Black Legislative & Community Knowledge

A 35-year-old Florida speech pathologist has entered a not guilty plea to attempted murder charges after allegedly firing approximately 20 rounds from an AR-style rifle at Rihanna's Los Angeles mansion in early March. Prosecutors claim Ivanna Lisette Ortiz intended to kill the pop star, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three children, and several others present at the property, though fortunately no one was injured in the incident. Ortiz was apprehended at a shopping center roughly eight miles away from the scene, and authorities allege she brought a wig as a disguise, suggesting premeditation. She remains jailed on nearly $2 million bail and faces potential life imprisonment if convicted on the attempted murder and more than a dozen related charges.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Fund hosted its 50th annual Black Press Week Reception at Howard University on March 18, bringing together nearly 100 attendees including student journalists, veteran reporters, and corporate sponsors. The event featured a State of the Black Press address by NNPA President Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr., who emphasized the importance of digital transformation and the Black Press's historical role in truth-telling and fighting for justice. A central highlight was the posthumous enshrinement of Bernal E. Smith II, former president and publisher of The New Tri-State Defender, into the NNPA Fund of Distinguished Black Publishers. The reception also included updates on ongoing digitization efforts to preserve historical Black Press publications and photographs, which are archived at Howard University's Moorland Spingarn Research Center. # Key Takeaways

Dr. Julianne Malveaux draws parallels between Frederick Douglass's self-determined identity despite lacking birth documentation as an enslaved person and current debates over voting requirements. She argues that the SAVE Act, which would mandate documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, echoes historical voter suppression tactics like literacy tests and poll taxes used after Reconstruction to exclude Black Americans from political participation. The author contends that documentation requirements disproportionately burden seniors, low-income individuals, and women whose names have changed, while actual noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Malveaux warns that using paperwork as a gateway to democratic participation represents a narrowing rather than strengthening of democracy, repeating historical patterns where expanded political participation triggers organized resistance.

Bridge Michigan surveyed nine gubernatorial candidates from Republican, Democrat, and independent parties on six critical education questions as the state faces significant challenges including low literacy rates, teacher shortages, and poor college readiness. Republican candidates generally emphasized parental choice, phonics instruction, charter school expansion, and the federal tax credit scholarship program, while Democratic candidates focused on supporting traditional public schools, increasing teacher salaries, and maintaining recent policy changes like universal free meals. All candidates acknowledged Michigan's education struggles, with the state ranking 44th nationally in fourth-grade reading and only 27% of high schoolers demonstrating college readiness on the SAT. The candidates proposed varying solutions ranging from hiring literacy coaches and expanding career and technical education to implementing new accountability systems and changing how schools are funded, though most did not specify whether changes would require executive, legislative, or constitutional action.

Detroit artist Jonathan Harris, 36, was hospitalized for nearly two months in early 2025 with severe symptoms that were initially suspected to be cancer but ultimately diagnosed as lupus. During his extended hospital stay, he found therapeutic relief by creating a coloring book concept that addresses life challenges faced by Black Americans. The 40-page book titled "It's Okay" follows two Black characters from childhood to old age, offering reassuring messages about various difficult situations like financial hardship and peer pressure. With help from fellow artist Kayla Lewis and his niece Marielle Whisenant, Harris completed and published the book on Amazon in March, intending it as a tool for both children and adults to find comfort and creative expression during challenging times.

The upcoming Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor will feature a toll-free multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, making it the only Michigan-Canada bridge with such accommodations. The 1.5-mile path, nearly 12 feet wide, will operate as a single bidirectional lane requiring valid identification from users, similar to vehicle travelers who will pay tolls starting at $5.75. The $4.4 billion project, funded by Canada and expected to open this spring, aims to ease congestion at existing crossings where tolls are significantly higher. The six-lane bridge will be jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, with Canada collecting toll revenue for the next 36 years to recover construction costs.