theroot--2020-06-22--Minnesota Corrections Officers File Lawsuit Claiming All Non-White Officers Were Barred From Guardin

Minnesota Corrections Officers File Lawsuit Claiming All Non-White Officers Were Barred From Guarding Derek Chauvin

Minority corrections officers at the Ramsey County Jail filed a lawsuit with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Friday alleging that they were barred from performing their duties anywhere near the vicinity of Derek Chauvin , the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd .
The eight officers say their supervisor had no conf idence that they could do their jobs without their races guiding their decisions and now they don ’ t have confidence that their white bosses respect them as professionals .
Chauvin was booked at the county jail the same day he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd .
As Chauvin arrived , all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor , and a supervisor told one of them that , because of their race , they would be a potential “ liability ” around Chauvin , according a copy of racial discrimination charges obtained by the Star Tribune .
“ I understood that the decision to segregate us had been made because we could not be trusted to carry out our work responsibilities professionally around the high-profile inmate — solely because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one acting sergeant , who is black .
“ I am not aware of a similar situation where white officers were segregated from an inmate.
” The Ramsey County Sheriff ’ s Office originally denied the allegations but the jail ’ s superintendent , Steve Lydon , eventually copped to it .
InNewsWeekly.com originally reported the allegations of racial discrimination at the jail on May 30—the day after Chauvin was booked .
Reuters asked a spokesperson for the sheriff ’ s office about the corrections officers ’ claims made in the article and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was “ no truth to the report ” and that Chauvin “ was treated according to procedure.
” The spokesperson also noted that black corrections officers were “ assigned to guard him as part of the regular routine , ” but that claim is directly refuted by one of the eight officers—a black man who was an acting sergeant and usually supervises the transports of high-profile inmates—who said he was stopped in the middle of performing a routine frisking of Chauvin and replaced with a white officer , according to the Tribune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sergeant that all minority corrections officers were ordered off of the floor where Chauvin was being held and that they were all replaced with white officers .
Eventually , Lydon admitted to his superiors that he kept all officers of color away from Chauvin claiming that he did it “ to protect and support ” them .
“ Out of care and concern , and without the comfort of time , I made a decision to limit exposure to employees of color to a murder suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lydon ’ s bosses apparently didn ’ t buy his explanation and he was demoted for the offense .
But that did nothing to make the eight officers feel better about their work environment .
Nearly a week after the initial incident , dozens of jailers met with Sheriff Bob Fletcher and elected an acting sergeant to read a two-page letter on the behalf of the minority staff .
The note recalled his confrontation with Lydon , the shock he felt upon being called “ a liability ” around Chauvin and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they were being reassigned to a different floor .
“ I immediately left feeling sick to my stomach , ” the letter states .
“ The hurt and anger these officers displayed was evident not only in their body language , but in their voice.
” The sergeant went on to explain that the order caused division among the ranks and cast doubt on the professionalism of even veteran officers .
He did not request Lydon ’ s termination , but said his judgment “ caused us officers to lose faith in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A number of officers at the jail also reported seeing Chauvin receiving special treatment .
They claim to have seen surveillance footage from May 30 which shows a white lieutenant who was granted special access to Chauvin ’ s cell allowing the former officer to use her cellphone while in lockup , the Tribune reports .
As for the officers who were allegedly barred from working near Chauvin , their lawsuit describes a “ hostile work environment ” where they “ were , and continue to be , deeply humiliated , distressed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Minority corrections officers at the Ramsey County Jail filed a lawsuit with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Friday alleging that they were barred from performing their duties anywhere near the vicinity of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd. The eight officers say their supervisor had no conf idence that they could do their jobs without their races guiding their decisions and now they don’t have confidence that their white bosses respect them as professionals.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Chauvin was booked at the county jail the same day he was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. As Chauvin arrived, all officers of color were ordered to a separate floor, and a supervisor told one of them that, because of their race, they would be a potential “liability” around Chauvin, according a copy of racial discrimination charges obtained by the Star Tribune. “I understood that the decision to segregate us had been made because we could not be trusted to carry out our work responsibilities professionally around the high-profile inmate — solely because of the color of our skin,” wrote one acting sergeant, who is black. “I am not aware of a similar situation where white officers were segregated from an inmate.”
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The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office originally denied the allegations but the jail’s superintendent, Steve Lydon, eventually copped to it.
InNewsWeekly.com originally reported the allegations of racial discrimination at the jail on May 30—the day after Chauvin was booked. Reuters asked a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office about the corrections officers’ claims made in the article and that spokesperson told them via email that there was “no truth to the report” and that Chauvin “was treated according to procedure.”
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The spokesperson also noted that black corrections officers were “assigned to guard him as part of the regular routine,” but that claim is directly refuted by one of the eight officers—a black man who was an acting sergeant and usually supervises the transports of high-profile inmates—who said he was stopped in the middle of performing a routine frisking of Chauvin and replaced with a white officer, according to the Tribune. He was reportedly told by another sergeant that all minority corrections officers were ordered off of the floor where Chauvin was being held and that they were all replaced with white officers.
Eventually, Lydon admitted to his superiors that he kept all officers of color away from Chauvin claiming that he did it “to protect and support” them.
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“Out of care and concern, and without the comfort of time, I made a decision to limit exposure to employees of color to a murder suspect who could potentially aggravate those feelings,” Lydon said, the Tribune reports. Lydon’s bosses apparently didn’t buy his explanation and he was demoted for the offense. But that did nothing to make the eight officers feel better about their work environment.
From the Tribune:
Nearly a week after the initial incident, dozens of jailers met with Sheriff Bob Fletcher and elected an acting sergeant to read a two-page letter on the behalf of the minority staff. The note recalled his confrontation with Lydon, the shock he felt upon being called “a liability” around Chauvin and the command to notify other officers of color that they were being reassigned to a different floor. “I immediately left feeling sick to my stomach,” the letter states. “The hurt and anger these officers displayed was evident not only in their body language, but in their voice.” The sergeant went on to explain that the order caused division among the ranks and cast doubt on the professionalism of even veteran officers. He did not request Lydon’s termination, but said his judgment “caused us officers to lose faith in his ability to run this facility.”
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A number of officers at the jail also reported seeing Chauvin receiving special treatment. They claim to have seen surveillance footage from May 30 which shows a white lieutenant who was granted special access to Chauvin’s cell allowing the former officer to use her cellphone while in lockup, the Tribune reports.
As for the officers who were allegedly barred from working near Chauvin, their lawsuit describes a “hostile work environment” where they “were, and continue to be, deeply humiliated, distressed, and negatively impacted by the segregation order.”


theroot--2020-06-23--Barack Obama to Address the LGBTQ Community for Pride Live's Stonewall Day

Barack Obama will be delivering a special message to the LGBTQ community at Pride Live ’ s special Stonewall Day virtual event , which will take place on Friday starting at 12:45 p.m .
ET on Logo TV ’ s Facebook and YouTube pages .
The event will be held in partnership with Warner Media , Nasdaq , Logo TV and Pride Media , Inc. Obama has become increasingly vocal in the fight for gay rights in America .
During his stints as a state and U.S. senator in Illinois , he was vocal about the importance of LGBTQ+ advancement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration repealed Don ’ t Ask , Don ’ t Tell , and he also filed briefs urging the Supreme Court to make same-sex marriage legal .
( As we know , it became the law of the land during Pride Month 2015 under his watch . )
Stonewall Day will commemorate the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots , which took place from June 28 to July 3 , 1969 , in response to police raids in lesbian and gay bars and social gathering spots within New York City ’ s Greenwich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one of the most important events of the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBTQ rights in the U.S .
Per NewNowNext , In addition to Obama , Cynthia Erivo , Valerie Jarrett , Pose ’ s Ryan Jamaal Swain , Taylor Swift , Ellen DeGeneres and many more will be on hand to make speeches and perform .
The event will raise funds for LGBTQ+ youth organizations affected by COVID-19 , The Ally Coalition , Brave Space Alliance , TransLatin @ Coalition , and Trans Lifeline .

J'na Jefferson on The Grapevine, shared by J'na Jefferson to The Root

Barack Obama will be delivering a special message to the LGBTQ community at Pride Live’s special Stonewall Day virtual event, which will take place on Friday starting at 12:45 p.m. ET on Logo TV’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The event will be held in partnership with Warner Media, Nasdaq, Logo TV and Pride Media, Inc.
Obama has become increasingly vocal in the fight for gay rights in America. During his stints as a state and U.S. senator in Illinois, he was vocal about the importance of LGBTQ+ advancement. When he was President, his administration repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and he also filed briefs urging the Supreme Court to make same-sex marriage legal. (As we know, it became the law of the land during Pride Month 2015 under his watch.)
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Stonewall Day will commemorate the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which took place from June 28 to July 3, 1969, in response to police raids in lesbian and gay bars and social gathering spots within New York City’s Greenwich Village. It’s often cited as one of the most important events of the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBTQ rights in the U.S.
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Per NewNowNext, In addition to Obama, Cynthia Erivo, Valerie Jarrett, Pose’s Ryan Jamaal Swain, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres and many more will be on hand to make speeches and perform. The event will raise funds for LGBTQ+ youth organizations affected by COVID-19, The Ally Coalition, Brave Space Alliance, TransLatin@ Coalition, and Trans Lifeline.


theroot--2020-06-23--30 Days of Iconic Music Video Blackness With VSB, Day 23: Kriss Kross, 'Jump'

At first glance , there ’ s not really much to the video for Kriss Kross ’ “ Jump , ” though it ’ s a song and video that changed their lives , along with their producer , Jermaine Dupri .
Famously , the royalty check Dupri received from Ruffhouse/Columbia Records ( the label Kriss Kross was signed to ) for “ Jump ” —the single itself sold over 4 million copies—enabled him to start his own So So Def imprint .
For the record , “ Jump ” is a banger ; Nipsey Hussle famously re-interpolated it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The House.
” The video , though , is pretty standard early 90s video fare , with lots of folks jumping around , various performance shots of how hard these particular 13-year-olds were and lots of “ gangsta walkin ’ ” one of those two-step dances from the 90s that Memphis doesn ’ t get nearly enough credit for ushering into the mainstream .
What does make the video standout is the fashion , and in particular the Chris ’ s ( for those that don ’ t know , both members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RIP ) and Chris Smith ) .
They were , again , famously discovered in Atlanta ’ s Greenbriar Mall because of their style fo wearing their clothes backwards .
Dupri saw the way folks reacted to them and knew he something on his hands .
The rest is history .
In the early 90s , at least in 1992 , Kriss Kross had all manner of age group dressing backwards .
We were most certainly doing this in middle school as were the high schoolers .
I know for a fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw it with my own two eyes .
These two southwest Atlanta kids changed the youth fashion game—and entirely erased the inside-out youth fashion game ushered in by Michael Bivins ’ group , fellow Atliens , Another Bad Creation .
Where I was , it happened seemingly overnight .
One day everybody was rocking their clothes inside out , the next it was backwards , because “ inside out is wiggedy wiggedy wiggedy wack !
” I went to middle school ( in 1992 I was in 7th grade ) with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spelled backwards , his older brother was Zachary ) who started wearing his clothes backwards .
There ’ s something very meta about that sentence but I ’ m not sure our society is advanced enough to figure it out .
Point is , as difficult as it was , wearing clothes backwards for however long it lasted—they largely abandoned the style by their second album Da Bomb—was ushered in by two 13-year-old kids from Atlanta , because as they say , Atlanta Influences Everything .
On a personal note , Chris Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chris ) cousin , Rance , lived a few doors down from my grandmother on the west side of Atlanta and even made a few appearances in their videos .
Rance was pretty much a big deal because of this fact .
I even remember once being outside and Rance getting scooped up in a limo by his famous , larger-than-life cousin .
I have no idea what happened to Rance and don ’ t remember his last name to save my life .
But I do remember the first time he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we didn ’ t believe him because in our head famous family meant you were livin ’ large and we were absolutely not living where we lived .
But he wasn ’ t lying .
Shoutouts to Rance .
And to Kriss Kross for changing the game .
RIP to Chris Kelly .
FILA .

Panama Jackson on Very Smart Brothas, shared by Panama Jackson to The Root

At first glance, there’s not really much to the video for Kriss Kross’ “Jump,” though it’s a song and video that changed their lives, along with their producer, Jermaine Dupri. Famously, the royalty check Dupri received from Ruffhouse/Columbia Records (the label Kriss Kross was signed to) for “Jump”—the single itself sold over 4 million copies—enabled him to start his own So So Def imprint. For the record, “Jump” is a banger; Nipsey Hussle famously re-interpolated it for his own single, “Hussle In The House.” The video, though, is pretty standard early 90s video fare, with lots of folks jumping around, various performance shots of how hard these particular 13-year-olds were and lots of “gangsta walkin’” one of those two-step dances from the 90s that Memphis doesn’t get nearly enough credit for ushering into the mainstream.
Kriss Kross “Jump” (1992)
What does make the video standout is the fashion, and in particular the Chris’s (for those that don’t know, both members of Kriss Kross were named Chris—Chris Kelly(RIP) and Chris Smith). They were, again, famously discovered in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall because of their style fo wearing their clothes backwards. Dupri saw the way folks reacted to them and knew he something on his hands. The rest is history. In the early 90s, at least in 1992, Kriss Kross had all manner of age group dressing backwards. We were most certainly doing this in middle school as were the high schoolers. I know for a fact that young adults were also doing this. I saw it with my own two eyes. These two southwest Atlanta kids changed the youth fashion game—and entirely erased the inside-out youth fashion game ushered in by Michael Bivins’ group, fellow Atliens, Another Bad Creation.
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Where I was, it happened seemingly overnight. One day everybody was rocking their clothes inside out, the next it was backwards, because “inside out is wiggedy wiggedy wiggedy wack!” I went to middle school (in 1992 I was in 7th grade) with a dude named Yrachaz (which is Zachary spelled backwards, his older brother was Zachary) who started wearing his clothes backwards. There’s something very meta about that sentence but I’m not sure our society is advanced enough to figure it out. Point is, as difficult as it was, wearing clothes backwards for however long it lasted—they largely abandoned the style by their second album Da Bomb—was ushered in by two 13-year-old kids from Atlanta, because as they say, Atlanta Influences Everything.
On a personal note, Chris Smith’s (Daddy Mac aka Lightskinned Chris) cousin, Rance, lived a few doors down from my grandmother on the west side of Atlanta and even made a few appearances in their videos. Rance was pretty much a big deal because of this fact. I even remember once being outside and Rance getting scooped up in a limo by his famous, larger-than-life cousin. I have no idea what happened to Rance and don’t remember his last name to save my life. But I do remember the first time he told us that that was his cousin and we didn’t believe him because in our head famous family meant you were livin’ large and we were absolutely not living where we lived. But he wasn’t lying. Shoutouts to Rance. And to Kriss Kross for changing the game. RIP to Chris Kelly. FILA.


theroot--2020-06-23--Get up to 40% off American Apparel at Amazon's Big Style Sale

This week Amazon is having its Big Style Sale , featuring deals from huge lifestyle brands that you can buy @ @ @ @ @ Friday !
This means you can go ahead and stock up on some dope clothes @ @ @ @ @ select styles are up to 40 % off and will look trendy AF , even @ @ @ @ @ stores don ’ t exactly exist anymore .

Ignacia on Kinja Deals, shared by Ignacia to The Root

40% Off Americal Apparel | Amazon Big Style Sale
This week Amazon is having its Big Style Sale, featuring deals from huge lifestyle brands that you can buy from at discounted prices until Friday! This means you can go ahead and stock up on some dope clothes from American Apparel! These select styles are up to 40% off and will look trendy AF, even if the brick and mortar stores don’t exactly exist anymore.


theroot--2020-06-23--Black Woman Repeatedly Called N-Word and ‘Ape’ by Racist White Woman in NYC

Black people in America expect racism .
We expect it like white women expect the police to be their personal “ Black people I find annoying ” exterminators .
But that doesn ’ t change the blend of shock , rage and sadness that unsuspecting Black folk feel when we ’ re randomly met with racist encounters while we ’ re just out here trying to mind our own business .
In New York City , a Black graduate student ran into a Karen of the Ku Klux variety who flew into a racist tirade because she was apparently appalled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense of…*checks notes* ... existing .
NBC News reports that Kathryn Graves , a student at Yale University , was just walking down a New York City street when Ku Klux Karen came out of nowhere to verbally attack her by repeatedly calling her a “ nigger ” and an “ ape ” while also spewing some garbled nonsense about Obama .
Graves recorded the incident and uploaded the footage to her Facebook page .
She posted a separate status saying Facebook removed the post with the video , but , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ So this just happened to me ... in NYC of all places ... for context I was walking down the street with my headphones in and a BLM shirt on , and didn ’ t even realize she was yelling at me until I stopped my music .
I silently recorded up to the very end.
” Facebook may have removed the video , but the internet never forgets .
“ What ’ s the matter , you got time to do your fucking pink ass fucking hair , you nigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman can be heard saying while making ape noises and clutching a case of Natural Ice beer—a beer that tastes like cheap oppression so it ’ s fitting that would be her beverage of choice .
Apparently , the Black Lives Matter shirt Graves was wearing is what set Segregation Susan off .
Graves told NBC that she was walking to her partner ’ s apartment when she was approached by Hang ’ em All Helen .
“ I have never experienced something that was that belligerent and blatant , ” Graves said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recording and brace yourself in case she gets violent.
’ ” At the end of the video , Graves can be heard singing the new negro spiritual , “ You Bout to Lose Your Job ” to “ White Lives Matter ” Wendy as she walked away .
Hopefully , the bigot is identified soon and that song becomes her reality .

Black people in America expect racism. We expect it like white women expect the police to be their personal “Black people I find annoying” exterminators. But that doesn’t change the blend of shock, rage and sadness that unsuspecting Black folk feel when we’re randomly met with racist encounters while we’re just out here trying to mind our own business. In New York City, a Black graduate student ran into a Karen of the Ku Klux variety who flew into a racist tirade because she was apparently appalled by a Black person committing the egregious offense of…*checks notes*...existing.
NBC News reports that Kathryn Graves, a student at Yale University, was just walking down a New York City street when Ku Klux Karen came out of nowhere to verbally attack her by repeatedly calling her a “nigger” and an “ape” while also spewing some garbled nonsense about Obama. Graves recorded the incident and uploaded the footage to her Facebook page. She posted a separate status saying Facebook removed the post with the video, but, according to NBC, the original post was captioned, “So this just happened to me...in NYC of all places...for context I was walking down the street with my headphones in and a BLM shirt on, and didn’t even realize she was yelling at me until I stopped my music. I silently recorded up to the very end.”
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Facebook may have removed the video, but the internet never forgets.
“What’s the matter, you got time to do your fucking pink ass fucking hair, you nigger Obama fucking ape,” the unidentified woman can be heard saying while making ape noises and clutching a case of Natural Ice beer—a beer that tastes like cheap oppression so it’s fitting that would be her beverage of choice.
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Apparently, the Black Lives Matter shirt Graves was wearing is what set Segregation Susan off.
Graves told NBC that she was walking to her partner’s apartment when she was approached by Hang’ em All Helen.
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“I have never experienced something that was that belligerent and blatant,” Graves said. “My mindset was ‘Keep recording and brace yourself in case she gets violent.’”
At the end of the video, Graves can be heard singing the new negro spiritual, “You Bout to Lose Your Job” to “White Lives Matter” Wendy as she walked away.
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Hopefully, the bigot is identified soon and that song becomes her reality.


theroot--2020-06-23--NYPD's Shake Shack 'Incident' Was a Whole-Ass Lie

Last week , the New York Police Department drew the ire of the internet after some officers claimed that a Shake Shack had poisoned the shakes some officers ordered .
Rather predictably , it turned out to be a whole-ass lie .
Vanity Fair reports that a sergeant in the NYPD saw an opportunity after three officers told them that their shakes tasted funny .
The officers placed a mobile order so whoever made the shakes likely didn ’ t know the people picking them up were cops .
Nevertheless , the sergeant sent the officers to the Bellevue Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up at the Shake Shack .
The officers were released from the hospital without showing any adverse symptoms .
At this point , a Bronx lieutenant sent an email to multiple police unions that inflated the number to six cops and said they had “ started throwing up after drinking beverages they got from Shake Shack on 200 Broadway , ” Vanity Fair reports .
Multiple police organizations joined in on spreading this rumor .
The Detectives Endowment Association tweeted that the cops were “ intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Benevolent Association jumped in and said that the cops were “ under attack ” by a “ toxic substance , believed to be bleach , ” while the president of the organization made a hospital visit to the symptomless cops .
Security camera footage in the restaurant would later prove what anyone with an inkling of sense figured—the cops weren ’ t poisoned .
Instead , the incident was chalked up to residue from the cleaning solution used in the machines .
All tweets about the incident were then deleted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the first time that cops have been caught creating self-victimizing narratives .
Earlier this month , the New York Post reported that the NYPD alleged protesters were concealing concrete as chocolate chip ice cream despite having very little evidence .
Last week , Karen the cop had the traumatic experience of- *takes deep breath* -not getting her McMuffin in a timely manner .
Can you believe what these cops have to go through ?
Imagine having to brutalize a community on an empty stomach .
As calls for police reform grow louder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creating narratives where they are the true victims .
Why they continue targeting service workers who aren ’ t even paid a living wage to do this eludes me .
The behavior of the NYPD hasn ’ t gone unnoticed , though , as City Council members Corey Johnson and Ritchie Torres have demanded that a probe be launched as a result of these incidents .

Last week, the New York Police Department drew the ire of the internet after some officers claimed that a Shake Shack had poisoned the shakes some officers ordered. Rather predictably, it turned out to be a whole-ass lie.
Vanity Fair reports that a sergeant in the NYPD saw an opportunity after three officers told them that their shakes tasted funny. The officers placed a mobile order so whoever made the shakes likely didn’t know the people picking them up were cops. Nevertheless, the sergeant sent the officers to the Bellevue Hospital and the Emergency Service Unit was set up at the Shake Shack. The officers were released from the hospital without showing any adverse symptoms.
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At this point, a Bronx lieutenant sent an email to multiple police unions that inflated the number to six cops and said they had “started throwing up after drinking beverages they got from Shake Shack on 200 Broadway, ” Vanity Fair reports. Multiple police organizations joined in on spreading this rumor. The Detectives Endowment Association tweeted that the cops were “intentionally poisoned by one or more workers at the Shake Shack.” Then, the Police Benevolent Association jumped in and said that the cops were “under attack” by a “toxic substance, believed to be bleach,” while the president of the organization made a hospital visit to the symptomless cops.
Security camera footage in the restaurant would later prove what anyone with an inkling of sense figured—the cops weren’t poisoned. Instead, the incident was chalked up to residue from the cleaning solution used in the machines. All tweets about the incident were then deleted by the various police organizations.
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This isn’t the first time that cops have been caught creating self-victimizing narratives. Earlier this month, the New York Post reported that the NYPD alleged protesters were concealing concrete as chocolate chip ice cream despite having very little evidence. Last week, Karen the cop had the traumatic experience of- *takes deep breath* -not getting her McMuffin in a timely manner. Can you believe what these cops have to go through? Imagine having to brutalize a community on an empty stomach.
As calls for police reform grow louder, cops are getting more desperate in creating narratives where they are the true victims. Why they continue targeting service workers who aren’t even paid a living wage to do this eludes me. The behavior of the NYPD hasn’t gone unnoticed, though, as City Council members Corey Johnson and Ritchie Torres have demanded that a probe be launched as a result of these incidents.


theroot--2020-06-23--Rudy Guiliani: Black Lives Matter Wants to Take Your Beautiful Caucasian Homes

A racist dog whistle had unprotected , drunken sex with fear-mongering and the result was former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani .
Giuliani is the teeth of hatred .
He really sinks his gums into racism by stoking the flames of fear .
During an appearance on the president ’ s favorite on-demand channel , Fox News , Giuliani claimed that the Black Lives Matter movement “ wants to come and take your house away from you.
” Giuliani didn ’ t say how BLM was going to take said Caucasian homes or what they would do with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also didn ’ t talk about refinancing the mortgages to get a lower mortgage rate since the president has tanked the economy .
He just left it open-ended because nothing says “ white fear ” like a black movement coming for your white home .
Giuliani , President Donald Trump ’ s personal attorney , claimed BLM was part of an organized anarchist network that wants to “ destroy ” the U.S. government , “ do away with our system of courts ” and “ take your property away and give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an orchestrated effort , ” Giuliani told Fox prime time personality Laura Ingraham , claiming nationwide anti-racism protests were “ no longer ” about the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month .
HuffPost notes that Giuliani was probably getting his cues from Trump ’ s personal favorite ass barnacle , Fox News host Tucker Carlson , who just last week ran the same bullshit , claiming that this was a “ dangerous moment ” in United States history because of the BLM movement .
“ They flood the streets with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they hurt anyone who gets in the way , ” said Carlson .
“ When they want something , they take it .
Make them mad , and they will set your business on fire .
Annoy them , and they will occupy your downtown and declare a brand-new country .
You ’ re not going to do anything about it .
They know that for certain.
” How this shit is even allowed to be on the air without disclaimers is beyond me but this feels like the equivalent of calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys they interview wrestlers .
This is the water the president and his personal attorney are wading in , which means something must be working when all they have left is D.W. Griffith Birth of a Nation-style hate-filled conjecture to drum up votes .
It ’ s pathetic and truly , would you expect anything else from this shameless , tasteless , fat-tie-wearing administration ?

A racist dog whistle had unprotected, drunken sex with fear-mongering and the result was former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani is the teeth of hatred. He really sinks his gums into racism by stoking the flames of fear. During an appearance on the president’s favorite on-demand channel, Fox News, Giuliani claimed that the Black Lives Matter movement “wants to come and take your house away from you.”
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Giuliani didn’t say how BLM was going to take said Caucasian homes or what they would do with the homes after they “took” them. He also didn’t talk about refinancing the mortgages to get a lower mortgage rate since the president has tanked the economy. He just left it open-ended because nothing says “white fear” like a black movement coming for your white home.
From HuffPost via Yahoo News:
Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, claimed BLM was part of an organized anarchist network that wants to “destroy” the U.S. government, “do away with our system of courts” and “take your property away and give to other people.” “This is an orchestrated effort,” Giuliani told Fox prime time personality Laura Ingraham, claiming nationwide anti-racism protests were “no longer” about the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. “That ended a long time ago,” he added.
HuffPost notes that Giuliani was probably getting his cues from Trump’s personal favorite ass barnacle, Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who just last week ran the same bullshit, claiming that this was a “dangerous moment” in United States history because of the BLM movement.
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“They flood the streets with angry young people who break things, and they hurt anyone who gets in the way,” said Carlson. “When they want something, they take it. Make them mad, and they will set your business on fire. Annoy them, and they will occupy your downtown and declare a brand-new country. You’re not going to do anything about it. They know that for certain.”
How this shit is even allowed to be on the air without disclaimers is beyond me but this feels like the equivalent of calling WWE interviewers journalists and the muscular gymnastics guys they interview wrestlers.
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This is the water the president and his personal attorney are wading in, which means something must be working when all they have left is D.W. Griffith Birth of a Nation-style hate-filled conjecture to drum up votes. It’s pathetic and truly, would you expect anything else from this shameless, tasteless, fat-tie-wearing administration?


theroot--2020-06-23--Save Money and Get Trendy Because Champion Streetwear Is 30% Off

This week Amazon is having its Big Style Sale , featuring deals from huge lifestyle brands that you can buy @ @ @ @ @ Friday !
This means you can go ahead and stock up on streetwear from Champion @ @ @ @ @ 30 % off !
I ’ m talking about leggings , shorts , bike shorts @ @ @ @ @ more .
I personally might go ahead a cop a crop top or two because @ @ @ @ @ Grab these deals before they ’ re gone .

Ignacia on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

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theroot--2020-06-23--With Challengers on Her Left, NY Rep. Yvette Clarke Says She Is More Than Progressive Enough to Lead

BROOKLYN , N.Y.—U.S Rep. Yvette Clarke ( D-NY ) and a group of faith leaders are marching down Church Avenue here in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn behind a huge banner that reads , “ # LETMEBREATHE , ” referencing the police killing of George Floyd .
A faith leader on the back of a truck speaks loudly into his megaphone .
“ No Justice , no peace !
No Justice , no peace !
” The march of more than a hundred people was organized by local pastors who have a very specific message against police brutality and gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
But Ace Burns , a protester unaffiliated with the protest , roller skated around the marchers with other ideas .
With his own megaphone in hand , he interjected with his own cadence .
Some of the marchers repeat the words and continue doing so until the faith leaders regain control .
Burns fell into the background .
I approached him and asked what he felt about the organizers muffling his chants and if he feels Clarke represents his views for changes in policing and her policies in general .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ I ’ m one of these guys who has been watching the prayers and the silent vigils and the kneeling .
I ’ m tired .
I can ’ t bend down anymore .
I love Yvette Clarke , but she ’ s been around for a long time .
And [ New York Gov .
Andrew ] Cuomo been around and [ New York City Mayor Bill ] de Blasio been around .
Everybody ’ s been around for a long time and nothing has changed .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell me who he was voting for , but he made one thing clear : Anybody but who is in office now .
That includes Clarke .
Burns isn ’ t the only Brooklynite—or voter across America , for that matter—who feels this way .
A lot of people are unsatisfied with the incumbents representing them .
Across the nation , young political upstarts at every level are challenging Democratic incumbents they feel are no longer legislating on the progressive bona fides that got them elected into office .
Emboldened by the success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 , a new crop of progressive challengers are pushing incumbents to speak to the urgency of the national uprisings that have come as a result of recent police killings—or be ready to lose your seat .
There are several key national races across the country , including in Kentucky where state representative Charles Booker is making what was supposed to be an inevitable win for Amy McGrath a closely contested U.S. Senate Democratic primary race ; the state has cut more than 95 percent of polling places , in what election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voter suppression .
In The Bronx , Jamaal Bowman is aiming to unseat Rep. Eliot Engel ( D-N.Y. ) in what experts say is a race that is currently trending in Bowman ’ s favor .
Both Kentucky and New York , along with Virginia , are holding primaries Tuesday to determine those races .
Here in Brooklyn , Congresswoman Clarke is facing that very challenge with three primary challengers of her own , all claiming that she has lost touch with her district and lacks the political imagination to advance the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m on the corner of Church and Nostrand Avenues at the beginning of the march with Clarke as she and a group of pastors .
Most of the people don black tops in solidarity for peace and justice and surgical masks to stave off COVID-19 .
Most of the hundred or so people are Clarke supporters who are carrying her campaign flyers and placards urging people to support her .
These are her roots : civic organizations , church folk , some young folk .
The consistent theme across each demographic : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them to support her in Tuesday ’ s New York primary .
Her toughest opponent , Adem Bunkeddeko , came within 6 points of defeating her in the 2018 primary .
Isiah James , an Army vet running on a Democratic Socialist platform , has consistently hammered home the message that she is a “ fake progressive.
” Chaim M. Deutsch , a New York City council member , has name recognition , but , as the New York Times notes , has run a campaign based on fear-mongering .
Clarke is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the generational battle of ideas and political outlook amid the current climate the “ defund the police ” movement and a more crowded 2020 primary field than 2018 may very well endanger her chances to earn the seniority in Washington , D.C. , she and her loyal constituents covet .
A primary defeat for Clarke will also mean the New York congressional delegation will lose its only black female representative .
If Bunkeddeko or James wins , a younger voice with the urgency of now will represent the district in Washington .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but older and , perhaps , more conservative constituency , will lose the voice they trust and have to grapple with a shift in political outlook that they aren ’ t prepared to fully embrace .
I spoke with Clarke on Saturday via a Zoom conference call and we talked about the accusations that she is not a progressive .
She smiled and walked me through her own political evolution .
She spoke of her mother who immigrated from Jamaica to Brooklyn and became a city councilwoman and power broker in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grandfather on her mother ’ s side who was a follower of Marcus Garvey ’ s form of Black nationalism .
All of those personal threads in her family tree shape her politics .
I told her that her opponents feel she lacks the political imagination for today ’ s climate and that she needs to step aside for fresher , younger leadership , as Pressley and Ocasio-Cortez made clear in 2018 .
“ I ’ m for the democratic process , ” she told me .
“ I ’ m not discouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m doing is presenting to the community my lifelong record of commitment support , of engagement on the ground .
Ultimately , it ’ s the voters that make that determination .
You spoke about those young women , those sisters that came into the House of Representatives .
But I ’ m also serving with Eddie Bernice Johnson , Maxine Waters , Sheila Jackson Lee .
I ’ m serving with a whole host of sisters , Barbara Lee , very progressive sisters that have been in this body since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not looking at this as a generational thing.
” What makes Clarke ’ s primary complicated and different from Pressley and Ocasio-Cortez ’ s races is that both of those women ran against white men in a year that challenged the Democratic establishment to make room for the black female elected leadership and to reward black female voters who keep the party competitive in local and national races .
Presley ’ s win , in particular , was a victory for black women .
But a primary loss for Clarke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representation from New York City , which has the largest population of black people in the country .
We have to also consider that candidates like Bunkeddeko and James can be bolder now because the politics of this era allow them to .
“ Black candidates in general have not had the same latitudes regardless of what space they have been in to be able to stand bolder , ” Anoa Changa , a political activist and staff writer at Prism said .
She added that while the national progressive wave against incumbents—especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upstarts running as progressives today are doing so because the people they are challenging paved the way for them to do so .
“ I don ’ t think that there has been necessarily the same level of understanding from strategists and campaign staff who are supporting primary challengers , even when it ’ s black candidates , when it goes into why they ’ re making the case in the community , ” Changa said .
“ I think people aren ’ t accounting for the sentimental value of having particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t consider what that person has done and the way they may have shown up in the community—even if they have not shown up on the policies that could benefit the community .
The way they have physically been present and shown up in the community still matters.
” Bunkeddeko and James have very clearly called for defunding the police .
Clarke told me she supports the spirit of the defund movement , but uses more careful language that doesn ’ t call for all out abolition , like James , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any narrative that suggests she isn ’ t in sync with the urgency of the current uprisings against police violence .
“ With the talk I ’ m hearing on Capitol Hill right now , engaging with my colleagues right now .
These folks , they are ready for systemic change in the House of Representatives .
Remember , we have one of the most diverse House of Representatives in the history of the House of Representatives .
We can pass everything we want to pass .
Now we got to turn our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change that senate .
We got to flip that Senate , we got to flip the White House.
” Two of her opponents do not think she should be there when either of those flips happen .
Bunkeddeko said he has strengthened his campaign apparatus to pull him over the hump today .
His endorsements from The New York Times , Justice Democrats and other progressive groups have energized his base here in central Brooklyn in ways that may benefit him precisely because of the national uprisings .
“ We are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about race in this culture , ” Bunkeddeko said in a phone interview .
“ I think it took a pandemic , no entertainment , no sports for us to fully concentrate and see , ‘ Look : this is a country in which we have clearly two systems of justice and that is not how we ’ re going to be able to function as a society going forward or as a people.
’ And so , back to this whole removing a couple of bad apples , no .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tree and the soil from which these apples are coming from and that requires us to really confront some difficult issues that maybe folks like Miss Clark were just not willing to push the ball forward on.
” Like James and Clarke , Bunkeddeko , 32 , also comes from immigrant roots .
His parents immigrated to the United States from Uganda to escape a civil war .
He grew up in Queens and later moved to Brooklyn where he became a community organizer and , quickly , Clarkes ’ political opponent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Caucus and how much they value incumbency over primary challengers because of how coveted seniority is in Washington—especially for black elected officials who have historically been blocked from earning it .
His response is that he is more than willing to build coalitions in the CBC , but that Clarke lacks the “ imagination ” needed to consider what is possible and that her time in office hasn ’ t yielded much for central Brooklyn .
“ What has she done with that seniority and experience ?
That ’ s the question I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We got folks , this is the epicenter of the nation ’ s housing crisis .
For over a decade .
Ms Clark said nothing about housing till we ran on housing .
That ’ s when she started talking about housing .
Now , to me , that is imagination .
Getting people to move in a direction that they didn ’ t think was even possible or should have been possible .
And , to me , that ’ s the kind of work that we need to do in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think this thing was workable into a place that is workable , but part of it is you have to believe .
So when people say Ms. Clark has had seniority or experience , I often ask them , ‘ What has that translated there for us in this community ?
’ And there ’ s nothing , no legislation , no resources back to the community .
Her tenure has really been a failure , I believe.
” During our Zoom call , Clarke struck back against those allegations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is fighting for refugees and went to Tijuana to help black refugees seek refuge in the U.S. “ This brother ’ s parents were refugees and were given asylum in America .
I haven ’ t heard him say one thing about that , other than the fact that he ’ s the child of refugees , ” she said .
“ But what are you doing about it ?
Where ’ s your bona fide in terms of your progressivism ?
” She added : “ It ’ s interesting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they themselves ...
It ’ s gas lighting , it ’ s gas lighting of our community .
I think that that ’ s very disingenuous and should not be happening , not in a black community , not in this moment where we need unity in our community.
” James isn ’ t buying it .
A retired Army vet who was born and raised in Brooklyn , he said during a phone interview that part of what makes Clarke no longer fit to serve the Ninth District is what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To see this community slide down the tubes under black leadership is abysmal , ” he told me .
“ This is Shirley Chisholm ’ s old district .
The fact that Shirley Chisholm was such a bold advocate for change .
Even Yvette Clarke ’ s own mother just came out and said that she ’ s not as vocal as she would like her to be .
Her own mother said that in the Times yesterday .
I think the moment is calling for bold reformational leadership and change .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Back at the march , Clarkes ’ support is strong and vibrant as they walk down Church Avenue into East Flatbush .
Her supporters are walking up to folks on the sidewalks and the bodegas encouraging them to vote , passing out flyers .
After making some short remarks atop a truck leading the march , she stepped back down to the streets and told me how she was feeling about her election chances and about the movement in general .
“ I ’ m extremely optimistic , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who have stayed in the streets have made a substantive difference in legislatures across the country .
Already , we ’ re seeing movements around the policing in communities .
Some have gone to the extremes of reimagining what their police departments should look like : disbanding their police departments and demanding a human-centered policing strategy .
That ’ s what these people are asking for right now .
”

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—U.S Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and a group of faith leaders are marching down Church Avenue here in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn behind a huge banner that reads, “#LETMEBREATHE,” referencing the police killing of George Floyd.
A faith leader on the back of a truck speaks loudly into his megaphone.
“No Justice, no peace! No Justice, no peace!”
“Say his name: George Floyd!”
“Say her name: Breonna Tayler!”
The march of more than a hundred people was organized by local pastors who have a very specific message against police brutality and gun violence that doesn’t antagonize the police. But Ace Burns, a protester unaffiliated with the protest, roller skated around the marchers with other ideas.
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With his own megaphone in hand, he interjected with his own cadence.
“When-I-say-police, you-say-mur-de-rers!”
Some of the marchers repeat the words and continue doing so until the faith leaders regain control. Burns fell into the background. I approached him and asked what he felt about the organizers muffling his chants and if he feels Clarke represents his views for changes in policing and her policies in general.
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“I’m a radical,” he said. “I’m one of these guys who has been watching the prayers and the silent vigils and the kneeling. I’m tired. I can’t bend down anymore. I love Yvette Clarke, but she’s been around for a long time. And [New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo been around and [New York City Mayor Bill] de Blasio been around. Everybody’s been around for a long time and nothing has changed. We need something different.”
He declined to tell me who he was voting for, but he made one thing clear: Anybody but who is in office now. That includes Clarke.
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Burns isn’t the only Brooklynite—or voter across America, for that matter—who feels this way. A lot of people are unsatisfied with the incumbents representing them.
Across the nation, young political upstarts at every level are challenging Democratic incumbents they feel are no longer legislating on the progressive bona fides that got them elected into office. Emboldened by the success of Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, a new crop of progressive challengers are pushing incumbents to speak to the urgency of the national uprisings that have come as a result of recent police killings—or be ready to lose your seat.
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There are several key national races across the country, including in Kentucky where state representative Charles Booker is making what was supposed to be an inevitable win for Amy McGrath a closely contested U.S. Senate Democratic primary race; the state has cut more than 95 percent of polling places, in what election rights observers are calling a clear case of voter suppression. In The Bronx, Jamaal Bowman is aiming to unseat Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) in what experts say is a race that is currently trending in Bowman’s favor. Both Kentucky and New York, along with Virginia, are holding primaries Tuesday to determine those races.
Here in Brooklyn, Congresswoman Clarke is facing that very challenge with three primary challengers of her own, all claiming that she has lost touch with her district and lacks the political imagination to advance the current needs of her district.
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I’m on the corner of Church and Nostrand Avenues at the beginning of the march with Clarke as she and a group of pastors. Most of the people don black tops in solidarity for peace and justice and surgical masks to stave off COVID-19. Most of the hundred or so people are Clarke supporters who are carrying her campaign flyers and placards urging people to support her. These are her roots: civic organizations, church folk, some young folk. The consistent theme across each demographic: black women.
She will need all of them to support her in Tuesday’s New York primary.
Her toughest opponent, Adem Bunkeddeko, came within 6 points of defeating her in the 2018 primary. Isiah James, an Army vet running on a Democratic Socialist platform, has consistently hammered home the message that she is a “fake progressive.” Chaim M. Deutsch, a New York City council member, has name recognition, but, as the New York Times notes, has run a campaign based on fear-mongering.
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Clarke is still the favorite to win. But the generational battle of ideas and political outlook amid the current climate the “defund the police” movement and a more crowded 2020 primary field than 2018 may very well endanger her chances to earn the seniority in Washington, D.C., she and her loyal constituents covet.
A primary defeat for Clarke will also mean the New York congressional delegation will lose its only black female representative. If Bunkeddeko or James wins, a younger voice with the urgency of now will represent the district in Washington. If Clarke loses, a very important, but older and, perhaps, more conservative constituency, will lose the voice they trust and have to grapple with a shift in political outlook that they aren’t prepared to fully embrace.
Advertisement
I spoke with Clarke on Saturday via a Zoom conference call and we talked about the accusations that she is not a progressive. She smiled and walked me through her own political evolution. She spoke of her mother who immigrated from Jamaica to Brooklyn and became a city councilwoman and power broker in New York politics. She told me about her grandfather on her mother’s side who was a follower of Marcus Garvey’s form of Black nationalism. All of those personal threads in her family tree shape her politics.
I told her that her opponents feel she lacks the political imagination for today’s climate and that she needs to step aside for fresher, younger leadership, as Pressley and Ocasio-Cortez made clear in 2018.
Advertisement
“I’m for the democratic process,” she told me. “I’m not discouraging anyone from running for office. What I’m doing is presenting to the community my lifelong record of commitment support, of engagement on the ground. Ultimately, it’s the voters that make that determination. You spoke about those young women, those sisters that came into the House of Representatives. But I’m also serving with Eddie Bernice Johnson, Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee. I’m serving with a whole host of sisters, Barbara Lee, very progressive sisters that have been in this body since before I was in the body. I’m not looking at this as a generational thing.”
What makes Clarke’s primary complicated and different from Pressley and Ocasio-Cortez’s races is that both of those women ran against white men in a year that challenged the Democratic establishment to make room for the black female elected leadership and to reward black female voters who keep the party competitive in local and national races. Presley’s win, in particular, was a victory for black women. But a primary loss for Clarke means there will be no black female representation from New York City, which has the largest population of black people in the country.
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We have to also consider that candidates like Bunkeddeko and James can be bolder now because the politics of this era allow them to. “Black candidates in general have not had the same latitudes regardless of what space they have been in to be able to stand bolder,” Anoa Changa, a political activist and staff writer at Prism said.
She added that while the national progressive wave against incumbents—especially black women—should be conducted with care because the upstarts running as progressives today are doing so because the people they are challenging paved the way for them to do so.
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“I don’t think that there has been necessarily the same level of understanding from strategists and campaign staff who are supporting primary challengers, even when it’s black candidates, when it goes into why they’re making the case in the community,” Changa said. “I think people aren’t accounting for the sentimental value of having particular people as their elected officials. They don’t consider what that person has done and the way they may have shown up in the community—even if they have not shown up on the policies that could benefit the community. The way they have physically been present and shown up in the community still matters.”
Bunkeddeko and James have very clearly called for defunding the police. Clarke told me she supports the spirit of the defund movement, but uses more careful language that doesn’t call for all out abolition, like James, for example. But she definitely rejects any narrative that suggests she isn’t in sync with the urgency of the current uprisings against police violence.
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“With the talk I’m hearing on Capitol Hill right now, engaging with my colleagues right now. These folks, they are ready for systemic change in the House of Representatives. Remember, we have one of the most diverse House of Representatives in the history of the House of Representatives. We can pass everything we want to pass. Now we got to turn our sights to that senate. We got to change that senate. We got to flip that Senate, we got to flip the White House.”
Two of her opponents do not think she should be there when either of those flips happen.
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Bunkeddeko said he has strengthened his campaign apparatus to pull him over the hump today. His endorsements from The New York Times, Justice Democrats and other progressive groups have energized his base here in central Brooklyn in ways that may benefit him precisely because of the national uprisings.
“We are at a moment of reckoning about how we think about race in this culture,” Bunkeddeko said in a phone interview. “I think it took a pandemic, no entertainment, no sports for us to fully concentrate and see, ‘Look: this is a country in which we have clearly two systems of justice and that is not how we’re going to be able to function as a society going forward or as a people.’ And so, back to this whole removing a couple of bad apples, no. It is about systemically changing and removing the tree and the soil from which these apples are coming from and that requires us to really confront some difficult issues that maybe folks like Miss Clark were just not willing to push the ball forward on.”
Advertisement
Like James and Clarke, Bunkeddeko, 32, also comes from immigrant roots. His parents immigrated to the United States from Uganda to escape a civil war. He grew up in Queens and later moved to Brooklyn where he became a community organizer and, quickly, Clarkes’ political opponent.
I asked him about the Congressional Black Caucus and how much they value incumbency over primary challengers because of how coveted seniority is in Washington—especially for black elected officials who have historically been blocked from earning it.
Advertisement
His response is that he is more than willing to build coalitions in the CBC, but that Clarke lacks the “imagination” needed to consider what is possible and that her time in office hasn’t yielded much for central Brooklyn.
“What has she done with that seniority and experience? That’s the question I always ask,” Bunkeddeko said. “We got folks, this is the epicenter of the nation’s housing crisis. For over a decade. Ms Clark said nothing about housing till we ran on housing. That’s when she started talking about housing. Now, to me, that is imagination. Getting people to move in a direction that they didn’t think was even possible or should have been possible. And, to me, that’s the kind of work that we need to do in Washington, is moving people who didn’t think this thing was workable into a place that is workable, but part of it is you have to believe. So when people say Ms. Clark has had seniority or experience, I often ask them, ‘What has that translated there for us in this community?’ And there’s nothing, no legislation, no resources back to the community. Her tenure has really been a failure, I believe.”
Advertisement
During our Zoom call, Clarke struck back against those allegations, aiming at Bunkeddeko. She cited that she is fighting for refugees and went to Tijuana to help black refugees seek refuge in the U.S. “This brother’s parents were refugees and were given asylum in America. I haven’t heard him say one thing about that, other than the fact that he’s the child of refugees,” she said. “But what are you doing about it? Where’s your bona fide in terms of your progressivism?”
She added: “It’s interesting to hear people spin their narratives out there when they themselves ... It’s gas lighting, it’s gas lighting of our community. I think that that’s very disingenuous and should not be happening, not in a black community, not in this moment where we need unity in our community.”
Advertisement
James isn’t buying it. A retired Army vet who was born and raised in Brooklyn, he said during a phone interview that part of what makes Clarke no longer fit to serve the Ninth District is what he says is her dated politics.
“To see this community slide down the tubes under black leadership is abysmal,” he told me. “ This is Shirley Chisholm’s old district. The fact that Shirley Chisholm was such a bold advocate for change. Even Yvette Clarke’s own mother just came out and said that she’s not as vocal as she would like her to be. Her own mother said that in the Times yesterday. I think the moment is calling for bold reformational leadership and change. I hope to be that change in Washington.”
Advertisement
Back at the march, Clarkes’ support is strong and vibrant as they walk down Church Avenue into East Flatbush. Her supporters are walking up to folks on the sidewalks and the bodegas encouraging them to vote, passing out flyers.
After making some short remarks atop a truck leading the march, she stepped back down to the streets and told me how she was feeling about her election chances and about the movement in general.
Advertisement
“I’m extremely optimistic,” she said. “I’ve seen how the people who have stayed in the streets have made a substantive difference in legislatures across the country. Already, we’re seeing movements around the policing in communities. Some have gone to the extremes of reimagining what their police departments should look like: disbanding their police departments and demanding a human-centered policing strategy. That’s what these people are asking for right now.”


theroot--2020-06-23--James Dolan Can't Wait to Fire the Next Knicks Head Coach and He Hasn't Even Been Hired Yet

Other than being a dugout janitor or collecting urine samples for a living , I can ’ t think of a worse job in professional sports than being the head coach of the New York Knicks .
The owner is somehow both a coward and an imbecile , the front office is a rotating cast of resounding failures and sexual harassment allegations , and they failed to sign two of the biggest names in the sport , Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving , when they had virtually nowhere else to go .
But if you think any of the above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wants to Be Fired By a Billionaire from clamoring for the gig anyway , you clearly haven ’ t been paying any attention to the news .
Because if you were , you ’ d know that after inserting universally revered agent Leon Rose as its latest head of basketball operations , there are a smorgasbord of candidates who can ’ t wait to coach this sorry-ass squad to eight wins , only to inevitably return to delivering Postmates .
So who are the Knicks courting ?
Marc Stein of the New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the cut , despite putting the Milwaukee Bucks in a headlock ( they miraculously transformed into a juggernaut immediately after his firing in 2018 ) and having the dubious distinction of jumpstarting his coaching career with a DUI suspension .
Good times .
He ’ s also noted for being an abysmal defensive coach who can ’ t inspire young players—which the Knicks , ironically , are brimming with—and somehow has accrued a lackluster coaching record of 183-190 despite coaching the likes of Joe Johnson , Paul Pierce , Kevin Garnett and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a match made in heaven , except the Knicks also have eyes for former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau—who ’ s foaming at the mouth thinking of ways to somehow play RJ Barrett 97 minutes a game—former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson , Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka and the Knicks ’ current interim coach Mike Miller .
There ’ s even word that Jeff Van Gundy , one of the greatest coaches in franchise history , would be open to a family reunion , but after glancing at the Knicks roster he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pump .
With Rose ’ s hire , one would hope that the Knicks would finally get in the gym , shed the winter weight and finally get right , but we ’ ve been down this road one too many times before and already know how this ends : the Knicks will either pick the wrong person for the job ( Jeff Hornacek anyone ? )
or pick the right person and thrust them into the worst possible situation—like they just did with David Fizdale .

Other than being a dugout janitor or collecting urine samples for a living, I can’t think of a worse job in professional sports than being the head coach of the New York Knicks. The owner is somehow both a coward and an imbecile, the front office is a rotating cast of resounding failures and sexual harassment allegations, and they failed to sign two of the biggest names in the sport, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, when they had virtually nowhere else to go.
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But if you think any of the above is stopping the next contestants of Who Wants to Be Fired By a Billionaire from clamoring for the gig anyway, you clearly haven’t been paying any attention to the news. Because if you were, you’d know that after inserting universally revered agent Leon Rose as its latest head of basketball operations, there are a smorgasbord of candidates who can’t wait to coach this sorry-ass squad to eight wins, only to inevitably return to delivering Postmates.
So who are the Knicks courting?
Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that Jason Kidd has somehow made the cut, despite putting the Milwaukee Bucks in a headlock (they miraculously transformed into a juggernaut immediately after his firing in 2018) and having the dubious distinction of jumpstarting his coaching career with a DUI suspension. Good times. He’s also noted for being an abysmal defensive coach who can’t inspire young players—which the Knicks, ironically, are brimming with—and somehow has accrued a lackluster coaching record of 183-190 despite coaching the likes of Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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This would sound like a match made in heaven, except the Knicks also have eyes for former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau—who’s foaming at the mouth thinking of ways to somehow play RJ Barrett 97 minutes a game—former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka and the Knicks’ current interim coach Mike Miller.
There’s even word that Jeff Van Gundy, one of the greatest coaches in franchise history, would be open to a family reunion, but after glancing at the Knicks roster he was overheard laughing hysterically into an asthma pump.
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With Rose’s hire, one would hope that the Knicks would finally get in the gym, shed the winter weight and finally get right, but we’ve been down this road one too many times before and already know how this ends: the Knicks will either pick the wrong person for the job (Jeff Hornacek anyone?) or pick the right person and thrust them into the worst possible situation—like they just did with David Fizdale.
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Good luck with that shit.


theroot--2020-06-23--In Boots Riley's New TV Series, Jharrel Jerome Portrays a Virgo...Who Is 13-Feet Tall

Jharrel Jerome had quite a triumphant 2019 awards season , so I ’ ve been wondering what the 2019 Emmy Winner and 2020 Young Futurists honoree will be appearing in next .
Fans have spotted him co-starring in Tayarisha Poe ’ s Selah and the Spades , which dropped on Amazon Prime this spring , but of course , eyes are extra-peeled for his next leading role .
Enter notably eccentric director Boots Riley .
On Monday morning , the Sorry to Bother You director tweeted out news of Jerome ’ s next role , opting for the more casual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trades .
“ I have a show about a 13-ft tall Black man who lives in Oakland , ” Riley tweeted .
It ’ s called I ’ m A Virgo .
Jharrel Jerome is playing the lead .
I ’ m doing this w/ Michael Ellenberg ’ s Media Res .
We haven ’ t decided on the network/streamer .
It ’ ll be dark , absurd , hilarious , and important.
” Imagine Jerome ’ s character ’ s Tinder bio— “ Hi , I ’ m a Virgo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which doesn ’ t take me that long because I ’ m 13-feet tall.
” According to Deadline , this will be Riley ’ s first foray into the television world .
This new project comes from his script deal with Media Res ( who produced The Morning Show on Apple TV+ ) in 2018 .
If you ’ ve seen Riley ’ s aforementioned big-screen directorial feature debut , Sorry to Bother You , you know the one thing you can expect is the unexpected .
And since Jerome is involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As an aside—if you can allow me to mention something “ absurd and hilarious ” —the first thing I noticed when I was searching for Getty Images of Jerome for the cover pic was his picture with Megan Thee Stallion at 2019 American Music Awards .
True to her name , Meg towered over Jerome , but now that Jerome will be 13 feet tall in his next project , can we get an updated side-by-side ?
Hey , with Boots Riley , anything is possible .
In the meantime , we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network or streaming platform scoops up this curious project .

Tonja Renée Stidhum on The Grapevine, shared by Tonja Renée Stidhum to The Root

Jharrel Jerome had quite a triumphant 2019 awards season, so I’ve been wondering what the 2019 Emmy Winner and 2020 Young Futurists honoree will be appearing in next. Fans have spotted him co-starring in Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades, which dropped on Amazon Prime this spring, but of course, eyes are extra-peeled for his next leading role.
Enter notably eccentric director Boots Riley. On Monday morning, the Sorry to Bother You director tweeted out news of Jerome’s next role, opting for the more casual debut instead of exclusively announcing it to the trades.
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“I have a show about a 13-ft tall Black man who lives in Oakland,” Riley tweeted. It’s called I’m A Virgo. Jharrel Jerome is playing the lead. I’m doing this w/ Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res. We haven’t decided on the network/streamer. It’ll be dark, absurd, hilarious, and important.”
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Imagine Jerome’s character’s Tinder bio—“Hi, I’m a Virgo and I love long walks on the beach, which doesn’t take me that long because I’m 13-feet tall.”
According to Deadline, this will be Riley’s first foray into the television world. This new project comes from his script deal with Media Res (who produced The Morning Show on Apple TV+) in 2018.
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If you’ve seen Riley’s aforementioned big-screen directorial feature debut, Sorry to Bother You, you know the one thing you can expect is the unexpected. And since Jerome is involved, I’m automatically intrigued.
As an aside—if you can allow me to mention something “absurd and hilarious”—the first thing I noticed when I was searching for Getty Images of Jerome for the cover pic was his picture with Megan Thee Stallion at 2019 American Music Awards. True to her name, Meg towered over Jerome, but now that Jerome will be 13 feet tall in his next project, can we get an updated side-by-side?
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Hey, with Boots Riley, anything is possible. In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye out for which network or streaming platform scoops up this curious project.


Jesus Can Wait

On Monday , conservative activist and racism whitesplainer Matt Schlapp warned people who wear shorts to church that tearing down conservative statues will eventually lead to the fall of their beloved country .
Aside from the fact that a relatively obscure book called the Holy Bible specifically warned against this practice of graven images , there is also the fact that many people who are upset by the dismantling of inanimate object s have presented this “ slippery slope argument.
” The View ’ s Meghan McCain stupidly compared the removal of white supremacist monuments to erasing the faces from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a Klansman over a sacred monument owned by the Sioux .
One could argue that arguing for erasing some people ’ s history while keeping our dirty nigger hands off the things Meghan and Matt care about and is the perfect example of white supremacy , but , again , Meghan McCain is stupid .
But that ’ s when the man who right-wing activist outlets such as Fox News refer to as a “ far-left activist ” and “ a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement , ” waded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want .
Goddamnit , now I got ta look at these memes : While there are more than enough reasons to criticize King ( Shaun King , not the King of Kings , Lord of Lords ) , he ’ s not wrong .
The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the Holy Family ’ s three-year road trip to Egypt where—according to some scholars—J.C .
literally fled a crazy political leader and gained asylum as an undocumented refugee .
However , there is no mention of Mary ‘ nem going there to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Egypt , too .
But Shaun is also right to say that statues depicting Jesus are one of the subtle indicators of white supremacy .
One of the ways that white supremacy was justified throughout the history of America was to explain that Jesus was a white supremacist .
General Robert E. Lee said slavery was a “ moral and political evil ” that was ordained by a “ divine and merciful providence.
” In Notes on the State of Virginia , Thomas Jefferson explained that God himself could not produce a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a poet .
The first Virginia Charter said the purpose of coming to the New World was “ propagating of Christian religion to suche people as yet live in darkenesse and miserable ignorance of the true knoweledge and worshippe of God and may in tyme bring the infidels and salvages living in those parts to humane civilitie and to a setled and quiet govermente.
” In a country founded , as much on the principles of white supremacy as it was on Christianity , the idea of a white Jesus and racism are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white Jesus are not the reason that inequality persists .
If white supremacy is a virus , then monuments to the Caucasian Messiah is a recurring cough .
Statues depicting a whitewashed Jesus are simply a symptom of our national disease .
And , while I can not speak for Black America any more than Shaun King , I would humbly suggest that Black people are perfectly willing to tolerate images of Jesus that slightly resemble Michael Bolton in return for the small favor of white people not killing us .
Call me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to small .
I ’ m willing to call for the end to white Jesus after we eliminate disproportionate police brutality , unequal school funding , sentencing disparities , employment inequality , the wage gap , the wealth gap , money bail , stop and frisk , overpolicing Black communities , college debt , marijuana prohibition , the school-to-prison pipeline , homophobia , the sexualization of Black girls , the war on drugs , the war on Black boys , the war on trans women and the war on whole chicken wings ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” controversy has erased the importance of the wing tip ) ... Maybe then we can focus on statues of White Jesus .
Because , as it stands , people are treating the symptoms by agreeing to erase episodes of Bugs Bunny , change syrup logos , wear Kente cloth , acknowledge Juneteenth , tweet their appreciation for Black women and stand in solidarity on social media .
But police are still killing people , our children are still receiving an unequal education , the criminal justice system is still swallowing us whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this : So , once white supremacy is deleted from America ’ s operating system , I ’ d be more than willing to donate a few dollars to the Caucasian Savior Abolition Project ’ s GoFundMe , if only to witness the outrage from Meghan McCain ’ s future organization , National Association for the Advancement of Concerned Beckys ( NAACB ) .
But until then , Jesus can wait .
Plus , I ’ m sure this issue will resolve itself because , as an obscure poet once wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recall :

Shaun King is not wrong.
Wait...hear me out.
On Monday, conservative activist and racism whitesplainer Matt Schlapp warned people who wear shorts to church that tearing down conservative statues will eventually lead to the fall of their beloved country.
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Aside from the fact that a relatively obscure book called the Holy Bible specifically warned against this practice of graven images, there is also the fact that many people who are upset by the dismantling of inanimate object s have presented this “slippery slope argument.”
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The View’s Meghan McCain stupidly compared the removal of white supremacist monuments to erasing the faces from Mount Rushmore, which was actually carved by a Klansman over a sacred monument owned by the Sioux.
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One could argue that arguing for erasing some people’s history while keeping our dirty nigger hands off the things Meghan and Matt care about and is the perfect example of white supremacy, but, again, Meghan McCain is stupid.
But that’s when the man who right-wing activist outlets such as Fox News refer to as a “far-left activist” and “a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement,” waded into the fray and gave them what they want.
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Goddamnit, now I gotta look at these memes:
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While there are more than enough reasons to criticize King (Shaun King, not the King of Kings, Lord of Lords), he’s not wrong. The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the Holy Family’s three-year road trip to Egypt where—according to some scholars—J.C. literally fled a crazy political leader and gained asylum as an undocumented refugee. However, there is no mention of Mary ‘nem going there to “blend in.” White people lived in Egypt, too.
But Shaun is also right to say that statues depicting Jesus are one of the subtle indicators of white supremacy. One of the ways that white supremacy was justified throughout the history of America was to explain that Jesus was a white supremacist. General Robert E. Lee said slavery was a “moral and political evil” that was ordained by a “divine and merciful providence.” In Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson explained that God himself could not produce a Black human being smart enough to be a poet. The first Virginia Charter said the purpose of coming to the New World was “propagating of Christian religion to suche people as yet live in darkenesse and miserable ignorance of the true knoweledge and worshippe of God and may in tyme bring the infidels and salvages living in those parts to humane civilitie and to a setled and quiet govermente.”
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In a country founded, as much on the principles of white supremacy as it was on Christianity, the idea of a white Jesus and racism are inextricably intertwined. However, statues of white Jesus are not the reason that inequality persists. If white supremacy is a virus, then monuments to the Caucasian Messiah is a recurring cough. Statues depicting a whitewashed Jesus are simply a symptom of our national disease.
And, while I cannot speak for Black America any more than Shaun King, I would humbly suggest that Black people are perfectly willing to tolerate images of Jesus that slightly resemble Michael Bolton in return for the small favor of white people not killing us.
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Call me crazy, but I like working big to small. I’m willing to call for the end to white Jesus after we eliminate disproportionate police brutality, unequal school funding, sentencing disparities, employment inequality, the wage gap, the wealth gap, money bail, stop and frisk, overpolicing Black communities, college debt, marijuana prohibition, the school-to-prison pipeline, homophobia, the sexualization of Black girls, the war on drugs, the war on Black boys, the war on trans women and the war on whole chicken wings (seriously, this “drums vs. flats” controversy has erased the importance of the wing tip)...
Maybe then we can focus on statues of White Jesus.
Because, as it stands, people are treating the symptoms by agreeing to erase episodes of Bugs Bunny, change syrup logos, wear Kente cloth, acknowledge Juneteenth, tweet their appreciation for Black women and stand in solidarity on social media. But police are still killing people, our children are still receiving an unequal education, the criminal justice system is still swallowing us whole and Black Twitter is still posting memes like this:
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So, once white supremacy is deleted from America’s operating system, I’d be more than willing to donate a few dollars to the Caucasian Savior Abolition Project’s GoFundMe, if only to witness the outrage from Meghan McCain’s future organization, National Association for the Advancement of Concerned Beckys (NAACB).
But until then, Jesus can wait.
Plus, I’m sure this issue will resolve itself because, as an obscure poet once wrote in a book whose name I cannot recall:
For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.”
Jeremiah 10:3-5
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It probably wasn’t Shaun King


theroot--2020-06-23--Amazon's Big Style Sale Has the Perfect Pieces for a Casual Summer Look

Amazon wants to reward its loyal customers with deep discounts on some of their top-brands and their collaboration with Shopbop and influencers alike .
Starting today you ’ ll begin to see this section populated with unreal price slashes on the most stylish of threads and accessories .
A denim dress like this is super classic and it ’ s easy to dress it up or down for to be super chic .
This dress would be perfect for a summer picnic or a breezy night out .
Amazon collaborated with several stylists/influencers to curate this sale and this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top picks .
This dress usually runs for $ 98 and is 100 % cotton .
So you ’ ll also want to make sure to have a good streamer to keep this wrinkle-free .
White sneakers are the pinnacle of summer fashion and go with basically anything .
Pair them with the denim dress for a sporty and fun vibe .
These , from Superga , are 65 % off their original price and are being recommended by a few stylists .
It ’ s probably because they are such a versatile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Much like white sneakers , this woven bamboo bag is very on-trend .
If you ’ ve read our Anthropologie pieces straw purses are usually spotlighted .
This crossbody bag has three different strap options .
I like this tan one as it ’ s not as harsh a look like the black might be against the light denim .
This Frye and Co. bag is almost $ 70 less than the original price and is another favorite of stylists .
Check back tomorrow for more discounts in this crazy awesome sale and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all these items if you ’ re a Prime member .

Sheilah Villari on Kinja Deals, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

The Big Style Sale | Amazon
Amazon wants to reward its loyal customers with deep discounts on some of their top-brands and their collaboration with Shopbop and influencers alike. Starting today you’ll begin to see this section populated with unreal price slashes on the most stylish of threads and accessories.
A denim dress like this is super classic and it’s easy to dress it up or down for to be super chic. This dress would be perfect for a summer picnic or a breezy night out. Amazon collaborated with several stylists/influencers to curate this sale and this is one of Danielle Downing Stackhouse’s top picks. This dress usually runs for $98 and is 100% cotton. So you’ll also want to make sure to have a good streamer to keep this wrinkle-free.
White sneakers are the pinnacle of summer fashion and go with basically anything. Pair them with the denim dress for a sporty and fun vibe. These, from Superga, are 65% off their original price and are being recommended by a few stylists. It’s probably because they are such a versatile item to have in your wardrobe.
Much like white sneakers, this woven bamboo bag is very on-trend. If you’ve read our Anthropologie pieces straw purses are usually spotlighted. This crossbody bag has three different strap options. I like this tan one as it’s not as harsh a look like the black might be against the light denim. This Frye and Co. bag is almost $70 less than the original price and is another favorite of stylists.
Check back tomorrow for more discounts in this crazy awesome sale and remember there’s free shipping on all these items if you’re a Prime member.


theroot--2020-06-23--Protesters Attempted to Tear Down an Andrew Jackson Statue Near the White House

Apparently a lot of folks have decided that if government officials won ’ t act to remove any and all monuments erected to celebrate oppressors , then it ’ s on the people to tear them all down themselves .
On Monday night , protesters targeted the statue of President Andrew Jackson that stands in a park in Washington D.C. , not far from the White House .
They were unsuccessful in pulling it down .
Scores of protesters broke through a fence surrounding the 168-year-old bronze equestrian statue at the center of Lafayette Square in Washington , D.C .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ropes around both Jackson and his horse before attempting to pull the statue from its base , which had been spray-painted with the word “ killer.
” Baton-wielding police moved in and forcibly removed protesters from the park , at times firing chemical irritants to disperse the crowds .
Some people were seen being taken away in handcuffs .
Some of you might be thinking : “ Wait , Jackson wasn ’ t a leader of the Confederacy !
Why are people attacking his monument ?
” Since the Black Lives Matter movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused somewhat of a day of reckoning for racial injustice both past and present , the cause to remove Confederate flags and statues has expanded to the removal of monuments immortalizing all oppressive figures—so damn near all of the white “ heroes ” in America ’ s history .
In Jackson ’ s case , the 7th U.S. president has long been the target of heavy criticism by Native American activists largely due to his signing of the Indian Removal Act , which forced many Indigenous communities off their land so it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribes went peacefully but many—particularly the Cherokee tribes—resisted .
Tens of thousands of Indigenous people were relocated and around 4,000 Cherokee died during the march that became known as the “ Trail of Tears.
” So Jackson can come down just as easily as Confederate President Jefferson Davis ’ statue was brought down by citizens in Richmond , Va. , earlier this month .
It ’ s the same reason Christopher Columbus statues across the country have been beheaded , pulled down and thrown in lakes recently .
All oppressors can get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hater ass hater of a president wasn ’ t having the attack on Jackson and he responded to the incident in Lafayette Square—the same area where Bunker Boy had protesters teargassed and cleared so he could clutch a Bible for a photo-op—by sending threats through his stubby little Twitter fingers .
“ Numerous people arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism , in Lafayette Park , of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson , in addition to the exterior defacing of St. John ’ s Church across the street , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison under the Veteran ’ s Memorial Preservation Act .
Beware !
” So the protesters are “ disgraceful , ” but slavers , colonizers and mass killers ?
Nah , it ’ s cool ... build them a statue .

Apparently a lot of folks have decided that if government officials won’t act to remove any and all monuments erected to celebrate oppressors, then it’s on the people to tear them all down themselves. On Monday night, protesters targeted the statue of President Andrew Jackson that stands in a park in Washington D.C., not far from the White House. They were unsuccessful in pulling it down.
From ABC News:
Scores of protesters broke through a fence surrounding the 168-year-old bronze equestrian statue at the center of Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. They climbed atop the sculpture and tied ropes around both Jackson and his horse before attempting to pull the statue from its base, which had been spray-painted with the word “killer.” Baton-wielding police moved in and forcibly removed protesters from the park, at times firing chemical irritants to disperse the crowds. Some people were seen being taken away in handcuffs.
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Some of you might be thinking: “Wait, Jackson wasn’t a leader of the Confederacy! Why are people attacking his monument?”
Since the Black Lives Matter movement has taken the world by storm and caused somewhat of a day of reckoning for racial injustice both past and present, the cause to remove Confederate flags and statues has expanded to the removal of monuments immortalizing all oppressive figures—so damn near all of the white “heroes” in America’s history.
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In Jackson’s case, the 7th U.S. president has long been the target of heavy criticism by Native American activists largely due to his signing of the Indian Removal Act, which forced many Indigenous communities off their land so it could be given to white settlers. Some tribes went peacefully but many—particularly the Cherokee tribes—resisted. Tens of thousands of Indigenous people were relocated and around 4,000 Cherokee died during the march that became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
So Jackson can come down just as easily as Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ statue was brought down by citizens in Richmond, Va., earlier this month. It’s the same reason Christopher Columbus statues across the country have been beheaded, pulled down and thrown in lakes recently. All oppressors can get it.
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Of course, y’all’s hater ass hater of a president wasn’t having the attack on Jackson and he responded to the incident in Lafayette Square—the same area where Bunker Boy had protesters teargassed and cleared so he could clutch a Bible for a photo-op—by sending threats through his stubby little Twitter fingers.
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“ Numerous people arrested in D.C. for the disgraceful vandalism, in Lafayette Park, of the magnificent Statue of Andrew Jackson, in addition to the exterior defacing of St. John’s Church across the street,” Trump wrote. “10 years in prison under the Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act. Beware!”
So the protesters are “disgraceful,” but slavers, colonizers and mass killers? Nah, it’s cool...build them a statue.


theroot--2020-06-23--#BlackAF Is Getting Blacker AF With Season 2 Renewal at Netflix

What ’ s Blacker than Black AF ?
I guess we ’ ll find out because Kenya Barris ’ Netflix comedy # BlackAF has been renewed for Season 2 .
In case you ’ ve been living under a rock with no social media connections , Netflix breaks down the show : From Kenya Barris , the Emmy nominated creator of black-ish , comes # blackAF .
Loosely inspired by Barris ’ irreverent , highly flawed , unbelievably honest approach to parenting , relationships , race , and culture , # blackAF flips the script on what we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be .
Pulling back the curtain , # blackAF uncovers the messy , unfiltered and often hilarious world of what it means to be a “ new money ” black family trying to get it right in a modern world where “ right ” is no longer a fixed concept .
The Netflix original series stars Barris as a fictionalized version of himself and Rashida Jones ( Angie Tribeca ) as his wife Joya .
Kenya and Joya ’ s children are played by Genneya Walton ( Xtant ) , Iman Benson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bright ) , Justin Claiborne ( Reverie ) , Ravi Cabot-Conyers ( The Resident ) and Richard Gardenhire Jr. # blackAF is executive produced by Barris , Jones , and Hale Rothstein .
The series debuted to mixed reviews , with most of the critiques zeroing in on its myopia and seemingly shallow peek into a wealthy Black family ( especially worthy of side-eye in a time when unemployment is rising and critique of Black capitalism is a trending conversation ) .
Additionally , there is general fatigue around projects centered around Blackness™ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge chunk of the debate focused on Rashida Jones ’ place on the supposed blackness meter .
The idea of measuring Blackness certainly isn ’ t new ( we ’ ve had the convo over and over in regards to things like playing spades or understanding references to quintessential black-ass movies like Coming to America or The Color Purple ) and it is an ongoing conversation so I see the allure of TV shows incorporating that .
But , as with everything , balance is key so , yes , we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black instead of EXISTING WHILE BLACK .
Since the show is pretty meta , I ’ m expecting Barris to address these types of critiques head-on in his character ’ s self-deprecating yet narcissistic way .
I personally think it ’ d be even more interesting for Barris to tackle an in-depth self-assessment on colorism .
Sure , he already addressed that to an extent on Black-ish , but this show is basically an extension of that show with more cursing , so he has the opportunity to dive deeper into this in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the primetime network show .
No word yet on the Season 2 premiere date , but we ’ ll keep you posted when we find out !

What’s Blacker than Black AF? I guess we’ll find out because Kenya Barris’ Netflix comedy #BlackAF has been renewed for Season 2.
In case you’ve been living under a rock with no social media connections, Netflix breaks down the show:
From Kenya Barris, the Emmy nominated creator of black-ish, comes #blackAF. Loosely inspired by Barris’ irreverent, highly flawed, unbelievably honest approach to parenting, relationships, race, and culture, #blackAF flips the script on what we’ve come to expect a family comedy series to be. Pulling back the curtain, #blackAF uncovers the messy, unfiltered and often hilarious world of what it means to be a “new money” black family trying to get it right in a modern world where “right” is no longer a fixed concept. The Netflix original series stars Barris as a fictionalized version of himself and Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca) as his wife Joya. Kenya and Joya’s children are played by Genneya Walton (Xtant), Iman Benson (Suits), Scarlet Spencer (Bright), Justin Claiborne (Reverie), Ravi Cabot-Conyers (The Resident) and Richard Gardenhire Jr. #blackAF is executive produced by Barris, Jones, and Hale Rothstein.
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The series debuted to mixed reviews, with most of the critiques zeroing in on its myopia and seemingly shallow peek into a wealthy Black family (especially worthy of side-eye in a time when unemployment is rising and critique of Black capitalism is a trending conversation). Additionally, there is general fatigue around projects centered around Blackness™, which is an interesting conversation since a huge chunk of the debate focused on Rashida Jones’ place on the supposed blackness meter. The idea of measuring Blackness certainly isn’t new (we’ve had the convo over and over in regards to things like playing spades or understanding references to quintessential black-ass movies like Coming to America or The Color Purple) and it is an ongoing conversation so I see the allure of TV shows incorporating that. But, as with everything, balance is key so, yes, we need more shows with characters just existing while Black instead of EXISTING WHILE BLACK.
Since the show is pretty meta, I’m expecting Barris to address these types of critiques head-on in his character’s self-deprecating yet narcissistic way. I personally think it’d be even more interesting for Barris to tackle an in-depth self-assessment on colorism. Sure, he already addressed that to an extent on Black-ish, but this show is basically an extension of that show with more cursing, so he has the opportunity to dive deeper into this in a way that he hasn’t on the primetime network show.
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No word yet on the Season 2 premiere date, but we’ll keep you posted when we find out!