In a speech marking MLK Day, Ritchie Torres says reactions to Hamas-led atrocities ‘revealed a barbarity of the American heart that reminded me of an earlier and darker time’
JTA — In a speech marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Rep. Ritchie Torres likened protesters who have celebrated Hamas’s October 7 massacres to white people in the Jim Crow era who celebrated after the lynching of Black people.
“I was profoundly shaken not only by October 7, but by the aftermath,” Torres, a Black Bronx Democrat, said Friday in a speech at Central Synagogue, a prominent Reform congregation in midtown Manhattan. “I found it utterly horrifying. To see fellow Americans openly cheering and celebrating the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. And for me, the aftermath of October 7 revealed a barbarity of the American heart that reminded me of an earlier and darker time in our nation’s history, a time when the public mobs of Jim Crow would openly celebrate the lynching of African Americans.”
Protests have proliferated since October 7, when Hamas terrorists murdered some 1,200 people, kidnapped around 240 and brutalized thousands more in an invasion from Gaza. They have grown as Israel has waged a war in Gaza to eliminate the terror group, and especially as casualties mounted: So far, close to 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between fighters and non-combatants and is also believed to tally civilians killed by errant rockets fired by terror groups.
A number of the protests have decried the October 7 violence on Israelis, but others have skated over the initial massacres or have embraced Hamas and described its atrocities as resistance.
Torres, a member of the progressive caucus in Congress, has garnered a reputation as an unstinting supporter of Israel. He has duked it out online with fellow progressives in debates over Israel, a dynamic that has only intensified since October 7. Torres is heavily funded by AIPAC and donors aligned with the pro-Israel lobby, and spoke at a massive rally for Israel in Washington on November 14.
In his speech, Torres alluded to the controversies that assailed elite universities after the presidents of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania told Congress that calls to commit genocide against Jews did not necessarily violate the schools’ codes of conduct. The ensuing uproar drove Harvard’s and Penn’s presidents to resign.
“What we’ve seen in the aftermath of October 7, is appalling silence and indifference and cowardice from so called leaders in our society from institutions that we once respected and admired,” he said. “And if we as a society cannot bring ourselves to condemn the murder of innocents with moral clarity, then we must ask, what are we becoming as a society? What does that reveal about the depths of antisemitism in the American soul?”
Central is a locus for some of the city’s wealthiest liberal Jewish families, many of whom are also firm supporters of Israel. Dr. Shonni Silverberg, the synagogue president, introduced Torres as a champion of progressive priorities as well as an advocate for Israel, and noted that he is the first openly LGBTQ representative elected from the Bronx.
“Ritchie remains steadfastly focused on the priorities of his South Bronx constituents, expanding access to safe and affordable housing, rebuilding New York economically and ensuring that no child goes hungry and that all receive a good education,” she said. “But he has also shown himself both in and out of Congress to be a great friend of the American Jewish community and Israel.”
INTERNATIONAL GUARDIAN is the boldest and brightest issue-oriented international newspaper published in Houston, Texas. Strategically, it strives to promote private enterprise, support responsible government and advocate social justice.
One of the first African-American officers in the U.S. Army Special Forces had to wait almost 60 years before he received the Medal of Honor
Many soldiers showed incredible bravery during the Vietnam War, but Paris Davis stood out. As one of the first Black officers in the U.S. Army Special Forces, he proved to be a strong leader by staying with his men during a brutal attack, refusing to abandon them. Nearly 60 years later, he finally received the Medal of Honor, largely due to the dedication of his fellow Vietnam veterans who fought to get him the recognition he deserved.
Paris Davis’ entry into the US Army
Photo Credit: United States Army / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Paris Davis was born on May 6, 1939, in Ohio. His father was a foundry worker, and from a young age, Davis developed a strong interest in both the U.S. military and sports. While studying at Southern University in Louisiana, he followed these passions by earning an ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) scholarship in political science. He also played football for the university and was recognized as an All-American halfback.
Davis joined the U.S. Army in 1962, where his intelligence and athletic ability helped him advance quickly. He became one of the first African-American officers in the Special Forces , a major achievement during a time of racial discrimination.
As a captain in the 5th Special Forces Group, his commander told him that, because of his race, he would have to work twice as hard to earn the respect of his soldiers. Davis made it clear that he expected discipline and respect, warning his men that there would be serious consequences if they addressed him as anything other than “sir.”
Deployment to Vietnam
Paris Davis and his team were sent to Vietnam in early 1965, where they parachuted into a remote farming area in Bình Định province. This region was a key route for Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldiers. The Green Berets’ mission was to train a group of local volunteers.
Davis proved his bravery for the first time in May 1965, when he rescued an aviation fuel truck driver in Bồng Sơn. The truck, loaded with aviation fuel, lost control, flipped onto its side, and trapped the driver inside. Ignoring his own safety and the driver’s protests, Davis rushed to help. As he carried the man to safety, the truck burst into flames.
Davis was later recognized for his heroism and received the Soldier’s Medal in 1968.
Paris Davis didn’t want to leave any man behind
Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images
Paris Davis didn’t wait long to further distinguish himself in Vietnam, risking his life for his men during an enemy attack in June 1965. The day began early for him, the 12 servicemen with the 883rd Regional Forces Company and the accompanying 90 South Vietnamese volunteers. They’d been tasked with conducting a surprise raid on an NVA camp deep in the jungle .
Davis and Master Sgt. Billy Waugh stormed into the enemy commander’s hut and killed him at close range. At the same time, the other members of the group threw grenades and shot their rifles. The majority of the NVA troops were caught unawares and killed in their cots. Some, however, heard the commotion and escaped into the jungle.
Considering the raid a success, Davis and his men started making their way back to camp. That’s when they heard the sound of bugles, signaling an impending ambush by the NVA – and a rather large one, at that. The team was pushed into a rice paddy with no cover as sniper fire rained down on them. Three bullets struck Waugh, while another hit the medic in the head. A mortar blast also knocked out the group’s weapons specialist.
Frequently exposing himself to enemy fire, Davis rallied his unit and directed their own small arms fire throughout what became a 19-hour standoff . He himself suffered severe injuries to his leg and hand, with a grenade blast practically tearing off his trigger finger. Despite his injuries, he continued to evacuate his wounded comrades, even as air support arrived and dropped bombs over the area. Among those he rescued was Waugh.
A colonel watching the engagement from above ordered Davis to seek shelter, but he refused, as it meant leaving behind his men. He frequently shot his M16 rifle with his pinkie finger while sprinting to the injured and dragging them to safety. When relief arrived, he refused medical aid for himself until everyone had been evacuated. It’s widely believed his efforts ensured each member of his team made it out alive.
Recommended for the Medal of Honor
Photo Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
After the engagement, Paris Davis received the Purple Heart and Silver Star. His commander, Maj. Billy J. Cole, was so impressed by Davis’s bravery and commitment to his men that he immediately nominated him for the Medal of Honor . Frustrated by the slow progress of the process, Cole initiated an inquiry, which revealed that the original nomination had no record. Undeterred, Cole re-submitted the nomination, firmly believing Davis was deserving of the honor.
Years went by without any indication of approval for Davis’s Medal of Honor. Disheartened, his teammates advocated for him to receive the recognition, but their efforts were met with silence. Eventually, it was discovered that the second nomination had also been lost, fueling suspicions that Davis was being skipped over due to his race.
Despite these setbacks, Davis continued his service in the US Army, rising to become the commander of the 10th Special Forces Group. After retiring in 1985 with the rank of colonel, he founded The Metro Herald , a Virginian newspaper focused on civil rights and celebrating the achievements of African-American residents.
In 2019, Davis was honored with induction into the Ranger Hall of Fame.
Paris Davis is presented with the Medal of Honor
Photo Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images
Some two years later, it was announced that then-Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller had ordered an expedited review of the Green Beret’s lost Medal of Honor nomination. Despite the deadline being March 2021, there was little in the way of updates. That is, until November 2022, when a Pentagon official told Military.com that the nomination had been approved by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Paris Davis’ nomination was passed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who approved it and sent it to President Joe Biden’s desk for further approval.
On March 3, 2023, nearly 60 years after Davis’ heroics in Vietnam, he was awarded the Medal of Honor at a ceremony held at the White House. Speaking at the presentation, Biden called the veteran a “true hero” and “everything this medal means […] brave and big-hearted, determined and devoted, selfless and steadfast – America.”
INTERNATIONAL GUARDIAN is the boldest and brightest issue-oriented international newspaper published in Houston, Texas. Strategically, it strives to promote private enterprise, support responsible government and advocate social justice.
Voletta Wallace, the mother of hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G., is dead at 72.
According to TMZ, the first to report the news from a county coroner in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Wallace was in hospice care and died of natural causes.
Since her famous rapper son, real name Christopher Wallace, was fatally shot in 1997, Voletta dedicated her life to carrying on her son’s legacy and solving his unsolved murder. She was also hands-on in overseeing and growing his estate, which was estimated to be worth around $10 million around the time of his death and has since grown to be worth roughly $160 million.
In 2020, Voletta celebrated her son’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “Today, I’m feeling great,” she told Billboard at the time.
“As a mother, I’m extremely proud of his accomplishments. You know, I still see such a young man at a young age, and sadly, he’s not here to witness all this. But it’s an astute honor, and as a mother, I’m just elated for that.”
“Many of [his songs] speak truth,” she continued of Biggie. “It might be gritty, and maybe the language is so out there, but he was honest. There was nothing fake about what he was doing. I think for such a young man to resonate such honesty in his lyrics is awesome.”
Angela Bassett immortalized the mother in the 2009 film about her son, “Notorious,” in which she also served as a producer.
INTERNATIONAL GUARDIAN is the boldest and brightest issue-oriented international newspaper published in Houston, Texas. Strategically, it strives to promote private enterprise, support responsible government and advocate social justice.
Over 10,000 Black women, led by the Black Women’s Leadership Collective and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., have united to express their gratitude to Kamala Harris in an open letter celebrating her legacy of service, leadership, and inspiration.
The heartfelt letter highlights Harris’s historic role as the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as Vice President of the United States and acknowledges her tireless dedication to advancing justice, equity, and representation for marginalized communities.
“As the first Black woman to hold the office of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris leaves behind an incredible legacy of strength, resilience, grace, and determination,” said Dr. Stacie NC Grant, President and CEO of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
She reflected on the historic moment Harris addressed the sorority’s Grand Boule in Indianapolis in July 2024, her first public appearance as the sitting Vice President and presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee.
Although the 2024 presidential election did not result in a victory, the letter acknowledges Harris’s profound impact on millions, particularly Black women and girls. Her presidential campaign symbolized hope and progress, inspiring her supporters to continue fighting for justice and equity.
The letter, signed by prominent Black women leaders such as Donna Brazile, LaTosha Brown, Symone Sanders Townsend, and Secretary Marcia Fudge, praises Harris’s work on key issues such as voting rights, economic justice, and healthcare. It also acknowledges the sacrifices and resilience she displayed while breaking barriers in U.S. politics.
“Your work does not go unnoticed, and it inspires generations of women and girls to dream bigger and fight harder for the future they deserve,” the letter states.
The initiative underscores the vital role Black women have played in Harris’s political journey. From her historic election as Vice President in 2020 to her unprecedented presidential campaign in 2024, Black women have mobilized to support her vision of dismantling barriers and amplifying marginalized voices.
INTERNATIONAL GUARDIAN is the boldest and brightest issue-oriented international newspaper published in Houston, Texas. Strategically, it strives to promote private enterprise, support responsible government and advocate social justice.
