community, according to the NAACP. The convention will focus on empowering the Black community and continuing the fight for equality.
Let’s confront history — not the whitewashed version, but the raw, unfiltered truth of what was done to African people and the land they were forced to build.
The disconnect Americans have from this reality is staggering, and that very disconnect is part of the drug.
Do you believe Africans weren’t living full, self-determined lives before colonial violence tore through the continent? Do you think we didn’t have thriving cultures, systems, and autonomy?
Well, we did. Prior to colonization, we had governments and laws. An interruption came in the form of kidnappings. Let’s call it what it was: violent abduction. Not “labor migration,” not “transportation,” but the theft of human beings. Families ripped apart. People chained, beaten, mutilated. Women violated. Children stolen.
Then came the ships — floating tombs of horror. Human beings stacked like cargo, suffocating in their own waste, blood, and tears. Women menstruating without dignity. Children crying. Bodies decomposing beside the living. Some chose the sea over bondage. It was genocide on water.
And on those ships, the torment didn’t stop. They were forced to “dance” on deck as “exercise” to survive long enough to be sold. Those who resisted were thrown overboard. And when they reached the colonies, the nightmare only deepened.
What awaited them wasn’t freedom, Democracy, or opportunity. It was fascism. Let’s be clear: it wasn’t democracy. It was a dictatorship. Total control. Whips, auctions, rape, forced breeding, and back-breaking labor. No rights. No humanity.
Even after slavery was “abolished,” the violence of whiteness didn’t end — it evolved. Reconstruction was a brief, fragile moment of hope for Americans, a time when we fought to build lives and claim the rights we were owed. But whiteness couldn’t allow that.
The promise of 40 acres and a mule? Never fulfilled. Newly emancipated, formerly enslaved Africans were left to navigate a hostile and oppressive society with no land, no resources, and no support. This land, which could have been the foundation of generational wealth and stability, was denied to them. Instead, white Europeans were invited to homestead on stolen Indigenous land, given government support, and encouraged to build futures for their families.
Meanwhile, emancipated Africans were terrorized, lynched, and systematically denied access to the very resources they had earned through centuries of stolen labor.
Laws like the Black Codes and later Jim Crow crushed any progress we tried to make. Our businesses were burned. Our communities were destroyed. We were forced into sharecropping — a new form of economic enslavement. And when we tried to resist or assert our humanity, whiteness responded with violence.
And yet, we kept resisting. The Civil Rights Movement was not just a fight for dignity—it was a fight for survival. Americans organized, marched, sat in, and risked their lives to demand what should have been ours from the beginning: equality under the law. We fought for the right to vote, to live where we chose, to send our children to schools that weren’t falling apart.
But even then, whiteness found ways to suppress us. The Voting Rights Act was gutted. Gerrymandering and voter suppression became the new whips and chains. Taxation without representation reared its head, as communities paid into systems that refused to represent us, refused to fund our schools, and refused to repair the roads we drove on.
Under Nixon, whiteness took another insidious turn. Peaceful protests — a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement — were criminalized under the guise of “law and order.” Nixon’s administration targeted leaders and activists, painting them as threats to national security. The War on Drugs was weaponized to destabilize communities, creating a cycle of criminalization and incarceration that continues to this day.
Today, whiteness, a made-up social construct, hides behind bureaucracy and policy, but make no mistake—it’s the same system of control. It’s the same fascism dressed in a suit and tie. We are taxed, policed, and surveilled without being truly heard or represented. Our communities are over-policed and underfunded. nd when we rise up, when we demand change, we are met with the same violence and suppression that has always been used to keep us in our place.
The drug called whiteness makes people think about the notion that their Democracy somehow works for Blacks or any other group that does not identify as white.
You don’t think Africans recognized fascism back then, just because they didn’t have the word for it? You think they thought, “This is just how things are”? No. They knew. We’ve always known. And we’ve always resisted — in shackles, in maroon camps, in fields, in protests, in policy, in song, and in silence. Resistance is woven into our survival.
This is why discussions like The Honest Series are critical. We must ask ourselves hard questions: Are we open to expanding how we see ourselves? Are we aware of our own privilege and resources? These conversations are not just philosophical — they are the foundation of equity in policy. By developing evidence-based solutions for poverty and inequity, we can begin to dismantle the systems that whiteness built. We can create expert recommendations to improve outcomes and eliminate systemic discrimination. Here’s the irony: white people are now rising up against fascism based on what happened in EUROPE, like it’s some new phenomenon in America. It’s not. Black Americans know Fascism on this soil.
Protesting authoritarianism, voter suppression, and police violence — all things we’ve been warning you about for centuries. Where were you? Why did it take these systems turning on ‘you’ for you to care? At your rallies, you might not see many faces like ours. And you wonder why. It’s because we’ve been sounding the alarm while you ignored it. While you benefited from it. While you called it “the system working as intended.”
Whiteness is a powerful drug. It’s what allowed you to ignore the screams from the hull of a ship. It’s what let you believe this country was ever fair. It’s what makes you think fascism is new. But the truth? Americans have been living under it. Dying under it. Screaming under it. And you’ve been silent — or worse, complicit.
The land you call your country was never yours to begin with. It was colonized, stolen, and built on the backs of enslaved people. And now? You’re watching it crumble under the weight of its own lies. Maybe it’s time for all of America to stop looking away. To stop pretending. To stop excusing. It’s time to look in the mirror and face what we’ve been saying all along. For all of us, fight white supremacy – save what’s left of your own colonized country.
The National Farm Security Plan: What Does It Mean for Black America and Black Farmers?
The USDA just launched a National Farm Security Action Plan, framing America’s food system as a national security issue. The government is finally acknowledging that foreign land ownership, compromised supply chains, and manipulation of nutrition programs are strategic threats. And they’re absolutely right. Food, land, and production are not just economic factors—they are the foundation of sovereignty. While the federal government mobilizes to protect its agricultural base, Black leadership in America remains largely silent about the vulnerability of our own food chain. The truth is, Black America doesn’t have one.
If you can’t control what you eat, where it comes from, or how it’s distributed, then you are dependent. And dependence, by definition, is not power. You cannot claim economic independence when you don’t own the land under your feet. You cannot demand better health outcomes while being fed by corporations who profit from your sickness. And you cannot build generational wealth when your role in the economy is limited to consumption, not production. These aren’t theoretical arguments. They are real-world outcomes.
In Black communities across America, the results are plain to see. We lead the nation in diet-related illnesses. We own a microscopic fraction of farmland. Our children are raised in food deserts with more liquor stores than grocery stores. Meanwhile, we hold endless community meetings, protests, and press conferences—none of which result in one acre of land acquired or one distribution center built. It doesn’t take a genius to see why the system is broken. It just takes someone willing to ask who benefits from us staying out of the supply chain.
The USDA’s plan might be politically motivated, but it’s grounded in a fundamental truth: whoever controls the food, controls the people. That’s why they’re taking steps to protect American soil, strengthen domestic food supply lines, and eliminate foreign threats. Now ask yourself: where is our plan?
You don’t get economic equity from hashtags. You get it from owning land, growing food, and feeding your own people. That’s the beginning of true wealth and health. But Black leadership continues to invest in what looks good on paper instead of what works in practice. There’s no national push to support Black farmers. No strategy to create local food cooperatives or secure distribution rights. No urgency to reclaim agricultural knowledge or pass it on to the next generation. Instead, we wait for government grants and nonprofit partnerships, mistaking access for ownership.
You can’t protect a community if you can’t feed it. You can’t liberate a people who rely on their oppressor for nourishment. And you can’t build an independent Black economy when everything we consume is produced and owned by someone else. The federal government is responding to threats by building supply chain security. Meanwhile, our leaders respond to our own food crisis with silence, distractions, or deflections.
Thomas Sowell once said, “It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.” And yet, that’s where we are. Black America continues to pay the price—with our health, our wealth, and our children’s future—while those we elect, appoint, and applaud avoid the consequences of ignoring the obvious.
The National Farm Security Plan is about protecting what matters most. Until we in Black America treat food, land, and production the same way, we’ll remain at the mercy of a system that was never built to feed us in the first place
In a country that spends more on healthcare than any other nation on Earth, you would expect doctors to understand the foundational role nutrition plays in human health. Yet most can’t explain how insulin resistance works, what magnesium deficiency does to the heart, or how processed food contributes to chronic inflammation. Why? Because they were never taught.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced that medical schools must begin teaching nutrition or risk losing federal funding. This announcement is long overdue — not just because poor diet is the leading cause of chronic disease, but because the failure to train doctors in nutrition has had generational consequences, especially in Black America.
Let’s be clear: This isn’t about intentions. It’s about outcomes. When doctors don’t understand food, they default to pills. The result? More prescriptions, more side effects, and more dependence — not better health.
Take hypertension, a disease disproportionately affecting Black Americans. We are told to “take our meds,” but few physicians ever mention potassium-rich foods that lower blood pressure, or the devastating effects of sodium-loaded processed meals marketed directly to our neighborhoods. Why? Because many physicians don’t know, and frankly, don’t care to know. Their education hasn’t required it. Their incentives don’t reward it. Their system isn’t built on prevention — it’s built on pharmaceutical maintenance.
This is what happens when we prioritize credentialism over competence. Medical degrees without practical knowledge of nutrition create a health system where lifestyle diseases are treated with lifelong prescriptions — not lifestyle change. And it’s not a coincidence that these policies thrive in poor and minority communities, where diet-related illnesses are most prevalent and most profitable for the pharmaceutical industry.
The Hidden Cost of the Pill Economy
Studies have shown what common sense should have told us long ago: long-term use of many medications leads to more problems, not fewer.
Take statins, for example. Prescribed to lower cholesterol, they’re among the most widely used drugs in America. But over time, many users report side effects like muscle pain, liver damage, and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. A 2012 study published in The Lancet found that statin users had a 9% increased risk of developing diabetes — the very disease they’re told these drugs help prevent.
Or consider proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec or Nexium, used for acid reflux. Initially intended for short-term use, millions take them for years. The long-term outcome? Increased risk of kidney disease, vitamin B12 deficiency, magnesium deficiency, and even dementia. A 2016 JAMA Internal Medicine study found that PPI users had a 44% higher risk of dementia compared to non-users.
Then there are SSRIs and antidepressants, which can chemically flatten emotional response, lead to dependency, and disrupt serotonin pathways over time. Withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that some patients feel trapped in a pharmaceutical loop. Worse, these medications are often prescribed without addressing basic nutritional deficiencies — like low omega-3s, vitamin D, and B vitamins — all of which affect mental health.
And let’s not forget insulin and metformin, prescribed to diabetics — particularly in Black communities — as lifelong treatments. Yet the American Diabetes Association reports that most Type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or reversed through lifestyle changes. But again, doctors are trained to manage disease, not reverse it.
The pattern is clear: one drug leads to another, which leads to another side effect, and another prescription. This isn’t healthcare — it’s dependency management. And the bill is being paid by our health, our families, and our futures.
The data doesn’t lie, even if the culture does.
If outcomes matter — and they must — then the answer is not more prescriptions. It’s more education, prevention, and personal responsibility, starting with the people we trust to care for us: our doctors.
If your doctor doesn’t understand nutrition, they don’t understand healing. And if our medical schools don’t teach healing, they don’t deserve our trust — or our tax dollars.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2025). Nutrition education in medical schools. https://hsph.harvard.edu
Are you ready to break the cycle of emotional loyalty and political disappointment?
ThenEmotional Politics — Logical Failure is the book you need.
In this bold and unfiltered work, Damon K. Jones delivers the hard truths many are afraid to say out loud: Black America has been loyal to a system that has failed to deliver. We’ve mastered symbolism but forfeited strategy. We show up to vote, but not to fund. We speak out, but rarely build. And the result? Speeches instead of solutions. Visibility instead of victory.
This book is not about left or right. It’s about logic over emotion. Power over performance. It’s a call to wake up, re-strategize, and use our political currency with purpose.
If you’re tired of being used, overlooked, and sold out—this book is your blueprint for change. Your voice is powerful. Your vote is valuable. But your money, your mindset, and your political clarity are what will make the difference.
Read the book. Share the message. Challenge the tradition. And let’s finally start getting what we pay for.
Improving your credit score doesn’t require years of waiting or complicated financial maneuvers. With some focused action, smart planning, and a clear understanding of how credit works, you can see noticeable progress in just six months or even less. Whether you’re looking to qualify for a better interest rate, rent a new apartment, or just get your financial life in better shape, raising your credit score can make all the difference. This article walks you through the ten most effective ways to boost your score quickly, all backed by simple strategies you can start applying today.
1. Review Your Credit Report for Errors
The first step toward a better credit score is to get a clear picture of where you stand. A free copy of your credit report can be requested from all three major credit bureaus— TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Check each report carefully for incorrect account details, outdated information, or signs of fraud. Even a small error, like a payment marked late when it wasn’t, can hurt your score. If you find something wrong, file a dispute immediately. The bureaus usually resolve these within 30 days. Fixing even one mistake can provide an immediate boost to your credit profile.
2. Monitor Your Progress Regularly
Once you’ve fixed any errors, it’s time to stay on top of your credit activity. Monitoring your credit score helps you spot changes and understand how your actions impact the numbers. Set a schedule to check your score once a month through a reliable source. Some financial apps offer this service for free. Around the second or third month of regular tracking, you’ll start noticing patterns. This is where credit score tracking becomes valuable. It helps you see exactly what’s working and where you need to make adjustments. That awareness can be a powerful motivator as you push toward your goal.
3. Pay Bills on Time Every Month
Timely payments make up the largest portion of your credit score calculation. If you miss even one payment, it could tank your score by dozens of points. That’s why it’s essential to build a system that guarantees on-time payments. You can automate your bills or set multiple reminders a few days before the due date. Make it a habit to check your accounts weekly so nothing slips through the cracks. Staying consistent for even six months can dramatically improve your score and show lenders that you’re a reliable borrower they can trust.
4. Reduce Your Credit Utilization Ratio
One’s credit utilization ratio is the amount of credit they’re using compared to their total available credit. For example, if you have a $10,000 limit across your cards and you’re carrying a $5,000 balance, your utilization is at 50%—way too high. Aim to get that number below 30%, and ideally under 10%, for the best results. Try making multiple payments each month to keep balances low. You can also ask for a credit limit increase. Just don’t spend the extra limit—use it to widen the gap between your balance and your available credit.
5. Avoid Opening New Credit Lines Unnecessarily
It might seem like a good idea to open new credit accounts to increase your available credit, but doing so can hurt more than help—especially if done in a short timeframe. Every credit inquiry creates a small dip in your score, and too many can raise red flags for lenders. Stick with the credit you already have and focus on managing it well. If you really need to open a new account, space it out and be strategic. Responsible use of existing credit weighs more heavily than the sheer number of open accounts you have.
6. Pay Down High-Interest Credit Card Debt First
Tackling your credit card balances might feel overwhelming, but there’s a strategy that works well: focus on the high-interest ones first. These balances cost you the most in interest and often grow faster than you realize. List your debts from highest to lowest APR, then pay as much as possible on the top one while making minimum payments on the rest. As you clear each one, roll that payment into the next. This method—often called the avalanche strategy—not only improves your credit score but also saves you money along the way.
7. Become an Authorized User on a Trusted Account
If someone close to you has a long history of responsible credit use, ask them to add you as an authorized user on their credit card. You don’t even need to use the card. Just having your name on the account allows the card’s positive history to reflect on your own credit file. This can increase your score quickly, especially if the account has a low balance and no missed payments. Make sure the card issuer reports authorized user data to the bureaus. Done right, this tactic can give your credit a valuable jump-start.
8. Keep Old Accounts Open and Active
Your credit history’s length plays a key role in your score. Closing old accounts—especially those in good standing—can shorten your credit timeline and reduce your total available credit. Instead of shutting them down, use each card occasionally for small purchases and pay them off right away. This activity keeps the account active and adds positive history. Creditors want to see that you can manage long-term relationships with credit. By showing that you can responsibly handle credit over time, you send a strong message to future lenders.
Raising your credit score in six months is not only doable—it’s surprisingly straightforward with the right approach. It takes consistency, a little discipline, and a willingness to monitor your progress. Whether you’re fixing mistakes, reducing debt, or establishing new credit habits, every smart move brings you closer to a stronger financial future. These ten methods offer a clear roadmap to credit health. Stick with them, stay patient, and watch your score grow—month by month, step by step. A better score means better options, and that kind of financial freedom is well worth the effort.
In a society governed by laws, justice is supposed to rely on facts, evidence, and due process, not emotions, assumptions, or internet outrage. Yet, the response to the Carmelo Anthony case shows how quickly those principles are discarded, especially when the accused is a young Black male.
Over the past few months, Anthony’s name has become a flashpoint for media narratives, social media attacks, and racial stereotyping. He was recently indicted for murder in the fatal stabbing of a white classmate during a confrontation at a Texas school track meet. And while that indictment moves the legal process forward, it’s the public response that reveals far more about America than any courtroom can.
One of the loudest voices in that public response was Charleston White, a social media influencer known for his raw, controversial takes. White was initially among those condemning Anthony, accusing him of bringing a knife to school and declaring that he was destined for prison. But now, he’s singing a different tune.
“I want to take the time to apologize to Carmelo Anthony. Man, I was all the way wrong about that kid,” White admitted in a recent video. “He didn’t take a knife to school. He didn’t even know those two white boys. Big, aggressive kids cornered him. He’s a small, trained kid. He’s gonna beat these charges.”
White says his change of heart came after multiple meetings with Anthony’s father—conversations that gave him a deeper understanding of the situation and the young man at the center of it.
This moment is more than a viral clip. It’s a mirror.
Charleston White’s reversal is rare in today’s climate of performative outrage. It forces a deeper question: Why was it so easy for the public to condemn a Black teenager based on limited facts and racially charged assumptions in the first place?
No one is saying that Karmelo Anthony is innocent or that he shouldn’t be charged. Like anyone else, he deserves due process—free from bias, speculation, or public emotion. Yes, we know he admitted involvement. But what remains unknown—and legally relevant—is the full context behind that admission. Headlines and social media narratives don’t negate self-defense; only evidence and facts do.
Yet far too many have rushed to judgment long before a courtroom even began to assess the case. We’ve watched as public figures and comment sections labeled Anthony a thug, a criminal, a predator. We’ve seen fabricated stories circulate—like the false claim that he misused GoFundMe funds—and we’ve seen the casual use of racist caricatures and stereotypes as justification for pretrial condemnation.
What Charleston White’s reversal underscores is this: when people don’t have facts, they lean on bias. When they lack justification, they resort to mockery and misinformation. And when they see a young Black face, many abandon principle entirely.
The same people who chant “law and order” are often the first to violate its principles when the accused doesn’t match their political or cultural comfort. That’s not justice—it’s tribalism, and it’s dangerous.
Charleston White was wrong at first. But he was man enough to admit it. Can America?
Because the real tragedy here isn’t just what happened on that field—it’s the way the system, the media, and the public continue to treat young Black boys as guilty until proven innocent. Anthony may now be headed toward trial, but he’s already been convicted by too many in the court of public opinion.
Justice doesn’t exist to affirm your feelings. It exists to restrain them. If due process, fair trials, and presumption of innocence only apply to defendants we like, then we’re no longer a society of laws—we’re a society of selective enforcement.
This isn’t just the Karmelo Anthony case. It’s a referendum on whether America is still willing to live up to the system it claims to believe in.
The question isn’t whether Karmelo Anthony is innocent or guilty. That’s for a jury to decide. The question is: Do we still believe in truth, evidence, and fairness—or are we content with outrage, racial bias, and social media noise determining guilt before the facts even surface?
Charleston White gave his answer. Now it’s time we give ours.
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, at approximately 10:02 a.m., officers from the Mount Vernon Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in the vicinity of 65 East Prospect Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that a male victim, who had been operating a vehicle at the time, had sustained a gunshot wound to his right forearm. The victim’s injury was determined to be non-life-threatening. He was treated at a local hospital and subsequently released.
According to Police officials, a Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Sean Emery Stewart (DOB: 07/21/1984), was operating a white Mercedes-Benz C300 when he exited his vehicle, retrieved an item from the trunk, and fired approximately three rounds in the direction of the victim’s vehicle.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2025, officers from the White Plains Police Department conducted a traffic stop and identified Stewart as the driver of the vehicle matching the suspect description. Detectives from the Mount Vernon Police Department later responded to the White Plains PD, where they took Stewart into custody and recovered the suspect’s vehicle.
On Thursday, July 3, 2025, Stewart was arraigned in Mount Vernon City Court and formally charged with the following:
Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
One count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree
One count of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree
One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree
“The Mount Vernon Police Department extends its gratitude to the White Plains Police Department for their assistance in this investigation. This swift apprehension demonstrates the power of inter-agency collaboration in keeping our communities safe,” The MVPD said in a statement.
If we want to survive what’s coming next, we must stop viewing public policy through emotion and start seeing it through logic. Medicaid — one of the largest welfare programs in America — is finally being forced into financial reality. And while the new 2025 tax bill is controversial, it didn’t create the crisis. It simply exposed it.
This article is not a defense of the bill. It’s a call for clarity, discipline, and long-overdue accountability — especially for Black Americans who’ve been told to trust in promises that never delivered real outcomes. Politicians have played with our emotions long enough. It’s time to think, not feel.
Let’s be honest: most of what we were told about Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was emotional marketing dressed up as moral obligation. “Health care is a right.” “We’re expanding coverage for the vulnerable.” “No one should be left behind.” That all sounds good, but good intentions don’t cancel out bad economics. Under the ACA, the federal government initially covered 100% of the costs for newly eligible enrollees (able-bodied adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level), gradually declining to 90% by 2020 and beyond — still far more generous than traditional Medicaid matching rates.
States like New York and California not only took the deal, they ran wild with it — adding benefits, loosening eligibility, and building state-funded programs well beyond what was federally required. They covered able-bodied, childless adults with no disability. They funded care for undocumented immigrants using state-only money. They expanded optional services like dental, vision, and behavioral health. They paid inflated reimbursement rates to keep bloated, inefficient hospital systems from collapsing.
California is perhaps the clearest example of Medicaid expansion gone wrong. Its program, Medi-Cal, ballooned in size and cost to the point where the state could no longer sustain it. By 2024, the situation had become so dire that the federal government — using taxpayer dollars — had to intervene with a nearly $10 billion emergency bailout just to prevent Medi-Cal from defaulting on provider payments and cutting off care to vulnerable patients. Even then, state leaders tried to spin the crisis as a victory, despite the obvious fiscal collapse. You even had House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries defending the system, claiming: “Not a single undocumented immigrant gets a dime in federal taxpayer dollars for any part of comprehensive Medicaid coverage.” But what he didn’t mention was that California used state-only funds to expand coverage to undocumented individuals, adding costs to an already bloated and unsustainable program. That’s not sound policy — that’s failure held together by political theater.
Nationally, Medicaid enrollment ballooned from 56 million in 2013 to over 89 million by 2023, with nearly 1 in 4 Americans enrolled in the program — a cost trajectory that became politically unsustainable.
The 2025 tax reform bill — H.R. 1 — includes Medicaid changes that have shocked many, especially in high-cost states that built entire economies around federal funding. But let’s be clear: the bill didn’t slash Medicaid out of spite. It responded to years of irresponsible expansion and fiscal recklessness. It tightens eligibility enforcement to remove dead people, double-enrolled individuals, and ineligible recipients. It lowers federal reimbursement for administrative costs — from 50% to 25% by 2027. It imposes work requirements for able-bodied adults. It limits the state’s ability to game the system with provider taxes and inflated match requests. And it pauses unfunded mandates on long-term care staffing that many states couldn’t afford in the first place.
During the COVID Public Health Emergency, eligibility redeterminations were suspended, causing millions of ineligible individuals to remain on Medicaid rolls — including people who had gained employment or moved to employer-based plans. This artificially inflated Medicaid spending by billions and delayed necessary accountability.
These changes will hit hardest in states like California and New York — not because they were targeted, but because they overspent, overpromised, and built Medicaid systems on a foundation of borrowed time and unsustainable subsidies.
We must remember what Medicaid was originally designed for. Created in 1965, it was meant to support the disabled, elderly, pregnant women, and low-income families with children — not able-bodied adults without dependents. The ACA shifted that foundation.
Critics argue that the 2025 tax bill doesn’t address the federal deficit. But what they fail to acknowledge is that unchecked expansion and bloated enrollment—driven by state-level decisions—helped create that deficit in the first place. When states expanded beyond federal minimums, added non-mandated populations, and refused to clean their rolls, they inflated the costs without regard to long-term sustainability. Now state politicians — and even some federal ones — are crying wolf, ignoring that it was their very policies that created this mess in the first place. The bill may not solve the deficit overnight, but it shines a bright light on how we got here.
If we don’t understand how we got here, we’ll never understand how to get out. Some will say this sounds like support for the bill. It’s not. It’s support for facing reality. For choosing economic strategy over blind dependency. For demanding outcomes instead of clinging to slogans.
We are entering a new era — and Black America cannot afford to keep fighting for emotional wins when we’re losing in every measurable outcome. Medicaid is being restructured. Federal aid is being tightened. The age of unlimited handouts is closing. If we’re not prepared with a new mindset, we’ll be left holding empty promises while our communities collapse around us.
We need a survival strategy — and that begins with understanding policy, not reacting to it. If all politics are local, then we’ve been caught staring at Capitol Hill while the real problem was happening in our own state legislatures. It wasn’t Congress that ran up the Medicaid tab in New York — it was Albany. It wasn’t D.C. that mismanaged nursing home reimbursements — it was Sacramento. It wasn’t the federal government that built unsustainable hospital networks — it was local politicians who bet on a federal blank check that just got canceled.
Now, as Medicaid costs explode and federal dollars shrink, state budgets are breaking — and who do you think they’ll cut first? Seniors. Black communities. Low-income families. The very people the program was designed to protect.
This moment is not just a crisis — it’s a crossroads. With the Medicaid system being reshaped, Black Americans must pivot. Shift from dependency to production. Learn how policy changes affect business, housing, and healthcare economics. Focus on state-level action. Push local legislators to prioritize spending, transparency, and targeted relief for those most in need. Educate our people. Stop waiting for cable news or political parties to interpret policy for us. We need our own research, our own experts, our own strategic planning. Support outcome-based leadership. Elect people who deliver measurable results — not emotional speeches that lead nowhere.
If Black America is to survive the Medicaid pivot, we need to build health co-ops, community clinics, and independent support structures that reduce our dependence on state-run programs. It’s time to localize our solutions — because the federal safety net is fraying, and no politician is coming to fix it.
We have no more time for emotional politics. The safety net is being pulled back, and we can either collapse or adapt. This is about economic survival. If we understand how we got here, we can build strategies that move us beyond dependency and toward sovereignty. But if we keep reacting with feelings instead of planning with logic, we’ll keep losing — again and again.
Download the Free eBook: The Black Tax Pivot: How to Survive and Thrive Under the Trump Cuts
In this bold and urgent guide, discover how the latest tax reform can become a turning point for Black America — not a setback.The Black Tax Pivot: How to Survive and Thrive Under the Trump Cuts breaks down the Trump tax cuts in plain language and shows how strategic thinking, entrepreneurship, local control, and financial literacy can transform our communities from consumers to producers. This is not just about taxes — it’s about reclaiming economic power, ending generational poverty, and building a future we control. Whether you’re a working professional, small business owner, pastor, or parent, this free eBook is your blueprint for navigating change with vision and purpose. Download now and learn how to play the game — or get played
Are you ready to break the cycle of emotional loyalty and political disappointment?
ThenEmotional Politics — Logical Failure is the book you need.
In this bold and unfiltered work, Damon K. Jones delivers the hard truths many are afraid to say out loud: Black America has been loyal to a system that has failed to deliver. We’ve mastered symbolism but forfeited strategy. We show up to vote, but not to fund. We speak out, but rarely build. And the result? Speeches instead of solutions. Visibility instead of victory.
This book is not about left or right. It’s about logic over emotion. Power over performance. It’s a call to wake up, re-strategize, and use our political currency with purpose.
If you’re tired of being used, overlooked, and sold out—this book is your blueprint for change. Your voice is powerful. Your vote is valuable. But your money, your mindset, and your political clarity are what will make the difference.
Read the book. Share the message. Challenge the tradition. And let’s finally start getting what we pay for.
Welcome to the Sunday, June 6, 2025 episode of Black Westchester presents the People Before Politics Radio Show with Damon K. Jones & AJ Woodson bringing the heat this week with a powerful episode you don’t want to miss!
Hosted by Damon K. Jones and AJ Woodson, we dig into the political, legal, and cultural headlines shaking up Black America with 🎤 Special Guest: Jonathan Newton, Founder of the National Association Against Police Brutality, joins the discussion to unpack police accountability, political distraction, and the urgent need for independent Black advocacy.
🗳️ The Black Vote in NYC — How rank-choice voting, progressive policies, and political misdirection are diluting the power of the Black electorate.
⚖️ The Puffy Trial — What Diddy’s legal downfall reveals about the culture, accountability, and the dangerous silence in the Hip Hop community.
📜 The “New Big Beautiful Bill” — What this sweeping legislation means for small businesses, tax relief, and economic opportunity in the Black community.
🔥 This episode is a masterclass in political clarity, legal insight, and cultural honesty. Whether you’re a voter, business owner, activist, or concerned citizen — this conversation is for you. 📡 Subscribe. Share. Engage. Because when we change the conversation, we change the conditions.
People Before Politics Radio, Giving You Real Talk For The Community Since 2014!
Black Westchester presents the People Before Politics Radio Show every Sunday night, 6-8 PM, simulcasting live on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and archived on BlackWestchester.com. Giving you that Real Talk For The Community since 2014.
To support the Black Westchester and the People Before Politics Radio Show, which provides the News With The Black Point Of view and gives you the real talk for the community for free, make a donation via PayPal. In the words of Ray Charles, “One of these days, and it [might not be] long, You’re gonna look for [us], and [we’ll] be gone.” Support independent, Black-owned, Free Media!
Subscribe, hit the notification bell, and join the conversation this Sunday. At Black Westchester, we always put People Before Politics!
In a time when headlines too often highlight the struggles, stereotypes, and systemic barriers faced by Black youth, it becomes even more important to celebrate those who are rising above the noise and making their mark. For every negative story in the news, there are countless young Black men and women who are excelling—in academics, the arts, sports, entrepreneurship, activism, and beyond. Their stories, though less frequently told, are powerful reminders of resilience, brilliance, and boundless potential.
These young people are not just overcoming obstacles; they are redefining narratives, challenging expectations, and setting new standards of excellence. Whether they are earning scholarships, launching businesses, leading community initiatives, or making history in their own right, they deserve to be seen, heard, and uplifted. Celebrating their accomplishments isn’t just an act of recognition—it’s an affirmation of their value, their dreams, and their rightful place in the future we are all building together.
At a time when representation and inspiration matter more than ever, we must be intentional about highlighting these bright lights in our communities. Their achievements remind us that, despite the challenges, greatness is not the exception—it’s the expectation. Today, Black Westchester proudly and loudly celebrates just such a young Black lady, whose name is Ashley Robinson.
After making a presentation focusing on the need for young adults to register to vote at a Greenburgh Town Board meeting, Alexander Hamilton High School Senior Ashley Robinson impressed Town Supervisor Paul Feiner so much that he invited her to host a cable TV news show. Ashley accepted the invitation and created Teen Times, a show for teens by a teen, which she hosts and produces. On Teen Times, Ashley highlights the accomplishments, achievements, and initiatives of youth in her local community.
“She got great experience planning the shows, getting guests for the shows, and conducting interviews with interesting guests. I first met Ashley in October 2024 when Ashley spoke at the Greenburgh Town Board meeting- focusing on the need for young adults to register to vote,” Feiner shared with Black Westchester. “I was very impressed with Ashley’s presentation. She is very articulate, and her presentation made me think of how Obama would have spoken to a Town Board when he was in High School.”
The Elmsford native has produced and hosted 5 episodes so far. In her premier episode of Teen Times, Ashley interviews and features three local teen entrepreneurs: Jason Ramirez, a senior at Alexander Hamilton High School and owner of Westchester Car Detailing; Deondra Gentles, a junior at White Plains High School and owner of Hair By Dede; and Xavier Tula, a senior at Alexander Hamilton High School and owner of XTRA Sweets.
She tackled topics like youth voter registration and the importance of getting youth and teens out to vote (episode 2) interviewing members of The League of Women Voters of White Plains, the instrumental role the Theodore D. Young Community Center (TDYCC) plays in the community (episode 3), spotlighted three members of the local Girl Scoot Troop, who shared their mission and the history of the Girl Scoots (episode 4), and on episode 5 she highlight two juniors from Archbishop Stepinac High School who started a program entitled Better Relations offered by the TDYCC.
Ashley graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford, June 2025 with a 4.0 GPA. She was a National Honor Society Recipient – 2022, 2023, 2024, and a High Honor Roll Recipient – 2022, 2023, 2024. With Advanced Coursework in AP Language & Composition, AP European History, AP US History, AP English Literature and Composition, AP U.S. Government and Politics, AP Biology, AP Psychology, and 3 years of French Language. Just saying she was a highly motivated and committed high school senior with exceptional leadership and collaborative skills seems like an understatement.
She excelled in academics, exemplifying a strong emphasis and passion for communications, writing, and literacy, with a fun-loving team spirit and interpersonal skills displayed in numerous extracurricular and sports activities. She is a conscientious humanitarian, illustrating service-oriented pursuits through community projects and volunteer efforts. She is also an aspiring journalist who seeks to align her communication strengths at Penn State University with a major in journalism.
She has several accomplishments including YOUTH LEGACY AWARD (2024) where she was selected as the first youth recipient of Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus Legacy Award for outstanding community service involvement, BOOK REVIEW WEBSITE (2024) (ASHLEYSTAR.COM) – she launched website to foster a love of reading by reviewing and recommending books across several genres, HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE (2023) where she was featured on her school website and newsletter for successful holiday food drive at high school, resulting in 288 lbs of food for 240 meals for families in the local community, TEEN MAGAZINE RELEASE (2023) where she researched, interviewed, photographed, and wrote articles for the Journalism Program resulting in the premier of The Greenburgh Sheen Magazine, YOUNG ASPIRING LITERARY SCHOLARS PROGRAM (2022 & 2023) where she participated in a literary program for high school students interested in poetry, writing, and journalism and VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP (2022) where she helped lead the team to the Section 1, Class D volleyball championship.
“If you review Ashley’s resume, you’ll agree—she seems to excel in everything she tries—a terrific student, active in sports, charitable causes, and music. Her cable TV teen show is interesting, and the quality is fantastic,” Feiner adds.
Other affiliations include • GREENBURGH SHEEN JOURNALISM PROGRAM – Girls Journalism Training Program 2023-24 • NABJ – National Association of Black Journalists Member 2024 • SEN. ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL – Political Advisory Program 2023 • DELTA GEMS – High School Girls Mentoring Program 2022-24 • DELTA ACADEMY – Middle School Girls Mentoring Program 2021 • NAACP – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, White Plains/Greenburgh Youth Division President 2024; Secretary 2022 & 2023; Member 2021 • CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH – Youth Ministry Youth- Present
Who knows? One day, Ashley might be the winner of a Pulitzer Prize. I would be very surprised if Ashley, one day, doesn’t either win a Pulitzer in journalism or get elected to high elective office,” Feiner shared with pride and great excitement.
We also like to thank Paul Feiner for bringing her to our attention. Feiner says Ashley is not the only student who has produced and hosted a news show this year. Blake Feinstein, a student from Edgemont, has produced a series of fascinating news stories this past year. He wanted me to let students interested in participating in the Student News Network or hosting their own cable news or interview show are welcome to email him at pfeiner@greenburghny.com or call him on my cell: 914-438-1343.
We salute and proudly celebrate Ashley Robinson, a true Black Westchester legend in the making. Remember the name because we believe you will be hearing great things about her in the near future and for a long time!
