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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2017)
February 15, 2017 The Skanner Page 9 News Rep. Cedric Richmond Brings New Leadership to the CBC By Danny J. Bakewell, Jr. (Executive Editor, Los Angeles Sentinel) C ongressman Cedric Richmond has been a congressman in New Orleans for the past six years. During his tenure, he has ex- perienced some of the best and worst times in the country and has had a front row seat for all of the action. Now, the 43-year-old congress- man has taken on a new challenge as the new- ly-elected chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), one of the most powerful coalitions in the nation. When asked why he decided to take on this role the congressman ex- plained: “I have always been interested in serv- ing as Chair of the Cau- cus, but over the Thanks- giving holiday, I began to contemplate what life was going to look like in the new environment of the Trump Administra- tion and realized that the CBC was going to have to take the lead roll in ensuring African Amer- icans have a loud and ac- tive voice.” The congressman felt he was up to the chal- lenge, and in November, his colleagues in the House of Representa- tives and in the United States Senate elected him to serve as chairman of the caucus. Richmond knows that the next two years are going to be crucial and that the only way things are going to get accom- plished for African Americans and other disenfranchised commu- nities, is if the leadership and members of the cau- cus have strategic think- ing, strategic planning and strategic execution. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi asked that all Democrats defer to senior members in crucial leadership roles. Congressman Rich- mond didn’t see this re- quest as a deterrent from running to lead the CBC and ultimately becoming chairman. “The CBC has never been an organization led or deferred to by se- niority and I believed I was best suited to take on this role,” stated the three-term congressio- nal leader; obviously, his colleagues agreed. As part of Congressman Richmond’s leadership, he has vowed to support the Black Press and Black media throughout the country. He has formed an alliance with past NNPA Chairman Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. and NNPA President Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., to ensure that African American media is included and plays an active role in sharing im- portant news about na- tional government with the communities that they serve. Congressman Rich- mond is a supporter of the Black Press and when asked why he feels it is necessary to take on this challenge the congress- man had this to say: “Black Media and par- ticularly the Black Press play and extraordinary role in getting our mes- sage out to our commu- nities, print media espe- cially plays an important role, because the Black Press is highly regarded within our communities and people have a great- er trust on the informa- tion that they receive via the Black Press.” Richmond continued: “Now that we no lon- ger have a President [Obama], who can or is, willing to call a press conference and get infor- mation out to our people, we must be strategic in working with the Black Press to get our informa- tion and our stories to the people.” Congressman Rich- mond understands the power and role the fed- eral government plays in supporting all media, and he feels that sup- porting the Black Press is a key tool in ensuring that the African Ameri- can community is not ig- nored in this process. “The federal govern- ment is the largest ad- vertiser in the country and for us to ignore, not support, or cripple our Black Newspapers would be a travesty,” said Rich- mond. “If we don’t adver- tise in the Black Press we are not taking advantage of a way to communicate to the millions of African Americans throughout the country. We cannot allow the Black Press to go away or be weakened and I am committed to working with Danny [Bakewell Sr.] and the NNPA to get the federal government more active in advertising in Black newspapers.” Diversity is a word that, in today’s political cli- mate, is thrown around in almost every gov- ernment and corporate office, but rarely have African Americans ben- efitted from these discus- sions about diversity. OFFICIAL PHOTO Newly Elected Chair Vows To Make Inclusion of the Black Press a Key Component in Preserving Rights of African Americans Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the CBC. SHOWTIMES The Week of Friday, Feb. 17 through Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 SILENCE (R) Fri-Thur: 2:00, 9:15 LOVING (PG-13) Fri-Thurs: 11:25, 7:15 MOANA (PG) Fri-Thur: 11:45, 2:10, 4:35, 7:00 THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (G) Fri-Thur: 11:30, 5:15 FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (PG-13) Fri-Thur: 1:25, 6:30 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (R) Fri-Thur: 4:10, 9:25 DR. 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