Under the Glittering Lights
Date posted: August 17, 2024
Holding court in Vegas
Thousands of Black lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students from around the country converged on Las Vegas for the National Bar Association (NBA) Conference, held July 12-19 at Caesars Palace.
The National Bar Association is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of predominantly African American legal professionals with a network of over 67,000. The NBA has over 80 chapters throughout the United States and has affiliations with lawyer associations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa, Morocco, and the Caribbean.
GOODTIMES
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With her personal life in the spotlight and a new movie on the way, Meagan Good eyes ‘Forever.’
Meagan Good is having a moment.
She’s resuming her acting career following a well-publicized divorce from DeVon Franklin, and Hollywood is currently abuzz with every development involving her current beau, actor Jonathan Majors — who she publicly supported throughout a legal firestorm that derailed his once-rising career, and has stood by him as he sets out to rebuilds his standing in Tinseltown.
Good — an actress, director and activist known to audiences for roles in such films as “Waist Deep,” “Think Like a Man Too,” “The Intruder,” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” — will be seen next co-starring with Taye Diggs in the Lifetime movie “Terry McMillan Presents: Forever,” which the pair is also executive producing. It debuts Aug. 24.
In the film, Johnnie (Diggs) returns home after a tour of military service, where he’s unexpectedly met with divorce papers. With his life at a crossroads, the last thing he expected was to fall for local policewoman Carlie (Good), who pulled him over for speeding. Determined to win her heart, his first hurdle is winning over her three daughters. In order to be the man Carlie needs him to be, Johnnie must let go of old fears and regret in order to find love and learn the true meaning of family.
Offscreen, Good’s activism has also focused on women’s health.
Two years ago, she partnered with FORCE, SHARE, Black Health Matters and Eisai Inc. on the “Spot Her” campaign to help raise awareness about endometrial cancer, the most common type of uterine cancer. The initiative aims to empower people across generations and cultures to spot the potential signs early, when it may be more treatable. After having a uterine cancer scare, Good understands firsthand the importance of maintaining routine exams, speaking to a doctor about any concerns, and educating herself and others about gynecologic health. Through Spot Her, she hopes to help end the silence surrounding endometrial cancer, which is on the rise, particularly among communities of color.
Good’s uterine cancer scare came about during a routine visit to the gynecologist who discovered an abnormality in her uterus. Testing determined the tissue could potentially become cancerous so it was removed. This scare has led Meagan to be more conscious about her gynecologic health, including monitoring for concerning symptoms and speaking with a doctor as soon as they arise.
“Gynecologic health is an important conversation to have at any age, but it’s not often discussed, especially in the Black community,” said Good. “I’m not afraid to have open and honest conversations with my friends, family and doctor about gynecologic health and I want to encourage everyone, particularly the Black community, to do the same so more people can identify potential signs of endometrial cancer early. As women, it’s important that we support each other, speak up about gynecologic symptoms and advocate for our health when visiting our doctor.”
HEALTHIER YOU: Breastfeeding for Black mothers
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BY DR. MARGUERITE BRATHWAITE OB-GYN
The month of August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Breastfeeding is the optimal source of nutrition for most infants. Although breastfeeding rates in the United States have increased during the past decade, racial/ethnic disparities persist. Breastfeeding surveillance typically focuses on disparities at the national level, because small sample sizes limit examination of disparities at the state and territorial level.
However, birth certificate data allow for assessment of breastfeeding initiation among nearly all newborn infants in the United States, both nationally and at the state and territorial levels.
The reasons that breastfeeding is so good for both mom and baby are not often discussed with parents. For babies, breast milk lowers risks of ear, lung, and intestinal infections, Asthma, overweight, diabetes, allergies, Leukemia and lymphoma, and sudden unexplained infant death (SUID).
For mothers, breastfeeding or pumping milk lowers risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, bleeding after delivery and postpartum depression.
Strong support is essential for successful breastfeeding. Lack of family and social support exists in many Black communities where breastfeeding has not been widespread for many historical and social reasons. When difficulties in breastfeeding occur, a woman can feel alone and discouraged not knowing where to turn for help. A mother may give up on breastfeeding, even before the baby is first seen in the pediatrician’s office.
A higher percentage of Black women (60%) work outside the home than all other groups of women, and are more likely to be the only source of income for the family. A federal law protects a breastfeeding mother at work by requiring most employers to provide time and a private location to express her milk. Still, pumping at work is hard. Mothers still worry about consequences from their employer and economic challenges as breaks for pumping are unpaid.
It is important that all women have regular healthcare checkups. Make your appointment today by calling Innovative Women’s Care at (702) 413-7740 or visit us at 7650 West Sahara Ave. Suite 100 in Las Vegas.
YOU! HAVE THE POWER | Black voter views show promise for Kamala Harris
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BY DR. ELLEN BROWN
The 2024 presidential election is likely to be remembered for its unique characteristics compared to previous elections. In fact, it seems to be unfolding in a manner reminiscent of a movie: changing the candidate on the ticket at this stage of the race is unprecedented in history.
It is a fact that Black voters tend toward Democratic candidates. According to polling and history, that tendency prevails. When there is an African-American candidate, the tendency goes even higher. In published polling results taken in early 2024, there was already indication that Black voter support for Biden may be waning. Even so, ratings continued to be positive and in favor of Biden. Now that President Biden has stepped down, we move on to the camp surrounding Kamala Harris for president.
Still, the question presents itself: “What has Kamala Harris done?” Again, we turn to the statistics. A poll conducted at the end of July showed her having a 50% approval rating and growing. This is actually higher than either Biden or Trump have posted. At the writing of this article, a running mate was not introduced. This, according to the pollsters, could be decisive on her chances of winning. How will Kamala broaden her favorability with the electorates she needs to win? Black voters’ voices matter, but the support to win must demonstrate how all voices matter in America. Your conversations with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family all matter. Vice President Harris needs to offer what people want.
Her platform must include answers to the growing vulnerabilities that come with inadequate healthcare; how will she convince the voters that she is all-in and will work hard to break through human barriers — who, when faced with a woman president, will be waiting for her with folded arms? Donald Trump will be waiting with his false truths to discredit Kamala, or anyone who opposes him, to elevate himself to the top. The games he is known to play lean heavily on convincing his supporters that the opponent is inferior and he is superior.
An article in the New York Times includes insights into the perspective of Black voters regarding the presidential candidates — particularly focusing on Kamala Harris. It begins with Trump claiming that immigrants entering the U.S. illegally are taking“Black jobs and Hispanic jobs.” This claim seems to have backfired on Trump, as the consensus questions his point and documents proof of own racism, not to mention disconnect to reality.
In conclusion, it all comes down to one decision: VOTE. Going through this process is empowering and makes the difference between change and status quo.
Dr. Ellen Brown encourages your responses to topics in the column. You can send them to ebrown.nci@gmail.com
HISTORIC BLACK VEGAS: The Fifteenth Amendment: Voting Rights
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BY CLAYTEE D. WHITE
On February 26, 1869, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed — granting Black men the right to vote; not the Black majority, who were female, but just men. Men were the leaders of the country and heads of households. During this period of Reconstruction, Black men were granted this status as well. Black men voted for the household and they were elected to local, state, and national offices. Can we trust them to vote for the good of our households today?
Our households need an end to racial disparities and systemic racism. We need the right for women to choose the medical treatment of their choice and we still aspire to social justice. There is one party that leans toward the support of this quest and the other in direct opposition. Many young Black men seem to be listening to members of the party that is in opposition to this more equitable way of life.
On March 1, 1869, Nevada became the first state to ratify the 15th Amendment. Nevada lawmakers extended suffrage to the state’s small Black population but not to the larger Chinese American population. In simple terms, the 15th Amendment granted “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
The Gold Hill Daily News (Tuesday, March 2, 1869, page 3), in a tiny article titled The Nevada Legislature Ratifies the Suffrage Constitutional Amendment, stated: “We have only time to announce the glorious news that last evening the Assembly passed the Constitutional Amendment proposed by Congress, regulating the suffrage, by a vote of 23 ayes to 16 nays and the Senate passed the same by a vote of 13 ayes to 6 nays. Glory be to God!” We are proud of this history. This fact has been quoted by our first Black Speaker of the Assembly, Jason Frierson, and last year by Nevada Assemblywoman Claire Thomas, regarding the June 8, 2023 law by Governor Joe Lombardo to make Juneteenth a state holiday: “As the first state to ratify the 15th Amendment, which gave African Americans [men] the right to vote,” she said, “Nevada has a long and proud history of supporting civil rights.”
Las Vegas became a city in 1905 — and as far as current research goes, never tried to deny the vote to Blacks. Decent housing, fair banking practices, welfare rights, equal jobs, and justice from the legal system were all denied but voting seems to have been extended without impediments. This is important. Blacks throughout the South encountered attacks by dogs and high-powered water hoses, and just to register, they had to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar, pay poll taxes, and interpret portions of the Constitution (a task that Supreme Court justices find impossible to agree upon). Those voting-related injustices did not travel to Las Vegas with migrants from Fordyce, Arkansas or Tallulah, Louisiana, or from small towns in Mississippi.
Have we used the vote successfully over the years of this city? In just a few months, how can we make a difference at the polls? Women, are you taking your vote seriously or are you allowing men to decide your vote? Women are still in the majority.
Let me end by reminding all of us about the Republican Party’s leader’s most recent stunt pulled in a Black church in Detroit. Black people didn’t show up so his campaign packed the sanctuary with White maga (I use small letters to describe these people) folks. \
In today’s world, we know who still attends church — so Black elders, I thank you for having the courage to stand with justice and intelligence and true historical knowledge, and with morals and values. I have a suggestion for young Black people thinking about dishonoring historical truths and voting for the Republican liar, sexual predator, insurrection leader, and felon: go to great-grandma’s house and learn about life in the South before the Great Migration. Or remain at home right here in Las Vegas and remember. Remember that the first Blacks in Las Vegas lived downtown on Block 17 and were then moved across the tracks. But even during that early history from 1905–1930s, Blacks owned property. Mary Nettles owned three pieces of property on Block 17, ran a board house, and was one of the founders of our NAACP Branch. She voted! She was nonviolent! She spoke truth to power!
The data game
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BY KIMBERLY SMITH
The Las Vegas housing market experienced notable changes in July compared to previous months. As of July, there were 4,105 homes on the market, an increase from 3,695 homes in June. However, home sales declined from 2,286 in May to 1,987 in July.
MARKET SEGMENTS
• Luxury Homes: The number of homes priced over $1 million rose slightly from 729 in June to 782 in July.
• Mid-Range Homes: Homes priced between $500,000,-$999,000 saw an increase from 1,623 in June to 1,792 in July.
• Affordable Homes: Homes priced between $300,000-$499,000 increased from 1,311 in June to 1,488 in July.
• Entry-Level Homes: Homes priced below $299,000 remain scarce, with 19 available in June and 22 in July.
DISTRESSED PROPERTIES
• Short Sales: The market had 16 short sale properties in June and 14 in July.
• Bank-Owned Properties: There were 28 bank-owned properties in June and 23 in July.
The current inventory represents less than a two-month supply of homes, indicating a competitive market for buyers and sellers alike. If you’re considering buying or selling real estate or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call The Queen of Real Estate. I’m here to help you navigate the market!
This update is concise, informative, and keeps you engaged with the latest trends. Happy house hunting!
Homeownership is possible! Call Kimberly Smith, Broker Salesperson with King Realtor Group at (702) 291-7098 | www.kimberlysmith.realtor | NV.Lic. No. BS.146388
Symptoms and disease could get ‘worser’
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BY LOUIE OVERSTREET
When talking to friends about the health of America nowadays, the phrase “things can’t get any worse” often comes up. I must remind them that “worser” is a distinct possibility.
This is based on having to add daylight and sub-basements to my slab on grade home to accommodate things getting worse all the time. At this rate, I am going to have to hustle up more money to add another level to house patients with severe heart conditions.
While by no means an exhaustive list, symptoms of our ill health that immediately come to mind include book-banning, Christian nationalism, failure to support allies, lies, SCOTUS, voter suppression, and women’s healthcare options.
I barely have enough space to cite examples of historical parallels of what can happen, if we let things get “worser.”
The first book burning in Nazi Germany took place on May 10, 1933 — with certain books deemed subversive and incompatible with the ideology of the regime. We all know what the next twelve years were like. The parallel here in America is the stump-stupid governor of Florida engaging in book banning based on the teaching of critical race theory. If you are wondering whether the next step will be burning the forbidden books, the answer is yes.
Next on my list of health threats is Christian nationalists’ inexplicable acceptance, sanctioning, and support of the dogma espoused by lying politicians.
It would be malpractice to abandon NATO, as an ex-President has suggested, when all member nations of NATO came to our aid, under article 5 of the NATO charter, after the terrorist attack on America on 9/11.
The symptoms’ hit parade continues with the perplexing, rear-end scratching SCOTUS decisions to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965, overturn Roe V. Wade, and grant presidents presumptive immunity to commit crimes.
All these symptoms are telltale signs of the disease of hate-filled hearts. If the upcoming election goes sideways, you can fully expect our nation’s cardiac condition to surely get “worser.”
PEACE: Spaces of Meaning
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BY KIMBERLY BAILEY-TUREAUD
It is important to reserve space that breathes life into your soul. Either it’s a walk in a park on a beautiful day or surrounding yourself with loved ones — space in time matters.
Those special moments filled with wonder and laughter — or just silence and stillness — ignite appreciation.
Beauty takes up space for admirers to view. Be it a wonderful oak tree that has planted its roots in the nucleus of the earth, or a hummingbird buzzing around looking for the perfect position to grasp the nectar from a flower — there is room for positive movement.
Even the pause that is unexpected when words flow from the heart gives rhythm to the rotation in time. Space is also loud when it is minimized with a perfect cuddle from your fur baby or the hand that holds tight.
There is meaning in all life that is experienced and the wise can see. Intentionality flows like an ocean. Not missing a beat in the waves of expectancy. Stepping big in full view of circumstance that is molded into purpose imagined.
Space is always there, beaconing the closure of touch. Fueling creativity and innovation that sparks the excitement of new.
Enjoy the space that you stand in at every moment, and life’s promise is more that makes you feel.
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS: Kamala answers the call of history
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When we were first blessed to bring Las Vegas Black Image to our beloved community in this incredible city, a freshman senator named Barack Obama was making history by being elected the first Black president of the United States.
Today, as we finalize preparation of this packed August edition, Vice President Kamala Harris is selecting a running mate who will be known to the world by the time you read this — as she prepares to accept the Democratic nomination for president. If she defeats Donald Trump in November, she will become the first Black woman to occupy the Oval Office and cement her place as a figure for the ages.
Her candidacy has already galvanized her party and inspired people across America. And allow us to add the most important exhortation of this political season: VOTE! The future of the planet depends on our participation in an election that could define how we engage with one another — and the world — for a generation.
Our cover story looks at how Nevada is mobilizing to elect Kamala, and how her extraordinary record of accomplishments inform how she would lead our nation.
Elsewhere in this issue:
• Our team held court at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino for the annual gathering of the National Bar Association, which brought thousands of Black lawyers and judges to Las Vegas.
• This month’s Healthier You covers why it is so critical to support Black mothers in their breastfeeding journey.
• We say goodbye to two outstanding women: Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and our very own Lillian McMorris. Both earned our highest gratitude for their service to the community and unshakable commitment to Black excellence and uplift.
As our children head back into the classroom, we share your best wishes for a fantastic, safe, and productive school year — and deep thanks for your loyal readership and advertising support. You are the engine that drives everything we do at Las Vegas Black Image, and our commitment to you has never been stronger.
Rise,
Charles Tureaud & Kimberly Bailey Tureaud
Publishers
(702) 615-8216
cdalasvegas@gmail.com
LasVegasBlackImage.com
IT’S HER!
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Kamala Harris prepared herself for greatness and is transforming American politics.
When Kamala Harris formally accepts the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in Chicago this month, it will be the culmination of a lifetime of service, advocacy, and leadership — bringing this daughter of immigrants to the brink of assuming the most powerful office in the world.
Her nascent campaign for the presidency — which began after President Biden withdrew from the race last month and immediately endorsed her — came to Nevada on the last weekend of July. Across the state, voters appeared fired up to elect Vice President Harris as President and defeat Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican allies. During Team Harris’ and the Democratic coordinated campaign’s record-breaking weekend of action, over 1,000 volunteers helped reach nearly 50,000 Nevadans — the campaigns’ biggest weekend yet.
Throughout the weekend, national leaders like Rep. Maxwell Frost, Sen. Cory Booker, as well as Nevadans across the state, touted their support for Vice President Harris and Democrats’ forward-looking vision for the future, and compared Trump’s and MAGA Republicans’ Project 2025 agenda which would threaten Americans’ rights and freedoms.
Their message: Vice President Harris has always fought for the people — from her barrier-breaking time as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California, to proudly serving as a United States Senator and the Vice President.
As Vice President, she has worked to bring people together to advance opportunity, deliver for families, and protect fundamental freedoms across the country. She has led the fight for the freedom of women to make decisions about their own bodies, the freedom to live safe from gun violence, the freedom to vote, and the freedom to drink clean water and breathe clean air. While making history at home, she is also representing the nation abroad — embarking on more than a dozen foreign trips, traveling to more than 19 countries, and meeting with more than 150 world leaders to strengthen critical global alliances.
The Vice President has been a trusted partner to President Joe Biden as they work together to deliver monumental achievements that are life-changing for millions of Americans. Together, they have invested in the economy to create a record number of jobs and keep unemployment low. Their work has led to more small business creation in a two-year period than any previous administration.
They capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors, cut prescription prices, and improved maternal health by expanding postpartum care through Medicaid. They passed the first meaningful gun safety law in three decades. Forming a bipartisan coalition, they enacted a $1 trillion investment in the country’s infrastructure to remove every lead pipe in America and make the most significant investment in public transit, repairing bridges, and high-speed Internet in history.
As President of the Senate, Vice President Harris set a new record for the most tie-breaking votes cast by a Vice President in history — surpassing a record that had stood for nearly 200 years. And her votes have been consequential. This includes casting the decisive vote to secure passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment ever in tackling the climate crisis. She also presided over the unprecedented vote to confirm the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court while working alongside President Biden to achieve historic representation of women and people of color among nominees at all levels of the federal government.
Fighting for the people is nothing new for Vice President Kamala Harris.
In 2017, she was sworn into the United States Senate where she championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis. She questioned two Supreme Court nominees while serving on the Judiciary Committee. She also worked to keep the American people safe from foreign threats and crafted bipartisan legislation to assist in securing American elections while serving on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
In 2010, Vice President Harris was elected Attorney General of California where she oversaw the largest state justice department in the country. She took on those who were preying on the American people, winning a $20 billion settlement for Californians whose homes had been foreclosed on and a $1.1 billion settlement for students and veterans who were taken advantage of by a for-profit education company. She also defended the Affordable Care Act in court and enforced environmental laws.
In 2004, Vice President Harris was elected District Attorney of San Francisco where she was a national leader in the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, officiating the first same-sex wedding after Proposition 8 was overturned. She also established the office’s environmental justice unit and created a ground-breaking program to provide first-time drug offenders with the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find employment, which the U.S. Department of Justice designated as a national model of innovation for law enforcement. And years earlier, in 1990, she joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases.
Vice President Harris was born in Oakland, California. As the daughter of immigrants, she grew up surrounded by a diverse community and a loving extended family. She and her sister, Maya, were inspired by their mother, Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer scientist and pioneer in her own right who came to the United States from India at the age of 19 and then received her doctorate the same year that Kamala was born.
Both of the Vice President’s parents were active in the civil rights movement, and instilled in her a commitment to build strong coalitions that fight for the rights and freedoms of all people. They brought her to civil rights marches in a stroller and taught her about heroes like Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and civil rights leader Constance Baker Motley.
Vice President Harris went on to graduate from Howard University and the University of California Hastings College of Law. In 2014, she married Douglas Emhoff, a lawyer. They have a large blended family that includes their children, Ella and Cole.
When she was sworn into the vice presidency on January 20, 2021, she became the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position. As a trailblazer throughout her entire career, the Vice President is committed to fulfilling her mother’s advice: “Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last.”
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