theroot--2020-06-17--A Growing PATTERN: Tracee Ellis Ross Tells The Glow Up About Her Beauty Brand's Next Phase

“ This is a revolution , ” proclaims the newest video promo for Pattern Beauty , the haircare line launched by actress-entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross in September 2019 .
Though Ross couldn ’ t have predicted our current state of affairs when she planned the next rollout of products for her already-cult-favorite brand , the words of the minute-long choreopoem ( to borrow a phrase from Ntozake Shange ) penned by poet Amena Brown suggest a stunning prescience on the part of Pattern , which will drop its next collection on Friday , June 19—also known as Juneteenth .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one in which hair may easily be discounted as the least of our issues ; but as Ross tells The Glow Up , the fight for the recognition of our humanity extends to our beauty , too .
“ I think it affirms the mission of the brand , ” she says when asked about her response to the uprisings still in progress across the nation and the series of events that compelled the company to postpone their next launch in order “ to focus our attention on the movement for justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ built into the inception and the foundation of the company.
” Ross continues : “ It ’ s always felt urgent to me : the celebration of our beauty ; being a black-owned business ; being an active space where we could see our humanity ...
Being a business and a company that at its core is about aligning with organizations that support women and people of color and that protect humanity , and justice , and equality , and equity , that ’ s been at the core of Pattern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , if anything , for me , it reminded me of the importance of what we do at Pattern.
” While Ross makes clear that hers is a beauty brand and not a social justice organization , the company was nevertheless founded with a philanthropic component designed to adapt to the needs of the moment .
“ We ’ re not aligned with one organization , ” she explains .
“ As needs change within the community , and times change , and things occur , we can be able to shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with where we [ are ] and what we are supporting.
” Case in point : Pattern ’ s September launch coincided with support for Kimberlé Crenshaw ’ s intersectionally-focused African American Policy Forum ( with which the brand is still aligned ) .
However , the outbreak of COVID-19 and its disproportionate and devastating effect on African-American communities inspired the brand to pivot focus to the United Way Worldwide for its second phase , based on the organization ’ s “ very specific COVID response within the African-American community , ” Ross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arbery , Tony McDade , Breonna Taylor and George Floyd , she adds that specific donations have also been made to Black Lives Matter , Color of Change , Equal Justice Initiative and NAACP Legal Defense Fund—a seemingly broad scope of commitments from what Ross refers to as a “ very small new startup company , ” but one she feels is intrinsically woven into Pattern ( pun intended ) .
“ We are inherently political because at our core we are about and centered around blackness , ” she says .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world that we live in , is a part of revolution .
“ We ’ re a beauty company , but when you are a beauty company that ’ s centered around blackness , there are arms and legs that reach in many different areas in terms of our wholeness .
Because that ’ s what I believe beauty is : it ’ s about an expression of wholeness and authenticity , ” she adds .
Pattern ’ s already faithful following enthusiastically responded to Ross ’ s vision ; one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as she sought to create a line that both catered to the unique needs of textured hair and looked beautiful lining bathroom shelves .
The brand ’ s debut was sold out for weeks as fans , followers and beauty junkies alike clamored to sample the formulas Ross deemed worthy of her own enviable tresses .
Reflecting on the success of the launch , she explained the meticulous , minimalist aesthetic of Pattern and the niche she sought to fill in an already booming textured haircare market .
“ I feel like I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason , ” she shares .
“ The dream started as a personal desire to have products that worked for me that could all look the same in the bathroom…I was like , is there one line that could just look pretty in here ?
So it started as personal ; just really wanting and genuinely looking for products that were not only good for my hair but also made it look great .
And then , as my journey continued , as I ’ ve expressed so many times , realizing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was looking for that .
There was a real void out there—there was a gap in the aisles and how the aisles were presented and all that kind of stuff .
So I think my persistence—I ’ m really grateful that it resulted in people receiving it the way it was intended .
I don ’ t know that I was surprised but really grateful and mostly excited that people think the products work.
” Pattern was wisely launched with a tightly curated collection of products and accessories created to “ meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tight-textured community with effective and non-toxic products , ” Ross explains , “ but also to create an active space where we could see ourselves in our authentic beauty ... how we authentically are , the wholeness of who we are in our beauty , ” she adds .
One of Ross ’ s long-held dreams is Pattern ’ s ever-evolving glossary ( also authored by Brown ) ; created “ to reimagine some of the language and terms that have been used to describe our beauty and our natural hair for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find language , to find imagery that mirrors back who we are ... And also that was built through the lens of us as subjects , not as objects .
“ Hair has been at the center of economics and politics and revolutions for black women and black people , ” she later adds .
“ You can chronicle the journey through our lives through hair.
” Of course , it ’ s impossible to chronicle the journey of Ross ’ s life without acknowledging her famous mother—a woman almost as well known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as for her immense talent .
( Fun fact : When asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up , unfailingly , my answer was “ Diana Ross.
” ) As Ross graciously indulges us by yet again discussing what it was like growing up the daughter of a cultural icon , it ’ s clear much of her ethos was influenced by her mother ’ s indelible presence .
“ I think overall , what I saw in my mother I didn ’ t know how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was a woman who was in her full agency and glory , ” Ross recalls .
“ What as a child translated as a lady in a sparkly dress on a stage with hair and movement , as an adult I could see was a woman who was saying ‘ this is me ’ —not ‘ look at me ’ but ‘ this is me ’ — [ she ] was a representation to me of what it is for a woman to stand in her power , not dimming her light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the iconic Diana Ross hair is texture , texture , pattern ...
I grew up within that legacy and it influenced my love of and—within my own family , an appreciation for and the love of the authentic textures of our hair , ” she adds ; notably , several members of her immediate family were featured in Pattern ’ s inaugural campaign .
After launching a teaser collection of hair accessories last month , Pattern ’ s next drop expands on the beloved collection with an array of new styling products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular demand from devotees of the brand and ranging from $ 7 to $ 42 .
In addition to now offering its must-have Leave-In Conditioner and Hydration Shampoo in jumbo sizes ( praise be ! )
, Pattern is unveiling a Clarifying Shampoo which promises to deep cleans remove buildup without stripping away essential lipids ; Jojoba Oil Hair Serum Self-Heating Packs ideal for low-porosity hair types—or anyone in need of extra moisture ; and a Mini Conditioners Kit to allow the uninitiated to experiment with the brand ’ s Medium , Heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will see the launch of Pattern ’ s 5-product line of silicone-free stylers , including a Hydrating Mist , Curl Gel , Styling Cream , Strong Hold Gel and Edge Control .
“ What I love is you can mix them with each other ‘ cause we ’ re all our own best chemists and we all do that all the time , ” Ross says , boasting that the brand includes ingredients like sea moss and green tea .
“ All of these styling products do the things that we want them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But at the same time , they are supporting and loving your hair , so they ’ re not going to create breakage and they ’ re gon na continue to nourish and hydrate and moisturize and protect your hair.
” And because styling products work better with styling tools , Pattern is presenting those , too .
An Edge Tool will “ add swoops and swirls to your grooming routine ” while the brand ’ s new Hair Pick will “ lift that crown to glorious heights.
” And for detangling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comb promises to be “ heavy-duty yet kind to delicate strands ” ( the trio of tools will be available for $ 35 ) .
Has Ross picked any early favorites ?
As we commiserate on the particulars of caring for 3B/3C hair ( both wash-and-go girls , we agree no good can come after Day Two ) , Ross highlights her new Hydrating Mist , saying : “ It ’ s got like a gentle little hold , it hydrates , it allows you to like , pop back your curls…it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that dreaded Day Three ?
Ross has found the remedy in the new Strong Hold gel .
“ You know I love a slick-back , ” she says , referencing a recent self-styled shoot for Interview Magazine where the Strong Hold Gel lived up to its name .
“ It takes a little bit longer to dry because it doesn ’ t have all the different stuff in it that ’ s bad for your hair .
But once it ’ s dry , you get that nice slick-back but it also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t hurt your hair , and I love .
And it gives that shine—you can mix it with a little bit of oil if you want , you can mix it with the leave-in or you could just slap a whole bunch on there , ” she laughs .
In all , releasing a new launch amid protests and a pandemic may seem an ambitious offering for a brand less than a year old , but it ’ s one in step with Ross ’ s ambitions for Pattern Beauty—a vision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually extend beyond haircare .
“ I feel very strongly about leaving all doors open because as we know , the evolution of a human soul moves in many directions , and we are not a monolith—and neither are any of us individually , ” she says , later adding : “ I will say for now my dream would be to continue expanding and growing the beauty realm ; the wholeness of beauty , whether it ’ s skincare , haircare .
There are so many more areas to go in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in process ... My company is growing now and there are so many priorities , and to continue growing is one of them.
” This article has been edited and condensed for clarity .
Pattern ’ s new collection will be available on June 19 at 9 am ET .

Maiysha Kai on The Glow Up, shared by Maiysha Kai to The Root

“This is a revolution,” proclaims the newest video promo for Pattern Beauty, the haircare line launched by actress-entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross in September 2019. Though Ross couldn’t have predicted our current state of affairs when she planned the next rollout of products for her already-cult-favorite brand, the words of the minute-long choreopoem (to borrow a phrase from Ntozake Shange) penned by poet Amena Brown suggest a stunning prescience on the part of Pattern, which will drop its next collection on Friday, June 19—also known as Juneteenth. America is indeed the midst of another revolution, one in which hair may easily be discounted as the least of our issues; but as Ross tells The Glow Up, the fight for the recognition of our humanity extends to our beauty, too.
“I think it affirms the mission of the brand,” she says when asked about her response to the uprisings still in progress across the nation and the series of events that compelled the company to postpone their next launch in order “to focus our attention on the movement for justice and equality.” Explaining that social responsibility was “built into the inception and the foundation of the company.”
Ross continues: “It’s always felt urgent to me: the celebration of our beauty; being a black-owned business; being an active space where we could see our humanity...Being a business and a company that at its core is about aligning with organizations that support women and people of color and that protect humanity, and justice, and equality, and equity, that’s been at the core of Pattern. So what we are in right now, if anything, for me, it reminded me of the importance of what we do at Pattern.”
Advertisement
While Ross makes clear that hers is a beauty brand and not a social justice organization, the company was nevertheless founded with a philanthropic component designed to adapt to the needs of the moment.
“We’re not aligned with one organization,” she explains. “As needs change within the community, and times change, and things occur, we can be able to shift our attention so that we are current with where we [are] and what we are supporting.”
Advertisement Advertisement
“Hair has been at the center of economics and politics and revolutions for black women and black people...You can chronicle the journey through our lives through hair.” —Tracee Ellis Ross
Case in point: Pattern’s September launch coincided with support for Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionally-focused African American Policy Forum (with which the brand is still aligned). However, the outbreak of COVID-19 and its disproportionate and devastating effect on African-American communities inspired the brand to pivot focus to the United Way Worldwide for its second phase, based on the organization’s “very specific COVID response within the African-American community,” Ross explains. Citing the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, she adds that specific donations have also been made to Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, Equal Justice Initiative and NAACP Legal Defense Fund—a seemingly broad scope of commitments from what Ross refers to as a “very small new startup company,” but one she feels is intrinsically woven into Pattern (pun intended).
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“We are inherently political because at our core we are about and centered around blackness,” she says. “And that, in the context of the world that we live in, is a part of revolution.
“We’re a beauty company, but when you are a beauty company that’s centered around blackness, there are arms and legs that reach in many different areas in terms of our wholeness. Because that’s what I believe beauty is: it’s about an expression of wholeness and authenticity,” she adds.
Advertisement
Pattern’s already faithful following enthusiastically responded to Ross’s vision; one that was famously 10 years in the making as she sought to create a line that both catered to the unique needs of textured hair and looked beautiful lining bathroom shelves. The brand’s debut was sold out for weeks as fans, followers and beauty junkies alike clamored to sample the formulas Ross deemed worthy of her own enviable tresses. Reflecting on the success of the launch, she explained the meticulous, minimalist aesthetic of Pattern and the niche she sought to fill in an already booming textured haircare market.
“I feel like I was persistent for 10 years for a reason,” she shares. “The dream started as a personal desire to have products that worked for me that could all look the same in the bathroom…I was like, is there one line that could just look pretty in here? So it started as personal; just really wanting and genuinely looking for products that were not only good for my hair but also made it look great. And then, as my journey continued, as I’ve expressed so many times, realizing that it wasn’t just me that was looking for that. There was a real void out there—there was a gap in the aisles and how the aisles were presented and all that kind of stuff. So I think my persistence—I’m really grateful that it resulted in people receiving it the way it was intended. I don’t know that I was surprised but really grateful and mostly excited that people think the products work.”
Advertisement
Pattern was wisely launched with a tightly curated collection of products and accessories created to “meet the unmet needs of the curly, coily, tight-textured community with effective and non-toxic products,” Ross explains, “but also to create an active space where we could see ourselves in our authentic beauty...how we authentically are, the wholeness of who we are in our beauty,” she adds. One of Ross’s long-held dreams is Pattern’s ever-evolving glossary (also authored by Brown); created “to reimagine some of the language and terms that have been used to describe our beauty and our natural hair for so long…to give us another place to find language, to find imagery that mirrors back who we are...And also that was built through the lens of us as subjects, not as objects.
Advertisement
“Hair has been at the center of economics and politics and revolutions for black women and black people,” she later adds. “You can chronicle the journey through our lives through hair.”
Of course, it’s impossible to chronicle the journey of Ross’s life without acknowledging her famous mother—a woman almost as well known for her fearlessly textured, flowing hair as for her immense talent. (Fun fact: When asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, unfailingly, my answer was “Diana Ross.”) As Ross graciously indulges us by yet again discussing what it was like growing up the daughter of a cultural icon, it’s clear much of her ethos was influenced by her mother’s indelible presence.
Advertisement
“I think overall, what I saw in my mother I didn’t know how to articulate growing up but I can now, was a woman who was in her full agency and glory,” Ross recalls. “What as a child translated as a lady in a sparkly dress on a stage with hair and movement, as an adult I could see was a woman who was saying ‘this is me’—not ‘look at me’ but ‘this is me’—[she] was a representation to me of what it is for a woman to stand in her power, not dimming her light in any way.
Advertisement
“The fact that the iconic Diana Ross hair is texture, texture, pattern...I grew up within that legacy and it influenced my love of and—within my own family, an appreciation for and the love of the authentic textures of our hair,” she adds; notably, several members of her immediate family were featured in Pattern’s inaugural campaign.
After launching a teaser collection of hair accessories last month, Pattern’s next drop expands on the beloved collection with an array of new styling products and tools, developed in response to popular demand from devotees of the brand and ranging from $7 to $42. In addition to now offering its must-have Leave-In Conditioner and Hydration Shampoo in jumbo sizes (praise be!), Pattern is unveiling a Clarifying Shampoo which promises to deep cleans remove buildup without stripping away essential lipids; Jojoba Oil Hair Serum Self-Heating Packs ideal for low-porosity hair types—or anyone in need of extra moisture; and a Mini Conditioners Kit to allow the uninitiated to experiment with the brand’s Medium, Heavy and Intensive formulas.
Advertisement
Additionally, Friday will see the launch of Pattern’s 5-product line of silicone-free stylers, including a Hydrating Mist, Curl Gel, Styling Cream, Strong Hold Gel and Edge Control. “What I love is you can mix them with each other ‘cause we’re all our own best chemists and we all do that all the time,” Ross says, boasting that the brand includes ingredients like sea moss and green tea.
“All of these styling products do the things that we want them to do,” she explains. “But at the same time, they are supporting and loving your hair, so they’re not going to create breakage and they’re gonna continue to nourish and hydrate and moisturize and protect your hair.”
Advertisement
And because styling products work better with styling tools, Pattern is presenting those, too. An Edge Tool will “add swoops and swirls to your grooming routine” while the brand’s new Hair Pick will “lift that crown to glorious heights.” And for detangling, Pattern’s new Wide Tooth Comb promises to be “heavy-duty yet kind to delicate strands” (the trio of tools will be available for $35).
Has Ross picked any early favorites? As we commiserate on the particulars of caring for 3B/3C hair (both wash-and-go girls, we agree no good can come after Day Two), Ross highlights her new Hydrating Mist, saying: “It’s got like a gentle little hold, it hydrates, it allows you to like, pop back your curls…it’s just so delicious!” As for that dreaded Day Three? Ross has found the remedy in the new Strong Hold gel.
Advertisement
“You know I love a slick-back,” she says, referencing a recent self-styled shoot for Interview Magazine where the Strong Hold Gel lived up to its name. “It takes a little bit longer to dry because it doesn’t have all the different stuff in it that’s bad for your hair. But once it’s dry, you get that nice slick-back but it also doesn’t create breakage and it doesn’t hurt your hair, and I love. And it gives that shine—you can mix it with a little bit of oil if you want, you can mix it with the leave-in or you could just slap a whole bunch on there,” she laughs.
Advertisement
In all, releasing a new launch amid protests and a pandemic may seem an ambitious offering for a brand less than a year old, but it’s one in step with Ross’s ambitions for Pattern Beauty—a vision the skincare and fashion lover admits may eventually extend beyond haircare.
“I feel very strongly about leaving all doors open because as we know, the evolution of a human soul moves in many directions, and we are not a monolith—and neither are any of us individually,” she says, later adding:
“I will say for now my dream would be to continue expanding and growing the beauty realm; the wholeness of beauty, whether it’s skincare, haircare. There are so many more areas to go in the area of hair—many of which are already in process...My company is growing now and there are so many priorities, and to continue growing is one of them.”
Advertisement
This article has been edited and condensed for clarity. Pattern’s new collection will be available on June 19 at 9 am ET.


theroot--2020-06-17--NY Congressional Candidate Jamaal Bowman Has Establishment Democrats Losing Their Shit

The Bronx , N.Y—Jamaal Bowman is feeling good—like , really good .
He and his campaign manager are standing atop the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street subway station platform handing out his campaign flyers to commuters rushing to make the train .
The stop is one of those elevated stations that ’ s outside , where you can see the street down below and the horizon before you .
Some of the commuters nod without making much eye contact and take a flyer as most New Yorkers usually do as a defense mechanism to avoid eager people trying to sell them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Hernandez , who was getting off at the front of the train almost exactly where Bowman was passing out flyers .
Bowman went into his pitch .
Bowman , a former middle school principal who grew up in Manhattan , didn ’ t have to say much else because Hernandez knew who he was and said he was supporting him .
“ I like [ Eliot ] Engel , ” Hernandez told Bowman before giving him a fist bump .
“ I used to vote for him .
But I heard he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s not going to be here with the people , to hell with him.
” “ You ’ re going to win , ” Hernandez said .
Since U.S. Rep. Engel made his disastrous hot mic comments a few weeks ago at a Bronx press conference addressing the unrest connected to the police killings of black people across the country , the 16-term Democratic incumbent has been playing defense in ways neither he nor his colleagues in Washington ever imagined .
During the press conference with Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I didn ’ t have a primary , I wouldn ’ t care , ” after Diaz refused to allow him to speak because he worried it would politicize the event .
Engel tried to apologize , but the damage was done .
The Atlantic ’ s piece outlining his absence away from his district during the pandemic certainly hasn ’ t helped , either .
The incumbent who was considered very safe may now be dangerously close to losing his seat .
I asked Bowman if he felt Engel had gotten too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming .
“ Not just comfortable but content in the way like , ‘ I ’ ve had this job 31 years , people keep voting me into office.
’ Sixteen times so far .
I guess he feels that he ’ s entitled to the position , ” Bowman told me as he greeted commuters through his surgical mask .
“ That sense of entitlement is what came through in that statement and how he ’ s taken the voters of this district for granted for decades .
That ’ s unacceptable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once he found out he ’ s not here for the people during the pandemic , it captures the same sentiment , you know ?
” In politics , moments often define the course of a campaign , either shifting momentum in your favor or against it .
Sometimes , it ’ s a national tragedy that requires the candidate to dig deep inside of themselves for moral clarity to help navigate people through the labyrinth of hurt and pain they ’ re experiencing .
We saw politicians ’ shine bright or dimmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mo.
, and , more recently , uprising against police brutality amid a global pandemic .
Campaigns have risen or fallen on the capacity of a candidate ’ s ability to rise to the occasion—or not .
In the case of Bowman , it ’ s been the uprisings , a pandemic and , perhaps more consequential , Engel really fucking up .
The insurgent feels he can pull an upset in the 16th Congressional District race in next week ’ s New York primary Tuesday , June 23 .
Engel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know it .
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Rep. Adam Schiff endorsed Engel on Sunday and so did Hillary Clinton .
Bowman has his own heavyweight endorsements from Washington , with U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) and Ayanna Pressley ( D-Mass . )
both backing him .
Two of the U.S. Senate ’ s most liberal members , Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
are also throwing their support behind the former school teacher .
That so many big names are jumping into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s standing is a sign that the incumbent is in serious trouble .
“ The fact that you have Schiff and Clyburn and these other folks running to consolidate behind Engel at the last minute is such a clear message that Engel is scare and other centrists and moderates are scared of losing power to the left , ” said Tiffany Cabán , who has endorsed Bowman and is a progressive public defender who lost her race in 2018 for Queens district attorney by a mere 55 votes .
“ My message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means we ’ re winning.
” New York State Sen. Gustavo Rivera told The Root he was standing just 10 feet away from Engel when he made those comments .
He didn ’ t overhear them in real time , but he was very troubled once he heard the audio played in local media .
Rivera wasn ’ t going to endorse anyone during the primary but changed his mind once he heard Engel ’ s comments .
“ When that audio became public , it encapsulated for me that , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is time to have somebody that can actually show a true commitment to who we are today and who the Bronx is right now , ’ ” Rivera told The Root .
Rivera added : “ Eliot is a good dude .
I have nothing negative to say about the job that he ’ s done , except that it ’ s past tense .
It is the moment to move forward.
” There isn ’ t much polling in this race .
The last poll was in October , when Data for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , showed Engel with 29 percent of the vote versus just 10 for Bowman .
The takeaway was that 60 percent of voters were undecided .
A newer poll released Wednesday from the same organization shows Bowman leading by a 10-point margin .
During my hourlong conversation with Bowman on the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street subway platform , he made it clear that the main problem with too many mainstream Democrats is that they are unwilling to move forward on the more radical changes America needs to make for the marginalized communities they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he supports defunding the police and says he is committed to articulating what that exactly means so people are able to reimagine what public safety means with armed cops .
“ It means a reallocation of resources , ” he said .
“ Right now , they are funding lethal training , military arms , limited education and aggressive tactics .
That ’ s where funding in training is located .
We need to raise standards for police .
They need to earn a bachelor ’ s degree and have continuing education for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number one .
No .
2 , police aren ’ t military .
We need to take away the military equipment that we see police use .
No .
3 , we need non-emergency responses to cases that happen all over the country .
Like Atatiana Jefferson in Texas , for example .
That was a non-emergency situation .
Officer came , shot through the window and killed her .
So it means reallocation of resources towards public health and investing in jobs , investing in housing , investing in education , investing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what communities and police need more than anything else.
” More specifically , what Bowman is calling for is a new social order .
The ways in which we govern human behavior is based on neoliberalism , which , in large part , centers individualism over the group and favors free markets that often abuse those who are at the bottom .
A key component of neoliberalism is profiting from imprisonment .
Activists forced Hillary Clinton and other politicians over the years to reject campaign contributions from private prison companies .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he wants to take that sentiment further by making restorative justice the norm in the American criminal legal system .
“ It ’ s restorative , ” he said .
“ In a school , two kids have a fight .
If instead of suspending the child from school and sending them home you bring the two children together and you have a conversation , mediation , you get an understanding of the back story related to the fight .
You develop an understanding of how that fight caused harm to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around them .
Most of the time other children are involved as well .
After that discussion , the community is restored .
Without restorative justice , we have a punitive system .
In that punitive system , children and individuals are discarded and dismissed .
Restorative keeps them in the community and makes the community stronger because we collectively learn from the issue that ’ s in front of us .
There ’ s no learning happening in our criminal justice system right now .
It ’ s recidivism , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jail time.
” Bowman feels that while Democrats are doing a better job of serving black and brown people than Republicans , they are too tethered to moderate politics that acquiesce to corporate interests that undermine progress and allow injustice to thrive .
The most recent electoral revolt against neoliberal elites took place in 2018 , when Reps. Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) and Pressley ( D-Mass . )
joined a national wave of insurgent progressives in upsetting well-established and otherwise progressive incumbents in their primaries .
Upon entering Congress , “ The Squad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) , and Rashida Tlaib ( D-Mich. ) made it clear to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that it was no longer business as usual on the Hill .
One of the issues with Engel and his black and Latinx constituents in the Bronx is that the current national uprisings reveal the incumbent ’ s disconnect with calls for abolishing and defunding the police .
In districts with large minority communities that have endured international , news-making police killings like Eric Garner and others , that spells trouble for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered to not have responded to those killings appropriately .
“ The reality is that the collective Democratic Party has not advanced an equitable safety package that specifically speaks to communities of color—even more so the experiences that black bodies and brown bodies face with their local law enforcement agencies , ” said Ify Ike , a political strategist and founder of the social equity firm Pink Cornrows .
“ In a city like New York , that ’ s very important .
“ Bowman presents the baton pass that ’ s necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that aren ’ t afraid of voicing their issues from jump as candidates , instead of banging their heads against the status quo of the establishment , ” Ike added .
Ike made clear that there are people in Washington who are considered “ establishment , ” but aren ’ t as closed-minded to radical politics as many assume .
She cites Reps. Barbara Lee ( D-Calif. ) and Bobby Rush ( D-Ill. ) , who were both Black Panthers .
But when Bowman talks about the establishment , he also speaks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and take without conceding his core values .
One body he is especially looking forward to working with if he wins is the Congressional Black Caucus .
“ I know there are people within that space that agree with me on many things , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a lot that needs to be done in this country to deal with poverty , to deal with institutional racism , to deal with sexism , genderphobia , classism , housing , education .
There ’ s so much work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , Republican and Democrat , who are serious about doing that work sans the noise .
So let ’ s block out the noise , let ’ s stay rooted in our thinking .
Let ’ s stay rooted in the needs of the people of the country and let ’ s do the work.
” After an hour or so passing out flyers , we exited the platform and made our way to street level .
Speaking about why he decided to run against Engel in the first place , Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In the last primary , there were 30,000 total votes—which is about 9 percent of the district and he got 22,000 votes , ” Bowman told me .
“ I realized , ‘ Damn .
I could get 22,000 votes.
’ You know what I ’ m saying ?
You have someone with a chair on the Foreign Affairs Committee making trillion-dollar decisions on behalf of our community that doesn ’ t benefit our community at all and he got 22,000 votes and he ’ s doing that ?
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but anywhere in this country .
”

The Bronx, N.Y—Jamaal Bowman is feeling good—like, really good.
He and his campaign manager are standing atop the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street subway station platform handing out his campaign flyers to commuters rushing to make the train. The stop is one of those elevated stations that’s outside, where you can see the street down below and the horizon before you. Some of the commuters nod without making much eye contact and take a flyer as most New Yorkers usually do as a defense mechanism to avoid eager people trying to sell them their mixtape or something.
Then came Joe Hernandez, who was getting off at the front of the train almost exactly where Bowman was passing out flyers. Bowman went into his pitch.
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“Hello. I’m Jamaal Bowman and I’m running for Congress and..”
Bowman, a former middle school principal who grew up in Manhattan, didn’t have to say much else because Hernandez knew who he was and said he was supporting him.
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“I like [Eliot] Engel,” Hernandez told Bowman before giving him a fist bump. “I used to vote for him. But I heard he was away during this virus. If he’s not going to be here with the people, to hell with him.”
“I appreciate that, man,” Bowman replied.
“You’re going to win,” Hernandez said.
Since U.S. Rep. Engel made his disastrous hot mic comments a few weeks ago at a Bronx press conference addressing the unrest connected to the police killings of black people across the country, the 16-term Democratic incumbent has been playing defense in ways neither he nor his colleagues in Washington ever imagined. During the press conference with Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., Engel said, “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” after Diaz refused to allow him to speak because he worried it would politicize the event.
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Engel tried to apologize, but the damage was done. The Atlantic’s piece outlining his absence away from his district during the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped, either. The incumbent who was considered very safe may now be dangerously close to losing his seat.
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I asked Bowman if he felt Engel had gotten too comfortable and didn’t see him coming.
“Not just comfortable but content in the way like, ‘I’ve had this job 31 years, people keep voting me into office.’ Sixteen times so far. I guess he feels that he’s entitled to the position,” Bowman told me as he greeted commuters through his surgical mask. “That sense of entitlement is what came through in that statement and how he’s taken the voters of this district for granted for decades. That’s unacceptable and unforgivable. The gentleman who mentioned once he found out he’s not here for the people during the pandemic, it captures the same sentiment, you know?”
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In politics, moments often define the course of a campaign, either shifting momentum in your favor or against it. Sometimes, it’s a national tragedy that requires the candidate to dig deep inside of themselves for moral clarity to help navigate people through the labyrinth of hurt and pain they’re experiencing. We saw politicians’ shine bright or dimmer during 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Ferguson, Mo., and, more recently, uprising against police brutality amid a global pandemic. Campaigns have risen or fallen on the capacity of a candidate’s ability to rise to the occasion—or not.
In the case of Bowman, it’s been the uprisings, a pandemic and, perhaps more consequential, Engel really fucking up. The insurgent feels he can pull an upset in the 16th Congressional District race in next week’s New York primary Tuesday, June 23.
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Engel’s colleagues in Washington, D.C., know it. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Rep. Adam Schiff endorsed Engel on Sunday and so did Hillary Clinton. Bowman has his own heavyweight endorsements from Washington, with U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) both backing him. Two of the U.S. Senate’s most liberal members, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are also throwing their support behind the former school teacher.
That so many big names are jumping into a primary race with an incumbent of Engel’s standing is a sign that the incumbent is in serious trouble.
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“The fact that you have Schiff and Clyburn and these other folks running to consolidate behind Engel at the last minute is such a clear message that Engel is scare and other centrists and moderates are scared of losing power to the left,” said Tiffany Cabán, who has endorsed Bowman and is a progressive public defender who lost her race in 2018 for Queens district attorney by a mere 55 votes. “My message is if they are running scared, it means we’re winning.”
New York State Sen. Gustavo Rivera told The Root he was standing just 10 feet away from Engel when he made those comments. He didn’t overhear them in real time, but he was very troubled once he heard the audio played in local media. Rivera wasn’t going to endorse anyone during the primary but changed his mind once he heard Engel’s comments.
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“When that audio became public, it encapsulated for me that, ‘You have served well, but it is time to have somebody that can actually show a true commitment to who we are today and who the Bronx is right now,’” Rivera told The Root.
Rivera added: “Eliot is a good dude. I have nothing negative to say about the job that he’s done, except that it’s past tense. It is the moment to move forward.”
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There isn’t much polling in this race. The last poll was in October, when Data for Progress, which is aligned with Bowman, showed Engel with 29 percent of the vote versus just 10 for Bowman. The takeaway was that 60 percent of voters were undecided. A newer poll released Wednesday from the same organization shows Bowman leading by a 10-point margin.
During my hourlong conversation with Bowman on the Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street subway platform, he made it clear that the main problem with too many mainstream Democrats is that they are unwilling to move forward on the more radical changes America needs to make for the marginalized communities they claim to represent. For example, he supports defunding the police and says he is committed to articulating what that exactly means so people are able to reimagine what public safety means with armed cops.
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“It means a reallocation of resources,” he said. “Right now, they are funding lethal training, military arms, limited education and aggressive tactics. That’s where funding in training is located. We need to raise standards for police. They need to earn a bachelor’s degree and have continuing education for you to remain a police officer, number one. No. 2, police aren’t military. We need to take away the military equipment that we see police use. No. 3, we need non-emergency responses to cases that happen all over the country. Like Atatiana Jefferson in Texas, for example. That was a non-emergency situation. Officer came, shot through the window and killed her. So it means reallocation of resources towards public health and investing in jobs, investing in housing, investing in education, investing in mental health support. That’s what communities and police need more than anything else.”
More specifically, what Bowman is calling for is a new social order. The ways in which we govern human behavior is based on neoliberalism, which, in large part, centers individualism over the group and favors free markets that often abuse those who are at the bottom. A key component of neoliberalism is profiting from imprisonment. Activists forced Hillary Clinton and other politicians over the years to reject campaign contributions from private prison companies.
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In Bowman’s vision for public safety, he wants to take that sentiment further by making restorative justice the norm in the American criminal legal system.
“It’s restorative,” he said. “In a school, two kids have a fight. If instead of suspending the child from school and sending them home you bring the two children together and you have a conversation, mediation, you get an understanding of the back story related to the fight. You develop an understanding of how that fight caused harm to not just those two but to the community around them. Most of the time other children are involved as well. After that discussion, the community is restored. Without restorative justice, we have a punitive system. In that punitive system, children and individuals are discarded and dismissed. Restorative keeps them in the community and makes the community stronger because we collectively learn from the issue that’s in front of us. There’s no learning happening in our criminal justice system right now. It’s recidivism, it’s crime and punishment, crime, jail time.”
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Bowman feels that while Democrats are doing a better job of serving black and brown people than Republicans, they are too tethered to moderate politics that acquiesce to corporate interests that undermine progress and allow injustice to thrive.
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The most recent electoral revolt against neoliberal elites took place in 2018, when Reps. Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Pressley (D-Mass.) joined a national wave of insurgent progressives in upsetting well-established and otherwise progressive incumbents in their primaries. Upon entering Congress, “The Squad,” which includes Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) made it clear to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that it was no longer business as usual on the Hill.
One of the issues with Engel and his black and Latinx constituents in the Bronx is that the current national uprisings reveal the incumbent’s disconnect with calls for abolishing and defunding the police. In districts with large minority communities that have endured international, news-making police killings like Eric Garner and others, that spells trouble for people like Engel and those who are considered to not have responded to those killings appropriately.
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“The reality is that the collective Democratic Party has not advanced an equitable safety package that specifically speaks to communities of color—even more so the experiences that black bodies and brown bodies face with their local law enforcement agencies,” said Ify Ike, a political strategist and founder of the social equity firm Pink Cornrows. “In a city like New York, that’s very important.
“Bowman presents the baton pass that’s necessary for communities to start building with leaders that aren’t afraid of voicing their issues from jump as candidates, instead of banging their heads against the status quo of the establishment,” Ike added.
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Ike made clear that there are people in Washington who are considered “establishment,” but aren’t as closed-minded to radical politics as many assume. She cites Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who were both Black Panthers. But when Bowman talks about the establishment, he also speaks in a cooperative tone that allows for give and take without conceding his core values.
One body he is especially looking forward to working with if he wins is the Congressional Black Caucus.
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“I know there are people within that space that agree with me on many things,” he said. “There’s a lot that needs to be done in this country to deal with poverty, to deal with institutional racism, to deal with sexism, genderphobia, classism, housing, education. There’s so much work to do and there’s so many people, Republican and Democrat, who are serious about doing that work sans the noise. So let’s block out the noise, let’s stay rooted in our thinking. Let’s stay rooted in the needs of the people of the country and let’s do the work.”
After an hour or so passing out flyers, we exited the platform and made our way to street level. Speaking about why he decided to run against Engel in the first place, Bowman said the math was in his favor.
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“In the last primary, there were 30,000 total votes—which is about 9 percent of the district and he got 22,000 votes,” Bowman told me.
(Engel got 22,160 votes and his other three primary opponents garnered a total of 7,918 votes, per Ballotpedia)
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“I realized, ‘Damn. I could get 22,000 votes.’ You know what I’m saying? You have someone with a chair on the Foreign Affairs Committee making trillion-dollar decisions on behalf of our community that doesn’t benefit our community at all and he got 22,000 votes and he’s doing that? That’s unacceptable. Not just here, but anywhere in this country.”


theroot--2020-06-17--Republicans Unveil Trash-Ass Police Reform Bill That Discourages Chokeholds But Doesn’t Ban Them

When President Trump unveiled his bullshit police reform executive order , there was one black person not named Sen. Tim Scott ( R-S.C. ) who was super supportive , almost giddy over the proposed order .
That one black face was Van Jones .
Jones is becoming that guy , and truthfully , if he stopped wearing his glasses , you ’ d have a hard time telling him and Tim Scott apart .
Nevertheless , Senate Republicans unveiled their police reform bill on Wednesday , and it shamelessly doesn ’ t do a fucking thing to stop police violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants but doesn ’ t ban them .
Which is like saying I left a full plate of medium-well steaks in front of my dog and discouraged him from eating them .
What does any of this have to do with Van Jones ?
Well nothing , but I just want to point out that Jones ’ job appears to be making Republican policy palatable to black people .
So expect him to call this new proposal progress .
“ Hey look , the knife went from being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 6 inches in your back , ” ( Van Jones ’ voice ) Anyway , according to the Washington Post , “ The Republican proposal , which Senate leaders said would be considered on the floor next week , veers away from mandating certain policing practices , as the Democratic plan does.
” The Republican bill would merely encourage local police and law enforcement agencies to quit it with the chokeholds and “ certain no-knock warrants by withholding federal funding to departments that allow the tactics or do not submit reports related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The legislation would also require police officer-involved deaths to be reported to the FBI and encourage more use of body-worn cameras , you know the ones that mysteriously stop working during deadly interactions ?
Yep , those .
It would also make lynching a federal hate crime because in 2020 lynching is not a federal hate crime .
Oh , and there would be a commission that would review policing tactics to establish “ best practices ” for officers and encourage de-escalation training , which I assume means teaching officers how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their belts that aren ’ t lethal .
But again this is not mandatory , just encouraged .
Senator Saggy Neck Skin , aka Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , and Scott ( the only black man on that side of the aisle ) were all smiles over this bullshit-ass bill .
“ We ’ re serious about making a law here , ” McConnell said .
“ This is not about trying to create partisan differences .
This is about coming together and getting an outcome.
” Democrats basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it didn ’ t come close to the kinds of sweeping overhauls needed with current policing .
House Democrats are moving forward with a legislative package that would strictly ban police chokeholds , make it easier for victims of police violence to sue officers and departments and create a national database of police misconduct , among other provisions .
The House Judiciary Committee is expected to advance the bill Wednesday , preparing it for a floor vote next week .
The White House has signaled that at least key portions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration , such as limiting legal liability in a way that would make it easier for police officers to be sued for misconduct .
Revising so-called “ qualified immunity ” is off the table , the White House has said .
Prospects for reaching common ground in the coming weeks remain unclear .
During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday , Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) panned the GOP bill , saying it “ does not rise to the moment.
” “ We have a tale of two chambers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , comprehensive Democratic bill in the House and a much narrower and much less effective Republican bill in the Senate , ” he said .
Somehow , Scott , the Senate ’ s only black Republican member , mustered up enough saliva to fix his mouth to claim that the GOP proposal was a close measure to what Democrats want .
“ Every lever of government wants change , and most of us want about 70 percent of the same change , ” Scott said .
“ We achieve some of the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that the GOP bill is “ by default a ban ” because of the threat of taking away federal funding , the Post notes .
He added that there needed to be more data on no-knock warrants before making sweeping policy changes because I guess Louisville police officers using a battering ram to bash in Breonna Taylor ’ s door and shooting her dead in her home isn ’ t enough .
The Post notes that the Republican proposed bill will need Democrats ’ support if it ’ s to make its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shit ain ’ t happening .
“ If we don ’ t have the votes on a motion to proceed , that means politics is more important than restoring confidence in communities of color and the institutions of authority , ” Scott said .
Or your bill is trash .

When President Trump unveiled his bullshit police reform toilet paper executive order, there was one black person not named Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) who was super supportive, almost giddy over the proposed order. That one black face was Van Jones. Jones is becoming that guy, and truthfully, if he stopped wearing his glasses, you’d have a hard time telling him and Tim Scott apart.
Nevertheless, Senate Republicans unveiled their police reform toilet paper bill on Wednesday, and it shamelessly doesn’t do a fucking thing to stop police violence and merely discourages police from using tactics such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants but doesn’t ban them. Which is like saying I left a full plate of medium-well steaks in front of my dog and discouraged him from eating them.
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What does any of this have to do with Van Jones? Well nothing, but I just want to point out that Jones’ job appears to be making Republican policy palatable to black people. So expect him to call this new proposal progress.
“Hey look, the knife went from being 9 inches in your back to being only 6 inches in your back,” (Van Jones’ voice)
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Anyway, according to the Washington Post, “The Republican proposal, which Senate leaders said would be considered on the floor next week, veers away from mandating certain policing practices, as the Democratic plan does.”
The Republican bill would merely encourage local police and law enforcement agencies to quit it with the chokeholds and “certain no-knock warrants by withholding federal funding to departments that allow the tactics or do not submit reports related to them,” the Post reports.
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The legislation would also require police officer-involved deaths to be reported to the FBI and encourage more use of body-worn cameras, you know the ones that mysteriously stop working during deadly interactions? Yep, those.
It would also make lynching a federal hate crime because in 2020 lynching is not a federal hate crime. Oh, and there would be a commission that would review policing tactics to establish “best practices” for officers and encourage de-escalation training, which I assume means teaching officers how to use any of the hundreds of gadgets on their belts that aren’t lethal. But again this is not mandatory, just encouraged.
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Senator Saggy Neck Skin, aka Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Scott (the only black man on that side of the aisle) were all smiles over this bullshit-ass bill.
“We’re serious about making a law here,” McConnell said. “This is not about trying to create partisan differences. This is about coming together and getting an outcome.”
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Democrats basically called the proposed legislation laughable, noting that it didn’t come close to the kinds of sweeping overhauls needed with current policing.
From the Post:
House Democrats are moving forward with a legislative package that would strictly ban police chokeholds, make it easier for victims of police violence to sue officers and departments and create a national database of police misconduct, among other provisions. The House Judiciary Committee is expected to advance the bill Wednesday, preparing it for a floor vote next week. The White House has signaled that at least key portions of the House Democratic bill go too far for the administration, such as limiting legal liability in a way that would make it easier for police officers to be sued for misconduct. Revising so-called “qualified immunity” is off the table, the White House has said. Prospects for reaching common ground in the coming weeks remain unclear. During remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) panned the GOP bill, saying it “does not rise to the moment.” “We have a tale of two chambers, a glaring contrast between a strong, comprehensive Democratic bill in the House and a much narrower and much less effective Republican bill in the Senate,” he said.
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Somehow, Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican member, mustered up enough saliva to fix his mouth to claim that the GOP proposal was a close measure to what Democrats want.
“Every lever of government wants change, and most of us want about 70 percent of the same change,” Scott said. “We achieve some of the same ends by our approach.”
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He even claimed that the GOP bill is “by default a ban” because of the threat of taking away federal funding, the Post notes. He added that there needed to be more data on no-knock warrants before making sweeping policy changes because I guess Louisville police officers using a battering ram to bash in Breonna Taylor’s door and shooting her dead in her home isn’t enough.
The Post notes that the Republican proposed bill will need Democrats’ support if it’s to make its way out of the Senate but that shit ain’t happening.
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“If we don’t have the votes on a motion to proceed, that means politics is more important than restoring confidence in communities of color and the institutions of authority,” Scott said.
Or your bill is trash.


theroot--2020-06-17--'Performance Doesn’t Fix Systems and Structures': Ava DuVernay and More Get Honest About Hollywood

Being black in entertainment means knowing what it ’ s like to be the only black person in the room , taking on the responsibility of being a role model to aspiring black creators , pushing the envelope on substantial representation , and much , much more .
Today , as we watch a sort of “ reckoning ” happening in the industry , we must now ask : what is it like to be black in Hollywood now ?
Thankfully , to shed light on those experiences , nearly over a dozen insiders in Black Hollywood ( including actors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more ) recently spoke with the LA Times on a variety of related topics such as performative activism , their experiences working amongst white gatekeepers and the burden of representation .
Unfortunately , it did take the countless police killings of black people amid a pandemic to get to this much-needed conversation to take place , but alas , here we are .
One particular thing black folks have discussed is the current influx of well-meaning white folks reaching out to support .
Naturally , Hollywood insiders aren ’ t exempt from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are really reaching in , in a way that ’ s active and progressive , and you have folks that are going through the motions , ” Ava DuVernay said .
“ And in this moment , there are no more motions .
That kind of empty exercise is being duly noted by me and others.
” “ I , like many people in the business , have been contacted by my white colleagues and peers , reaching out to say , “ Where do we go from here ?
” I welcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve been here and felt this before .
For many of us , it ’ s a generational anger and a generational exhaustion .
But at the same time , there is something different this time .
I didn ’ t get this volume of calls around Trayvon Martin , Michael Brown or Eric Garner.
” Though the reach-outs have been acknowledged , we can ’ t forget that this isn ’ t just about a moment , but the everyday lives of black people navigating their careers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oscar party , and after going through five checkpoints I walked in and finally got to the door , and I was told the chauffeurs are around the corner , ” Darrell D. Miller , lawyer and entertainment department chair of Fox Rothschild recalled .
“ I ’ ve come to Hollywood and I ’ m at the top of my game .
But I haven ’ t escaped the external reality.
” “ In our workplace , we ’ ve got to be nice to people , we ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them at premieres , you know what I ’ m saying ?
It is a truly traumatic thing for a lot of black artists because you ’ re constantly having to rub shoulders with your oppressors , ” Lena Waithe said .
Unfortunately , this kind of marginalization doesn ’ t necessarily decrease on the way to the top .
“ I do think that people , especially white people in positions of power , need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable ; it is monumentally important to the change we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager at 3 Arts Entertainment said .
“ At the top , so long as equality feels like oppression , then we need a reality check for ourselves.
” “ There are lots of people asking me what I think they should do .
My response is the same : You , as white people , should speak to each other , ” Nina Shaw , founding partner of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano said .
“ I want you to take ownership , I don ’ t want you to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s always the same : Treat it like it really mattered to you .
Every bonus now should be based on how diversity has been achieved.
” Overall , there may be a lot to unpack and work through but one fact is simple—we ’ re way past performances .
Empty gestures aren ’ t going to fly .
“ What I ’ ve found is the folks on the ground doing the work are not getting the influx of money from studios , networks and agencies , because those checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , legacy social justice organizations ] you know .
That tells me it ’ s performative .
Performance doesn ’ t fix systems and structures .
I don ’ t think it ’ s coming from a place of malice , it ’ s coming from a place of ignorance .
People just don ’ t know what to do , ” DuVernay concluded .
Listening to black people speak on their experiences and fully digesting these anecdotes is certainly a good start .
I ’ m absolutely glad black people in entertainment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth and—hopefully—aren ’ t penalized for it .
I know one thing via social media alone : if we even get a whiff of any type of blacklisting occurring , we will hold those responsible accountable .
We are staying on their necks .
We won ’ t let this just go away .
This is an ongoing effort that will take intentional work to create effective change .
Now that Black Hollywood representatives have had their chance to speak their truth , I look forward to their white counterparts showing how they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually follow through on it .

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

Being black in entertainment means knowing what it’s like to be the only black person in the room, taking on the responsibility of being a role model to aspiring black creators, pushing the envelope on substantial representation, and much, much more .
Today, as we watch a sort of “reckoning” happening in the industry, we must now ask: what is it like to be black in Hollywood now? Thankfully, to shed light on those experiences, nearly over a dozen insiders in Black Hollywood (including actors, filmmakers, executives, lawyers and more) recently spoke with the LA Times on a variety of related topics such as performative activism, their experiences working amongst white gatekeepers and the burden of representation .
Advertisement
Unfortunately, it did take the countless police killings of black people amid a pandemic to get to this much-needed conversation to take place, but alas, here we are. One particular thing black folks have discussed is the current influx of well-meaning white folks reaching out to support. Naturally, Hollywood insiders aren’t exempt from this.
“You have certain people who are really reaching in, in a way that’s active and progressive, and you have folks that are going through the motions,” Ava DuVernay said. “And in this moment, there are no more motions. That kind of empty exercise is being duly noted by me and others.”
Advertisement Advertisement
“I, like many people in the business, have been contacted by my white colleagues and peers, reaching out to say, “Where do we go from here?” I welcome that,” Will Packer noted. “We’ve been here and felt this before. For many of us, it’s a generational anger and a generational exhaustion. But at the same time, there is something different this time. I didn’t get this volume of calls around Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown or Eric Garner.”
Advertisement
Though the reach-outs have been acknowledged, we can’t forget that this isn’t just about a moment, but the everyday lives of black people navigating their careers.
“I went to my first Vanity Fair Oscar party, and after going through five checkpoints I walked in and finally got to the door, and I was told the chauffeurs are around the corner,” Darrell D. Miller, lawyer and entertainment department chair of Fox Rothschild recalled. “I’ve come to Hollywood and I’m at the top of my game. But I haven’t escaped the external reality.”
Advertisement
“In our workplace, we’ve got to be nice to people, we’ve got to have dinner with them and sit next to them at premieres, you know what I’m saying? It is a truly traumatic thing for a lot of black artists because you’re constantly having to rub shoulders with your oppressors,” Lena Waithe said.
Unfortunately, this kind of marginalization doesn’t necessarily decrease on the way to the top.
Advertisement
“I do think that people, especially white people in positions of power, need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable; it is monumentally important to the change we need to make,” Jermaine Johnson, manager at 3 Arts Entertainment said. “At the top, so long as equality feels like oppression, then we need a reality check for ourselves.”
“There are lots of people asking me what I think they should do. My response is the same: You, as white people, should speak to each other,” Nina Shaw, founding partner of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano said. “I want you to take ownership, I don’t want you to ask me what you should do. It’s always the same: Treat it like it really mattered to you. Every bonus now should be based on how diversity has been achieved.”
Advertisement
Overall, there may be a lot to unpack and work through but one fact is simple—we’re way past performances. Empty gestures aren’t going to fly.
“What I’ve found is the folks on the ground doing the work are not getting the influx of money from studios, networks and agencies, because those checks are going to the [high profile, legacy social justice organizations] you know. That tells me it’s performative. Performance doesn’t fix systems and structures. I don’t think it’s coming from a place of malice, it’s coming from a place of ignorance. People just don’t know what to do,” DuVernay concluded.
Advertisement
Listening to black people speak on their experiences and fully digesting these anecdotes is certainly a good start. I’m absolutely glad black people in entertainment are getting a platform to speak the truth and—hopefully—aren’t penalized for it. I know one thing via social media alone: if we even get a whiff of any type of blacklisting occurring, we will hold those responsible accountable. We are staying on their necks. We won’t let this just go away. This is an ongoing effort that will take intentional work to create effective change.
Now that Black Hollywood representatives have had their chance to speak their truth, I look forward to their white counterparts showing how they’re going to do the work—and actually follow through on it.


theroot--2020-06-17--Say Goodbye to Eye Fatigue With Some Blue Light Glasses

If you ’ re always on the computer like I am and need a bit of relief from the backlight @ @ @ @ @ pair of Blue Light Glasses .
They ’ re only $ 18 , and basically @ @ @ @ @ that comes from your laptop , phone , and even your TV .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ , which means you can finally finish that essay or expense report .

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

TIJN Blue Light Glasses | $14 | Amazon
If you’re always on the computer like I am and need a bit of relief from the backlight, try investing in a pair of Blue Light Glasses. These TIJN pairs are discounted up to 35% across all color options, which means you can get a pair for only $14 for a limited time on Amazon. Most colors are $14, but some of the color options cost $15 to $17.
These glasses basically mask the blue UV light that comes from your laptop, phone, and even your TV. They are meant to aid against eye fatigue, which means you can finally push through and finish that essay or expense report, and start enjoying your entertainment-oriented screentime soon.
This post was originally published by Ignacia in July 2020 and was updated with new information on 10/4/2020 by Elizabeth Lanier.


theroot--2020-06-17--Yes, the Police Are Racist

Yes, the Police Are Racist

Why does everyone think the Nazis were racist ?
Sure , Hitler was definitely racist .
He ordered the extermination of the Jews from Germany and later from all over Europe once he became chancellor of Germany .
Sure , He built the Third Reich—a political , social and economic regime based on the idea of Aryan supremacy .
Sure Nazi soldiers built death camps to facilitate one of the biggest mass murders in history while , according to Hitler biographer Ian Kershaw , Hitler kept his hands clean .
“ What is surprising , then , is that Hitler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let alone death camp , ” Kershaw writes .
“ He kept himself aloof from the dirtiest work of his regime .
He did not speak about the ‘ Final Solution , ’ even to his closest entourage , other than in vague terms.
” Maybe Nazis weren ’ t racist .
Perhaps they were just compelled to build and uphold a racist system created at the behest of a white supremacist maniac who was careful not to overtly spell out his agenda .
Should we blame them for that ?
On October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still alive , U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian leader Joseph Stalin in Moscow to sign a statement declaring their intentions to support the punishment of any Germans who participated in Nazi Germany ’ s “ atrocities , massacres and cold-blooded mass executions.
” But they didn ’ t just focus on Hitler .
The “ Declaration of Atrocities ” ( pdf ) also condemned “ Germans who take part in wholesale shootings of Italian officers or in the execution of French , Dutch , Belgian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or who have shared in the slaughters inflicted on the people of Poland or in the territories of the Soviet Union which are now being swept clear of the enemy.
” The declaration also warned anyone who would act on behalf of the “ Hitlerite forces ” in the future , declaring : “ Let those who have hitherto not imbued their hands with innocent blood beware lest they join the ranks of the guilty , for most assuredly the three Allied Powers will pursue them to the uttermost ends of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusers in order that justice may be done.
” On June 7 , Attorney General William Barr , the nation ’ s highest law enforcement official , told Face the Nation ’ s Margaret Brennan : A few days later , Larry Kudlow repeatedly denied the existence of systemic racism while noting that “ some very bad apples on the law enforcement side ” was easily mitigated by the fact that many negroes have jobs .
See ?
There were just a few bad Nazis on the mass extermination side .
Most Nazis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defending and extending a white supremacist empire .
• According to 2017 data from the , black male offenders received sentences that are , on average , 19.1 percent longer than white male offenders who commit the same crimes and have the same criminal history .
• White people at higher rates than black people but black people are six-and-a-half times more likely to be arrested and convicted for drugs .
• The analyzed data from more than 200 million traffic stops and found that black people are 2.5 times more likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be searched than white drivers but white drivers were more likely to have contraband .
• Police are twice as likely to use force on black people versus white suspects , according to a 2015 report from the • Over the course of their life , black men are about 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than are white men and black women are about 1.4 times more likely to be killed by police than are white women .
• A study by the found that “ African Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population but ...
They constitute 47 % of the 1,900 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations ( as of October 2016 ) , and the great majority of more than 1,800 additional innocent defendants who were framed and convicted of crimes in 15 large-scale police scandals and later cleared in ‘ group exonerations.
’ ” There can be no doubt , the way black people in America are policed is undeniably racist .
But who is to blame ?
The white supremacy embedded in the national criminal justice system existed long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever born .
It predates William Barr , George Floyd or even ( and I know this is hard to believe ) Donald Trump .
They did not build it .
They are simply caretakers of white supremacy .
Similarly , police officers did not create the laws they enforce .
However , they do enforce existing statutes in a way that disproportionately harms black people .
It is not racist to arrest people for having dope in their pockets but if white people use more cocaine , heroin and opioids , ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more often for illegal possession of drugs , then the police are enforcing the laws in a racist manner ( pdf ) .
Perhaps the most accurate way to define a racist is by the acts of racism they commit .
Even though we have known the facts on how the long arm of the law disproportionately chokes the life out of black people , the silence from the law enforcement community is deafening .
This is not to say all police officers hate black people any more than workers at McDonald ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if one were to ask a McDonald ’ s employee whether it was safe to eat two Big Macs and a large fry , they wouldn ’ t try to convince you that the burgers were actually protecting your arteries .
Yet , whenever someone points out racial injustice , many—if not most cops—will vehemently defend the white supremacist institutions instead of the people they are charged with protecting and serving .
Not only do police uphold , defend and offer excuses for acts of racism , but they also want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts are too much , this argument boils down to its most literal terms .
One of Merriam-Webster ’ s definitions for racism is “ a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles ” or “ a political or social system based on racism ” Sounds like the police to me .
Perhaps comparing police to Nazis is insensitive .
I can not imagine what it must feel like to be hunted by one of the most feared military forces in the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place where you will serve your oppressors until they decide to kill you .
I can not fathom a mass extermination on those levels .
I definitely can ’ t imagine how it must feel to know that shadow of terror that hangs over your head has been eliminated .
Perhaps a day will come , in the near future , where someone will offer justice to us the way this country has offered it to everyone in the world except black people .
There are many who will say it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst to compare police officers to Nazis .
After all , who am I to judge what Nazis did ?
Who among us is even qualified to judge the people who rained down heinous atrocities against black people for 400 years ?
Well , Roosevelt , Churchill , Stalin and the Allied Powers had a very definitive answer for how true justice should be delivered :

Why does everyone think the Nazis were racist?
Sure, Hitler was definitely racist. He ordered the extermination of the Jews from Germany and later from all over Europe once he became chancellor of Germany. Sure, He built the Third Reich—a political, social and economic regime based on the idea of Aryan supremacy. Sure Nazi soldiers built death camps to facilitate one of the biggest mass murders in history while, according to Hitler biographer Ian Kershaw, Hitler kept his hands clean.
“What is surprising, then, is that Hitler never visited a single concentration camp, let alone death camp,” Kershaw writes. “He kept himself aloof from the dirtiest work of his regime. He did not speak about the ‘Final Solution, ’ even to his closest entourage, other than in vague terms.”
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Maybe Nazis weren’t racist. Perhaps they were just compelled to build and uphold a racist system created at the behest of a white supremacist maniac who was careful not to overtly spell out his agenda.
Should we blame them for that?
On October 30, 1943, while Hitler was still alive, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian leader Joseph Stalin in Moscow to sign a statement declaring their intentions to support the punishment of any Germans who participated in Nazi Germany’s “atrocities, massacres and cold-blooded mass executions.”
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But they didn’t just focus on Hitler. The “Declaration of Atrocities” (pdf) also condemned “Germans who take part in wholesale shootings of Italian officers or in the execution of French, Dutch, Belgian or Norwegian hostages or of Cretan peasants, or who have shared in the slaughters inflicted on the people of Poland or in the territories of the Soviet Union which are now being swept clear of the enemy.” The declaration also warned anyone who would act on behalf of the “Hitlerite forces” in the future, declaring:
“Let those who have hitherto not imbued their hands with innocent blood beware lest they join the ranks of the guilty, for most assuredly the three Allied Powers will pursue them to the uttermost ends of the earth and will deliver them to the accusers in order that justice may be done.”
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According to Donald Trump administration, Nazis weren’t racist.
On June 7, Attorney General William Barr, the nation’s highest law enforcement official, told Face the Nation’s Margaret Brennan:
“I think there’s racism in the United States still but I don’t think that the law enforcement system is systemically racist. I understand the- the distrust, however, of the African-American community given the history in this country. I think we have to recognize that for most of our history, our institutions were explicitly racist.”
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A few days later, Larry Kudlow repeatedly denied the existence of systemic racism while noting that “some very bad apples on the law enforcement side” was easily mitigated by the fact that many negroes have jobs.
See? There were just a few bad Nazis on the mass extermination side. Most Nazis were just doing their jobs protecting, defending and extending a white supremacist empire.
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Like the police.
Let’s begin with a few facts:
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There can be no doubt, the way black people in America are policed is undeniably racist.
But who is to blame?
The white supremacy embedded in the national criminal justice system existed long before any police officer in America was ever born. It predates William Barr, George Floyd or even (and I know this is hard to believe) Donald Trump. They did not build it. They are simply caretakers of white supremacy.
Advertisement
Similarly, police officers did not create the laws they enforce. However, they do enforce existing statutes in a way that disproportionately harms black people. It is not racist to arrest people for having dope in their pockets but if white people use more cocaine, heroin and opioids, (pdf) but black people are arrested more often for illegal possession of drugs, then the police are enforcing the laws in a racist manner (pdf).
Perhaps the most accurate way to define a racist is by the acts of racism they commit. Even though we have known the facts on how the long arm of the law disproportionately chokes the life out of black people, the silence from the law enforcement community is deafening.
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This is not to say all police officers hate black people any more than workers at McDonald’s employees support heart attacks. However, if one were to ask a McDonald’s employee whether it was safe to eat two Big Macs and a large fry, they wouldn’t try to convince you that the burgers were actually protecting your arteries. Yet, whenever someone points out racial injustice, many—if not most cops—will vehemently defend the white supremacist institutions instead of the people they are charged with protecting and serving. Not only do police uphold, defend and offer excuses for acts of racism, but they also want to extend their empire.
And if the facts are too much, this argument boils down to its most literal terms. One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for racism is “a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles” or “a political or social system based on racism”
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Sounds like the police to me.
Perhaps comparing police to Nazis is insensitive.
I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be hunted by one of the most feared military forces in the world, taken from your home and shipped to a place where you will serve your oppressors until they decide to kill you. I cannot fathom a mass extermination on those levels.
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I definitely can’t imagine how it must feel to know that shadow of terror that hangs over your head has been eliminated.
Maybe one day.
Perhaps a day will come, in the near future, where someone will offer justice to us the way this country has offered it to everyone in the world except black people.
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There are many who will say it’s incendiary at best and tone-deaf at worst to compare police officers to Nazis.
I agree with those people.
After all, who am I to judge what Nazis did? Who among us is even qualified to judge the people who rained down heinous atrocities against black people for 400 years?
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Well, Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and the Allied Powers had a very definitive answer for how true justice should be delivered:


theroot--2020-06-18--30 Days of Iconic Music Video Blackness With VSB, Day 17: Queen Latifah, 'Ladies First'

Queen Latifah ’ s video for her single , “ Ladies First , ” has stayed with me since the first time I saw it , probably sometime in late 1989 or early 1990 .
The imagery in the song was so striking to me that even as a 10- or 11-year-old , I remember being mesmerized .
The video clips , the way Queen Latifah seemed like the biggest boss we ’ d seen thus far , the clothing , all of it .
I don ’ t think I remember seeing any female rappers before this moment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ladies First ” also hit my consciousness as “ yeah , ladies first !
” I remember this being one of my favorite songs and I had absolutely no idea why but if I had to render a guess as to what my 11-year-old brain was thinking it was just because Queen Latifah looked like somebody I needed to listen to .
She looked the part and the video reinforced it .
Even watching it now I still feel the same .
Real talk , I can ’ t decide if Queen Latifah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s been 41 since 1989 because she looks the same age now as she was then .
What I do know is that any video whose imagery has remained with me in such a signficant fashion for 30 years is iconic .
Also , whatever water Queen Latifah drinks is what we should all be drinking .
Monie Love , too , for that matter .
And that , my friends is iconic .

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

Queen Latifah’s video for her single, “Ladies First,” has stayed with me since the first time I saw it, probably sometime in late 1989 or early 1990. The imagery in the song was so striking to me that even as a 10- or 11-year-old, I remember being mesmerized. The video clips, the way Queen Latifah seemed like the biggest boss we’d seen thus far, the clothing, all of it. I don’t think I remember seeing any female rappers before this moment, either.
Queen Latifah featuring Monie Love “Ladies First” (1989)
Then the messaging of “Ladies First” also hit my consciousness as “yeah, ladies first!” I remember this being one of my favorite songs and I had absolutely no idea why but if I had to render a guess as to what my 11-year-old brain was thinking it was just because Queen Latifah looked like somebody I needed to listen to. She looked the part and the video reinforced it. Even watching it now I still feel the same.
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Real talk, I can’t decide if Queen Latifah has been 19 since 1989 or if she’s been 41 since 1989 because she looks the same age now as she was then. What I do know is that any video whose imagery has remained with me in such a significant fashion for 30 years is iconic. Also, whatever water Queen Latifah drinks is what we should all be drinking. Monie Love, too, for that matter.
And that, my friends is iconic.


theroot--2020-06-19--Georgia Mayor Says 'Privilege Is Wearing $200 Sneakers' In Racist Facebook Post

White people , on the whole , haven ’ t been doing too well this last month .
If it ’ s not going full tilt Karen at black people for just existing , or having breakdowns over not getting a McMuffin , it ’ s going onto social media and saying some truly wild shit .
“ Privilege is wearing $ 200 sneakers when you ’ ve never had a job , ” Mayor Benjamin Rozier wrote on Facebook , according to NBC News .
Rozier is the mayor of Bloomingdale , Ga. , a small town just outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Gossip Bloomingdale Facebook page .
The post was eventually taken down but , because this is the internet , there are still screenshots of what Rozier said .
“ Privilege is wearing $ 300 Beats headphones while living on public assistance.
” Rozier , 59 , continued , “ Privilege is having as many children as you want , regardless of your employment status , and be able to send them off to daycare or school you don ’ t pay for.
” He also took aim at protesters , seeming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Privilege is the ability to go march against , and protest against anything that triggers you , without worrying about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such behavior.
” This post is not only racist as hell , it ’ s really poorly timed .
America is facing some of the highest rates of unemployment in its history .
Rozier is falling back on the tried-and-true “ welfare queen ” narrative at a time where millions of Americans have been put on government assistance due to a pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of managing .
On top of all that , I would gladly trade away my pairs of Jordans for the privilege of not being afraid when I get pulled over by a cop .
Judging by the events of the last month , I ’ m pretty sure I ’ m not alone in that feeling .
This is not the first time Rozier has posted something wild on Facebook .
In 2018 he came under fire for calling a commenter on Facebook a “ cotton picker.
” His explanation over that incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commenter “ and it said she was a cotton picker at a cotton field or a cotton patch .
At that point , I found that to be either humorous or weird .
I replied to her , and her thread the words ‘ cotton picker.
’ ” The Bloomingdale City Council issued a response distancing itself from Rozier ’ s comments .
“ The Bloomingdale City Council wishes to state collectively that this action taken by Mayor Rozier is his action and his action alone .
We in no way condone or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Mayor.
” the statement said .

White people, on the whole, haven’t been doing too well this last month. If it’s not going full tilt Karen at black people for just existing, or having breakdowns over not getting a McMuffin, it’s going onto social media and saying some truly wild shit.
“Privilege is wearing $200 sneakers when you’ve never had a job,” Mayor Benjamin Rozier wrote on Facebook, according to NBC News. Rozier is the mayor of Bloomingdale, Ga., a small town just outside of Savannah. He made his post on the Gossip Bloomingdale Facebook page. The post was eventually taken down but, because this is the internet, there are still screenshots of what Rozier said.
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From NBC News:
“Privilege is wearing $300 Beats headphones while living on public assistance.” Rozier, 59, continued, “Privilege is having as many children as you want, regardless of your employment status, and be able to send them off to daycare or school you don’t pay for.” He also took aim at protesters, seeming to focus particularly on young people. “Privilege is the ability to go march against, and protest against anything that triggers you, without worrying about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such behavior.”
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Oh, boy.
This post is not only racist as hell, it’s really poorly timed. America is facing some of the highest rates of unemployment in its history. Rozier is falling back on the tried-and-true “welfare queen” narrative at a time where millions of Americans have been put on government assistance due to a pandemic that the government has done a horrible job of managing.
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On top of all that, I would gladly trade away my pairs of Jordans for the privilege of not being afraid when I get pulled over by a cop. Judging by the events of the last month, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that feeling.
This is not the first time Rozier has posted something wild on Facebook. In 2018 he came under fire for calling a commenter on Facebook a “cotton picker.” His explanation over that incident was he read the bio of the commenter “and it said she was a cotton picker at a cotton field or a cotton patch. At that point, I found that to be either humorous or weird. I replied to her, and her thread the words ‘cotton picker.’”
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Sure, Jan.
The Bloomingdale City Council issued a response distancing itself from Rozier’s comments. “The Bloomingdale City Council wishes to state collectively that this action taken by Mayor Rozier is his action and his action alone. We in no way condone or endorse any single or collective posts made by the Mayor.” the statement said.


theroot--2020-06-18--The Dwight Howard-Approved U2 Modular Pillow Kickstarter Campaign Goes Live Today

Are you tired of tossing and turning all night and waking up to stiff and sore neck muscles ?
A new Kickstarter campaign lets you snag a new , modular memory foam pillow from U2 at half off MSRP .
The Super Early Bird backer level requires a pledge of $ 49 , and you ’ ll get one of their new pillows shipped to you no matter where you are .
But you ’ d better hurry , there are only 500 available spots for this pledge level .
The U2 memory foam pillow Kickstarter is running until July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Early Bird special , don ’ t worry ; starting at $ 59 , other pledge levels will net you one of their pillows below MSRP .
At $ 89 , the next step up lands you two pillows , or a pillow and U2 mattress in sizes from full to California king ( $ 659-749 ) .
The U2 pillow is made of three layers of vented memory foam so you can customize the height from as high as 4.7 inches to as low as 2.8 inches for a personalized night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is made of hypoallergenic cotton for enhanced comfort and to wick away sweat to keep you dry and cool all night .
The foam features a contoured shape to fit the curve of your neck and head like a glove and keep your spine aligned while you sleep either on your back , stomach , or even on your side .
If you would like to bring your U2 pillow with you while you travel for vacation or business , you can snag a U2 pillow capsule .
When you roll the pillow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the size of the pillow up to six times , making it the perfect size to slip into a suitcase or carry-on bag for a great night ’ s sleep no matter where you are .
If you ’ re interested in a mattress and pillow combo , the U2 mattress is made of the same high-quality , ventilated memory foam as the pillow .
Each mattress and pillow is put through rigorous stress testing to ensure long-lasting durability and comfort .
Not quite convinced ?
Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mattress because they provide him with the quality of rest he needs to stay at the top of his game .
Each pillow and capsule ships to you in a sturdy box to prevent damage as well as a card that lets you register your U2 pillow for the 5-year warranty .
Each pillow is also backed by a 7-70 night satisfaction guarantee ; so test it out for a week or a month , and if you ’ re not satisfied , contact the company for a replacement or refund .
Backers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backing the campaign can earn free rewards .
One friend referral will earn you a U2 pillow case , five friends earns a capsule , 20 snags you a se cond pillow , and 50 successful friend referrals lets you snatch up a U2 memory foam mattress .

U2 Sleep on News, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

U2 Modular Memory Foam Pillow | $49 | U2 Sleep
Are you tired of tossing and turning all night and waking up to stiff and sore neck muscles? A new Kickstarter campaign lets you snag a new, modular memory foam pillow from U2 at half off MSRP. The Super Early Bird backer level requires a pledge of $49, and you’ll get one of their new pillows shipped to you no matter where you are. But you’d better hurry, there are only 500 available spots for this pledge level.
The U2 memory foam pillow Kickstarter is running until July 22, and if you miss the Super Early Bird special, don’t worry; starting at $59, other pledge levels will net you one of their pillows below MSRP. At $89, the next step up lands you two pillows, or a pillow and U2 mattress in sizes from full to California king ($659-749).
The U2 pillow is made of three layers of vented memory foam so you can customize the height from as high as 4.7 inches to as low as 2.8 inches for a personalized night’s rest. The zippered cover is made of hypoallergenic cotton for enhanced comfort and to wick away sweat to keep you dry and cool all night. The foam features a contoured shape to fit the curve of your neck and head like a glove and keep your spine aligned while you sleep either on your back, stomach, or even on your side.
If you would like to bring your U2 pillow with you while you travel for vacation or business, you can snag a U2 pillow capsule. When you roll the pillow in the travel capsule, it reduces the size of the pillow up to six times, making it the perfect size to slip into a suitcase or carry-on bag for a great night’s sleep no matter where you are.
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If you’re interested in a mattress and pillow combo, the U2 mattress is made of the same high-quality, ventilated memory foam as the pillow. Each mattress and pillow is put through rigorous stress testing to ensure long-lasting durability and comfort.
Not quite convinced? Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers has endorsed both the U2 pillow and mattress because they provide him with the quality of rest he needs to stay at the top of his game. Each pillow and capsule ships to you in a sturdy box to prevent damage as well as a card that lets you register your U2 pillow for the 5-year warranty. Each pillow is also backed by a 7-70 night satisfaction guarantee; so test it out for a week or a month, and if you’re not satisfied, contact the company for a replacement or refund.
Backers who refer friends who also end up backing the campaign can earn free rewards. One friend referral will earn you a U2 pillow case, five friends earns a capsule, 20 snags you a second pillow, and 50 successful friend referrals lets you snatch up a U2 memory foam mattress.
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Disclaimer: U2 provided a review sample for this sponsored post.