Government Careers & Recruitment
James E. Graves, Jr. Mississippi’s First African American Judge
to confirm James E. Graves, Jr. to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Fifth Circuit is the fe- deral appellate court for Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. James Graves is the first African American judge from Mississippi ever to serve on the Fifth Circuit. ”This is a historic vote for the diversity of the federal
T
courts,” states Leslie Proll, Director of LDF’s Washing- ton Office. ”Although Mississippi has the highest per- centage of African Americans of any state in the coun- try, the state has never been represented by an African American on the Fifth Circuit.” The Graves confirmation represents important pro-
gress on judicial nominations. In recent years, Missis- sippi has been ”ground zero” in the battle over judicial nominations; some of the most contentious nominations during the Bush Administration came from this sta- te. According to Leslie Proll, ”Today’s vote represents a sea change. James Graves is truly a consensus candi- date; he is strongly supported by civil rights organiza- tions and the two Republican Senators from Mississippi, Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker.” LDF is hopeful that this historic vote signals the beginning of a bipartisan effort to address the vacancy crisis on the federal bench. According to John Payton, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel, ”With 100 va- cancies to fill, the Senate should be confirming judges every week as part of its regular business. We expect to see many judicial confirmations this session. Nothing is more important to the administration of our justice system.” The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund,
Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand de- mocracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 70 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.
70 Source: PRNewswire
he NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) applauds the U.S. Senate’s vote
Barbara W. Ballard Elected President of NBCSL
gislators (NBCSL), a non-partisan organi- zation that represents over 600 legislative members from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. She was sworn into office at NBCSL’s Annual Legislative Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on December 3, 2010. Representative Ballard is a Democratic member of the Kan-
K
sas legislature, representing the 44th District. She was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives on November 3, 1992. She currently serves on the Kansas House Appropriation Committee, Social Services Budget Committee, Transportation Committee, Legislative Educational Planning Committee, and serves on the House Leadership Team. Representative Ballard was the first black member elected to the House Leadership team and has served as Democratic Caucus Chair for over 10 years. Throughout her political career, Representative Ballard has hel-
ped Kansas pass several important pieces of legislation to protect and improve Kansas communities, and the lives of working fami- lies, children, and elderly. Examples include funding for K-12 and higher education, as well as a comprehensive transportation plan and the provision of aging and mental health services. Representa- tive Ballard has been with the University of Kansas since August 1980. She is the Associate Director for Civic Programming and Public Outreach at the Dole Institute of Politics, and has served as an Associate Vice Provost for Student Success, Associate Dean, and the Director of the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center. Her experience will help NBCSL create more economic and
social equality by implementing policies that protect and benefit all Americans. ”Serving as President of NBCSL is a privilege. I look forward to serving as President of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and working closely with our members, our corporate roundtable, and our labor roundtable to build upon and improve the work being done through NBCSL.” NBCSL is a membership association representing over 600
African American state legislators from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NBCSL members repre- sent more than 50 million Americans of all racial backgrounds. NBCSL tracks legislation at all levels of government and actively monitors state and federal policy initiatives to provide its members with important information. Each year, NBCSL members pass po- licy resolutions that directly impact federal and state policy. The organization focuses on U.S. domestic policy and is committed to policies that positively affect all Americans. Learn more at www.
nbcsl.org.
Source: Businesswire
www.blackeoejournal.com The Black E.O.E. Journal
ansas Representative Barbara W. Ballard was elected President of the National Black Caucus of State Le-
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84