CNN politics | Black women’s roles in the civil rights movement have been understated — but that’s changing

Washington (CNN) – Claudette Colvin did a revolutionary act nearly 10 months before Rosa Parks.

In March 1955, the 15-year-old was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a White person on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

The teenager and others challenged the law in court. But civil rights leaders, pointing to circumstances in Colvin’s personal life, thought that Parks would be the better representative of the movement. “People said I was crazy,” Colvin recently told CNN’s Abby Phillip. “Because I was 15 years old and defiant and shouting, ‘It’s my constitutional right!’ ”  —read more— 

National Women’s History Museum | Bessie Coleman – The first Black woman to become a pilot

Bessie Coleman soared across the sky as the first African American, and the first Native American woman pilot. Known for performing flying tricks, Coleman’s nicknames were; “Brave Bessie,” “Queen Bess,” and “The Only Race Aviatrix in the World.” Her goal was to encourage women and African Americans to reach their dreams. Unfortunately, her career ended with a tragic plane crash, but her life continues to inspire people around the world.  –read more— 

CNN Sports | Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes agree one-year deal with joint commitment for ‘greater diversity and inclusion’

(CNN) – Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will continue to race for Mercedes in the 2021 season after agreeing a new, one-year deal, the team announced on Monday.

The deal will see Hamilton partner with Mercedes for a ninth season and puts an end to months of speculation over the Briton’s immediate future in the sport.

Hamilton has dominated the F1 landscape since joining Mercedes from McLaren in 2013, winning 74 races as well as six drivers’ championships.

During the 2020 season, the 36-year-old drew level with Michael Schumacher’s seven world titles and surpassed the German’s all-time wins record of 91 races.  –read more— 

CNN health | Black coffee can be good for your heart, studies show

(CNN) – It’s another home run for coffee consumption — as long as it’s black and caffeinated, that is.

Drinking one or more cups of plain, leaded coffee a day was associated with a long-term reduced risk of heart failure, according to a review of diet data from three major studies using analytic tools from the American Heart Association.

The benefit did not extend to decaffeinated coffee. Instead, the analysis found an association between decaf coffee and an increased risk for heart failure.  –read more— 

F1 insider | Ecclestone gives his verdict on Hamilton’s “Verstappen” clause

A clause in Lewis Hamilton’s new Mercedes contract is causing debate. We put this contract detail into a historic perspective

Lewis Hamilton’s (36) contract extension with Mercedes, which according to F1-Insider.com information will be officially announced next week, has caused a small earthquake in the Formula 1 landscape. Especially the so-called “Verstappen clause”, which insiders believe the British superstar had got written into his  new contract, is causing quite a lot of debate.

The background: Hamilton is said to have secured himself a say in the decision on who will be his teammate in the future, should he wish to pull his option and stay another year. None of the protagonists will confirm such a contract detail, but one possible reason is obvious: Red Bull’s wonder boy Max Verstappen (23), who some experts believe already would be able to beat the Briton in the same car, certainly is somebody Hamilton doesn’t want to put up with  in the autumn of his career.  –-read more— 

CNN politics l Activists call on Democrats to pass major election reforms as states move to restrict voting

(CNN) – Faced with a barrage of bills to clamp down on ballot access around the country, some voting rights advocates are pinning their hopes on Congress and urging Democrats on Capitol Hill to use their slim majority to pass a sweeping election reform and voting rights package — even if they have to torpedo the filibuster in the Senate to make it happen.

The stakes are high: A recent analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice found three times as many pieces of legislation at the state level to restrict voting access as there were at this time a year ago.  —read more— 

CNN BUSINESS | A Black woman will be the world’s top trade official for the first time

London (CNN Business) – The path has been cleared for Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the first woman and the first African to lead the World Trade Organization after South Korea’s candidate pulled out of the race for the job.

Yoo Myung-hee, the South Korean trade minister, announced her decision to withdraw in a televised briefing on Friday.

Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former finance minister of Nigeria, already enjoyed broad support from WTO members, including the European Union, China, Japan and Australia.  —read more—