Week of March 8-13

March 8

1977—Henry L. Marsh III is elected the first Black mayor of Richmond, Va. Before becoming mayor of the capital of the old confederacy, Marsh had made a name for himself confronting the city’s White power structure as a civil rights attorney. He also served in the state senate.

1993—Jazz great Billy Eckstine dies at 78 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Eckstine came to fame in the 1940s and 1950s as a singer and bandleader who worked with some of the greatest names of the era including Louis Armstrong and Lena Horne. He was one of the greatest influences upon modern Jazz and B-bop. Among his best known ballads were “Everything I Have Is Yours,” “Blue Moon,” “Caravan,” and “That Old Black Magic.”

JOSEPH CINQUE

(NNPA)—Several faith leaders involved in the NAACP’s Religious Roundtable released a letter that speaks out against Evangelical leader Rev. Franklin Graham after his recent comments on a television news show that questioned President Obama’s Christian faith.

Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and current CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Feb. 21.

REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM (AP PHOTO/FILE)

After being asked whether he believes Obama is a Christian, Graham responded,” I cannot answer that question for anybody,” adding, “Islam sees him as a son of Islam because his father was a Muslim, his grandfather was a Muslim, great grandfather was a Muslim and so under Islamic law, the Muslim world sees Barack Obama as a Muslim.”

WASHINGTON (AP)— More than 70 percent of students involved in school-related arrests or cases referred to law enforcement were Hispanic or African-American, according to an Education Department report that raises questions about whether students of all races are disciplined evenhandedly in America’s schools.

Black students are more than three times as likely as their White peers to be suspended or expelled, according to an early snapshot of the report released to reporters. The findings come from a national collection of civil rights data from 2009-10 of more than 72,000 schools serving 85 percent of the nation.

NEW YORK (AP)—Rihanna is known for making bold statements, from her often sexually charged music to her tattoos to even the hue of her hair.

But her latest decision—a musical pairing with the man who three years ago left her bloodied and bruised—has left some questioning her judgment.

RIHANNA arrives for the Brit Awards 2012 at the O2 Arena in London, Feb. 21. (AP Photo/Jonathan Short)