theroot--2020-06-26--Save up to 80% on Top-Selling Kindle eBooks, Starting at $1

Up to 80 % off Kindle eBooks | Amazon 1 Month Free | Amazon Kindle Unlimited Ever curious why every @ @ @ @ @ : it ’ s for a reason . )
How about what lies behind The @ @ @ @ @ , or even Her Eyes ?
You will learn about these things and so much @ @ @ @ @ top Kindle deals today .
Starting at $ 1 , you don ’ t need @ @ @ @ @ a good ( or bad ) read .
If that ’ s $ 1 too @ @ @ @ @ titles , you can also subscribe to Amazon Kindle Unlimited for 1 month , free @ @ @ @ @ you like it , never pay full price for an eBook again .
Check out @ @ @ @ @ back on your findings in the comments below .

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

Up to 80% off Kindle eBooks | Amazon
1 Month Free | Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Ever curious why every dog happens? (Spoiler: it’s for a reason.) How about what lies behind The Ten Thousand Doors of January, or even Her Eyes? You will learn about these things and so much more from Amazon’s top Kindle deals today. Starting at $1, you don’t need to be bookish to enjoy a good (or bad) read. If that’s $1 too many for some of these titles, you can also subscribe to Amazon Kindle Unlimited for 1 month, free of charge, and if you like it, never pay full price for an eBook again. Check out the whole catalog and report back on your findings in the comments below.


theroot--2020-06-26--As U.S. Faces Surge in Coronavirus Cases, Study Shows Black Americans Most Likely to Know Someone Wh

As U.S. Faces Surge in Coronavirus Cases, Study Shows Black Americans Most Likely to Know Someone Who's Died from the Virus

Across the world , coronavirus cases are popping up again .
But in few other countries has the virus had as disastrous a toll as it has in America , which has failed to meet the challenge of managing the worst public health crisis in the century .
It ’ s worth asking if that mismanagement is due , in part , to who has been suffering most from the virus .
A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds that nearly a third of Black Americans ( 31 percent ) say they know someone firsthand who has been killed by COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This far eclipsed Latinx and white Americans ’ personal exposure to how deadly the virus can be ; 17 percent of adult Latinx and 9 percent of white Americans say they know someone killed by the virus .
This disparity remained when respondents were asked if they knew anyone who has gotten sick from the coronavirus .
According to the poll , which was conducted earlier this month , 52 percent of all Black Americans say they know at least one person who has gotten sick or died from the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer than 4 in 10 .
( The data does not appear to include—or at least , does not disaggregate—data for Asian and Native Americans , the latter of whom have also been disproportionately impacted by the novel coronavirus ) .
When it comes to coronavirus impact , this isn ’ t a racial divide—it ’ s a chasm .
And it ’ s impossible to separate who has been hurt most deeply by the crisis from the systemic causes of it , as well as the collective response to managing it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s safe to say that the U.S. , especially compared to other countries , has failed .
The virus is surging in Southern states—areas that the majority of Black Americans call home ( 58 percent in 2017 ) .
This is because , absent a strong federal response , leaders of these states have largely decided to barrel ahead with trying to resuscitate their economy rather than protect their residents through robust , comprehensive public health policies .
The Post asked Joseph Betancourt , vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh in on the data , and why there are such differences in who is contracting the virus , and how severely .
“ This pandemic has really unearthed—shone a real bright light on—the ways these disparities should not be accepted and are not tolerable , ” Betancourt said .
He said people of color in the United States tend to live with “ a series of preconditions ” that put them at greater risk of becoming infected with the virus and of them faring poorly .
They include higher rates of poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Betancourt said .
The downstream effects , he said , include crowded housing , more frequent asthma , diabetes and other chronic diseases , and a greater likelihood of being in jobs that do not allow them to work from the greater safety of home .
Interestingly , the wide-ranging poll also asked respondents whether they supported the Black Lives Matter protest around the country ( 91 percent said they did ) , with nearly half of Black respondents saying they or someone close to them has attended a rally or protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 4 respondents said this was true for them ) .
Here ’ s a thought : living and respecting the slogan “ Black Lives Matter ” means protecting Black people in all arenas of civic life—in the streets , in the courtroom , in the classroom , and through thoughtful public health policy .
It means actively and aggressively dismantling the kinds of structures—a highly segregated job market ; a lack of affordable housing ; medical deserts—that make Black folks so vulnerable to the virus .
Anything less is lip service .

Across the world, coronavirus cases are popping up again. But in few other countries has the virus had as disastrous a toll as it has in America, which has failed to meet the challenge of managing the worst public health crisis in the century.
It’s worth asking if that mismanagement is due, in part, to who has been suffering most from the virus.
Advertisement
A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds that nearly a third of Black Americans (31 percent) say they know someone firsthand who has been killed by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
This far eclipsed Latinx and white Americans’ personal exposure to how deadly the virus can be; 17 percent of adult Latinx and 9 percent of white Americans say they know someone killed by the virus.
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This disparity remained when respondents were asked if they knew anyone who has gotten sick from the coronavirus. According to the poll, which was conducted earlier this month, 52 percent of all Black Americans say they know at least one person who has gotten sick or died from the virus. For all Americans, that rate was fewer than 4 in 10. (The data does not appear to include—or at least, does not disaggregate—data for Asian and Native Americans, the latter of whom have also been disproportionately impacted by the novel coronavirus).
When it comes to coronavirus impact, this isn’t a racial divide—it’s a chasm. And it’s impossible to separate who has been hurt most deeply by the crisis from the systemic causes of it, as well as the collective response to managing it. On this latter point, it’s safe to say that the U.S., especially compared to other countries, has failed.
Advertisement
The virus is surging in Southern states—areas that the majority of Black Americans call home (58 percent in 2017). This is because, absent a strong federal response, leaders of these states have largely decided to barrel ahead with trying to resuscitate their economy rather than protect their residents through robust, comprehensive public health policies.
The Post asked Joseph Betancourt, vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, to weigh in on the data, and why there are such differences in who is contracting the virus, and how severely.
Advertisement
“This pandemic has really unearthed—shone a real bright light on—the ways these disparities should not be accepted and are not tolerable,” Betancourt said.
From the Post:
He said people of color in the United States tend to live with “a series of preconditions” that put them at greater risk of becoming infected with the virus and of them faring poorly. They include higher rates of poverty and the varied effects of structural racism, Betancourt said. The downstream effects, he said, include crowded housing, more frequent asthma, diabetes and other chronic diseases, and a greater likelihood of being in jobs that do not allow them to work from the greater safety of home.
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(The Root has been reporting on the causes of these disparities since March.)
Interestingly, the wide-ranging poll also asked respondents whether they supported the Black Lives Matter protest around the country (91 percent said they did), with nearly half of Black respondents saying they or someone close to them has attended a rally or protest (in total, more than 1 in 4 respondents said this was true for them).
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Here’s a thought: living and respecting the slogan “Black Lives Matter” means protecting Black people in all arenas of civic life—in the streets, in the courtroom, in the classroom, and through thoughtful public health policy. It means actively and aggressively dismantling the kinds of structures—a highly segregated job market; a lack of affordable housing; medical deserts—that make Black folks so vulnerable to the virus.
Anything less is lip service.


theroot--2020-06-26--The Root Jams Weekly (6/26/2020): 'The Definitive Summer Jams'

It ’ s hot AF , it ’ s summer AF and it ’ s still Black Music Month ... @ @ @ @ @ need that perfect summertime , summer jam playlist to be the backdrop for or the @ @ @ @ @ during Sundress SZN .
This list hopes to be that .
It will be BlackAF @ @ @ @ @ Stone “ Hot Fun in The Summertime ” Marvin Gaye “ Got To Give It @ @ @ @ @ '' The Dove Shack “ Summertime in the LBC ”

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

It’s hot AF, it’s summer AF and it’s still Black Music Month...AF. Sometimes you just need that perfect summertime, summer jam playlist to be the backdrop for or the reminder of the moments created during Sundress SZN. This list hopes to be that. It will be BlackAF.
Panama Jackson
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “Summertime”
Sly & The Family Stone “Hot Fun in The Summertime”
Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness”
Roy Ayers Ubiquity “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”
The Dividends “Summer Glo”
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly “Before I Let Go”
Koffee Brown “After Party”
Zhané “Hey Mr. DJ”
J’Na Jefferson
Ashanti “Happy”
Marvin Gaye “Got To Give It Up, Pt. 1"
Janet Jackson “All For You”
Tonja Stidhum
Stevie Wonder “Summer Soft”
Kes “Savannah Grass”
Jay-Z “Party Life”
Monique Judge
The Dove Shack “Summertime in the LBC”
Joe Jurado
Vince Staples “Feels Like Summer,”
Childish Gambino “Summertime Magic”
Frank Ocean “Sweet Life”
Michael Harriot
Outkast featuring Goodie Mob “Git Up, Git Out”
Ice Cube “My Summer Vacation”
Chance the Rapper featuring Jeremih “Summer Friends”
Jay-Z “Always Be My Sunshine”
Ashley Velez
Amerie “Why Don’t We Fall In Love”
Ciara “Body Party”
Pharrell featuring Jay-Z “Frontin’”
Mariah Carey “Honey”
Donnell Jones featuring Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes “U Know What’s Up”
Beenie Man featuring Ms. Thing “Dude”
Beenie Man featuring Janet Jackson “Feel It Boy”
WizKid featuring Drake “Come Closer”
Tanto Metro & Devonte “Everyone Falls In Love”
Wayne Wonder “No Letting Go”
LL Cool J “Loungin (Who Do Ya Luv) Remix”


theroot--2020-06-26--Auntie Unfiltered: How to Be an Ally

Auntie Unfiltered: How to Be an Ally

Thirty days after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin , it @ @ @ @ @ slowly coming to the realization that AmeriKKKa is racist as fuck .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ that is out there , but all the little microaggressions and insidious ways it has @ @ @ @ @ White people say they want to help , and we appreciate that because it is @ @ @ @ @ white people to fix these problems that were created by their ancestors in the first @ @ @ @ @ should not come by way of them expecting Black people to validate them every step @ @ @ @ @ week , I am taking the time to give our white friends some dos and @ @ @ @ @ .
As always , I want to hear from you .
If you need advice @ @ @ @ @ , comments or concerns , or if you have a suggestion for a topic I @ @ @ @ @ me at AuntieSubmissions @ theroot.com .

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude


theroot--2020-06-26--Organize All Your Food With a Set of Glass Containers

When you cook a bunch of food you get a bunch of leftovers , so why not invest in a @ @ @ @ @ containers ?
They ’ re leak-proof as well as BPA-free , and the glass containers @ @ @ @ @ !
You can also throw them in the dishwasher , or place them in your @ @ @ @ @ .
Grab em ’ before they ’ re gone !

Ignacia on Kinja Deals, shared by Jordan McMahon to The Root

Glass Food Containers | $25 | Amazon
When you cook a bunch of food you get a bunch of leftovers, so why not invest in a set of $25 glass containers? They’re leak-proof as well as BPA-free, and the glass containers themselves are microwave and oven-safe! You can also throw them in the dishwasher, or place them in your freezer for even more organization. Grab em’ before they’re gone!


theroot--2020-06-26--Alabama Football Drops Video Speaking Out Against Racism: 'All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives

Alabama Football Drops Video Speaking Out Against Racism: 'All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives Matter'

On Thursday , the Alabama Crimson Tide became the latest sports team to release a video speaking out against systemic racism .
Following in the footsteps of videos released by the Baltimore Ravens and some of the biggest names in the NFL , the Crimson Tide make it explicitly clear that “ all lives can ’ t matter until Black lives matter.
” The video , written by star offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood , features appearances by quarterback Mac Jones , linebacker Dylan Moses and wideouts DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle .
Head coach Nick Saban is also prominently featured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we can ’ t be silent , ” Saban says .
“ We must speak up for our brothers and sisters , for our sons and daughters.
” While the football team ’ s efforts to address racism in our society should be commended , the timing has raised eyebrows .
Earlier this month , former gymnast Tia Kiaku revealed that during her time on the Alabama gymnastics team in 2019 , she endured a racist joke from an assistant coach and detailed other incidents .
“ Do we really stand together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a # BlackoutTuesday message from the Alabama gymnastics Twitter account .
“ The program that allowed the Assistant Coach to make a racist ‘ joke ’ & ask a group of black girls ‘ what is this the back of the bus ’ , allowed gymnast to say the N word , and much more .
You cant stand with us & allow injustices to happen.
” Kiaku then spoke to ESPN and explained each of these incidents in detail : Kiaku told ESPN of an incident in which an assistant coach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were doing vault drills together : “ What is this , the back of the bus ?
” She also said there were numerous occasions in which white women on the team used the N-word without repercussions .
Alabama gymnastics head coach Dana Duckworth has since publicly apologized and admitted that she was “ ultimately responsible ” for what transpired , but that doesn ’ t erase Kiaku ’ s experiences—or the fact that the assistant coach was allowed to remain on the team .
“ The one thing that drove me to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and family and class and sisterhood , ” Kiaku told ESPN .
“ You can ’ t be part of a community and let injustice happen to part of your community .
You can ’ t have class if you let these things happen .
You can ’ t have sisterhood when you ’ re leaving someone behind .
They don ’ t practice what they preach at all.
” So to that end , even though they ’ re separate programs , Alabama might want to address its affairs in-house before making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on it s own campus .

On Thursday, the Alabama Crimson Tide became the latest sports team to release a video speaking out against systemic racism.
Following in the footsteps of videos released by the Baltimore Ravens and some of the biggest names in the NFL, the Crimson Tide make it explicitly clear that “all lives can’t matter until Black lives matter.”
Advertisement
The video, written by star offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, features appearances by quarterback Mac Jones, linebacker Dylan Moses and wideouts DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. Head coach Nick Saban is also prominently featured.
Advertisement Advertisement
“In this moment in history, we can’t be silent,” Saban says. “We must speak up for our brothers and sisters, for our sons and daughters.”
While the football team’s efforts to address racism in our society should be commended, the timing has raised eyebrows. Earlier this month, former gymnast Tia Kiaku revealed that during her time on the Alabama gymnastics team in 2019, she endured a racist joke from an assistant coach and detailed other incidents.
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“Do we really stand together?” she tweeted, in response to a #BlackoutTuesday message from the Alabama gymnastics Twitter account. “The program that allowed the Assistant Coach to make a racist ‘joke’ & ask a group of black girls ‘what is this the back of the bus’,allowed gymnast to say the N word, and much more. You cant stand with us & allow injustices to happen.”
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Kiaku then spoke to ESPN and explained each of these incidents in detail:
Kiaku told ESPN of an incident in which an assistant coach made a comment when three black women were doing vault drills together: “What is this, the back of the bus?” She also said there were numerous occasions in which white women on the team used the N-word without repercussions.
Advertisement
Alabama gymnastics head coach Dana Duckworth has since publicly apologized and admitted that she was “ultimately responsible” for what transpired, but that doesn’t erase Kiaku’s experiences—or the fact that the assistant coach was allowed to remain on the team.
“The one thing that drove me to Alabama was that they really stressed unity and family and class and sisterhood,” Kiaku told ESPN. “You can’t be part of a community and let injustice happen to part of your community. You can’t have class if you let these things happen. You can’t have sisterhood when you’re leaving someone behind. They don’t practice what they preach at all.”
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So to that end, even though they’re separate programs, Alabama might want to address its affairs in-house before making public statements denouncing the very acts occurring on it s own campus.


theroot--2020-06-26--Trailer Roundup: That Little Voice in Your Head Is Thanks to the Hamilton Soundtrack

It ’ s been a long time , I shouldn ’ t have left you , without a bunch of trailers to escape to .
Yes , a lot has happened in the past few weeks , which makes this kind of escape all the more necessary , so let ’ s get to it .
Hopefully , we provide you something to look forward to .
First Impressions : This seems to be a badass manifesto for the forgotten second-born kids in a line of royals—except they ’ re following in the line of iconic Disney princes and princesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them off but they actually have great power and responsibility since they have to physically protect every-damn-body due to their superpowers .
As you may or may not know by now , this show is a big deal for black pop culture because Niles Fitch is portraying Disney ’ s first live-action prince ( assuming the technicality that Black Panther is originally a Marvel creation and property ) .
First Impressions : You know what brings me some small comfort during an unpredictable pandemic era ?
The fact that Michael Ealy is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thriller .
Yes , he ’ s playing some deranged boyfriend .
He literally says “ don ’ t tempt me ” in the teaser , so you can expect the routine creepy Ealy energy .
This film was originally expected to head to theaters on Juneteenth ( ?
?
? )
, but has been pushed to the fall .
Kevin Hart Hosts as Celeb Couples Battle It Out on “ Celebrity Game Face ” / E !
Entertainment ( YouTube ) First Impressions : The self-isolation has inspired some creativity as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Age of the ‘ Rona .
Case in point , this game show , which follows celebrity couples in their respective homes competing in outrageous games .
I ’ m just sitting here wondering who ’ s going to clean up all of the props , as I imagine the crew is smaller than usual , right ?
Better be !
For safety purposes !
First Impressions : So , I ’ m not a part of the Chosen People that God selected to score tickets to the popular Broadway musical .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just-as-popular soundtrack !
Hamilton has always piqued my interest given the buzz about it , so the fact that it ’ s coming to screen will be my chance to see what the founding father fuss is about !
Since this play is filled with rap , I feel like my concluding sentence should rhyme with the last one , but ... creative ideas ?
I ’ m all out .
*wink* First Impressions : Though I ’ m not familiar with the award-winning Isaac Asimov novels that this series is based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this trailer .
It ’ s like a post-apocalyptic Star Wars feel and—wait , is that Wes ( Alfred Enoch ) from How to Get Away With Murder at the 1:33 mark ?
!
The sci-fi drama also stars Leah Harvey ( Fighting with My Family ) .
First Impressions : Though I didn ’ t get to catch a screener , I featured this on my anticipated Sundance 2020 list .
Turns out , Sundance jury loved it , as it won the Social Impact Filmmaking award at the fest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ film follows ACLU lawyers as they fight toward obtaining abortion rights , immigrant rights , LGBTQ rights and voting rights , an especially rigorous fight when faced with the Trump administration .
Kerry Washington ( who recently spoke about Hollywood ’ s propensity to “ center whiteness ” ) serves as producer .
First Impressions : If you ’ re missing Brittany O ’ Grady as Star ’ s biracial half-sister Simone Daniels in Lee Daniels ’ music TV drama Star , this one is for you !
Remaining in the music-based world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performer who is chasing her dreams while also dealing with the typical complications of rejection , love and family issues .
I ’ m expecting neatly packaged cinematic inspiration and catchy songs .
First Impressions : The thumbnail of the late Cameron Boyce is already a visceral image on its own , but even as I grew up yearning to be famous , I adapted a sense of melancholy once I realized the toils of being a “ showbiz kid.
” The film is a raw and sobering look at the life of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out with an onward look at young hopefuls such as Demi Singleton ( Godfather of Harlem ) .
The documentary will also feature Todd Bridges and Jada Pinkett Smith .
First Impressions : Like Michelle Lavaughn Robinson ( now Obama ) , I ’ m a girl from the South Side of Chicago .
However , this film focuses on the West Side .
No , this isn ’ t about the battle between Harold ’ s Chicken and Uncle Remus ’ Saucy Fried Chicken ; it follows the first African American high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are made up of young men from rival gangs .
A Most Beautiful Thing is narrated by Common and executive produced by Grant Hill , Dwyane Wade and 9th Wonder .
That ’ s all , folks !
See y ’ all next week ( hoping to get back on a consistent track ... *fingers crossed* ) !

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

It’s been a long time, I shouldn’t have left you, without a bunch of trailers to escape to. Yes, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, which makes this kind of escape all the more necessary, so let’s get to it. Hopefully, we provide you something to look forward to.
Secret Society of Second Born Royals (Disney+; Release Date: September 25, 2020)
Secret Society of Second-Born Royals Official Trailer / Disney (YouTube)
First Impressions: This seems to be a badass manifesto for the forgotten second-born kids in a line of royals—except they’re following in the line of iconic Disney princes and princesses. It may be easy to brush them off but they actually have great power and responsibility since they have to physically protect every-damn-body due to their superpowers. As you may or may not know by now, this show is a big deal for black pop culture because Niles Fitch is portraying Disney’s first live-action prince (assuming the technicality that Black Panther is originally a Marvel creation and property).
Advertisement
Fatale (Coming to Theaters; Release Date: October 30, 2020)
FATALE Trailer Teaser / Movie Coverage (YouTube)
First Impressions: You know what brings me some small comfort during an unpredictable pandemic era? The fact that Michael Ealy is always willing to play in a wackily disturbing thriller. Yes, he’s playing some deranged boyfriend. He literally says “don’t tempt me” in the teaser, so you can expect the routine creepy Ealy energy. This film was originally expected to head to theaters on Juneteenth (???), but has been pushed to the fall.
Advertisement Advertisement
Celebrity Game Face (E!; Release Date: July 6, 2020 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)
Kevin Hart Hosts as Celeb Couples Battle It Out on “Celebrity Game Face” / E! Entertainment (YouTube)
First Impressions: The self-isolation has inspired some creativity as some productions are still happening in the Age of the ‘Rona. Case in point, this game show, which follows celebrity couples in their respective homes competing in outrageous games. I’m just sitting here wondering who’s going to clean up all of the props, as I imagine the crew is smaller than usual, right? Better be! For safety purposes!
Advertisement
Hamilton (Disney+; Release Date: July 3, 2020)
Hamilton - Official Trailer / IGN (YouTube)
First Impressions: So, I’m not a part of the Chosen People that God selected to score tickets to the popular Broadway musical. But, I’ve definitely heard the just-as-popular soundtrack! Hamilton has always piqued my interest given the buzz about it, so the fact that it’s coming to screen will be my chance to see what the founding father fuss is about! Since this play is filled with rap, I feel like my concluding sentence should rhyme with the last one, but...creative ideas? I’m all out. *wink*
Advertisement
Foundation (Apple TV+; Release Date: Sometime in 2021)
Foundation Trailer (HD) Apple TV+ series / TV Promos (YouTube)
First Impressions: Though I’m not familiar with the award-winning Isaac Asimov novels that this series is based on, newcomer Lou Llobell is quite intriguing in this trailer. It’s like a post-apocalyptic Star Wars feel and—wait, is that Wes (Alfred Enoch) from How to Get Away With Murder at the 1:33 mark?! The sci-fi drama also stars Leah Harvey (Fighting with My Family).
Advertisement
The Fight (On Demand; July 31, 2020)
The Fight - Official Trailer / Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing (YouTube)
First Impressions: Though I didn’t get to catch a screener, I featured this on my anticipated Sundance 2020 list. Turns out, Sundance jury loved it, as it won the Social Impact Filmmaking award at the fest. True to its title, this important film follows ACLU lawyers as they fight toward obtaining abortion rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights and voting rights, an especially rigorous fight when faced with the Trump administration. Kerry Washington (who recently spoke about Hollywood’s propensity to “center whiteness”) serves as producer.
Advertisement
Little Voice (Apple TV+; Release Date: July 10, 2020)
Little Voice — Official Trailer / Apple TV (YouTube)
First Impressions: If you’re missing Brittany O’Grady as Star’s biracial half-sister Simone Daniels in Lee Daniels’ music TV drama Star, this one is for you! Remaining in the music-based world, O’Grady portrays a struggling performer who is chasing her dreams while also dealing with the typical complications of rejection, love and family issues. I’m expecting neatly packaged cinematic inspiration and catchy songs.
Advertisement
Showbiz Kids (HBO; Release Date: July 14, 2020 at 9 p.m. ET)
Showbiz Kids (2020): Official Trailer / HBO (YouTube)
First Impressions: The thumbnail of the late Cameron Boyce is already a visceral image on its own, but even as I grew up yearning to be famous, I adapted a sense of melancholy once I realized the toils of being a “showbiz kid.” The film is a raw and sobering look at the life of a previous child star while balancing it out with an onward look at young hopefuls such as Demi Singleton (Godfather of Harlem). The documentary will also feature Todd Bridges and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Advertisement
A Most Beautiful Thing (Select Theaters; Release Date: July 10, 2020)
A Most Beautiful Thing Trailer #1 / Movieclips Indie (YouTube)
First Impressions: Like Michelle Lavaughn Robinson (now Obama), I’m a girl from the South Side of Chicago. However, this film focuses on the West Side. No, this isn’t about the battle between Harold’s Chicken and Uncle Remus’ Saucy Fried Chicken; it follows the first African American high school rowing team in the country, who are made up of young men from rival gangs. A Most Beautiful Thing is narrated by Common and executive produced by Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade and 9th Wonder.
Advertisement
That’s all, folks! See y’all next week (hoping to get back on a consistent track... *fingers crossed*)!


theroot--2020-06-26--Planned Parenthood Officially Names Alexis McGill Johnson Its Permanent President

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America , the nation ’ s largest provider of sex education with more than 600 health centers across the country , ushered in a new era in its nearly 104-year history on Friday , as its board of directors announced the appointment of Alexis McGill Johnson as permanent president and CEO of PPFA and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund ( Action Fund ) .
The decision came after nearly a year of McGill Johnson ’ s service as acting president and CEO , before which she spent a decade on the PPFA and Action Fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PPFA board .
McGill Johnson will be the second African American to head the esteemed organization after trailblazer Faye Wattleton , who led PPFA from 1978 10 1992 and is credited with transforming the organization “ into the politically engaged entity that it is today , while at the same time dramatically increasing the range of its health-care services , ” according to a statement provided to The Glow Up .
“ I am so proud and humbled to have been named the permanent President and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fund , ” said McGill Johnson of her now-permanent role , adding : A joint statement from PPFA board Chair Aimee Cunningham and Action Fund Board Chair Jennie Rosenthal lauded McGill Johnson ’ s existing work in the role , reading , in part : As both statements indicate , McGill Johnson ’ s appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the fight for reproductive rights in America , as the Trump administration continues its attack on the protections established by Roe v. Wade .
As mentioned , currently at stake is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June Medical Services v. Russo , which could severely limit abortion access in the state of Louisiana as it had in neighboring Texas before subsequently being declared unconstitutional .
And then , there are Republicans ’ efforts to leverage the pandemic to restrict abortion access , as several Republican-led states refused to qualify abortions as essential services during the lockdown .
This , as Trump continued to staff federal courts with conservative judges : On Wednesday afternoon , the Senate confirmed Trump ’ s 200th federal judge appointee , attorney and former state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
Wilson has long advocated for the “ complete and immediate ” reversal of Roe v. Wade , aligning himself with the anti-abortion group Mississippi Right to Life as early as 2007 .
Additionally , the New York Times reports that Democratic leaders consider the appointment of Wilson ’ s appointment “ a slap in the face to Black Americans at a time when our country is working to take steps forward on racial justice , not backwards , ” as articulated in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Senators Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) , Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) and Amy Klobuchar ( D-Minn. ) , who also wrote : With Wilson ’ s confirmation , Trump and his enablers have succeeded in filling all vacant seats in the federal circuit courts , a fear McGill Johnson voiced when speaking with The Glow Up in May , just a few days after the killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests .
“ It ’ s just the extreme work that they ’ ve done to impact [ patients ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the impact that they ’ ve had is just unreal , ” McGill Johnson told us .
“ So our focus is on fighting back ; it ’ s continuing to build up muscle to push back on all of these restrictions and making sure that we ’ re also advancing opportunities for health care where we can.
” A Princeton and Yale-educated political scientist , educator and social justice leader who has taught political science and African-American studies at both Yale and Wesleyan University , McGill Johnson also co-founded the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research consortium the Perception Institute ( where she designed and implemented the Starbucks racial bias curriculum ) .
Additionally , she serves on the boards of Color of Change , Revolutions Per Minute , and Narrative Initiative .
With a comprehensive and very intimate lens on intersectionality , McGill Johnson is in a rare position to address the needs of the current moment .
Planned Parenthood ’ s own complicated history with race has also been brought to the fore in recent weeks .
The organization ’ s founder , educator and activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 20th century eugenists as she advocated for birth control in minority communities , where poverty was high and access to healthcare low .
Echoes of that racist history resurfaced in allegations made in a June 18 open letter outlining the “ racism and anti-Blackness ” of PPFA affiliate Planned Parenthood of Greater New York under the leadership of now-former CEO Laura McQuade , signed by hundreds of current and former members of PPGNY .
On Tuesday , McQuade officially “ parted ways ” with the organization after an abrupt about-face from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her despite reported repeated prior complaints during her two-year tenure .
As our sister site Jezebel reported , McQuade ’ s departure may only hint at the systemic internal issues that need to be addressed throughout PPFA .
As one Black PPGNY clinician disclosed to Jezebel on the condition of anonymity , “ white supremacy is still so embedded into the function of the organization.
” It ’ s worth noting that even as acting president and CEO of the Federation , which is comprised of dozens of regional affiliates , McGill Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McQuade ; that remains a responsibility of the affiliate ’ s board .
However , she did not mince words in responding to the controversy , issuing a statement that read , in part : McGill Johnson ’ s understanding of that mission is personal and crucial as PPFA not only faces an obstructive administration and potentially pivotal presidential election but continues to fight the ongoing Black maternal crisis .
The United States remains the most dangerous place in the developed world to give birth as a black woman ; working alongside organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Women ’ s Health Imperative and more , Planned Parenthood has also endorsed the Black Maternal Momnibus Act , which addresses racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes among black women .
A mother of two , McGill Johnson ’ s own birthing experience drove home the implicit biases that jeopardize black mothers .
After the birth of her second child , a hospital-contracted infection went unaddressed until she was nearly in crisis , despite repeatedly telling her physicians that she didn ’ t “ feel right.
’ “ And they didn ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor , ” she recalled .
“ And so , the idea that—from personal experience—the way bias shows up is so unbelievably scary when it shows up in ways where black women are literally dying because they are not taken seriously .
They are not seen ; literally , their humanity is not being seen in the same way.
” “ This public health crisis , in general , has revealed that we need to put real , meaningful measures in place to help protect health outcomes for black mothers .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are more impacted by bias in healthcare , ” she continued .
“ And I think this is also the place where the reproductive justice movement , which was started by black women , has really led us into important conversations around how we can support the health and rights of those folks who are most impacted ... .to make sure that Planned Parenthood is supporting those who are really leading the charge in the fight for reproductive healthcare.
” Compounding Planned Parenthood ’ s ability to deliver much-needed healthcare and resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As we spoke in May , McGill Johnson was sheltering in place , balancing homeschooling with the management of a national organization under threat from Trump ’ s administration .
Nevertheless , her central concern was how the lack of protections was affecting the most vulnerable among us .
“ I think that COVID has been a disruptor for all of us…and I think particularly Planned Parenthood , as a health care provider , is a critical part of the public health care infrastructure .
And when healthcare infrastructure—public and private—is challenged and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it is with this pandemic , you really start to see the disparities come to fore , ” she shared .
“ Being here in New York City , I ’ m looking at the folks who we ’ ve deemed essential workers : They ’ re Black , they ’ re Latinx , they ’ re largely women , they ’ re getting on the subway every day—crowded subways—still getting to where they need to…They are actually getting to work and doing the job in a way that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet we ’ re still having conversations as to whether or not they can control their own bodies .
And so , I feel like in some ways , we—Black people and Latinx people—are simply trying to survive the crisis , and yet our exposure is being increased , ” she added , noting the rise in unemployment as an additional factor .
“ They ’ re struggling to make ends meet and so , to add the dismantling of the healthcare system on top of that , that just continues to worsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , the Labor Department reported nearly 1.5 million new state unemployment insurance claims were filed the prior week—the 14th consecutive week filings have exceeded one million . )
Nevertheless , even amid an unprecedented crisis , McGill Johnson insisted that rather than pivoting its focus , Planned Parenthood “ dug deep into what our core mission is : it is to be there to serve the communities that we are located in and to really advocate on behalf of our patients who are at the center of this crisis ” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point that everyone deserves access to reproductive health care including abortion , our ability to control our own bodies—and particularly , as black women , our ability , because that ’ s a long-fought right that we ’ ve had to earn in so many ways , ” she added .
“ Our ability to control our own bodies is the definition of freedom .
It ’ s our ability to imagine our own futures and the futures of our families.
” For more information or to make a donation to Planned Parenthood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 to 22422 to access resources .
Correction : Friday , 6/26/20 at 4 p.m. , ET : An original version of this article failed to clarify that Laura McQuade was dismissed by the PPGNY board , not PPFA .
The post has been updated to reflect that detail .

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

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation’s largest provider of sex education with more than 600 health centers across the country, ushered in a new era in its nearly 104-year history on Friday, as its board of directors announced the appointment of Alexis McGill Johnson as permanent president and CEO of PPFA and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (Action Fund). The decision came after nearly a year of McGill Johnson’s service as acting president and CEO, before which she spent a decade on the PPFA and Action Fund boards, including a past chairmanship of the PPFA board.
McGill Johnson will be the second African American to head the esteemed organization after trailblazer Faye Wattleton, who led PPFA from 1978 10 1992 and is credited with transforming the organization “into the politically engaged entity that it is today, while at the same time dramatically increasing the range of its health-care services,” according to a statement provided to The Glow Up.
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“I am so proud and humbled to have been named the permanent President and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund,” said McGill Johnson of her now-permanent role, adding:
Since I stepped into the acting role last year, Planned Parenthood has battled serious threats to patients’ care, from the exclusion of Planned Parenthood providers from Title X funding to states’ continued efforts to limit access to abortion and reproductive health care. We know the year ahead holds more challenges, as we await the June Medical Services v. Russo decision in the Supreme Court, face a long overdue public reckoning with systemic racism, and continue to battle COVID-19. Through it all, I have been grateful to the Planned Parenthood family for their dedication to this work. I have learned so much from Planned Parenthood patients, our staff, and our broader movement, and am honored to continue this fight with them, and for them. I look forward to the work ahead.
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A joint statement from PPFA board Chair Aimee Cunningham and Action Fund Board Chair Jennie Rosenthal lauded McGill Johnson’s existing work in the role, reading, in part:
Throughout her life, Alexis has been a catalyst for social change and a warrior for justice and equity...Since becoming Acting President and CEO, Alexis has steered us through one of the most difficult times in our history with unfailing courage, tenacity, and resolve. As a proven trailblazer for reproductive rights and social change, Alexis is the right leader to take us into the next chapter of our history as we fight to create a world where every person is free to control their own body, destiny, and life.
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As both statements indicate, McGill Johnson’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment in the fight for reproductive rights in America, as the Trump administration continues its attack on the protections established by Roe v. Wade. As mentioned, currently at stake is the Supreme Court’s pending decision on June Medical Services v. Russo, which could severely limit abortion access in the state of Louisiana as it had in neighboring Texas before subsequently being declared unconstitutional.
And then, there are Republicans’ efforts to leverage the pandemic to restrict abortion access, as several Republican-led states refused to qualify abortions as essential services during the lockdown. This, as Trump continued to staff federal courts with conservative judges: On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate confirmed Trump’s 200th federal judge appointee, attorney and former state legislator Cory Wilson (R-Miss.) to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Wilson has long advocated for the “complete and immediate” reversal of Roe v. Wade, aligning himself with the anti-abortion group Mississippi Right to Life as early as 2007.
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Additionally, the New York Times reports that Democratic leaders consider the appointment of Wilson’s appointment “a slap in the face to Black Americans at a time when our country is working to take steps forward on racial justice, not backwards,” as articulated in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who also wrote:
“Judge Wilson has been an ardent supporter of restrictive voting measures, including voter ID laws, that disproportionately harm minority voters, and he has shown a pattern of dismissing legitimate concerns from voting rights groups.”
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With Wilson’s confirmation, Trump and his enablers have succeeded in filling all vacant seats in the federal circuit courts, a fear McGill Johnson voiced when speaking with The Glow Up in May, just a few days after the killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests.
“It’s just the extreme work that they’ve done to impact [patients] broadly, but on Black patients—I mean, the impact that they’ve had is just unreal,” McGill Johnson told us. “So our focus is on fighting back; it’s continuing to build up muscle to push back on all of these restrictions and making sure that we’re also advancing opportunities for health care where we can.”
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A Princeton and Yale-educated political scientist, educator and social justice leader who has taught political science and African-American studies at both Yale and Wesleyan University, McGill Johnson also co-founded the social change organization the Culture Group and anti-bias research consortium the Perception Institute (where she designed and implemented the Starbucks racial bias curriculum). Additionally, she serves on the boards of Color of Change, Revolutions Per Minute, and Narrative Initiative. With a comprehensive and very intimate lens on intersectionality, McGill Johnson is in a rare position to address the needs of the current moment.
Planned Parenthood’s own complicated history with race has also been brought to the fore in recent weeks. The organization’s founder, educator and activist Margaret Sanger, infamously aligned herself with early 20th century eugenists as she advocated for birth control in minority communities, where poverty was high and access to healthcare low. Echoes of that racist history resurfaced in allegations made in a June 18 open letter outlining the “racism and anti-Blackness” of PPFA affiliate Planned Parenthood of Greater New York under the leadership of now-former CEO Laura McQuade, signed by hundreds of current and former members of PPGNY. On Tuesday, McQuade officially “parted ways” with the organization after an abrupt about-face from the PPGNY board, which initially stood by her despite reported repeated prior complaints during her two-year tenure.
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As our sister site Jezebel reported, McQuade’s departure may only hint at the systemic internal issues that need to be addressed throughout PPFA. As one Black PPGNY clinician disclosed to Jezebel on the condition of anonymity, “white supremacy is still so embedded into the function of the organization.”
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It’s worth noting that even as acting president and CEO of the Federation, which is comprised of dozens of regional affiliates, McGill Johnson was not empowered to sanction or dismiss McQuade; that remains a responsibility of the affiliate’s board. However, she did not mince words in responding to the controversy, issuing a statement that read, in part:
Right now our country is in the middle of a racial justice reckoning—one that includes Planned Parenthood. We know we cannot address structural racism or white supremacy in this country without addressing our own. It spills out in the ways we have not yet successfully and publicly reckoned with our history, adequately supported the staff who make our work possible, and in the make-up of our leadership at national and affiliate levels. It ultimately stands in the way of fulfilling our mission.
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McGill Johnson’s understanding of that mission is personal and crucial as PPFA not only faces an obstructive administration and potentially pivotal presidential election but continues to fight the ongoing Black maternal crisis. The United States remains the most dangerous place in the developed world to give birth as a black woman; working alongside organizations like Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Women’s Health Imperative and more, Planned Parenthood has also endorsed the Black Maternal Momnibus Act, which addresses racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes among black women.
A mother of two, McGill Johnson’s own birthing experience drove home the implicit biases that jeopardize black mothers. After the birth of her second child, a hospital-contracted infection went unaddressed until she was nearly in crisis, despite repeatedly telling her physicians that she didn’t “feel right.’
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“And they didn’t take it seriously until I passed out the floor,” she recalled. “And so, the idea that—from personal experience—the way bias shows up is so unbelievably scary when it shows up in ways where black women are literally dying because they are not taken seriously. They are not seen; literally, their humanity is not being seen in the same way.”
“This public health crisis, in general, has revealed that we need to put real, meaningful measures in place to help protect health outcomes for black mothers. We are more vulnerable to structural environmental racism; we are more impacted by bias in healthcare,” she continued. “And I think this is also the place where the reproductive justice movement, which was started by black women, has really led us into important conversations around how we can support the health and rights of those folks who are most impacted....to make sure that Planned Parenthood is supporting those who are really leading the charge in the fight for reproductive healthcare.”
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Compounding Planned Parenthood’s ability to deliver much-needed healthcare and resources is the ongoing threat of COVID-19. As we spoke in May, McGill Johnson was sheltering in place, balancing homeschooling with the management of a national organization under threat from Trump’s administration. Nevertheless, her central concern was how the lack of protections was affecting the most vulnerable among us.
“I think that COVID has been a disruptor for all of us…and I think particularly Planned Parenthood, as a health care provider, is a critical part of the public health care infrastructure. And when healthcare infrastructure—public and private—is challenged and stretched to the limits, as it as it is with this pandemic, you really start to see the disparities come to fore,” she shared.
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“Being here in New York City, I’m looking at the folks who we’ve deemed essential workers: They’re Black, they’re Latinx, they’re largely women, they’re getting on the subway every day—crowded subways—still getting to where they need to…They are actually getting to work and doing the job in a way that we’re putting them on the line, and yet we’re still having conversations as to whether or not they can control their own bodies. And so, I feel like in some ways, we—Black people and Latinx people—are simply trying to survive the crisis, and yet our exposure is being increased,” she added, noting the rise in unemployment as an additional factor. “They’re struggling to make ends meet and so, to add the dismantling of the healthcare system on top of that, that just continues to worsen the crisis.” (Of note: On Thursday, the Labor Department reported nearly 1.5 million new state unemployment insurance claims were filed the prior week—the 14th consecutive week filings have exceeded one million.)
Nevertheless, even amid an unprecedented crisis, McGill Johnson insisted that rather than pivoting its focus, Planned Parenthood “dug deep into what our core mission is: it is to be there to serve the communities that we are located in and to really advocate on behalf of our patients who are at the center of this crisis”
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“If we think about just the fundamental point that everyone deserves access to reproductive health care including abortion, our ability to control our own bodies—and particularly, as black women, our ability, because that’s a long-fought right that we’ve had to earn in so many ways,” she added. “Our ability to control our own bodies is the definition of freedom. It’s our ability to imagine our own futures and the futures of our families.”
For more information or to make a donation to Planned Parenthood, visit their website; or text 2020 to 22422 to access resources.
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Correction: Friday, 6/26/20 at 4 p.m., ET: An original version of this article failed to clarify that Laura McQuade was dismissed by the PPGNY board, not PPFA . The post has been updated to reflect that detail.


theroot--2020-06-26--Trump’s Latest Comments About Blacks Thanking Him for His ‘Law and Order’ Approach Is Right Out of t

Trump’s Latest Comments About Blacks Thanking Him for His ‘Law and Order’ Approach Is Right Out of the Slave Master’s Playbook

President Donald Trump claims that “ Blacks ” come up to him and say things like “ I love you ” and “ You ’ re doing a great job ” and “ Thank you for moving us out of this rat-infested hell !
” I just have one question : When did Van Jones live in a rat-infested hell ?
I kid .
I actually have more questions , like who are these Black people and when and where are they running up to the president ?
He ’ s not a regular person .
H e ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ come up ” on the president without getting tackled by the Secret Service .
Also , I don ’ t know if the president knows this but B lack people hate him as they would literally stop a Russian prostitute from pissing on him if he were on fire .
Not all B lack people , of course , because there are still some B lack folks like Van Owens , I mean Candace Jones , I ’ m talking , of course , about Vanye Kardashian—sorry , as I get them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones who know the importance of a wave cap in this brutal sun , don ’ t fuck with him .
So Trump is lying .
No Black people are running up to him and Black people certainly aren ’ t thanking him .
But the story isn ’ t so much that the president is a liar , as that ’ s been the norm ; I think the more telling story is how the president sees both Black people and the state in which they live .
During an appearance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday–I believe the host goes by his birth name Sean Hannity–Trump spouted that Black voters are not only happy with the way he ’ s handled the recent protests against continued police violence , but they support his “ law and order ” approach .
He also said that it ’ s basically welcomed in high crime areas including Detroit , Chicago , Baltimore and Oakland , Calif. “ Everyone gets upset when I say it—they say ‘ Oh , that ’ s a racist statement , ’ ” Trump said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frankly , Black people come up to me and say ‘ Thank you sir for saying it.
’ They want help .
These cities , it ’ s like living in Hell , ” Newsweek reports .
Trump doesn ’ t know Black people .
He knows them as well as a master knows his slaves .
He knows them as property .
He knows them as chattel .
He knows them as well as a person knows their vacuum ; they are merely a tool to be used when needed and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t so much that Trump sees Black people as living in a continuous hell , it ’ s the simultaneous vision of himself as a white savior .
Trump really believes that this is how Blacks see him .
He really believes that Blacks are appreciative of his “ boot on their backs ” style of governance .
It ’ s not unusual as most slave masters believed they were giving Blacks a better way of life by enslaving them .
Newsweek points out that this isn ’ t Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in “ rat-infested ” cities and “ shit-hole countries.
” The slave master guilt thing works better if they can convince themselves and those who believe as they do that the slave has been saved by slavery .
It works better if the slave owner truly believes that he is beloved by those he tortures .
During his interview with LoveTrumpsTaint , the president also noted that his “ law and order ” approach shouldn ’ t be considered racist .
“ If we are going to become a more perfect union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happiness , we first have to have law and order , ” Trump said .
Newsweek notes that , “ Trump this week has called for a constitutional ban on burning the United States flag and more stringent punishment for destroying monuments , which currently carries up to a 10-year prison sentence .
The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 in Texas v. Johnson that flag burning was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.
” To date , there has been no legislation to punish police officers who shoot unarmed black and brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you consider that American policing has its history firmly rooted in slave patrols ?

President Donald Trump claims that “ Blacks” come up to him and say things like “I love you” and “You’re doing a great job” and “Thank you for moving us out of this rat-infested hell!”
I just have one question: When did Van Jones live in a rat-infested hell? I kid. I actually have more questions, like who are these Black people and when and where are they running up to the president? He’s not a regular person. H e’s the president, so no one can “come up” on the president without getting tackled by the Secret Service. Also, I don’t know if the president knows this but B lack people hate him as they would literally stop a Russian prostitute from pissing on him if he were on fire.
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Not all B lack people, of course, because there are still some B lack folks like Van Owens, I mean Candace Jones, I’m talking, of course, about Vanye Kardashian—sorry, as I get them all confused—but most Black people, the ones who know the importance of a wave cap in this brutal sun, don’t fuck with him.
So Trump is lying. No Black people are running up to him and Black people certainly aren’t thanking him. But the story isn’t so much that the president is a liar, as that’s been the norm; I think the more telling story is how the president sees both Black people and the state in which they live.
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During an appearance on LoveMeSomeTrumpsTaint’s show on Fox News on Thursday–I believe the host goes by his birth name Sean Hannity–Trump spouted that Black voters are not only happy with the way he’s handled the recent protests against continued police violence, but they support his “law and order” approach. He also said that it’s basically welcomed in high crime areas including Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore and Oakland, Calif.
“Everyone gets upset when I say it—they say ‘Oh, that’s a racist statement,’” Trump said. “It’s not racist. Frankly, Black people come up to me and say ‘Thank you sir for saying it.’ They want help. These cities, it’s like living in Hell,” Newsweek reports.
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Trump doesn’t know Black people. He knows them as well as a master knows his slaves. He knows them as property. He knows them as chattel. He knows them as well as a person knows their vacuum; they are merely a tool to be used when needed and then put up until needed again. It isn’t so much that Trump sees Black people as living in a continuous hell, it’s the simultaneous vision of himself as a white savior. Trump really believes that this is how Blacks see him. He really believes that Blacks are appreciative of his “boot on their backs” style of governance. It’s not unusual as most slave masters believed they were giving Blacks a better way of life by enslaving them.
Newsweek points out that this isn’t Trump’s first time qualifying Black people as living in “rat-infested” cities and “shit-hole countries.” The slave master guilt thing works better if they can convince themselves and those who believe as they do that the slave has been saved by slavery. It works better if the slave owner truly believes that he is beloved by those he tortures.
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During his interview with LoveTrumpsTaint, the president also noted that his “law and order” approach shouldn’t be considered racist.
“If we are going to become a more perfect union, if we really want to pursue happiness, we first have to have law and order,” Trump said.
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Newsweek notes that, “Trump this week has called for a constitutional ban on burning the United States flag and more stringent punishment for destroying monuments, which currently carries up to a 10-year prison sentence. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 in Texas v. Johnson that flag burning was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.”
To date, there has been no legislation to punish police officers who shoot unarmed black and brown people. Why would there be when you consider that American policing has its history firmly rooted in slave patrols?


theroot--2020-06-26--The Root's Clapback Mailbag: The Couchbed Solution

This week ’ s Clapback Mailbag is about strawmen .
When people try to disprove a reasonable argument by distorting the premise of the debate , there ’ s always a leap in logic that you might not notice unless you examine it closely .
For instance , people who refute “ black lives matter ” with “ but what about black-on-black crime ” always forget to mention white-on-white crime or the fact that the Movement for Black Lives also want Black criminals to recognize the value of a Black life just like we want white people to see our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not all white people , ” their rapid onset Caucasian amnesia erases the fact that they just suggested that all Black people should answer for the statistically insignificant subset of Black criminals .
But strawmen swear they have all the answers .
Take this guy , for instance .
He represents a lot of people who want to know why I keep blaming white people for the things white people actually do .
Here ’ s the problem with your argument : You don ’ t understand the meaning of “ atone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they just don ’ t stop doing bad things , they actually try to correct the harm that they ’ ve done .
This is not just a semantic argument .
When we discuss crime , we often talk about the sentences people receive as punishment , but we rarely mention the monetary fines that the guilty are charged with paying as restitution .
It ’ s because compensation is as much a part of justice as punishment .
It is spelled out in peace treaties , out-of-court settlements and even handshake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hole in someone ’ s yard and say you ’ re sorry .
You have to fill it back up .
And , in these specific cases , it is not enough for white people to acknowledge the harm that they ’ ve done , no matter how insignificant it may seem to you .
They also have to take steps to repair the damages .
Tina Fey not only stereotyped black people in front of an audience of millions , but she created a show ( 30 Rock ) that aired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person in a position of leadership .
Those stereotypes persist because millions of people have subconsciously consumed negative portrayals of black people for years .
And if those portrayals air in primetime on one of the biggest platforms on the planet , many people assume there must be some truth to them .
That is not an innocuous thing .
And undoing it takes more effort than sweeping them under a rug and sharing a “ my bad ” tweet .
Kirsten Dunst and Jenny Slate didn ’ t just do some voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In such a competitive industry , they provided an excuse for producers and casting agents because , if a white girl could do any job , then how can a black or biracial actress ever have a chance ?
I ’ m not saying any of these people should be flogged to death or tarred and feathered .
What I ’ m saying is that they haven ’ t atoned for the shit that they did .
And , even if America finally comes to grips with its past and admits that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shit to nonwhite people , that still won ’ t be enough .
They have to make it right .
And that requires more than stopping the bad shit and offering an apology .
Because that alone is not justice .
I stumbled across your article on being sent to jail and went down the rabbit hole reading some of your work .
Confession : I am black man who is a conservative Republican .
It seems as if you have a ton of facts and figures about discrimination and racismbut one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people like you and me can do about it .
It seems to me that the left wants everyone to buy into this hysteria but the only thing we can do about it is to try to be the best , hardestworking Americans that we can be and stop worrying abut what racists do .
Instead of telling people albout every incident of racism , whiat if you just pushed responsibility , education and hard work instead ?
Don ’ t you think that would make people unite more and less angry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , If no one hadn ’ t reported on racists coming to Birmingham , no one would have showed up to protest and if you weren ’ t there to report on a story about a protest by racists , you wouldn ’ t have been arrested .
Maybe African Americans need less stories about racism and more stories about what ’ s good about this country .
When I was 6 or 7 , my mom bought a bed for me .
Well ... my room was actually so small , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couch .
Actually , it wasn ’ t really a couch nor was it wide enough to be a single bed .
It had two large cushions that just leaned against the wall if you wanted to use it as a couch .
And you could remove the cushions and lie down if you wanted to use it as a bed .
( You could also use the cushions as imaginary wrestling opponents if you wanted to jump off the bed as if you were “ Nature Boy ” Ric Flair jumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ring but that ’ s not relevant to this story ) .
I still don ’ t know what technical classification of ghetto furniture it fit under but we called it the “ couchbed ” because sometimes it was a couch , sometimes it was a bed .
Now , because we only had one television in our house , I positioned this real nigga futon so that I could see the television in the den when I was laying on the bed , sitting on the couch .
So , after my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sleeping , or during the day when I was putting the Iron Sheik in the Figure Four , my couchbed gave me the perfect vantage point watch whatever my mother and my grandmother watched .
From the couchbed , I remember my grandmother watching the news and hearing her say that if Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election , Black people would be picking cotton again .
My exposure to sarcasm was very limited back then , so I was worried as fuck about being reintroduced back into slavery .
Would I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our future slave masters allow my baby sister to wear her church shoes to bed so she wouldn ’ t cry and sneak in her room in the middle of the night to take them off ?
So I decided to learn about slavery .
I read Before the Mayflower before I was 10 .
I consumed history books , articles and everything that I thought could prepare and teach me the best practices of being human chattel .
I even looked in an Atlas to map out an escape route and plotted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada .
Before I hit that couchbed on election night , I prayed like hell that Ronald Reagan wouldn ’ t win , to no avail .
It was probably Christmas before I stopped worrying about re-enslavers coming to snatch us up in the middle of the night .
A couple of years earlier , from the couchbed , I heard about the Atlanta child murders .
All summer , I was afraid every time my sisters stepped out of the house , so I convinced my mother to sign me up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find Taekwondo , which was close enough ) .
I made a pair of nunchucks and ordered throwing stars out of magazines .
I ’ d be ready if this murderous motherfucker was gon na steal one of my sisters but luckily , he never came .
And then there was The Day After .
The Day After was a television movie on ABC ( although I swear I remember it being on NBC ) about the aftermath of Russia dropping a nuclear bomb on America .
I remember watching it from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For years , I was constantly worried about nuclear war , which wasn ’ t helped by the fact that I lived less than five miles from a nuclear power plant .
But , unlike the Atlanta child killer or the Ronald Reagan Slavery Executive Order , there wasn ’ t really anything I could do .
So the idea of a nuclear holocaust became my greatest childhood fear .
Now , none of those fears were rational .
I haven ’ t done the calculations or looked up the statistics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than a 50 percent chance that Russia was going to target Hartsville , S.C. , with a nuclear bomb .
The probability of a mass murderer leaving the Atlanta area and coming to my hometown was even slimmer .
And the Reagan administration must have shelved their plans to stimulate the economy by reintroducing slavery .
But it was real to me .
Less than a month ago , I was talking to my mother and , for some reason , I told her about all the horrors I had seen from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no idea , but had she known , she would have fixed the problem .
When I asked her what she could have done to quell my psychological anxiety and change the world around me , she had a brilliant plan already chambered : She would have moved the couchbed .
“ That ’ s not a solution , ” I thought .
“ Nothing would have changed except I wouldn ’ t have known what was actually happening.
” A few days ago , my son was stopped by the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equivalent of a nuclear holocaust .
My son is one of those people who follows every rule to the letter of the law .
He chastises me because I will sometimes pump gas while the car is running even though the sign clearly instructs customers to shut off their car engines .
I knew he had been stopped by the cops because I trained him how to use Siri shortcut on his phone that automatically sends a text message with his location whenever he is pulled over .
We actually had training sessions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and registration .
We practiced what to say to the police .
He left home early that morning to move out of his college apartment , which means he was pulled over as he was driving through back roads in Alabama .
When I saw the text , I was worried as fuck but I kept it to myself .
However , I forgot that the Siri shortcut also sent a message to his mom , who was frantic .
I tried my best to calm her down but , that wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was nothing we could do but wait to see what happened .
Then an argument broke out because , like an idiot , I said , out loud , that she shouldn ’ t worry because he ’ d probably be alright , which , as you can imagine , didn ’ t go over that well .
Sometimes I can ’ t imagine what it must be like to have a husband as stupid as I am .
Luckily , he was OK ( except for the speeding ticket , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he was rushing to get home because he knew that there was a citywide curfew .
“ Your mom was freaking out , ” I told him .
“ Maybe I should have the ‘ stopped by police ’ text only sent to me.
” Even he knew how dumb that idea is .
And he ’ s never seen a couchbed .

This week’s Clapback Mailbag is about strawmen.
When people try to disprove a reasonable argument by distorting the premise of the debate, there’s always a leap in logic that you might not notice unless you examine it closely.
For instance, people who refute “black lives matter” with “but what about black-on-black crime” always forget to mention white-on-white crime or the fact that the Movement for Black Lives also want Black criminals to recognize the value of a Black life just like we want white people to see our worth.
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When they follow up with “not all white people,” their rapid onset Caucasian amnesia erases the fact that they just suggested that all Black people should answer for the statistically insignificant subset of Black criminals.
But strawmen swear they have all the answers.
Take this guy, for instance. He represents a lot of people who want to know why I keep blaming white people for the things white people actually do.
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Dear JD,
Here’s the problem with your argument:
You don’t understand the meaning of “atone”:
Atone: to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome
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When one atones for something, they just don’t stop doing bad things, they actually try to correct the harm that they’ve done. This is not just a semantic argument.
When we discuss crime, we often talk about the sentences people receive as punishment, but we rarely mention the monetary fines that the guilty are charged with paying as restitution. It’s because compensation is as much a part of justice as punishment. It is spelled out in peace treaties, out-of-court settlements and even handshake deals.
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You can’t dig a hole in someone’s yard and say you’re sorry. You have to fill it back up. And, in these specific cases, it is not enough for white people to acknowledge the harm that they’ve done, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. They also have to take steps to repair the damages.
Tina Fey not only stereotyped black people in front of an audience of millions, but she created a show (30 Rock) that aired for 138 episodes without a single black person in a position of leadership. Those stereotypes persist because millions of people have subconsciously consumed negative portrayals of black people for years. And if those portrayals air in primetime on one of the biggest platforms on the planet, many people assume there must be some truth to them.
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That is not an innocuous thing. And undoing it takes more effort than sweeping them under a rug and sharing a “my bad” tweet. Kirsten Dunst and Jenny Slate didn’t just do some voice work that looks bad in retrospect. In such a competitive industry, they provided an excuse for producers and casting agents because, if a white girl could do any job, then how can a black or biracial actress ever have a chance?
I’m not saying any of these people should be flogged to death or tarred and feathered. What I’m saying is that they haven’t atoned for the shit that they did.
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And, even if America finally comes to grips with its past and admits that this country has done a lot of fucked-up shit to nonwhite people, that still won’t be enough.
They have to make it right.
And that requires more than stopping the bad shit and offering an apology. Because that alone is not justice.
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It’s white privilege.
I received this interesting perspective from a reader:
From Ben O. To: Michael Harriot Subject: Solutions I stumbled across your article on being sent to jail and went down the rabbit hole reading some of your work. Confession: I am black man who is a conservative Republican. It seems as if you have a ton of facts and figures about discrimination and racismbut one of the things you never address is what people like you and me can do about it. It seems to me that the left wants everyone to buy into this hysteria but the only thing we can do about it is to try to be the best, hardestworking Americans that we can be and stop worrying abut what racists do. Instead of telling people albout every incident of racism, whiat if you just pushed responsibility, education and hard work instead? Don’t you think that would make people unite more and less angry and outraged? Think of it like this, If no one hadn’t reported on racists coming to Birmingham, no one would have showed up to protest and if you weren’t there to report on a story about a protest by racists, you wouldn’t have been arrested. Maybe African Americans need less stories about racism and more stories about what’s good about this country. Just my opinion B.
When I was 6 or 7, my mom bought a bed for me.
Well...my room was actually so small, that instead of a bed, she bought a couch.
Actually, it wasn’t really a couch nor was it wide enough to be a single bed. It had two large cushions that just leaned against the wall if you wanted to use it as a couch. And you could remove the cushions and lie down if you wanted to use it as a bed. (You could also use the cushions as imaginary wrestling opponents if you wanted to jump off the bed as if you were “Nature Boy” Ric Flair jumping off the top rope of a wrestling ring but that’s not relevant to this story).
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I still don’t know what technical classification of ghetto furniture it fit under but we called it the “couchbed” because sometimes it was a couch, sometimes it was a bed.
News Editor Monique Judge: the technical classification is “a corner group”
Now, because we only had one television in our house, I positioned this real nigga futon so that I could see the television in the den when I was laying on the bed, sitting on the couch. So, after my bedtime, when I was supposed to be sleeping, or during the day when I was putting the Iron Sheik in the Figure Four, my couchbed gave me the perfect vantage point watch whatever my mother and my grandmother watched.
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From the couchbed, I remember my grandmother watching the news and hearing her say that if Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election, Black people would be picking cotton again. My exposure to sarcasm was very limited back then, so I was worried as fuck about being reintroduced back into slavery.
Would I be separated from my mama? Would our future slave masters allow my baby sister to wear her church shoes to bed so she wouldn’t cry and sneak in her room in the middle of the night to take them off?
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So I decided to learn about slavery.
I read Before the Mayflower before I was 10. I consumed history books, articles and everything that I thought could prepare and teach me the best practices of being human chattel. I even looked in an Atlas to map out an escape route and plotted the entire family’s escape to Canada.
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Before I hit that couchbed on election night, I prayed like hell that Ronald Reagan wouldn’t win, to no avail. It was probably Christmas before I stopped worrying about re-enslavers coming to snatch us up in the middle of the night.
A couple of years earlier, from the couchbed, I heard about the Atlanta child murders.
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All summer, I was afraid every time my sisters stepped out of the house, so I convinced my mother to sign me up for Kung Fu lessons (we could only find Taekwondo, which was close enough). I made a pair of nunchucks and ordered throwing stars out of magazines. I’d be ready if this murderous motherfucker was gonna steal one of my sisters but luckily, he never came.
And then there was The Day After.
The Day After was a television movie on ABC (although I swear I remember it being on NBC) about the aftermath of Russia dropping a nuclear bomb on America. I remember watching it from the couchbed and sinking into a deep depression. For years, I was constantly worried about nuclear war, which wasn’t helped by the fact that I lived less than five miles from a nuclear power plant. But, unlike the Atlanta child killer or the Ronald Reagan Slavery Executive Order, there wasn’t really anything I could do. So the idea of a nuclear holocaust became my greatest childhood fear.
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Now, none of those fears were rational. I haven’t done the calculations or looked up the statistics, but I would guess that there was less than a 50 percent chance that Russia was going to target Hartsville, S.C., with a nuclear bomb. The probability of a mass murderer leaving the Atlanta area and coming to my hometown was even slimmer. And the Reagan administration must have shelved their plans to stimulate the economy by reintroducing slavery.
But it was real to me.
Less than a month ago, I was talking to my mother and, for some reason, I told her about all the horrors I had seen from the couchbed. She said that she had no idea, but had she known, she would have fixed the problem. When I asked her what she could have done to quell my psychological anxiety and change the world around me, she had a brilliant plan already chambered:
She would have moved the couchbed.
“That’s not a solution,” I thought. “Nothing would have changed except I wouldn’t have known what was actually happening.”
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A few days ago, my son was stopped by the police.
To me, this is the equivalent of a nuclear holocaust.
My son is one of those people who follows every rule to the letter of the law. He chastises me because I will sometimes pump gas while the car is running even though the sign clearly instructs customers to shut off their car engines.
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I knew he had been stopped by the cops because I trained him how to use Siri shortcut on his phone that automatically sends a text message with his location whenever he is pulled over. We actually had training sessions on how to reach for his license and registration. We practiced what to say to the police.
He left home early that morning to move out of his college apartment, which means he was pulled over as he was driving through back roads in Alabama. When I saw the text, I was worried as fuck but I kept it to myself. However, I forgot that the Siri shortcut also sent a message to his mom, who was frantic.
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I tried my best to calm her down but, that wasn’t happening. I tried to explain that there was nothing we could do but wait to see what happened. Then an argument broke out because, like an idiot, I said, out loud, that she shouldn’t worry because he’d probably be alright, which, as you can imagine, didn’t go over that well.
Sometimes I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a husband as stupid as I am. Luckily, he was OK (except for the speeding ticket, part). He later told me that he was rushing to get home because he knew that there was a citywide curfew.
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“Your mom was freaking out,” I told him. “Maybe I should have the ‘stopped by police’ text only sent to me.”
“Well, that’s a stupid solution,” he said.
Even he knew how dumb that idea is.
And he’s never seen a couchbed.


theroot--2020-06-26--30 Days of Iconic Music Video Blackness With VSB, Day 26: Force MDs, 'Tender Love'

Force MDs “ Tender Love ” is a jam , you hear me ?
It ’ s as good today as it was in 1985 , a nod I give to just how good GOAT writers and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are at song creation .
The video , though , is awesome in a different way .
Be clear , I love this video for many reasons .
For starters , if you were to tell me this video was some sort of spoof , I ’ d believe you .
It looks like a Sesame Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t be out of place .
Part of that is because so much of the very beginning makes no sense .
I ’ ve never seen this many B lack men who all know one another fuck up dap this much .
There are missed hand slaps aplenty .
That just doesn ’ t happen .
They sing together and know each other for real .
Homies develop a rhythm at dapping .
These niggas flub the whole shit .
I love it .
I kind of would love to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and make amends for that .
Further , this 80s fashion is whew chillay .
But you know what ?
T hose were the times .
It looks a hot mess but like , a perfectly time-specific hot mess .
And that dressing is exacerbated by the odd dancing .
So , in my crew of friends , I ’ m the dude who always does too much .
I suck at slow dancing because I was always trying to , ya know , jam .
So I totally understand my mans who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow song .
That happens a lot .
There is so much more shoulder action than is really necessary for the successful execution of performing this song .
But again , that dude is me and I am him .
Also , the rhythm was a little ... off .
I don ’ t know .
I appreciate the authenticity there .
These brothers suck at dap , there ’ s no way in hell they ’ d all be on beat .
Being good at dap doesn ’ t mean you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad at dap absolutely means you are incapable of keeping time .
This shit is science , b .
More also , these videos are reminders of just how old people looked even in the 80s .
Everybody in this group was in their early 20s at the oldest .
If you told me they were 40 , I ’ d believe you .
It ’ s that same Queen Latifah energy , who as I pointed out , has either been 19 since the early 90s or 40 since the early 90s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d be remiss if I didn ’ t point out how sad this video actually is .
The song is about wanting to tell this woman in the window how much he needs her .
These dudes took over a stoop Stalka Style to sing to her , and she seems welcoming enough , but then she just literally ghosts the lead singer .
And just when you think that he ’ s going to sit there , alone , and she ’ ll emerge from the door , nothing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a window where she literally sits , watches , smiles and seemingly enjoys the show only to leave him , his red leather fedora and sometimes-it ’ s-there-sometimes-it ’ s-not-white jacket hanging .
He ultimately leaves , sadly , but also without the white jacket , which he did have in the first place , but I suppose is a metaphor or something for cutting losses ?
I don ’ t know , but white jackets aren ’ t free , I hope he went back and got it .
I love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this and because so many of our favorite songs from this era had absolutely ridiculous videos .
Also , Elmo could have saved the day .
And any video where Elmo could save it is nothing short of iconic .
That ’ s the tender love .
And it ’ s still one of the greatest songs ever .

Force MDs “Tender Love” is a jam, you hear me? It’s as good today as it was in 1985, a nod I give to just how good GOAT writers and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are at song creation. The video, though, is awesome in a different way.
Be clear, I love this video for many reasons. For starters, if you were to tell me this video was some sort of spoof, I’d believe you. It looks like a Sesame Street segment is about to erupt; Oscar wouldn’t be out of place. Part of that is because so much of the very beginning makes no sense. I’ve never seen this many B lack men who all know one another fuck up dap this much. There are missed hand slaps aplenty. That just doesn’t happen. They sing together and know each other for real. Homies develop a rhythm at dapping. These niggas flub the whole shit. I love it. I kind of would love to see all of the members watch this joint and make amends for that.
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Force MDs “Tender Love” (1985)
Further, this 80s fashion is whew chillay. But you know what? T hose were the times. It looks a hot mess but like, a perfectly time-specific hot mess. And that dressing is exacerbated by the odd dancing. So, in my crew of friends, I’m the dude who always does too much. I suck at slow dancing because I was always trying to, ya know, jam. So I totally understand my mans who dance hard with their hands on a slow song. That happens a lot. There is so much more shoulder action than is really necessary for the successful execution of performing this song. But again, that dude is me and I am him.
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Also, the rhythm was a little...off. I don’t know. I appreciate the authenticity there. These brothers suck at dap, there’s no way in hell they’d all be on beat. Being good at dap doesn’t mean you can’t keep time, but being bad at dap absolutely means you are incapable of keeping time. This shit is science, b.
More also, these videos are reminders of just how old people looked even in the 80s. Everybody in this group was in their early 20s at the oldest. If you told me they were 40, I’d believe you. It’s that same Queen Latifah energy, who as I pointed out, has either been 19 since the early 90s or 40 since the early 90s, and no answer is wrong.
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I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out how sad this video actually is. The song is about wanting to tell this woman in the window how much he needs her. These dudes took over a stoop Stalka Style to sing to her, and she seems welcoming enough, but then she just literally ghosts the lead singer. And just when you think that he’s going to sit there, alone, and she’ll emerge from the door, nothing. Buddy brought his struggle-dap-singer-homies to serenade her out a window where she literally sits, watches, smiles and seemingly enjoys the show only to leave him, his red leather fedora and sometimes-it’s-there-sometimes-it’s-not-white jacket hanging. He ultimately leaves, sadly, but also without the white jacket, which he did have in the first place, but I suppose is a metaphor or something for cutting losses? I don’t know, but white jackets aren’t free, I hope he went back and got it.
I love mid 80s videos simply for stuff like this and because so many of our favorite songs from this era had absolutely ridiculous videos. Also, Elmo could have saved the day. And any video where Elmo could save it is nothing short of iconic. That’s the tender love. And it’s still one of the greatest songs ever.


theroot--2020-06-26--Special Prosecutor Appointed in Elijah McClain Case

Outrage has grown in the last week over the way the case of Elijah McClain has been handled .
McClain was a 23-year-old Black man who died last year during a confrontation with police in Aurora , Colo. After a petition for a new investigation into the case garnered 3 million signatures , Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis ( D ) has appointed a special prosecutor to the case .
CBS News reports that state Attorney General Phil Weiser will launch an investigation into McClain ’ s death .
In a statement , Polis said charges will be filed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s appointment comes a day after The Root reported that Polis announced his intention to look into the case .
“ Elijah McClain should be alive today .
His life mattered and his death was tragic , ” Weiser said in a statement .
That sentiment was echoed by Polis in his own statement .
“ Elijah McClain should be alive today , and we owe it to his family to take this step and elevate the pursuit of justice in his name to a statewide concern .
Now more than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power to foster public trust and confidence in law enforcement and the criminal justice system , ” the governor ’ s statement read .
He also claimed that he was “ moved ” after talking to McClain ’ s mother .
“ They murdered him .
They are bullies with badges , ” Shaneen McClain said of the officers involved in her son ’ s death .
District attorney Dave Young , who initially investigated the case , said that McClain was uncooperative with police during the night of the incident last August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just listening to music while on his way home .
Young ’ s report on the incident quotes McClain as saying , “ Can you leave me alone , you guys started to arrest me and I was stopping my music to listen , now let me go.
” Young ’ s report also claims that McClain escalated the situation by reaching for Officer Randy Rodema ’ s gun .
Mari Newman , the attorney representing McClain ’ s family , pushed back against that claim .
“ Don ’ t you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gun , we would see fingerprints that have been lifted from the gun ?
” Newman told CBS News .
Young said that he hadn ’ t found evidence that would contradict Rodema ’ s claim .
As the situation escalated , the police put McClain into a chokehold and he eventually lost consciousness .
Paramedics later arrived at the scene and a medic gave McClain ketamine to sedate him .
McClain was then taken to the hospital but suffered cardiac arrest that led to “ anoxic encephalopathy , ” or loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was pronounced brain dead three days later .
According to the DA ’ s report , the coroner was unable to determine a cause of death — but didn ’ t rule out the possibility that ketamine contributed .
The coroner wrote that McClain was given a “ therapeutic level ” of ketamine , but could have had an “ idiosyncratic ” reaction to the drug .
Young made the initial decision not to charge the officers .
When asked if the officer ’ s actions were justified , he said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Young released a statement that restated his position on not filing criminal charges .
“ Ultimately , while I may share the vast public opinion that Elijah McClain ’ s death could have been avoided , it is not my role to file criminal charges based on opinion , but rather , on the evidence revealed from the investigation and applicable Colorado law.
” Young wrote .
“ While the officers no doubt used force in this incident , based on the evidence and the law applicable at the time of Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not disprove the officers ’ reasonable belief in the necessity to use force .
”

Outrage has grown in the last week over the way the case of Elijah McClain has been handled. McClain was a 23-year-old Black man who died last year during a confrontation with police in Aurora, Colo. After a petition for a new investigation into the case garnered 3 million signatures, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has appointed a special prosecutor to the case.
CBS News reports that state Attorney General Phil Weiser will launch an investigation into McClain’s death. In a statement, Polis said charges will be filed “if the facts support prosecution.” Weiser’s appointment comes a day after The Root reported that Polis announced his intention to look into the case. “Elijah McClain should be alive today. His life mattered and his death was tragic, ” Weiser said in a statement.
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That sentiment was echoed by Polis in his own statement. “Elijah McClain should be alive today, and we owe it to his family to take this step and elevate the pursuit of justice in his name to a statewide concern. Now more than ever, we must do everything within our power to foster public trust and confidence in law enforcement and the criminal justice system,” the governor’s statement read. He also claimed that he was “moved” after talking to McClain’s mother.
“They murdered him. They are bullies with badges,” Shaneen McClain said of the officers involved in her son’s death.
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District attorney Dave Young, who initially investigated the case, said that McClain was uncooperative with police during the night of the incident last August. His family argues that he was just listening to music while on his way home. Young’s report on the incident quotes McClain as saying, “Can you leave me alone, you guys started to arrest me and I was stopping my music to listen, now let me go.” Young’s report also claims that McClain escalated the situation by reaching for Officer Randy Rodema’s gun.
Mari Newman, the attorney representing McClain’s family, pushed back against that claim. “Don’t you think if he really had grabbed someone’s gun, we would see fingerprints that have been lifted from the gun?” Newman told CBS News. Young said that he hadn’t found evidence that would contradict Rodema’s claim. As the situation escalated, the police put McClain into a chokehold and he eventually lost consciousness.
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From CBS News:
Paramedics later arrived at the scene and a medic gave McClain ketamine to sedate him. McClain was then taken to the hospital but suffered cardiac arrest that led to “anoxic encephalopathy,” or loss of blood flow to the brain, and was pronounced brain dead three days later. According to the DA’s report, the coroner was unable to determine a cause of death — but didn’t rule out the possibility that ketamine contributed. The coroner wrote that McClain was given a “therapeutic level” of ketamine, but could have had an “idiosyncratic” reaction to the drug. Young made the initial decision not to charge the officers. When asked if the officer’s actions were justified, he said: “Legally, yes.”
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On Thursday, Young released a statement that restated his position on not filing criminal charges. “Ultimately, while I may share the vast public opinion that Elijah McClain’s death could have been avoided, it is not my role to file criminal charges based on opinion, but rather, on the evidence revealed from the investigation and applicable Colorado law.” Young wrote. “While the officers no doubt used force in this incident, based on the evidence and the law applicable at the time of Mr. McClain’s death, the prosecution cannot disprove the officers’ reasonable belief in the necessity to use force.”


TGIF Playlist: Vibing

It ’ s Friday !
There are so many things that are going on in the world , so why @ @ @ @ @ , and fucking vibe ?
!
I ’ ve curated a playlist for you to @ @ @ @ @ sure to tune into Amazon Music Unlimited for the full version .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ FREE listens .
Let ’ s get to it .
And here ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ for your enjoyment : Until next week , y ’ all .
Enjoy the cookout @

Ignacia on The Inventory, shared by Quentyn Kennemer to The Root

3 Months Free | Amazon Music Unlimited
It’s Friday! There are so many things that are going on in the world, so why not sit back, relax, and fucking vibe?! I’ve curated a playlist for you to do just that. Make sure to tune into Amazon Music Unlimited for the full version. They’re still doing 3 months of FREE listens. Let’s get to it.
1. “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle
2. “Weston Road Flows” — Drake
3. “BLACK PARADE” — Beyoncé
4. “Girlfriend” — Charlie Puth
5. “KEYS TO THE KINGDOM” — Tiwa Savage ft. Mr. Eazi
6. “Sweeter” —Leon Bridges ft. Terrace Martin
7. “What You Need” — KAYTRANADA ft. Charlotte Day Wilson
8. “TKN” — Rosalía ft. Travis Scott
9. “Fast Car” — Tracy Chapman
10. “Wide Open Spaces” — Dixie Chicks
11. “In Your Eyes” — The Weeknd
12. “Dancing With A Stranger” — Sam Smith ft. Normani
13. “Higher Love” — Kygo ft. Whitney Houston
14. “ocean eyes” — Billie Eilish
15. “Anybody” — Burna Boy
16. “Wake Up Love” — Teyana Taylor ft. IMAN
And here’s the completed playlist on Amazon Music for your enjoyment:
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Until next week, y’all. Enjoy the cookout.