theroot--2020-09-28--Disneyland Unveiled a Beautiful Mural Honoring Chadwick Boseman—Yes, We're Crying

It ’ s time to pass the Kleenex once again because we came across another heartwarming—and equally tear-inducing—tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman .
On Thursday , it was announced that Disneyland had unveiled a stunning mural honoring Boseman , which is currently located in Downtown Disney .
As Variety pointed out , the mural is titled “ King Chad ” and it features a child in a hospital gown giving the “ Wakanda Forever ” salute to Boseman as the Black Panther .
The child was a nod to the fact that Boseman visited children with cancer at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus while he privately battled colon cancer himself .
“ This one is special , ” mural artist Nikkolas Smith wrote in his Instagram caption , where he shared several images and video from the unveiling ceremony .
“ My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney .
It is a full-circle moment for me : my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children ’ s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus .
To millions of kids , T ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman .
I ’ m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick ’ s life and purpose in this way.
” In addition to the specific tribute honoring how Boseman took the time to bring joy to young cancer patients , the image also speaks to the vast impact he had on children across the world .
In this image , a little Black boy wearing the Black Panther mask is literally looking up to him .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being chosen to create such a major piece of work is a big deal for any artist and Smith was the perfect choice for this particular installation , as he has previously proven to evoke emotion through his work .
“ A lot of people will say they don ’ t know exactly how to process these moments because they ’ re so traumatic and they ’ re so heavy , ” Smith previously told The Root , when one of his previous pieces honoring Atatiana Jefferson ( who was shot and killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral .
“ When I post my art , they say ‘ OK .
That ’ s what I wanted to say or that ’ s what I was feeling .
But I didn ’ t know how to express it.
’ ” Disneyland ( as in , the main parks ) is still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic , but Downtown Disney ( the promenade ) is currently open to patrons .

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

It’s time to pass the Kleenex once again because we came across another heartwarming—and equally tear-inducing—tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman.
On Thursday, it was announced that Disneyland had unveiled a stunning mural honoring Boseman, which is currently located in Downtown Disney. As Variety pointed out, the mural is titled “King Chad” and it features a child in a hospital gown giving the “Wakanda Forever” salute to Boseman as the Black Panther. The child was a nod to the fact that Boseman visited children with cancer at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital campus while he privately battled colon cancer himself.
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“This one is special,” mural artist Nikkolas Smith wrote in his Instagram caption, where he shared several images and video from the unveiling ceremony. “My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney. It is a full-circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children’s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus. To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman. I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way.”
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In addition to the specific tribute honoring how Boseman took the time to bring joy to young cancer patients, the image also speaks to the vast impact he had on children across the world. In this image, a little Black boy wearing the Black Panther mask is literally looking up to him. It’s perfect.
Advertisement
Of course, being chosen to create such a major piece of work is a big deal for any artist and Smith was the perfect choice for this particular installation, as he has previously proven to evoke emotion through his work.
“A lot of people will say they don’t know exactly how to process these moments because they’re so traumatic and they’re so heavy,” Smith previously told The Root, when one of his previous pieces honoring Atatiana Jefferson (who was shot and killed by a Texas police officer) went viral. “When I post my art, they say ‘OK. That’s what I wanted to say or that’s what I was feeling. But I didn’t know how to express it.’”
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How to Look at Atatiana Jefferson Every Sunday for the last six years, artist Nikkolas Smith has taken out his iPad in his Los… Read more
Disneyland (as in, the main parks) is still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Downtown Disney (the promenade) is currently open to patrons.


theroot--2020-09-29--The Safe Negro Guide to Lovecraft Country: 'I Am.'

Welcome back to Lovecraft Country !
Wow !
Talk about the Afrofuture !
Talk about Black feminism !
Episode 7 , “ I Am.
” hit all of my academic erogenous zones and I can ’ t wait to dig into it with you .
First , I want to address a critique of Lovecraft Country I haven ’ t addressed in this space , which came up while I was discussing the show with my brother-in-law , fellow blerd Solanke Kerr .
He loves anime , prefers science fiction over horror , and describes himself as a “ basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what word he used ) .
Solanke critiqued the show for being “ overly complex in ways that can be overwhelming for folks who are unfamiliar with the lore [ and genre ] .
” He also lamented that , based on the first two episodes , he was expecting a particular type of show before it turned into something else entirely .
I understand the frustration .
Lovecraft Country takes on several horror series tropes , primarily the theme of the “ Monster of the Week , ” each of which ultimately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the defeat of the season ’ s ( or series ’ ) “ Big Bad.
” Lovecraft Country is creating a unique opportunity to explore different types of horror under the all-encompassing mythology of H.P .
Lovecraft , whose horror and weird fictions were so varied , he created his own subgenre of horror : Cosmic Horror .
As a result , Lovecraft Country not only showcases the complexity of the horror genre , but also carries on a long tradition of horror series , from 19thcentury Penny Dreadfuls to The Twilight Zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X-Files , and Supernatural .
I mean , Buffy had a musical episode , y ’ all .
The episodic ( get it ? )
nature of Lovecraft Country also mimics the structure of the novel on which it is based .
In the novel , we get to experience different aspects of Lovecraftian horror through the viewpoints of different characters such as Tic , Leti , Ruby , and Hippolyta .
Y ’ all don ’ t have to like Lovecraft Country , but I do want you to recognize that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-constructed with an overarching purpose .
They ain ’ t just doing this shit for fun .
Whew , I feel better now .
Professor mode : Deactivated .
This latest episode was Afrofuturism in its purest form , and not just because it featured futuristic Black folks in space .
Afrofuturism is a new name for ancient ideas from the Akan , Congolese , and Dogon peoples of Africa that have been remixed and revised by African Americans since the 19th century .
Most importantly , Afrofuturism is so much more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a theory of time which is not linear but conflated .
The past , present , and future coexist as one and time begins to take on a cyclical nature .
My academic research centers on the “ recovery project ” of Afrofuturism , which is not only a reweaving of a tapestry of the past but also an assessment of what we as a people should take with us into the future—because some shit needs to be left in the past ( sexism , homophobia , and colorism , to name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week ’ s episode use new information gleaned in the present to recover and rearrange their views of the past , starting with Ruby ’ s continued reckoning with William ’ s true identity as Christina ( revealed in Episode 5 ) .
Tic becomes the next to experience a revelation that changes the context of his past , as he confirms that his father is not only gay but actively in a relationship with Sammy , another man .
It ’ s more than homophobia that spurs Tic ’ s visceral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the realization that so little of the physical and emotional abuse he had endured from his father had anything to do with Tic himself .
Dr. Susana Morris , a literature professor at Georgia Tech , powerfully names what Montrose did to Tic as “ soul murder.
” Tic attempts to explain it as his past changes shape with the new information : “ He said he had to whup my ass so I wouldn ’ t be soft , ” he tells Leti .
“ The fucked up part is I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about me ... Wasn ’ t never about me.
” Again , we must take into account Montrose ’ s own trauma ( which I ’ m predicting we will see more of in Episode 9 ) , as he is passing along the generational curse of violence and abuse by his own father that defines his present inability to fully connect with Sammy .
“ Sammy has family .
Montrose has people .
There is an emotional difference.
” continues Dr. Morris , “ Sammy can and will go cry to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can Montrose cry to ?
” Montrose will have to do the hard work of reshaping his past if he has any hope of healing in the present and perhaps finding peace in the future .
But ultimately , this was Hippolyta ’ s episode , and I ( along with pretty much every Black female viewer I know ) was so here for it .
I ’ ve been telling my friends that this episode was full of Black WOMAN magic because there was a complexity ; a self-actualization that lay outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen through Hippolyta ’ s journey , this is a Black woman magic that highlights the cost of the compromises we make as Black women carrying the weight of a simultaneity of oppressions : race , genders , class , and sexualities .
And here , finally , we have the classic seeker character , a trope endlessly embodied by white men of all ages and/or young , lithe white women , now embodied in a middle-aged Black woman who simply proclaims : “ I got curious.
” Before we dive into Hippolyta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Wife , and the Discoverer , I want to highlight Hippolyta , the Genius .
Hippolyta ’ s mind is a sight to behold ; there is a beauty in seeing her maneuver the orrery , operating at a level of mathematical talent not seen in Black women on film since 2016 ’ s Hidden Figures .
It is her technical genius that allows her to become any woman she can imagine .
The first iteration of Hippolyta is as a captive in an intergalactic spaceship .
She is frantic as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as the goddess , Seraphina ( full name : Seraphina AKA Beyond C ’ est—a nod to Beyoncé as well as loosely meaning “ beyond this ” ) repeats : “ You are not in a prison.
” And yet she is ; Hippolyta is a prisoner in her own mind , bound in her lack of imagination , the strongest shackles of all .
She laughs maniacally as Seraphina repeats , “ Name yourself .
Where do you want to be ?
... Name it.
” and states her first dream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baker .
It ’ s a lark , an impossibility—and she is genuinely astounded to instantly find herself on stage in Paris of the 1920s .
What Hippolyta is beginning to recognize is that Seraphina has imparted to her the concept of nommo , or the power to use words to create your reality .
This is a classic concept of Afrofuturism , often demonstrated by the jazz musician Sun-Ra , who declared himself an alien from the future and lived his life as such—creating music , film , a dress code ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who he considered himself to be .
This is the power of the word .
This is the power of myth-making—and Sun-Ra ’ s words declaring such are heard as Hippolyta and George travel and explore space .
Nommo is also a classic Christian concept as God speaks the world into existence in Genesis .
The Holy Bible is referred to as The Word of God and Jesus Christ is referred to as The Word made flesh .
It is a god-like ability to create realities , to construct cosmologies—and for far too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen possessing this power have been white men—a truth Christina alludes to at the beginning of the episode .
Seraphina helps Hippolyta recover the history and the power of naming .
This is also where the recurring theme of “ create and destroy ” proves its importance .
For in the act of creation , one must inevitably destroy what was .
The next iteration of Hippolyta is as the American chorus girl in Paris who ultimately confesses to Josephine Baker , “ I hate me.
” “ We don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom , ” explains Stacey Robinson , a professor of graphic design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign .
“ [ W ] e can ’ t get to freedom until we work through ‘ I hate me ’ —which is the success of the white supremacist capitalist homophobic patriarchy.
” Hippolyta is wrestling with her history as she begins to shift who she thought she was .
“ All those years , I thought I had everything I ever wanted only to come here and discover all that I ever was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white folks wanted me to be , ” she admits to Baker .
Hippolyta recognizes that she must fight to become the person she wants to be ; fight white folks..and herself .
“ I am Hippolyta.
” This is the declaration that takes her to the Dahomey kingdom to become a student of the great warrior Nawi , the last of the Dahomean women warriors .
We begin by seeing Hippolyta in the fighting ring being beaten time and again by Nawi .
But like so many of these scenes , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but herself .
She is removing what is considered ladylike ; she is shattering the myth of the angry Black woman by reclaiming her rage .
And this is what separates Black girl magic from Black WOMAN magic : Black woman magic is powered by a rage built upon the righteous rage of our grandmothers , and their grandmothers , and reinforced by decades spent in this reality in a body that is both Black AND Woman .
It is in Hippolyta ’ s battle that we see that righteous rage conflate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the African continent massacre Confederate soldiers from another continent .
Dr. Morris reminds us that this scene is also a remix of Hippolyta , the Greek goddess and Queen of the Amazons ( she ’ s also Wonder Woman ’ s Mama ! )
, who continuously went through it with the men in her life , including Heracles ( Hercules ) .
Yet our Hippolyta takes her power back and manages to find peace with the man in her life , George .
“ I am Hippolyta .
George ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedroom where we first met the Freemans , in bed but with a deeper manifestation of intimacy than before .
This is now the scene of a woman baring her soul , holding both herself and her husband accountable for their mutual diminishment of the beauty that is her .
And he apologizes , “ I am so sorry .
I see now what that cost you.
” He corrects his mistake .
( This scene is also reminiscent of George ’ s scene with Montrose in the second episode where he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the destruction of someone he loves—that time at the hands of their father .
I am beginning to wonder if George ’ s characterization as a flawed but loving man who is able to admit to and apologize for his faults is the construct of manhood Tic is meant to be aiming towards . )
Professor Robinson , who studies and believes in the power of the Black nuclear family ( we fight over this all the time ) has a powerful reading of this scene : “ We don ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hippolyta offers George her hand when she declares… “ I am Hippolyta .
Discoverer.
” Hippolyta—and George , now her companion on her quest—becomes what her daughter , Dee , imagines her to be : Orithyia Blue , space adventurer .
It is important that Hippolyta names herself a discoverer , as one who simply travels and observes the worlds she visits , wholly different than the explorers/colonizers of history , “ Space is so often seen as a colonial project ” declares Professor Morris .
“ When do black women go into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tool of the colonizer ?
She represents herself.
” Hippolyta has recovered herself by not just exploring the past , but also her past .
She is able to change her present trajectory to expand the possibilities of the future .
This is the work Afrofuturism requires of us : a reckoning with ourselves as well as a reckoning with those who love or hate us .
This is the necessary work to walk into the Afrofuture healed and whole .
Glossary : a list of terms and descriptions to help you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dahomey Warriors - a military unit of the Dahomey Kingdom composed entirely of women formed in the 17th century .
Nawi , the soldier who trains Hippolyta , was the last known soldier of the unit and died in 1979 .
Bessie Stringfield - the first Black woman to ride a motorcycle across the U.S. by herself .
Hippolyta sees her riding on the way to the time machine as she is listening to Parisian love songs from the time period she will later visit to meet Josephine Baker .
Salon - a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectuals that would usually take place in the salon of the home .
Ideas would be debated , there was smoking of all sorts of substances , and love affairs were created and destroyed .
It was a popular French format for exchanging ideas but African Americans who traveled to and from Paris during the Harlem Renaissance would often re-create this meeting of the minds back in New York .
Hippolyta ’ s powerful scene with Josephine Baker takes place in the Salon , also attended by one of Baker ’ s lovers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Here ’ s to the girls like us who know when to create and when to destroy.
” Recommendations : If your interest is piqued and you would like to take a deeper dive , here are some media suggestions that will help you better understand the Lovecraftian universe and other themes in this episode .
The Dreams in the Witch House ( 1933 ) , HP Lovecraft Home Is Where the Hatred Is ( 1971 ) , Gil Scot-Heron

Kinitra D. Brooks on The Grapevine, shared by Kinitra D. Brooks to The Root

Welcome back to Lovecraft Country! Wow! Talk about the Afrofuture! Talk about Black feminism! Episode 7, “I Am.” hit all of my academic erogenous zones and I can’t wait to dig into it with you.
First, I want to address a critique of Lovecraft Country I haven’t addressed in this space, which came up while I was discussing the show with my brother-in-law, fellow blerd Solanke Kerr. He loves anime, prefers science fiction over horror, and describes himself as a “basic Negro” (y’all know what word he used). Solanke critiqued the show for being “overly complex in ways that can be overwhelming for folks who are unfamiliar with the lore [and genre].” He also lamented that, based on the first two episodes, he was expecting a particular type of show before it turned into something else entirely.
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“No, I’m not gonna let you play me crazy this round.” — Sammy to Montrose
I understand the frustration. Lovecraft Country takes on several horror series tropes, primarily the theme of the “Monster of the Week,” each of which ultimately fits into the larger mythology leading to the defeat of the season’s (or series’) “Big Bad.” Lovecraft Country is creating a unique opportunity to explore different types of horror under the all-encompassing mythology of H.P. Lovecraft, whose horror and weird fictions were so varied, he created his own subgenre of horror: Cosmic Horror. As a result, Lovecraft Country not only showcases the complexity of the horror genre, but also carries on a long tradition of horror series, from 19thcentury Penny Dreadfuls to The Twilight Zone, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, and Supernatural. I mean, Buffy had a musical episode, y’all.
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The episodic (get it?) nature of Lovecraft Country also mimics the structure of the novel on which it is based. In the novel, we get to experience different aspects of Lovecraftian horror through the viewpoints of different characters such as Tic, Leti, Ruby, and Hippolyta. Y’all don’t have to like Lovecraft Country, but I do want you to recognize that the series’ mythology is tightly woven and well-constructed with an overarching purpose. They ain’t just doing this shit for fun.
“I want to know everything.” — Ruby to Christina
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Whew, I feel better now. Professor mode: Deactivated. This latest episode was Afrofuturism in its purest form, and not just because it featured futuristic Black folks in space. Afrofuturism is a new name for ancient ideas from the Akan, Congolese, and Dogon peoples of Africa that have been remixed and revised by African Americans since the 19th century. Most importantly, Afrofuturism is so much more than Black folks in the future; it is a theory of time which is not linear but conflated. The past, present, and future coexist as one and time begins to take on a cyclical nature. My academic research centers on the “recovery project” of Afrofuturism, which is not only a reweaving of a tapestry of the past but also an assessment of what we as a people should take with us into the future—because some shit needs to be left in the past (sexism, homophobia, and colorism, to name a few).
“I cannot tell you what true freedom is. You have got to find that for yourself. But today, you are still too afraid to go looking.” — Nawi
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Multiple characters in this week’s episode use new information gleaned in the present to recover and rearrange their views of the past, starting with Ruby’s continued reckoning with William’s true identity as Christina (revealed in Episode 5). Tic becomes the next to experience a revelation that changes the context of his past, as he confirms that his father is not only gay but actively in a relationship with Sammy, another man. It’s more than homophobia that spurs Tic’s visceral reaction to this discovery; it’s the realization that so little of the physical and emotional abuse he had endured from his father had anything to do with Tic himself. Dr. Susana Morris, a literature professor at Georgia Tech, powerfully names what Montrose did to Tic as “soul murder.” Tic attempts to explain it as his past changes shape with the new information: “He said he had to whup my ass so I wouldn’t be soft,” he tells Leti. “The fucked up part is I told myself it was because he cared about me...Wasn’t never about me.”
“Being here has only shined the light on that old dead feeling.” — Hippolyta
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Again, we must take into account Montrose’s own trauma (which I’m predicting we will see more of in Episode 9), as he is passing along the generational curse of violence and abuse by his own father that defines his present inability to fully connect with Sammy. “Sammy has family. Montrose has people. There is an emotional difference.” continues Dr. Morris, “Sammy can and will go cry to his family of fellow queer folks. Who can Montrose cry to?” Montrose will have to do the hard work of reshaping his past if he has any hope of healing in the present and perhaps finding peace in the future.
But ultimately, this was Hippolyta’s episode, and I (along with pretty much every Black female viewer I know) was so here for it. I’ve been telling my friends that this episode was full of Black WOMAN magic because there was a complexity; a self-actualization that lay outside of the parameters of girlhood. As seen through Hippolyta’s journey, this is a Black woman magic that highlights the cost of the compromises we make as Black women carrying the weight of a simultaneity of oppressions: race, genders, class, and sexualities. And here, finally, we have the classic seeker character, a trope endlessly embodied by white men of all ages and/or young, lithe white women, now embodied in a middle-aged Black woman who simply proclaims: “I got curious.”
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“Now that I’m tasting it, freedom...I see what I was robbed of back then.” — Hippolyta
Before we dive into Hippolyta the Parisian showgirl, the Dahomean warrior, the Wife, and the Discoverer, I want to highlight Hippolyta, the Genius. Hippolyta’s mind is a sight to behold; there is a beauty in seeing her maneuver the orrery, operating at a level of mathematical talent not seen in Black women on film since 2016’s Hidden Figures. It is her technical genius that allows her to become any woman she can imagine.
Advertisement
The first iteration of Hippolyta is as a captive in an intergalactic spaceship. She is frantic as she is determined to get out, even as the goddess, Seraphina (full name: Seraphina AKA Beyond C’est—a nod to Beyoncé as well as loosely meaning “beyond this”) repeats: “You are not in a prison.” And yet she is; Hippolyta is a prisoner in her own mind, bound in her lack of imagination, the strongest shackles of all. She laughs maniacally as Seraphina repeats, “Name yourself. Where do you want to be?...Name it.” and states her first dream: to dance on stage with Josephine Baker. It’s a lark, an impossibility—and she is genuinely astounded to instantly find herself on stage in Paris of the 1920s.
“I’m not real. I’m just like you. You don’t exist in this society. If you did, your people wouldn’t be seeking equal rights. You’re not real...so we’re both myths...I come to you as the myth.” — Sun-Ra
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What Hippolyta is beginning to recognize is that Seraphina has imparted to her the concept of nommo, or the power to use words to create your reality. This is a classic concept of Afrofuturism, often demonstrated by the jazz musician Sun-Ra, who declared himself an alien from the future and lived his life as such—creating music, film, a dress code...his own reality from the declaration of who he considered himself to be. This is the power of the word. This is the power of myth-making—and Sun-Ra’s words declaring such are heard as Hippolyta and George travel and explore space.
Nommo is also a classic Christian concept as God speaks the world into existence in Genesis. The Holy Bible is referred to as The Word of God and Jesus Christ is referred to as The Word made flesh. It is a god-like ability to create realities, to construct cosmologies—and for far too long, the only humans we have seen possessing this power have been white men—a truth Christina alludes to at the beginning of the episode. Seraphina helps Hippolyta recover the history and the power of naming. This is also where the recurring theme of “create and destroy” proves its importance. For in the act of creation, one must inevitably destroy what was.
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“You’re not in America anymore. You’ve got to loosen up!” — Josephine Baker to Hippolyta
The next iteration of Hippolyta is as the American chorus girl in Paris who ultimately confesses to Josephine Baker, “I hate me.” “We don’t get to identify ourselves until we get to freedom,” explains Stacey Robinson, a professor of graphic design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “[W]e can’t get to freedom until we work through ‘I hate me’—which is the success of the white supremacist capitalist homophobic patriarchy.”
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Hippolyta is wrestling with her history as she begins to shift who she thought she was. “All those years, I thought I had everything I ever wanted only to come here and discover all that I ever was was the exact kind of Negro woman white folks wanted me to be,” she admits to Baker. Hippolyta recognizes that she must fight to become the person she wants to be; fight white folks..and herself.
“Now get the fuck up. And raise your sword.” — Nawi
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“I am Hippolyta.” This is the declaration that takes her to the Dahomey kingdom to become a student of the great warrior Nawi, the last of the Dahomean women warriors. We begin by seeing Hippolyta in the fighting ring being beaten time and again by Nawi. But like so many of these scenes, we recognize that Hippolyta is not fighting Nawi, but herself. She is removing what is considered ladylike; she is shattering the myth of the angry Black woman by reclaiming her rage. And this is what separates Black girl magic from Black WOMAN magic: Black woman magic is powered by a rage built upon the righteous rage of our grandmothers, and their grandmothers, and reinforced by decades spent in this reality in a body that is both Black AND Woman.
“I feel like they just found a smart way to lynch me without me noticing the noose.” — Hippolyta
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It is in Hippolyta’s battle that we see that righteous rage conflate time and space: 19th-century Dahomean warriors from the African continent massacre Confederate soldiers from another continent. Dr. Morris reminds us that this scene is also a remix of Hippolyta, the Greek goddess and Queen of the Amazons (she’s also Wonder Woman’s Mama!), who continuously went through it with the men in her life, including Heracles (Hercules). Yet our Hippolyta takes her power back and manages to find peace with the man in her life, George.
“I am Hippolyta. George’s wife,” returns us to the bedroom where we first met the Freemans, in bed but with a deeper manifestation of intimacy than before. This is now the scene of a woman baring her soul, holding both herself and her husband accountable for their mutual diminishment of the beauty that is her. And he apologizes, “I am so sorry. I see now what that cost you.” He corrects his mistake. (This scene is also reminiscent of George’s scene with Montrose in the second episode where he is made aware of his willful ignorance to the destruction of someone he loves—that time at the hands of their father. I am beginning to wonder if George’s characterization as a flawed but loving man who is able to admit to and apologize for his faults is the construct of manhood Tic is meant to be aiming towards.)
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“I see you now, Hippolyta Freeman. And I want you to be as big as you can be.” — George to Hippolyta
Professor Robinson, who studies and believes in the power of the Black nuclear family (we fight over this all the time) has a powerful reading of this scene: “We don’t get to the future without each other.” Hippolyta offers George her hand when she declares…
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“I am Hippolyta. Discoverer.” Hippolyta—and George, now her companion on her quest—becomes what her daughter, Dee, imagines her to be: Orithyia Blue, space adventurer. It is important that Hippolyta names herself a discoverer, as one who simply travels and observes the worlds she visits, wholly different than the explorers/colonizers of history, “Space is so often seen as a colonial project” declares Professor Morris. “When do black women go into space? And when are they not a tool of the colonizer? She represents herself.”
“Me, I feel like the stars in the black of space, magnificent, ancient, and already extinguished.” — Josephine Baker to Hippolyta
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Hippolyta has recovered herself by not just exploring the past, but also her past. She is able to change her present trajectory to expand the possibilities of the future. This is the work Afrofuturism requires of us: a reckoning with ourselves as well as a reckoning with those who love or hate us. This is the necessary work to walk into the Afrofuture healed and whole.
Glossary: a list of terms and descriptions to help you along your journey into Lovecraft Country.
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Dahomey Warriors - a military unit of the Dahomey Kingdom composed entirely of women formed in the 17th century. Nawi, the soldier who trains Hippolyta, was the last known soldier of the unit and died in 1979.
Bessie Stringfield - the first Black woman to ride a motorcycle across the U.S. by herself. Hippolyta sees her riding on the way to the time machine as she is listening to Parisian love songs from the time period she will later visit to meet Josephine Baker.
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Salon - a meeting or a gathering of artists and intellectuals that would usually take place in the salon of the home. Ideas would be debated, there was smoking of all sorts of substances, and love affairs were created and destroyed. It was a popular French format for exchanging ideas but African Americans who traveled to and from Paris during the Harlem Renaissance would often re-create this meeting of the minds back in New York. Hippolyta’s powerful scene with Josephine Baker takes place in the Salon, also attended by one of Baker’s lovers, Frida Kahlo who declares in French: “Here’s to the girls like us who know when to create and when to destroy.”
Recommendations: If your interest is piqued and you would like to take a deeper dive, here are some media suggestions that will help you better understand the Lovecraftian universe and other themes in this episode.
Advertisement
Film:
Zouzou (1934), Mark Allégret
Space is the Place (1974), John Coney
The Time Machine (2002), Simon Wells
Hidden Figures (2016), Theodore Melfi
Readings:
The Princess Steel (1905), W.E.B. Dubois
The Silver Key (1929), HP Lovecraft
The Dreams in the Witch House (1933), HP Lovecraft
Dawn (1987), Octavia Butler
The Time Machine (1895), HG Wells
The Book of Martha (2005), Octavia Butler
Rhythm Travel (1968), Amiri Baraka
Home Is Where the Hatred Is (1971), Gil Scot-Heron
Television:
Star Trek: Discovery (2017 - )
Doctor Who (2005 - )
Steven Universe (2013 - )
Reference:
Afrofuturism 2.0 & The Black Speculative Arts Movement: Notes on a Manifesto (2017), Reynaldo Anderson


theroot--2020-09-29--Brush The Plaque Away With a Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush, 15% Off

Brush your teeth with a Fairywi ll Sonic electric toothbrush .
Only $ 26 from a price drop , you @ @ @ @ @ 40,000 strokes per minute .
It ’ s soft bristle , so you won ’ @ @ @ @ @ has a smart timer , and five modes of brushing for a clean mouth .
@ @ @ @ @ ?

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

Fairywill Sonic Electric Toothbrush | $23 | Amazon | Clip coupon on site
Brush your teeth with a Fairywill Sonic electric toothbrush. Only $23 when you clip the $7 off coupon on Amazon , you can whiten your teeth with 40,000 strokes per minute. It’s soft bristle, so you won’t hurt your gums, has a smart timer, and five modes of brushing for a clean mouth. What are you waiting for?
This deal was originally posted by Ignacia in September 2020 and was updated by Elizabeth Lanier on 10/3/2020.


theroot--2020-09-29--Kamala-Con: Maya Rudolph Gushes About Finally Meeting Sen. Harris IRL

Comedian Maya Rudolph ’ s impersonation of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris was impressive enough to net her an Emmy last week , but Rudolph feels like there ’ s still room for improvement—particularly after meeting the potential veep in real life recently .
“ I got to meet her , and she is so fantastic .
She is so incredible , she is so energizing and I just feel so good to be associated with someone so positive , ” Rudolph told ET this week .
“ I just want to do her proud—just do a good job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala-con finally happened !
And judging from the sound of it , the meeting affirmed Rudolph ’ s admiration for the California senator , who became the first Black woman and the first South Asian to be nominated for national office by a major party this past August .
“ I definitely tried to make her fun because I do feel that when I see her .
You can tell she loves life and she is real and she is honest and she has no problem speaking her mind and being forthright about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important right now , ” said the actress and former SNL cast member .
“ But she is also so joyful and you see her dancing in the room and all this stuff , ” Rudolph continued .
“ She is just a great human , and I forgot what it felt like to see that and to see something so positive .
It feels so good to see her out there.
” It ’ s unclear when and how Rudolph and Harris met , though as Bustle notes , it had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In late August , Rudolph shared with Variety that she had yet to meet the vice presidential hopeful , whom she has been impersonating during guest stints on SNL for the last couple years .
Her impression of Harris has gotten so popular that , when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate , Rudolph ’ s name trended on Twitter along with Harris ’ s .
“ That ’ s spicy , ” she quipped at the time .
The Democratic senator has never said exactly what she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has shared a gif of the comedian playing her on the debate stage in 2019 .
The 46th season of SNL premieres on Oct. 3 , with Chris Rock scheduled to host and Megan Thee Stallion performing as the musical guest .
Rudolph teased that fans might see her bring back her “ fun aunt ” version of Harris back to the stage .
Though of course , if Rudolph had it her way , she ’ d play Harris for many years to come .
“ I am really hoping [ Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .

Anne Branigin on The Grapevine, shared by Anne Branigin to The Root

Comedian Maya Rudolph’s impersonation of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris was impressive enough to net her an Emmy last week, but Rudolph feels like there’s still room for improvement—particularly after meeting the potential veep in real life recently.
“I got to meet her, and she is so fantastic. She is so incredible, she is so energizing and I just feel so good to be associated with someone so positive,” Rudolph told ET this week. “I just want to do her proud—just do a good job, no pressure!”
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Yes, Kamala-con finally happened! And judging from the sound of it, the meeting affirmed Rudolph’s admiration for the California senator, who became the first Black woman and the first South Asian to be nominated for national office by a major party this past August.
“I definitely tried to make her fun because I do feel that when I see her. You can tell she loves life and she is real and she is honest and she has no problem speaking her mind and being forthright about it, which I think is so important right now,” said the actress and former SNL cast member.
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“But she is also so joyful and you see her dancing in the room and all this stuff,” Rudolph continued. “She is just a great human, and I forgot what it felt like to see that and to see something so positive. It feels so good to see her out there.”
It’s unclear when and how Rudolph and Harris met, though as Bustle notes, it had to have been in the last month. In late August, Rudolph shared with Variety that she had yet to meet the vice presidential hopeful, whom she has been impersonating during guest stints on SNL for the last couple years. Her impression of Harris has gotten so popular that, when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate, Rudolph’s name trended on Twitter along with Harris’s.
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“That’s spicy,” she quipped at the time.
The Democratic senator has never said exactly what she thinks of Rudolph’s impersonation but has shared a gif of the comedian playing her on the debate stage in 2019.
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The 46th season of SNL premieres on Oct. 3, with Chris Rock scheduled to host and Megan Thee Stallion performing as the musical guest. Rudolph teased that fans might see her bring back her “fun aunt” version of Harris back to the stage. Though of course, if Rudolph had it her way, she’d play Harris for many years to come.
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“I am really hoping [Harris] is around for a long time,” she said.


theroot--2020-09-29--Kobe Bryant Crash Prompts New California Law Aimed at First Responders

On Monday , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom ( D ) approved a bill that makes it illegal for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of deceased people at crime and accident scenes .
The bill was prompted by the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna , and seven others .
Shortly after the Jan. 26 crash , reports emerged that some of the first responders had taken graphic photos of the crash scene and were sharing them , according to the Associated Press .
At the time , Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva said eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing the photos and that he ordered the photos to be deleted .
He added that while the department had policies against unauthorized crime scene photos , there was not one in place for accident scenes .
In response to the incident , a ssemblyman Mike Gipson introduced AB 2655 earlier this year .
Gipson sent out a tweet celebrating the bill ’ s passage , calling it “ The Kobe Bryant Act of 2020.
” Vanessa Bryant , Bryant ’ s widow , filed a lawsuit against Villanueva and the Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month for sharing the pictures .
At the time of the crash , the family was gathered at the sheriff ’ s office and assured the crash site was locked down , according to CNN .
“ The biggest threat to the sanctity of the victims ’ remains proved to be the Sheriff ’ s department itself , ” as eight deputies “ pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children , parents , and coaches .
The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which makes taking such photos a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $ 1,000 , goes into effect on Jan. 1 .

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) approved a bill that makes it illegal for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of deceased people at crime and accident scenes. The bill was prompted by the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others.
Shortly after the Jan. 26 crash, reports emerged that some of the first responders had taken graphic photos of the crash scene and were sharing them, according to the Associated Press. At the time, Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva said eight deputies were accused of either taking or sharing the photos and that he ordered the photos to be deleted. He added that while the department had policies against unauthorized crime scene photos, there was not one in place for accident scenes.
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In response to the incident, a ssemblyman Mike Gipson introduced AB 2655 earlier this year. Gipson sent out a tweet celebrating the bill’s passage, calling it “The Kobe Bryant Act of 2020.”
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Vanessa Bryant, Bryant’s widow, filed a lawsuit against Villanueva and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s county earlier this month for sharing the pictures. At the time of the crash, the family was gathered at the sheriff’s office and assured the crash site was locked down, according to CNN.
“The biggest threat to the sanctity of the victims’ remains proved to be the Sheriff’s department itself,” as eight deputies “pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches. The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification,” the lawsuit states.
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The law, which makes taking such photos a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, goes into effect on Jan. 1.


theroot--2020-09-29--Pittsburgh Medical Students Rewrite Hippocratic Oath to Recognize Systemic Racism, COVID-19 and Poli

Pittsburgh Medical Students Rewrite Hippocratic Oath to Recognize Systemic Racism, COVID-19 and Police Violence

We ’ ve all heard the calls to declare racism a public health crisis .
Well , a group of medical students in Pittsburgh , Pa. , have taken things a step further and rewritten the Hippocratic Oath to include acknowledgments of racism , the pandemic and victims of police violence and racial violence .
CNN reports that the group of c lass of 2024 students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine were urged to write their own oath revising the original Hippocratic Oath which was “ written in 5th century BC , making it one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California .
The symbolic white coat ceremony marks the beginning of an academic journey for students in medical programs across the country — it ’ s a time when students accept their white medical coats and recite an oath vowing to be fair and ethical as they begin their medical education .
As part of their orientation , first-year medical students were challenged by Chenits Pettigrew , the medical school ’ s associate dean for Diversity , Equity , and Inclusion and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a new class oath that acknowledged “ their ever-evolving responsibilities as physicians , ” Patrick McMahon , executive director of Communications at Pitt told CNN .
You can read the full oath here , but it ’ s petty long so I ’ ll just give you the highlights .
“ As the entering class of 2020 , we start our medical journey amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and a national civil rights movement reinvigorated by the killings of Breonna Taylor , George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery , ” the students ’ oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives lost to COVID-19 , despite the sacrifices of health care workers .
“ We recognize the fundamental failings of our health care and political systems in serving vulnerable communities .
This oath is the first step in our enduring commitment to repairing the injustices against those historically ignored and abused in medicine : Black patients , Indigenous patients , Patients of Color and all marginalized populations who have received substandard care as a result of their identity and limited resources.
” And here are a few pledges included in their oath that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original : I will champion diversity in both medicine and society , and promote an inclusive environment by respecting the perspectives of others and relentlessly seeking to identify and eliminate my personal biases .
I will be an ally to those of low socioeconomic status , the BIPOC community , the LGBTQIA+ community , womxn/women , differently-abled individuals and other underserved groups in order to dismantle the systemic racism and prejudice that medical professionals and society have perpetuated .
I will educate myself on social determinants of health in order to use my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more equitable health care system from the local to the global level .
Tito Onyekweli , one of 12 students on the oath writing committee , told CNN he and his fellow students “ saw our oath as an opportunity to specifically call out certain groups of individuals and say , hey we know you ’ ve been left out ; we know that it is because of us and our health care system and we want to remedy that.
” “ You have doctors who don ’ t really prioritize communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A lot of that isn ’ t on doctors , it ’ s on the health care system at large , but doctors have a very important role to play .
How are we going to shape our education so that we ’ re better prepared to serve the communities in need ?
” Report after report after report shows how racial biases affect the way physicians care for Black patients ( especially Black women ) .
It warms the heart to know that there are future doctors who are ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the better .
To the c lass of 2024 students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , we salute you .

We’ve all heard the calls to declare racism a public health crisis. Well, a group of medical students in Pittsburgh, Pa., have taken things a step further and rewritten the Hippocratic Oath to include acknowledgments of racism, the pandemic and victims of police violence and racial violence.
CNN reports that the group of c lass of 2024 students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine were urged to write their own oath revising the original Hippocratic Oath which was “written in 5th century BC, making it one of the oldest documents in history,” according to the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California.
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From CNN:
The symbolic white coat ceremony marks the beginning of an academic journey for students in medical programs across the country — it’s a time when students accept their white medical coats and recite an oath vowing to be fair and ethical as they begin their medical education. As part of their orientation, first-year medical students were challenged by Chenits Pettigrew, the medical school’s associate dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and assistant dean for Student Affairs, to create a new class oath that acknowledged “their ever-evolving responsibilities as physicians,” Patrick McMahon, executive director of Communications at Pitt told CNN.
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You can read the full oath here, but it’s petty long so I’ll just give you the highlights.
“As the entering class of 2020, we start our medical journey amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and a national civil rights movement reinvigorated by the killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery,” the students’ oath begins. “We honor the 700,000+ lives lost to COVID-19, despite the sacrifices of health care workers.
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“We recognize the fundamental failings of our health care and political systems in serving vulnerable communities. This oath is the first step in our enduring commitment to repairing the injustices against those historically ignored and abused in medicine: Black patients, Indigenous patients, Patients of Color and all marginalized populations who have received substandard care as a result of their identity and limited resources.”
And here are a few pledges included in their oath that you won’t find in the original:
I will champion diversity in both medicine and society, and promote an inclusive environment by respecting the perspectives of others and relentlessly seeking to identify and eliminate my personal biases. I will be an ally to those of low socioeconomic status, the BIPOC community, the LGBTQIA+ community, womxn/women, differently-abled individuals and other underserved groups in order to dismantle the systemic racism and prejudice that medical professionals and society have perpetuated. I will educate myself on social determinants of health in order to use my voice as a physician to advocate for a more equitable health care system from the local to the global level.
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Tito Onyekweli, one of 12 students on the oath writing committee, told CNN he and his fellow students “saw our oath as an opportunity to specifically call out certain groups of individuals and say, hey we know you’ve been left out; we know that it is because of us and our health care system and we want to remedy that.”
“You have doctors who don’t really prioritize communities of color,” Onyekweli continued. “A lot of that isn’t on doctors, it’s on the health care system at large, but doctors have a very important role to play. How are we going to shape our education so that we’re better prepared to serve the communities in need?”
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Report after report after report shows how racial biases affect the way physicians care for Black patients (especially Black women). It warms the heart to know that there are future doctors who are ready to tackle the issue head-on and change things for the better.
To the c lass of 2024 students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, we salute you.


theroot--2020-09-29--Nourish Your Skin With the Best Toners Beauty Gurus Won’t Stop Raving About

Once you ’ ve got your skin good and clean from your chosen makeup remover it ’ s now time to deep clean and shrink those pores before you move onto whatever you have next in your fresh-faced routine .
Controlling oil , calming acne , brightening , returning the balance—whatever your concerns , there ’ s a toner for you , and I ’ m going to help you find it with the help of experts .
When I polled my makeup pals about their favorite toners , not one of them failed to mention this : Thayers Original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or at one point was their go-to .
And well Thayers must be doing something right since they ’ ve been around since 1847 .
So many people seem to like this toner and there ’ s a few good reasons for that .
Not only is it great for all types of skin , it ’ s a nice refresher that reduces redness if you ’ re having a breakout .
And because it has more tannins than any other product on the market , it never dries out your skin .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your back ( and your face ) .
Ole Henriksen oil control toner is my go-to currently .
I have an oily forehead and in the summer it ’ s working overtime .
I use this and the cleanser every morning and I ’ ve absolutely seen a difference in both the size of my pores as well as the smoothness and grease-lessness of my forehead and nose .
To me , the aroma is fresh , producing a eucalyptus scent you ’ ll definitely pick up on .
With Ole Henriksen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dried my skin out and I ’ m usually left with a very tingly clean sensation .
Aromatica is one of my favorite companies .
I had their Sea Daffodil toner on my nightstand for ages and still recommend it whenever you can buy it .
That ’ s the only downside to loving a Korean Beauty company , availability .
If you suffer from skin prone to breakouts or redness I couldn ’ t recommend this enough .
Aromatica ’ s tea tree balancing toner is formulated to soothe any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin that ’ s going through some hard times like even a sunburn .
Remember : Tea tree oil has been used as a natural remedy for decades and that ’ s what ’ s going on here .
Banish blemishes , brighten , and tighten .
This product was also a Clean Beauty Awards finalist this year .
Speaking of clean beauty , Saturday Skin is a company very conscious of that .
Most beauty companies now are trying to be better about recyclable packaging and making their products without harmful ingredients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That means Saturday Skin ’ s pore clarifying toner is a certified vegan item .
But what also sets it apart is the 10 % of glycolic acid that exfoliates and makes your pores microscopic , no matter your skin type or texture .
If you want to go as close to poreless as possible , look no further than this .
Rejuvenation , thy name is Snow Fox .
While I haven ’ t used this particular product I have used a few of their sheet masks before and it helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jawline .
If your end game is more youthful skin for a renewed glow consider Snow Fox ’ s Herbal Youth .
This lotus tonic gives your face a daily dose of glycolipids that help restore the skin , plumping it up and rebalancing it in order to turn back the clock just a bit .

Sheilah Villari on The Inventory, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

Top Product: Thayers Original Witch Hazel Facial Toner | $9 | Amazon
Once you’ve got your skin good and clean from your chosen makeup remover, it’s now time to deep clean and shrink those pores before you move onto whatever you have next in your fresh-faced routine. Controlling oil, calming acne, brightening, returning the balance—whatever your concerns, there’s a toner for you, and I’m going to help you find it with the help of experts.
When I polled my makeup pals about their favorite toners, not one of them failed to mention this: Thayers Original Witch Hazel facial toner was their go-to or, at one point, was their go-to. And well, Thayers must be doing something right since they’ve been around since 1847. So many people seem to like this toner, and there’s a few good reasons for that. Not only is it great for all types of skin, but it’s also a nice refresher that reduces redness if you’re having a breakout. And because it has more tannins than any other product on the market, it never dries out your skin. Any time, anywhere, Thayers has your back (and your face).
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Ole Henriksen oil control toner is my go-to currently. I have an oily forehead, and in the summer, it’s working overtime. I use this and the cleanser every morning, and I’ve absolutely seen a difference in both the size of my pores and the smoothness and grease-lessness of my forehead and nose. To me, the aroma is fresh, producing a eucalyptus scent you’ll definitely pick up on. With Ole Henriksen, I’ve never felt like it’s dried my skin out, and I’m usually left with a very tingly clean sensation.
Advertisement
Aromatica is one of my favorite companies. I had their Sea Daffodil toner on my nightstand for ages and still recommend it whenever you can buy it. That’s the only downside to loving a Korean Beauty company, availability. If you suffer from skin prone to breakouts or redness, I couldn’t recommend this enough. Aromatica’s tea tree balancing toner is formulated to soothe any redness or irritation. It helps repair skin that’s going through some hard times, like even a sunburn. Remember: Tea tree oil has been used as a natural remedy for decades, and that’s what’s going on here. Banish blemishes, brighten, and tighten. This product was also a Clean Beauty Awards finalist this year.
Advertisement
Speaking of clean beauty, Saturday Skin is a company very conscious of that. Most beauty companies now are trying to be better about recyclable packaging and making their products without harmful ingredients, sulfates, parabens, and the like. That means Saturday Skin’s pore clarifying toner is a certified vegan item. But what also sets it apart is the 10% of glycolic acid that exfoliates and makes your pores microscopic, no matter your skin type or texture. If you want to go as close to poreless as possible, look no further than this.
Advertisement
Rejuvenation, thy name is Snow Fox. While I haven’t used this particular product, I have used a few of their sheet masks before, and it helped with an awful breakout along my jawline. If your end game is more youthful skin for a renewed glow, consider Snow Fox’s Herbal Youth. This lotus tonic gives your face a daily dose of glycolipids that help restore the skin, plumping it up and rebalancing it to turn back the clock just a bit.
Advertisement
I just moved into a new apartment and the water is a bit harsher than I’m used to. My poor face has been drying out a little too much after showers or washing off my makeup. I’ve been using Mediheal’s Baobab Soothing Moisture Toner and already see a difference. It has almost a creaminess to it that really locks in all the good hydrations I’m putting back in. For the size of the bottle, you don’t need much either so it’ll definitely last you . I’m telling you K-Beauty knows faces and mine feels so refreshed after using this.


theroot--2020-09-29--Georgia Cop Pleads Guilty to Using Unneccessary Force on Black Man During Traffic Stop

A former Atlanta area cop is forbidden from working in law enforcement again after pleading guilty to using unnecessary force on a Black man during a 2017 traffic stop .
ABC News reports that former officer David Rose surrendered his law enforcement certification as a part of the plea deal he struck with the district attorney .
His sentence also requires him to complete a year of probation , 40 hours of community service and an anger- management class .
An indictment by a grand jury also charged Rose with violating the oath of a public officer , false official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the plea deal dismissed these charges .
“ Through his revealing words and actions , David Rose tarnished the badge that represents all the honorable and brave men and women who serve in law enforcement , ” Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said in a statement Monday .
“ I am satisfied that he has been held accountable for his actions against Desmond Marrow.
” Rose , a white man , was fired after an investigation by the Henry County Police Department revealed he used unnecessary force while arresting Desmond Marrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows Rose placing his hand on Marrow ’ s throat for several seconds while Marrow tells him he can ’ t breathe .
When announcing Rose ’ s firing in 2018 , Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman revealed that audio recorded by the cameras in Rose ’ s police cruiser caught him admitting to choking Marrow but saying he wouldn ’ t put that information in his official report .
Rose was responding to a call that alleged Marrow and another motorist were aggressively driving in the parking lot of a Target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long clip of the arrest shows the officers sweeping Marrow ’ s legs and forcefully slamming him to the ground , even though he was handcuffed and wasn ’ t resisting .
As he ’ s taken to the ground Marrow can be heard saying “ I ’ m not even fighting back.
” Rose then places his hand on Marrow ’ s throat while he ’ s handcuffed on the ground .
Andrea Boyd , Marrow ’ s attorney , said her client lost consciousness during the incident .
Marrow was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer .
The terroristic threats charge was thrown out by a magistrate judge and the district attorney dismissed the felony obstruction charge .
Marrow ’ s legal team was satisfied with the result of the case ; they particularly praised the decision to revoke Rose ’ s law enforcement certification .
They are now calling on county officials to reach a settlement with Marrow .
Marrow was a former player for the University of Toledo football team and had a brief stint with the Houston Texans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During a virtual news conference with his legal team , he said the incident had an effect on his marriage and his business .
He added that he ’ s still thankful because , unlike George Floyd , he was able to go home to his kids .
“ I learned to just not take those things for granted , ” he said .

A former Atlanta area cop is forbidden from working in law enforcement again after pleading guilty to using unnecessary force on a Black man during a 2017 traffic stop.
ABC News reports that former officer David Rose surrendered his law enforcement certification as a part of the plea deal he struck with the district attorney. His sentence also requires him to complete a year of probation, 40 hours of community service and an anger- management class. An indictment by a grand jury also charged Rose with violating the oath of a public officer, false official writings and making a false statement, though the plea deal dismissed these charges.
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“Through his revealing words and actions, David Rose tarnished the badge that represents all the honorable and brave men and women who serve in law enforcement,” Henry County District Attorney Darius Pattillo said in a statement Monday. “I am satisfied that he has been held accountable for his actions against Desmond Marrow.”
Rose, a white man, was fired after an investigation by the Henry County Police Department revealed he used unnecessary force while arresting Desmond Marrow on Dec. 2, 2017. Video shows Rose placing his hand on Marrow’s throat for several seconds while Marrow tells him he can’t breathe.
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When announcing Rose’s firing in 2018, Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman revealed that audio recorded by the cameras in Rose’s police cruiser caught him admitting to choking Marrow but saying he wouldn’t put that information in his official report.
Rose was responding to a call that alleged Marrow and another motorist were aggressively driving in the parking lot of a Target located in McDonough, Ga. A minute long clip of the arrest shows the officers sweeping Marrow’s legs and forcefully slamming him to the ground, even though he was handcuffed and wasn’t resisting. As he’s taken to the ground Marrow can be heard saying “I’m not even fighting back.” Rose then places his hand on Marrow’s throat while he’s handcuffed on the ground.
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Andrea Boyd, Marrow’s attorney, said her client lost consciousness during the incident.
Marrow was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats and felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer. The terroristic threats charge was thrown out by a magistrate judge and the district attorney dismissed the felony obstruction charge.
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Marrow’s legal team was satisfied with the result of the case; they particularly praised the decision to revoke Rose’s law enforcement certification. They are now calling on county officials to reach a settlement with Marrow.
Marrow was a former player for the University of Toledo football team and had a brief stint with the Houston Texans in 2012 before being cut in the preseason. During a virtual news conference with his legal team, he said the incident had an effect on his marriage and his business. He added that he’s still thankful because, unlike George Floyd, he was able to go home to his kids.
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“I learned to just not take those things for granted,” he said.


theroot--2020-09-29--Can You Feel the Love in the Moonlight? Barry Jenkins Is Directing The Lion King Reboot Sequel

You know that shadowy place Mufasa was telling Simba about in The Lion King ?
That ’ s where 2020 dwells .
This year has provided non-stop surprises and most of them have been bad ( and downright devastating ) , but miracles happen every day .
With this latest news , I was pleasantly surprised .
What is the news ?
According to Deadline , Barry Jenkins is directing the sequel to The Lion King 2019 reboot .
Now , I wasn ’ t exactly enthused about what has been dubbed the “ live-action ” ( or is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite Disney animated film and chalked it up to a sheer nostalgia grab , but when you say the name , “ Barry Jenkins , ” ... well , you have my attention .
“ Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’ 90s , I grew up with these characters , ” Jenkins said in a statement .
“ Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship , love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” So , what do we know about this film ?
Deadline ’ s Mike Fleming Jr. reports : The film will continue with the photo-realistic technology that director Jon Favreau used in the 2019 film and 2016 ’ s The Jungle Book .
There is no release date set for The Lion King follow-up or for the production start , but it is understandably a top priority for Sean Bailey ’ s division after the last film grossed $ 1.6 billion worldwide .
They are keeping the logline under wraps , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will further explore the mythology of the characters , including Mufasa ’ s origin story .
Moving the story forward while looking back conjures memories of The Godfather : Part II , set on the African plain with a continuation of the tradition of music that was a key part of the 1994 animated classic , the 2019 film and the blockbuster Broadway stage transfer .
Because we ’ re an imaginative bunch at The Root , we didn ’ t look at any loglines or any mysterious source-based predictive synopsis before our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lion King would look like .
Would it include one of his patented character closeups of a majestic lion set to a somber yet romantic Nicholas Britell score ?
Will it feature the fabulous song “ Not One Of Us ” ( it has to , y ’ all saw that zebra singing “ disgraaaaaace ” for its life ) ?
We do know that it ’ ll be pretty melancholy .
In fact , Very Smart Brothas Senior Editor Panama Jackson dubbed the sequel , The Lion King 2 : More Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moonlight .
It ’ ll be arthouse as fuck , too .
This will be following another Disney film related to The Lion King , Black Is King , and Beyoncé voiced Nala , so there you go .
The great circle of life .
“ I feel like the whole shit will be filmed in one of those sepia-toned IG filters , with logs of sluggish lions searching for purpose ... like no bullshit , I could see a West Side Story version of The Lion King happening .
Like , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the soundtrack ?
My God .
Frank Ocean might do the whole thing , instead of “ Pyramids , ” it ’ s “ Pride Rocks , ” Panama Jackson said .
Staff writer Anne Branigin proposes the film be drawn in the style of Marco The Artist ’ s Pridelands series .
You ’ ve seen them before—the bad bitch Disney art ?
That .
After a collective implosion from The Root Slack , staff writer Joe Jurado said the art looked like “ pitch document for Tyler Perry Presents : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ titled the hypothetical Tyler film , Roar .
How did we get here ?
Nobody ’ s supposed to be here !
Back to Barry Jenkins… Jenkins is set for another film with Disney—an Alvin Ailey biopic .
In addition to that he , André Holland and Steven Soderbergh are reviving Cinemax ’ s The Knick .
The man is busy .
The director king has returned !

You know that shadowy place Mufasa was telling Simba about in The Lion King? That’s where 2020 dwells.
This year has provided non-stop surprises and most of them have been bad (and downright devastating), but miracles happen every day. With this latest news, I was pleasantly surprised. What is the news? According to Deadline, Barry Jenkins is directing the sequel to The Lion King 2019 reboot.
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Wow.
Now, I wasn’t exactly enthused about what has been dubbed the “live-action” (or is it???) reboot of my favorite Disney animated film and chalked it up to a sheer nostalgia grab, but when you say the name, “Barry Jenkins,” ...well, you have my attention.
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“Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters,” Jenkins said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true.”
So, what do we know about this film? Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. reports:
The film will continue with the photo-realistic technology that director Jon Favreau used in the 2019 film and 2016’s The Jungle Book. There is no release date set for The Lion King follow-up or for the production start, but it is understandably a top priority for Sean Bailey’s division after the last film grossed $1.6 billion worldwide. They are keeping the logline under wraps, but I’m told that the story will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story. Moving the story forward while looking back conjures memories of The Godfather: Part II, set on the African plain with a continuation of the tradition of music that was a key part of the 1994 animated classic, the 2019 film and the blockbuster Broadway stage transfer.
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Because we’re an imaginative bunch at The Root, we didn’t look at any loglines or any mysterious source-based predictive synopsis before our minds went wild on what a Jenkins-helmed Lion King would look like. Would it include one of his patented character closeups of a majestic lion set to a somber yet romantic Nicholas Britell score? Will it feature the fabulous song “Not One Of Us” (it has to, y’all saw that zebra singing “disgraaaaaace” for its life)?
We do know that it’ll be pretty melancholy. In fact, Very Smart Brothas Senior Editor Panama Jackson dubbed the sequel, The Lion King 2: More Medicine for More Melancholy on Beale Street by Moonlight.
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It’ll be arthouse as fuck, too. This will be following another Disney film related to The Lion King, Black Is King, and Beyoncé voiced Nala, so there you go. The great circle of life.
“I feel like the whole shit will be filmed in one of those sepia-toned IG filters, with logs of sluggish lions searching for purpose...like no bullshit, I could see a West Side Story version of The Lion King happening. Like, what if he’s in control of the soundtrack? My God. Frank Ocean might do the whole thing, instead of “Pyramids,” it’s “Pride Rocks, ” Panama Jackson said.
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Staff writer Anne Branigin proposes the film be drawn in the style of Marco The Artist’s Pridelands series. You’ve seen them before—the bad bitch Disney art? That.
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After a collective implosion from The Root Slack, staff writer Joe Jurado said the art looked like “pitch document for Tyler Perry Presents: The Lion King,” to which Panama titled the hypothetical Tyler film, Roar.
How did we get here? Nobody’s supposed to be here! Back to Barry Jenkins…
Jenkins is set for another film with Disney—an Alvin Ailey biopic. In addition to that he, André Holland and Steven Soderbergh are reviving Cinemax’s The Knick. The man is busy. The director king has returned!


theroot--2020-09-29--Republicans' Terrifying Crusade Against Ilhan Omar Is Getting Even More Dangerous

On Sunday evening , the discredited rightwing provocateurs of Project Veritas released what they touted as a bombshell investigation : Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar , the group claimed , had spearheaded what the group described as a voter fraud scheme , one in which she had engaged in “ illegal ballot harvesting.
” This accusation was based on a lie—collecting and turning in people ’ s ballots was perfectly legal at the time—and ludicrous ; Omar is hugely popular in her district and coasted to victory in her primary .
But these facts are beside the point .
Their goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet another manufactured controversy , one based on deliberate lies and unverified “ proof ” submitted by unnamed people .
I suspect Project Veritas chose Omar , in part , because they knew targeting her would go viral .
“ It ’ s almost time to break the internet , ” Project Veritas crowed in a tweet .
And “ break the internet ” it did , or at least the rightwing internet , with everyone from the president himself to Don Jr. to Sean Hannity screaming for Omar to be investigated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda has spread , an edited video of Project Veritas ’ s “ investigation ” posted to the group ’ s Twitter account racked up more than four million views in less than a day .
It ’ s easy to see why this particular lie made people , primed for years by the far-fight to believe these sorts of accusations , practically froth at the mouth .
The Project Veritas story combined many of the right ’ s favorite imaginary villains into one convenient package—the largely nonexistent threat of voter fraud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racist threats from those who see an unabashedly leftist Black woman in a hijab as the embodiment of the America they don ’ t want .
Since she won her race for Congress , Omar has had a target put on her back .
Last year , one of Omar ’ s Republican challengers was banned from Twitter after she called for Omar to be hanged for treason .
Donald Trump has used his bully pulpit to fan the flames of violence against Omar—after he tweeted out a misleadingly edited video of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same month that a man in New York was arrested after he threatened to murder Omar , the number of death threats she received shot up .
At the beginning of September , Congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene burnished her brand by posting an image of her holding an assault rifle , superimposed over the photos of Omar as well as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib .
Calling for violence against Omar has become an easy way for Republicans to signal who they are and what they stand for , a sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normalized .
The danger of Project Veritas ’ s campaign targeting Omar is obvious .
It ’ s even more dangerous now , in a time when the violent fantasies of the right are turning into real acts of violence .
As Slate ’ s Christina Cauterucci put it recently , the rightwing glee over “ owning the libs ” is morphing into full-throated support of “ killing the libs.
” There ’ s no better example of the latter than the praise heaped upon Kyle Rittenhouse , the teenager who shot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-police brutality protest in Wisconsin this summer and has now become a martyr for those who see themselves as part of a heroic battle in defense of white America .
“ This applause for the killing of the right ’ s political nemeses is everywhere these days , popping up wherever the GOP can be found , ” Cauterucci noted .
“ The quiet part , ” she wrote , “ is just getting louder.
” It ’ s no exaggeration to say that Project Veritas and all of the rightwing goons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest smear campaign are willfully and deliberately putting Omar ’ s life at risk .
The endless pantomiming of violence , after all , has a built-in , unstated hope—that eventually , someone will take them up on their suggestion .

Esther Wang on The Slot, shared by Genetta M. Adams to The Root

On Sunday evening, the discredited rightwing provocateurs of Project Veritas released what they touted as a bombshell investigation: Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, the group claimed, had spearheaded what the group described as a voter fraud scheme, one in which she had engaged in “illegal ballot harvesting.” This accusation was based on a lie—collecting and turning in people’s ballots was perfectly legal at the time—and ludicrous; Omar is hugely popular in her district and coasted to victory in her primary. But these facts are beside the point. Their goal, as always, was to generate yet another manufactured controversy, one based on deliberate lies and unverified “proof” submitted by unnamed people. I suspect Project Veritas chose Omar, in part, because they knew targeting her would go viral. “It’s almost time to break the internet,” Project Veritas crowed in a tweet.
And “break the internet” it did, or at least the rightwing internet, with everyone from the president himself to Don Jr. to Sean Hannity screaming for Omar to be investigated. In a sign of how widely the propaganda has spread, an edited video of Project Veritas’s “investigation” posted to the group’s Twitter account racked up more than four million views in less than a day.
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It’s easy to see why this particular lie made people, primed for years by the far-fight to believe these sorts of accusations, practically froth at the mouth. The Project Veritas story combined many of the right’s favorite imaginary villains into one convenient package—the largely nonexistent threat of voter fraud and Omar, who has been the target of racist threats from those who see an unabashedly leftist Black woman in a hijab as the embodiment of the America they don’t want.
Calling for violence against Omar has become an easy way for Republicans to signal who they are and what they stand for
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Since she won her race for Congress, Omar has had a target put on her back. Last year, one of Omar’s Republican challengers was banned from Twitter after she called for Omar to be hanged for treason. Donald Trump has used his bully pulpit to fan the flames of violence against Omar—after he tweeted out a misleadingly edited video of Omar earlier that year in April, the same month that a man in New York was arrested after he threatened to murder Omar, the number of death threats she received shot up. At the beginning of September, Congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene burnished her brand by posting an image of her holding an assault rifle, superimposed over the photos of Omar as well as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Calling for violence against Omar has become an easy way for Republicans to signal who they are and what they stand for, a sort of terrifying shorthand that’s become normalized.
The danger of Project Veritas’s campaign targeting Omar is obvious. It’s even more dangerous now, in a time when the violent fantasies of the right are turning into real acts of violence. As Slate’s Christina Cauterucci put it recently, the rightwing glee over “owning the libs” is morphing into full-throated support of “killing the libs.” There’s no better example of the latter than the praise heaped upon Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who shot and killed two people and injured another at an anti-police brutality protest in Wisconsin this summer and has now become a martyr for those who see themselves as part of a heroic battle in defense of white America. “This applause for the killing of the right’s political nemeses is everywhere these days, popping up wherever the GOP can be found,” Cauterucci noted. “The quiet part,” she wrote, “is just getting louder.”
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It’s no exaggeration to say that Project Veritas and all of the rightwing goons who have been breathlessly posting about this latest smear campaign are willfully and deliberately putting Omar’s life at risk. The endless pantomiming of violence, after all, has a built-in, unstated hope—that eventually, someone will take them up on their suggestion.