theroot--2020-08-13--Save Hundreds on Dell Laptops and Desktops Right Now

The best Dell and Alienware deals for August 2020 are here .
Starting today , Dell has unleashed a 10 % sitewide promo code , SAVE10 , that ’ ll let you save some massive cash on desktops , laptops , monitors , and more .
In our testing , it stacks with some existing discounts , but not all of them .
For example , you ’ ll boost the total savings off of the Dell New XPS 15 l aptop to $ 250 with the code , but trying to apply it to this Alienware m15 R2 gaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already tied to that device .
In any case , we ’ ve picked out some of the best deals over at Dell right now and mentioned the promo code when it applies , plus you ’ ll find some stellar deals from other sites below .
Dell ’ s redesigned XPS 15 is a productivity powerhouse , pairing a sizable 15.6 ” 1920x1200 display with a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor , NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU for solid gaming prowess , and 8GB RAM .
Right now , you can save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this configuration direct from Dell .
Use the code SAVE10 at checkout to take advantage of the full savings .
Save $ 100 off the list price of this sharp and sizable monitor , which has a 27 ” LCD panel at a crisp 2560x1440 resolution and can be swiveled into portrait orientation as desired .
It ’ s crisp and versatile , making this an ideal screen for anyone who needs significant display space without breaking the bank .
Got the cash to go absolutely nuts on a gaming laptop right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deal for you .
The Alienware m15 Gaming Laptop is stocked with high-end hardware , from a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 206 0 GPU and Intel Core i7 chip to a 15.6 ” screen and Cryo-Tech cooling v3.0 .
Save $ 45 0 off the list price for this configuration right now .
If you ’ re looking for a specced-out compact laptop , Dell ’ s refreshed XPS 13 might do the trick .
This premium package includes a 4K touch display , along with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s $ 180 off right now when you use code SAVE10 at checkout .
Need a basic desktop that won ’ t require extra purchases ?
Dell ’ s Inspiron 22 3000 All-in-One PC should do the trick , as the guts of the PC are packed into the same body as the screen , plus the keyboard and mouse come with .
It ’ s decently-specced thanks to the AMD A6-9225 processor and 4GB RAM , but you ’ ll get a big 21.5 '' screen here plus a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s $ 10 0 off the list price right now .
Need a decently-capable laptop for a kid ?
Dell ’ s Chromebook 3100 Education is a good , affordable option .
It ’ s entry-level for sure , with an 11.6 '' screen and modest specs , but you don ’ t need a lot of horsepower to run the cloud-centric Chromebooks .
This one ’ s $ 100 off the list price right now , although you can pay a smidge more for nice-to-haves like more storage or a touch display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend on a laptop right now ?
No worries .
If you can deal without Windows , then you can get this Dell Chromebook 11 model for just $ 156 refurbished from Newegg .
You get an 11.6 ” HD screen here along with an Intel Celeron N2840 , 4GB RAM , and a very small 16GB SSD for storage .
It ’ s small and not immensely powerful , but with access to Google apps and enough speed for web browsing and streaming , it just might meet your needs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
You ’ ll find a solid deal on a 24 ” Dell monitor right now at Best Buy .
It ’ s decently crisp at 1080p resolution , but there are much sharper options if you ’ re willing to part with extra cash .
Still , at $ 30 off the list price right now , this might be a solid bargain if you want more screen real estate to play with .
Get a beast of a gaming rig with Alienware ’ s Aurora R9 desktop , which looks about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s powered by a 9th-gen Intel Core i5 chip with 8GB of RAM , along with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GPU onboard .
You ’ ll save $ 150 right now when ordering from Dell .
Get a stunning new view of your gaming worlds with Alienware ’ s 34 ” curved monitor .
Not only does it have that curvature for a purportedly more immersive experience , but it ’ s also stacked when it comes to the specs .
This 3440x1440 monitor is ultra-crisp and has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means your games should run super smooth on it .
Save $ 178 right now through Amazon and get ready for the year ’ s biggest games ahead , including Cyberpunk 2077 ( as shown ) .
On the other hand , if you want a keyboard with a bit more visual punch to it , Alienware has a rainbow-colored delight to adorn your gaming setup .
This RGB gaming keyboard features low-profile Cherry MX switches and per-key RGB lighting with 16.8 million different color options .
It ’ s 19 % @ @ @ @ @ @

Benjamin Levin and Andrew Hayward on Roundups, shared by Gabe Carey to The Root

Featured Deal: Back-to-School Sale | Dell
The best Dell and Alienware deals for August 2021 are here.
We might be in the heart of summer right now, but school is right around the corner for many kids of all ages. If your current laptop or desktop was barely chugging along at the end of the last school year, then this might be a prime time to upgrade for something sleeker and more powerful for next year.
Luckily, Dell is offering some sizzling bargains in its current Back-to-School sale, which includes bonus savings on computers and accessories. Scope out some of the best deals below, and be sure to use the promo codes when mentioned to take advantage of the full savings.
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Need a new tower to replace an older desktop? Dell’s new Inspiron Desktop is 16% smaller than previous models. This solidly powerful configuration comes with a 10th-gen Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB RAM, as well as a swift 256GB SSD. Save an extra $150 off right now and get free shipping.
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Get a sleek and beautiful laptop at a modest price with the Dell XPS 13, currently $920. It comes with an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB RAM, with a swift 256GB SSD and a 13.3” Full HD display. Save $30 off the standard price.
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If you’re eager to get in on the VR wave—especially right now when it’s a perfect escape from the monotony of home quarantine—then here’s a desktop for you.
The Dell XPS Desktop has more than enough power to run VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive (both sold separately!), thanks to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card on this model, plus it has an Intel Core i7 chip and 16GB RAM. Right now, the desktop tower is $1,300—a savings of $500 off of the list price.
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Use the code SAVE12 at checkout
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Looking to invest in a seriously powerful portable gaming rig? The New G15 Gaming Laptop is packed with power and also delivers fantastic savings right now. You’ll get a 11th-gen Intel Core i5 chip with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 alongside. Add in 8GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 300Hz 15.6” 1080p monitor and you’ve got everything you need for high-end gaming. The prices is down to $1,180 but you can save an extra 12% off the list price with the code SAVE12 from Dell.
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Get a stunning new view of your gaming worlds with Alienware’s 34” curved monitor. Not only does it have that curvature for a purportedly more immersive experience, but it’s also stacked when it comes to the specs. This 3440x1440 monitor is ultra-crisp and has a 120Hz refresh rate and G-SYNC compatibility, which means your games should run super smooth on it. Get it from $889 right now through Amazon.
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Get a beast of a gaming rig with Alienware’s Aurora R12 Desktop, which looks about as awesome as it surely performs. It’s powered by an 11th generation i5 chip with 8GB RAM, along with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU onboard. You’ll save $370 right now from Dell.
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Some computer monitors blow you away with their size, crispness, refresh rate, or curvature. Others just get the job done at a reasonable price. The Dell 27 Monitor is decidedly the latter, delivering a solid 27” 1080p picture without any bells and whistles in tow. But at $200 right now, a savings of $110 from the list price, it seems like a decent deal.


theroot--2020-08-13--K9 Program Suspended in Salt Lake City After Dog Bites Black Man Who Was Complying With Police

The Salt Lake City Police Department has suspended its K9 program following the release of body camera footage that depicted a Black man being bitten by a police dog despite being on his knees with his hands up .
According to NBC News , the department launched a review into the program ’ s policies and training procedures with the assistance of outside experts .
Additional investigations have been launched into the April 24 incident that left Jeffrey Ryans , 36 , with injuries so severe they may result in amputation , according to Ryans ’ lawyers .
Nickolas Pearce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , was placed on administrative leave pending investigations by the city ’ s civilian review board and internal affairs .
On Tuesday , disturbing body camera footage was released that showed Ryans standing in his backyard , talking to the officers .
He tells the officers he ’ s “ just going to work , ” and one of the officers can be heard asking about how to get around the house , while another is heard saying Ryans intends to jump the fence .
Pearce then approaches Ryans and says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to get bit.
” Ryans gets on his knees with his hands up when Pearce says “ hit.
” The dog begins to attack Ryans and Pearce can be heard saying “ Good boy , ” while Ryans cries out in pain and asks why the dog is attacking him .
“ I felt like a chew toy .
I didn ’ t know why this was happening to me .
That ’ s what was going through my mind .
Why ?
” Ryans told the Salt Lake Tribune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw in that video , frustrated by how the situation was handled , and am committed to working to ensure neither happen again , ” Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a t weet on Wednesday .
Daniel Garner and Gabriel White , Ryans ’ attorneys , have said that he suffered damage to his nerves and tendons , infection and still has trouble walking .
Doctors haven ’ t ruled out that Ryans may need to have his leg amputated .
“ We ’ ve seen lots of dog bites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else , ” White told NBC News .
“ I would ’ ve assumed he had an accident with a chainsaw.
” This whole situation , to put it plainly , is fucked .
Dude completely complied with what was asked of him and he still wound up having his body brutalized .
What makes matters even worse is that something is only being done now because the video came out .
The department had four months to do something and they just didn ’ t .
Salt Lake City police spokesman Detective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding to a call about domestic violence .
Last year , Ryans ’ wife had obtained a protective order while they were separated but they reconciled earlier this year , and Ryans moved back in to help with their children at the start of the coronavirus pandemic .
Ryans ’ wife thought the order was lifted after speaking with someone at the local district attorney ’ s office .
“ Unbeknownst to her , a judge has to lift it , ” Garner said .
In the body camera footage , officers could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protective order and wasn ’ t supposed to be there .
Ryans was arrested on suspicion of violating a protective order but a court date has yet to be set .
It ’ s not known who made the initial call to the police .
In June , Ryans took the first step in filing a lawsuit by submitting a notice of claim that gives police officials 60 days to respond .
“ If they take responsibility , there won ’ t be a lawsuit , ” Garner said .
Ryans was laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineer and , according to his lawyers , his multiple surgeries have put him tens of thousands in debt .
“ My client ’ s main goal is to see the reforms that the nation has been having a conversation about , ” Garner said .
“ And he ’ s got a mountain of medical bills he has to deal with now .
”

The Salt Lake City Police Department has suspended its K9 program following the release of body camera footage that depicted a Black man being bitten by a police dog despite being on his knees with his hands up.
According to NBC News, the department launched a review into the program’s policies and training procedures with the assistance of outside experts. Additional investigations have been launched into the April 24 incident that left Jeffrey Ryans, 36, with injuries so severe they may result in amputation, according to Ryans’ lawyers. Nickolas Pearce, the K9 officer involved in the incident, was placed on administrative leave pending investigations by the city’s civilian review board and internal affairs.
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On Tuesday, disturbing body camera footage was released that showed Ryans standing in his backyard, talking to the officers. He tells the officers he’s “just going to work,” and one of the officers can be heard asking about how to get around the house, while another is heard saying Ryans intends to jump the fence. Pearce then approaches Ryans and says, “Get on the ground or you’re going to get bit.” Ryans gets on his knees with his hands up when Pearce says “hit.” The dog begins to attack Ryans and Pearce can be heard saying “Good boy,” while Ryans cries out in pain and asks why the dog is attacking him.
“I felt like a chew toy. I didn’t know why this was happening to me. That’s what was going through my mind. Why?” Ryans told the Salt Lake Tribune.
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“I am disturbed by what I saw in that video, frustrated by how the situation was handled, and am committed to working to ensure neither happen again,” Salt Lake Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a t weet on Wednesday. Daniel Garner and Gabriel White, Ryans’ attorneys, have said that he suffered damage to his nerves and tendons, infection and still has trouble walking. Doctors haven’t ruled out that Ryans may need to have his leg amputated. “We’ve seen lots of dog bites, but this one looks like something else,” White told NBC News. “I would’ve assumed he had an accident with a chainsaw.”
This whole situation, to put it plainly, is fucked. Dude completely complied with what was asked of him and he still wound up having his body brutalized. What makes matters even worse is that something is only being done now because the video came out. The department had four months to do something and they just didn’t.
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Salt Lake City police spokesman Detective Greg Wilking said that the officers were responding to a call about domestic violence. Last year, Ryans’ wife had obtained a protective order while they were separated but they reconciled earlier this year, and Ryans moved back in to help with their children at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Ryans’ wife thought the order was lifted after speaking with someone at the local district attorney’s office. “Unbeknownst to her, a judge has to lift it,” Garner said. In the body camera footage, officers could be heard telling Ryans he violated the protective order and wasn’t supposed to be there. Ryans was arrested on suspicion of violating a protective order but a court date has yet to be set. It’s not known who made the initial call to the police.
In June, Ryans took the first step in filing a lawsuit by submitting a notice of claim that gives police officials 60 days to respond. “If they take responsibility, there won’t be a lawsuit,” Garner said. Ryans was laid off from his job as a train engineer and, according to his lawyers, his multiple surgeries have put him tens of thousands in debt.
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“My client’s main goal is to see the reforms that the nation has been having a conversation about,” Garner said. “And he’s got a mountain of medical bills he has to deal with now.”


theroot--2020-08-13--No Need to Panic But...A Shipment of Chicken Wings Tested Positive for COVID-19

King of Kings , Lord of Lords , we come to you the only way we know how—with a church organist playing in the background ( Everyone knows that boosts the prayer signal by 23 percent ) .
Precious father , we understand that nothing in this world happens without your say-so .
It was you who formed Michaela Coel ’ s cheekbones with your own hands .
You inspired your prophet Juvenile to create the negro spiritual warning that old Serpent , the Devil , to Back Dat Asp Up .
You are the one who came to Lawrence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave him the recipe for our eternal salvation—Lawry ’ s Seasoned Salt .
And now we , your people , who ain ’ t never done nothing to nobody ( except for that MLK “ Freedom to Twerk ” day party flyer ...
But we repented for that , right ? )
ask you for one thing : Just in case the blue iMessage bubble hasn ’ t popped up on the Almighty ’ s phone yet ( I ’ m pretty sure the Bible says that God ’ s messenger , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ll let Reuters deliver the bad news : A sample taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil , as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp sold in the northwestern Xian city , have tested positive for the virus , local authorities said on Thursday .
The discoveries came a day after traces of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 were found on the packaging of frozen shrimp from Ecuador in a city in eastern Anhui province .
China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the concerns over food imports .
Shenzhen ’ s health authorities traced and tested everyone who might have come into contact with potentially contaminated food products , and all results were negative , the city ’ s notice said .
While this may just be a case of the Good Lord sending a message to the strip club wing-loving shooting guard Lou Williams ( someone please check on Lou ) chicken and shrimp is also the official meal of ballers who are on a budget .
For black people everywhere , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that kale causes chlamydia or Donald Trump discovering that watching Fox News lowers his IQ by 100 points ( It ’ s actually only 62 points ) .
After COVID-19 ; the deaths of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , Ahmaud Arbery and the protests crippling cities across the country ( the white anti-mask protests , not the other ones ) , the only thing that gave us any joy in 2020 was thinking about lemon pepper wet and WAP .
How are we supposed to get through the rest of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sure , 99 percent of the chicken bought in America came from the U.S. , according to Tom Super , a spokesperson for the National Chicken Council where I just submitted a resume for a part-time job .
But if I consume 99 pieces of chicken , what am I supposed to do for the rest of the week ?
Scientists say that you probably can ’ t get COVID-19 from eating chicken but remember they told us we didn ’ t need masks ?
Remember way back in the early 2020s when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we washed our hands and didn ’ t let people cough directly in our mouths , we probably couldn ’ t get COVID and now we have to walk around in latex suits of armor to go grocery shopping ?
As a matter of fact , In June , a person at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment told reporters that frozen chicken coronavirus might be possible because , even though there ’ s no evidence showing frozen food has caused COVID-19 , according to Reuters , viruses can survive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Celsius ( which , in Fahrenheit is approximately “ cold as -fuck ” degrees . )
We have to do something .
We need to start a GoFundMe grant for an HBCU to study which hot sauce is more effective at killing the coronavirus .
Can COVIDs survive hot grease ?
What if you fry them in anointing oil ?
The coronas probably gravitate toward the drum , which is why I always eat flats .
To be fair , I wouldn ’ t even worry about this if I were you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fine as long as you bless your food .
By tomorrow , Whole Foods will probably be selling free-range , organic chicken wings that were raised with a mask over their beak , anyway .
In the meantime , I ’ m moving to the NBA bubble .
Lou Williams hasn ’ t complained about the bubble chickens once , so I defer to the guard almighty .
Please don ’ t worry .
If you are concerned , however , maybe you should start eating at Church ’ s .
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from sickly chickens .
Church ’ s wings come exclusively from chickens who have been incarcerated and do pushups in their cells all day .
I ’ m pretty sure that ’ s in the Bible , too .
The Washington Post already warned us about the Trump administration ’ s plan to “ open up ” the poultry economy .
According to CNN , “ there is no scientific evidence that meat transmits the virus , ” which is from a statement from the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein ( ABPA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ABPA ?
“ The Same Motherfuckers Who Sold the Corona-que Wings.
” Which reminds me , my fellow brothers of Omega Psi Phi must be reeling right now .
All we have left is beer .
This is so cat .
It ’ s probably a plot by the Kappas .
Or maybe the hand sanitizer industry is trying to move into the dipping sauce market .
Nah , it ’ s probably the vegans .
I never trusted those motherfuckers after my cousin Cicely brought a box of Beyond Meat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if God didn ’ t want me to eat burgers , he wouldn ’ t have made cows out of ground beef .
I know that ’ s in Thessalonians .
Or Leviticus .
I just know vegans might not catch the coronavirus but they also can ’ t catch the Holy Ghost .
Anyway , chickens can get coronavirus .
I think that ’ s what we ’ ve learned here .

Let’s begin with a prayer:
Dear wise and everlasting father,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords, we come to you the only way we know how—with a church organist playing in the background (Everyone knows that boosts the prayer signal by 23 percent). Precious father, we understand that nothing in this world happens without your say-so. It was you who formed Michaela Coel’s cheekbones with your own hands. You inspired your prophet Juvenile to create the negro spiritual warning that old Serpent, the Devil, to Back Dat Asp Up . You are the one who came to Lawrence Frank in a dream in 1938 and gave him the recipe for our eternal salvation—Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.
And now we, your people, who ain’t never done nothing to nobody (except for that MLK “Freedom to Twerk” day party flyer...But we repented for that, right?) ask you for one thing:
Not the chicken wings, Lawd!
Just in case the blue iMessage bubble hasn’t popped up on the Almighty’s phone yet (I’m pretty sure the Bible says that God’s messenger, the archangel Gabriel, uses an iPhone) I’ll let Reuters deliver the bad news:
A sample taken from the surface of frozen chicken wings imported into the southern city of Shenzhen from Brazil, as well as samples of outer packaging of frozen Ecuadorian shrimp sold in the northwestern Xian city, have tested positive for the virus, local authorities said on Thursday. The discoveries came a day after traces of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 were found on the packaging of frozen shrimp from Ecuador in a city in eastern Anhui province. China has been stepping up screenings at ports amid the concerns over food imports. Shenzhen’s health authorities traced and tested everyone who might have come into contact with potentially contaminated food products, and all results were negative, the city’s notice said.
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While this may just be a case of the Good Lord sending a message to the strip club wing-loving shooting guard Lou Williams (someone please check on Lou) chicken and shrimp is also the official meal of ballers who are on a budget. For black people everywhere, this is the same as white people finding out that kale causes chlamydia or Donald Trump discovering that watching Fox News lowers his IQ by 100 points (It’s actually only 62 points).
Why, lawd, why?
After COVID-19; the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the protests crippling cities across the country (the white anti-mask protests, not the other ones), the only thing that gave us any joy in 2020 was thinking about lemon pepper wet and WAP. How are we supposed to get through the rest of this confounded year with no chicken wings?
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Sure, 99 percent of the chicken bought in America came from the U.S., according to Tom Super, a spokesperson for the National Chicken Council where I just submitted a resume for a part-time job. But if I consume 99 pieces of chicken, what am I supposed to do for the rest of the week?
Scientists say that you probably can’t get COVID-19 from eating chicken but remember they told us we didn’t need masks? Remember way back in the early 2020s when they told us that as long as we washed our hands and didn’t let people cough directly in our mouths, we probably couldn’t get COVID and now we have to walk around in latex suits of armor to go grocery shopping?
Advertisement
As a matter of fact, In June, a person at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment told reporters that frozen chicken coronavirus might be possible because, even though there’s no evidence showing frozen food has caused COVID-19, according to Reuters, viruses can survive for two years at minus 20 degrees Celsius (which, in Fahrenheit is approximately “cold as -fuck” degrees.)
We have to do something. We need to start a GoFundMe grant for an HBCU to study which hot sauce is more effective at killing the coronavirus. Can COVIDs survive hot grease? What if you fry them in anointing oil? The coronas probably gravitate toward the drum, which is why I always eat flats.
Advertisement
To be fair, I wouldn’t even worry about this if I were you. I’m sure everything will be fine as long as you bless your food. By tomorrow, Whole Foods will probably be selling free-range, organic chicken wings that were raised with a mask over their beak, anyway. In the meantime, I’m moving to the NBA bubble. Lou Williams hasn’t complained about the bubble chickens once, so I defer to the guard almighty.
Please don’t worry. If you are concerned, however, maybe you should start eating at Church’s. I know those cockdeisel wings didn’t come from sickly chickens. Church’s wings come exclusively from chickens who have been incarcerated and do pushups in their cells all day. I’m pretty sure that’s in the Bible, too. The Washington Post already warned us about the Trump administration’s plan to “open up” the poultry economy.
Advertisement
According to CNN, “there is no scientific evidence that meat transmits the virus,” which is from a statement from the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA). But you know what I call the ABPA?
“The Same Motherfuckers Who Sold the Corona-que Wings.”
Which reminds me, my fellow brothers of Omega Psi Phi must be reeling right now. All we have left is beer. This is so cat.
Advertisement
It’s probably a plot by the Kappas. Or maybe the hand sanitizer industry is trying to move into the dipping sauce market.
Nah, it’s probably the vegans. I never trusted those motherfuckers after my cousin Cicely brought a box of Beyond Meat to my aunt’s cookout. Look, if God didn’t want me to eat burgers, he wouldn’t have made cows out of ground beef. I know that’s in Thessalonians. Or Leviticus. I just know vegans might not catch the coronavirus but they also can’t catch the Holy Ghost.
Advertisement
Anyway, chickens can get coronavirus.
I think that’s what we’ve learned here.
And Amen.


theroot--2020-08-13--Trump Comes After Kamala Harris and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and AOC Claps Back

On Thursday , President Trump continued the verbal assault on prominent female politicians and an MSNBC host , and unless the 53 percent of white women who voted this fuckstick* into office don ’ t take notice and give a shit , he ’ s going to keep doing it and maintain the highest office in the land .
During an interview with one of the president ’ s favorite OnlyFans news sites—the one that he watches with his pants down—Fox Business Network , Trump came for Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flaccid Boy* went out of his way to attack each of these women personally , especially Harris , who was most recently named presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden ’ s running mate .
“ Now you have a sort of a mad woman I call her because she was so angry and [ had ] such hatred with Justice [ Brett ] Kavanaugh , ” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo , the Hill reports .
For days , Limpdick* has attacked the California senator for her questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like beer ” Kavanaugh in 2018 .
“ She was the angriest of the group , and they were all angry.
” Prior to the interview , the Hill notes that Trump tweeted about Harris getting a “ free pass ” from the media .
“ There was nobody meaner or more condescending to Slow Joe , not even me , and yet she quickly evaporated down to almost zero in the polls .
Bad !
” Trump tweeted .
Ignoweenie* “ also swiped at two of the most prominent Democratic lawmakers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business .
He targeted Ocasio-Cortez after a lengthy riff about his opposition to the Green New Deal that she has championed.
” “ AOC was a poor student .
I won ’ t say where she went to school , it doesn ’ t matter , ” Trump said .
“ This is not even a smart person , other than she ’ s got a good line of stuff .
I mean , she goes out and she yaps .
These guys , they ’ re all afraid of her.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cum laude from Boston University in 2011 ; second , and most importantly , she is not here for Trump ’ s fuckshit .
“ Let ’ s make a deal , Mr. President : You release your college transcript , I ’ ll release mine , and we ’ ll see who was the better student .
Loser has to fund the Post Office , ” AOC tweeted , knowing that the president is a fucking idiot and he won ’ t ever take the bet because he doesn ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upcoming election .
Punk-ass Fuckstick* wasn ’ t done .
He also called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi “ stone-cold crazy ” and dragged Brzezinski into his Twitter meltdown .
“ Very poor morning TV ratings for MSDNC ’ s Morning Joe , headed by a complete Psycho named Joe Scarborough and his ditzy airhead wife , Mika , and also @ CNN , headed by complete unknowns .
Congratulations to @ foxandfriends on dominating the mornings ( thank you President Trump ! )
, ” he tweeted .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Brzezinski asked during her show on MSNBC .
“ You really have a lot of problems with women , like you ’ re scared of them or something .
I think this Kamala thing has you completely strung out.
” And , she ’ s right .
This is not a complex person we are talking about here—this is a hit dog hollering .
We all know what ’ s up .
*So a reader reached out to me asking me to stop calling the president the b-word .
What she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact , it was cringey .
I agreed and asked her to help me come up with some alternatives .
Above are all the names she sent .
I think it goes without saying , The Root is nothing without its readers .
Join the discussion !
The Root is hosting its first-ever , virtual Root Institute , presented by Target , featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics , culture , health , community building and social impact .
Subscribe for updates today !

On Thursday, President Trump continued the verbal assault on prominent female politicians and an MSNBC host, and unless the 53 percent of white women who voted this fuckstick* into office don’t take notice and give a shit, he’s going to keep doing it and maintain the highest office in the land.
During an interview with one of the president’s favorite OnlyFans news sites—the one that he watches with his pants down—Fox Business Network, Trump came for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski.
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Flaccid Boy* went out of his way to attack each of these women personally, especially Harris, who was most recently named presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s running mate.
“Now you have a sort of a mad woman I call her because she was so angry and [had] such hatred with Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh,” Trump told host Maria Bartiromo, the Hill reports. For days, Limpdick* has attacked the California senator for her questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett “I like beer. I still like beer” Kavanaugh in 2018. “She was the angriest of the group, and they were all angry.”
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Prior to the interview, the Hill notes that Trump tweeted about Harris getting a “free pass” from the media.
“There was nobody meaner or more condescending to Slow Joe, not even me, and yet she quickly evaporated down to almost zero in the polls. Bad!” Trump tweeted.
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Ignoweenie* “also swiped at two of the most prominent Democratic lawmakers in the country during his interview with Fox Business. He targeted Ocasio-Cortez after a lengthy riff about his opposition to the Green New Deal that she has championed.”
“AOC was a poor student. I won’t say where she went to school, it doesn’t matter,” Trump said. “This is not even a smart person, other than she’s got a good line of stuff. I mean, she goes out and she yaps. These guys, they’re all afraid of her.”
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The Hill notes first, that Ocasio-Cortez graduated cum laude from Boston University in 2011; second, and most importantly, she is not here for Trump’s fuckshit.
“Let’s make a deal, Mr. President: You release your college transcript, I’ll release mine, and we’ll see who was the better student. Loser has to fund the Post Office,” AOC tweeted, knowing that the president is a fucking idiot and he won’t ever take the bet because he doesn’t want to fund the post office and lose the upcoming election.
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Punk-ass Fuckstick* wasn’t done. He also called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi “stone-cold crazy” and dragged Brzezinski into his Twitter meltdown.
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“Very poor morning TV ratings for MSDNC’s Morning Joe, headed by a complete Psycho named Joe Scarborough and his ditzy airhead wife, Mika, and also @CNN, headed by complete unknowns. Congratulations to @foxandfriends on dominating the mornings (thank you President Trump!),” he tweeted.
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“What’s your thing with women?” Brzezinski asked during her show on MSNBC. “You really have a lot of problems with women, like you’re scared of them or something. I think this Kamala thing has you completely strung out.”
And, she’s right. This is not a complex person we are talking about here—this is a hit dog hollering. We all know what’s up.
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*So a reader reached out to me asking me to stop calling the president the b-word. What she said was it wasn’t cool and in fact, it was cringey.
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I agreed and asked her to help me come up with some alternatives. Above are all the names she sent. I think it goes without saying, The Root is nothing without its readers.
Join the discussion! The Root is hosting its first-ever, virtual Root Institute, presented by Target, featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics, culture, health, community building and social impact. Subscribe for updates today!


theroot--2020-08-13--'Joy Is at the Forefront of Our Culture': Chloe and Maud Arnold, Phil Augusta Jackson and Michael Ha

'Joy Is at the Forefront of Our Culture': Chloe and Maud Arnold, Phil Augusta Jackson and Michael Harriot Talk Black Joy During Times of Crisis

You know what doesn ’ t get enough love and attention right now ?
Black joy .
So what are we going to do about it ?
Well , at The Root Institute , we decided to have a whole conversation around Black joy , especially as it relates to the current times we ’ re in .
Panama Jackson—it me—was joined by choreographers Chloe and Maud Arnold ; writer , director and musician , Phil Augusta Jackson ; and award-winning writer and humorist , Michael Harriot , for a fun and fancy free conversation about Black joy that included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nods to African America , a Tupac t-shirt , Insecure references , and literal example of “ it be your own folks.
” If that isn ’ t Black joy , I don ’ t know what is .
Additionally , we did also talk about how to spread Black joy , joy as part of the recipe for the work of our panelists as well as how to personally ensure that nobody steals your joy !
Check out the panel , and en-joy !
Join the discussion !
The Root is hosting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented by Target , featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics , culture , health , community building and social impact .
Subscribe for updates today !

Panama Jackson on Institute, shared by Panama Jackson to The Root

Published August 13, 2020 Comments ( 3 )
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theroot--2020-08-13--'There Is Literally No Way to Catch Up': Black Women Speak Candidly on the Cost of Racism, Sexism an

'There Is Literally No Way to Catch Up': Black Women Speak Candidly on the Cost of Racism, Sexism and Pay Inequity at Pinterest [Updated]

I used to joke that “ Pinterest saved my life.
” Not literally , of course , but during an especially dark period in 2011 , the platform best associated with “ Mormon women and Midwestern moms ” ( as recently noted by the Washington Post ) became an unexpected lifeline out of depression and back into my creative self .
Ensconced in the emotional retreat that my sofa had become , I bypassed the bevy of Mason jar and string light-laden plantation weddings , religious platitudes , fitspo and homeschooling advice ( typical fare of Pinterest ’ s earliest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unambiguously Black beauty , art and creators .
I may not have represented Pinterest ’ s original or even intended demographic , but the unconventional form of therapy I found there lived up to the platform ’ s promise to be a “ home for inspiration ” —and as an early adopter myself , I inadvertently amassed a large following ( 4 million , to date ) .
This was the story I ’ d planned to write this July for BIPOC Mental Health Month , as our nationwide lockdown—and the low-grade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle but a universal one—sparked my own personal reunion with Pinterest .
But a different story about the platform emerged last month ; one that gave deeper context to my experience of being a Black woman who once immersed herself in Pinterest ’ s largely whitewashed world .
In June , former Pinterest Public Policy and Social Impact Managers Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks went public with complaints against the company , alleging that Pinterest knowingly and deliberately under-leveled and accordingly underpaid them for their responsibilities and experience , effectively cheating them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in salary and stock options at the popular online platform .
When the two women attempted to resolve the issue—first internally and then via formal complaints filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing , they say management and colleagues resorted to intimidation tactics .
Perhaps most disturbingly , the intimidation included the doxxing of Ozoma by a colleague who placed her information on alt-right forums in June of 2019 , resulting in threats of assault and murder .
The company neither assisted Ozoma in scrubbing her information nor punished the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did personally apologize to Ozoma and offer to send a security officer to her home , an offer she declined . )
The treatment ultimately compelled both women to resign this May , later filing their complaints with DFEH .
Business Insider was the first to break the story , which was also covered by the Washington Post and Fast Company .
Following Pinterest ’ s online declarations that they stand in support of Black lives following the protests that arose in late May , Color of Change Campaign Director Jade Magnus Ogunnaike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Shimizu Banks titled “ Pinterest ’ s Hypocrisy Is Glaring.
” The hypocrisy of which Ogunnaike was speaking was partly in reference to the highly publicized removal of plantation weddings from the platform last December when Pinterest joined several platforms in Color Of Change ’ s campaign to abolish the promotion of slavery-associated destination weddings , effectively rendering them “ gone with the wind.
” It was a campaign Ozoma had spearheaded for Pinterest , despite already being in a yearlong-plus dispute with the company over the level at which she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the time , she ’ d been told the salary she ’ d negotiated was the top available for her bracket .
Upon discovering that the level at which she ’ d been hired was three levels below commensurate with her skills and experience in the industry—which included creating and managing global policy programs for Facebook and working in public policy and government relations for Google—she flagged her managers , but no immediate resolution or restitution was offered .
The issue remained unresolved by the time she resigned in May of 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] not transparent at all—which is by design , ” she told The Glow Up .
“ And for me , it was three months after I started that I discovered the level chart .
I started full-time in July of 2018 and didn ’ t find out what my level was until September of 2018 , and that ’ s the case for many people , and how they ’ re able to keep folks from negotiating with full context.
” Shimizu Banks , who ’ d previously worked with Ozoma as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined Pinterest in 2019 , where she and Ozoma worked on a three-person team that included a white male manager with lesser credentials than theirs .
Nevertheless , Shimizu Banks was also told she ’ d negotiated to the top salary available for her experience , which included a stint in the Obama Administration and being honored as a 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur .
“ I also negotiated to the top of the pay bands that I was offered—not to the very top ; I was told that wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glow Up .
“ But I was also told that Ifeoma had played a substantive role in the forming of the level chart , and that turned out to be a total lie .
I was also told that there was no tenure or experience required for promotion—it was based on performance—that also turned out to be a lie .
“ And so those are just a couple of the ways in which Pinterest and other companies like it get to sort of continually move the goalpost , ” she explained .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only fairly compensated for his position but frequently demonstrated behavior problematic enough ( including racial gaffes and inappropriate comments ) to compel each woman to file complaints .
Nevertheless , the two continued to bolster the public image of a company that continually scrutinized , underpaid and undervalued them while repeatedly ignoring their concerns .
“ The company was happy to take all of that credit , ” said Ozoma , referencing the success of the Color of Change anti-plantation campaign .
“ But then , the same manager who I had filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still in charge of my performance review , which affected my pay.
” “ Our work was very public but the way that we were treated they expected to never be public , ” she later added .
It ’ s a radically different reality from what the Washington Post characterized as a “ kinder , gentler ” version of the typical Silicon Valley tech juggernaut .
But the implications for the women ’ s future professional and financial mobility in the notoriously lucrative tech space are far more staggering , as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an impressive work history and degrees from the likes of Yale ( Ozoma ) and Oxford and Princeton ( Shimizu Banks ) , they were still subject to the gender pay gap ; this , despite bringing tangible returns to their employers .
It ’ s a brutal reality made even harsher as we commemorate yet another Black Women ’ s Equal Pay Day today , August 13 , and consider the longterm implications of perpetuating pay disparities .
“ We are set back from the jump and we ’ re supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Shimizu Banks said , adding : “ We have credentials that if this white person had the [ same ] credentials , they would be a director-plus at the company and we ’ re supposed to be grateful for being under-leveled and stymied in our pursuit of professional mobility.
” “ Not only where we cheated out of the pay that we would have received while we were there ; the difference in the pay that they slotted us in versus what we were doing and what we earned is the difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing generational wealth , ” said Ozoma .
“ And for our communities , that is so important…the order of magnitude in what we got and the compensation versus what we were owed is the difference between going on vacation and buying a house .
And for our communities—and for Black women , specifically—we know that pay disparities just stack up over time .
“ The earlier you ’ re paid less , the longer it takes to retire , the longer it takes to do the sorts of things that our white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their kids up for success , ” she continued .
“ And so , what Pinterest did to us , we ’ re not going to feel the effects of it just in the two years that we were there ; it ’ ll be over the rest of our careers.
” “ And to add to that , you know , we , as Black women , so often face familial responsibilities that our white counterparts don ’ t , ” Shimizu Banks chimed in , referencing both the fact that Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give their children a head start , and that she personally provides for her mother .
“ When you think about the Black community , we are so often part of multigenerational households where Black women are the breadwinners—and we ’ re not just paying for our spouses and our kids , we ’ re usually also supporting extended family.
” Neither woman has worked full-time since filing their complaint ( though Shimizu Banks runs her own consulting company ) .
Going public was a risk they felt privileged to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic threat of COVID-19 .
Both believe the issue is far bigger than themselves .
“ Like , there ’ s so many layers of oppression here , ” said Ozoma .
“ The first one is most people in our position don ’ t have the ability to hire a lawyer ... that ’ s one of the ways that companies keep people from talking about what has happened to them because you literally can ’ t even afford to get counsel to then dive deep on what is actually being done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is disproportionately affecting us and our communities ; how many of us can afford to even take the risk of not being in a job right now ?
” “ We took a calculated risk , ” Shimizu Banks added .
“ If we hadn ’ t been discriminated against we would be in our jobs in Pinterest working .
And so , we are missing out on that salary ; we ’ re missing out on accruing those benefits .
“ One piece of compensation that a lot of people don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of your stock , your compensation is a combination of the salary , stock and sometimes a bonus , ” she continued .
“ But you do not receive your stock unless you complete a full year—and you don ’ t receive the total of your stock until several years out , so what you negotiate for in the beginning does not materialize until sometimes up to five years later .
“ And we had to forego that to stand up for ourselves and to file these complaints and we were pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added .
“ We hope that by coming forward other companies will think twice before they decide to be as racist and sexist to the degree that Pinterest is ... hopefully , we ’ ll be able to impact the industry at large this way.
” The Glow Up reached out to Pinterest for comment on this article ; a spokesperson issued the following statement : “ We never want anyone to feel the way Ifeoma and Aerica did while they were working at Pinterest .
We ’ re committed to immediately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlined to our employees , and we ’ re actively pursuing this work.
” We were also directed to a link to the statement from Pinterest ’ s board of directors and Silbermann ’ s note to employees following the filing of the complaint , in which he said : “ I ’ m embarrassed to say that I didn ’ t understand the depth of the hardship and hurt many of our team members have experienced.
” However , at least one former employee weighed in on the issue for Business Insider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar with management ’ s thinking at the time who is no longer with the company pushed back on their claim ; they said the two women were already well paid and had received multiple raises though not the precise promotion or pay they sought ... [ saying ] ‘ This is a story of mismanaged expectations wrongly folded into African Americans ’ collective story of oppression.
’ ” “ First of all , who are you to tell me what ’ s well paid when I ’ m in an industry where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe me , we were not making that at all , even though there are people at the company that do , ” said Shimizu Banks , clarifying that she ’ d received neither a raise nor promotion during her tenure at the company .
“ That quote , it was so insulting but also a relief to hear them kind of say the quiet part out loud , where there ’ s denigration from the beginning , ” she added .
Ozoma agreed , stating : “ We wouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go to the schools and had the pedigree that we had , so there ’ s that , first ...
So not only did I have to go to the best schools and then I had to work in the best companies before I could even get an interview and then get hired but I do all that and I can ’ t even get paid according to the chart that they created for the work that I ’ m doing .
There is literally no way to catch up.
” Sadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disadvantages of being sidelined fall upon not only them , but Pinterest and other companies that do the same .
“ Maintaining and sustaining and investing in the people that you have—we were exceptional performers in our roles—is actually the best thing you can do for your business , ” said Ozoma .
“ It ’ s not even rocket science ; this isn ’ t all of the training you need in the world , this isn ’ t an implicit bias , this isn ’ t a pipeline issue .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you don ’ t continue to turn good talent in and out.
” Instead , it has become yet another of many racial reckonings taking place in 2020 .
“ This is about holding the company and the entire industry accountable for this , ” Ozoma continued , admitting that ultimately , she doesn ’ t expect Pinterest to do the right thing without being legally compelled to do so , which is why she and Shimuzu Banks were willing to go public and take this fight to the legislative level .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ozoma adds .
“ And so , I want them to at least pause for a second when they decide to not only engage in wage theft but then retaliation and intimidation in the way that they have with us—and think about what the consequences of that could be for the company.
” Shimuzu Banks agrees , echoing so many professional and personal narratives when she says : “ What makes this worthwhile , in addition to just speaking up for ourselves and honoring our own dignity and our own self-worth is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have reached out to us individually to share their stories from all ages , all industries to say , ‘ Not only do we believe you but this happened to me too ... thank you for sharing your story because it validates mine , even if I don ’ t tell anyone else.
’ “ And it really pains me to know that every single Black woman I know has gone through something like this , ” she concludes .
“ My heart breaks to know this and at the same time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a community of such strong and resilient women .
And I want this to end ; it truly needs to end.
” Updated : Thursday , 8/13/20 at 5:40 pm : An earlier version of this article indicated that Ozoma and Shimuzu Banks had filed suit against Pinterest .
While the two obtained the right to sue from the California DFEH , they found their legal avenues insufficient .
Both the article and our headline have been amended to reflect this , as well as clarifying Shimuzu Banks ’ title at Pinterest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social Impact Manager .
While Ozoma and Shimuzu Banks tell The Glow Up they have no further plans to pursue legal action , it appears that change at Pinterest is imminent , nevertheless .
On Tuesday , the company ’ s former chief operating officer and top female executive , Françoise Brougher , filed a gender bias lawsuit against Pinterest , following an unceremonious departure in April of this year .
As reported by the New York Times : Additionally , as this article went to press , another announcement came from employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Shimuzu Banks and Brougher and demanding # changeatpinterest .
In addition to an anonymous petition demanding systemic change , the employees are planning a walkout on Friday , August 14 .
Join the discussion !
The Root is hosting its first-ever , virtual Root Institute , presented by Target , featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics , culture , health , community building and social impact .
Subscribe for updates today !

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

I used to joke that “Pinterest saved my life.” Not literally, of course, but during an especially dark period in 2011, the platform best associated with “Mormon women and Midwestern moms” (as recently noted by the Washington Post) became an unexpected lifeline out of depression and back into my creative self.
Ensconced in the emotional retreat that my sofa had become, I bypassed the bevy of Mason jar and string light-laden plantation weddings, religious platitudes, fitspo and homeschooling advice (typical fare of Pinterest’s earliest adopters), curating my own space of unambiguously Black beauty, art and creators. I may not have represented Pinterest’s original or even intended demographic, but the unconventional form of therapy I found there lived up to the platform’s promise to be a “home for inspiration”—and as an early adopter myself, I inadvertently amassed a large following (4 million, to date).
Advertisement
This was the story I’d planned to write this July for BIPOC Mental Health Month, as our nationwide lockdown—and the low-grade depression that became not only my own battle but a universal one—sparked my own personal reunion with Pinterest. But a different story about the platform emerged last month; one that gave deeper context to my experience of being a Black woman who once immersed herself in Pinterest’s largely whitewashed world.
In June, former Pinterest Public Policy and Social Impact Managers Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks went public with complaints against the company, alleging that Pinterest knowingly and deliberately under-leveled and accordingly underpaid them for their responsibilities and experience, effectively cheating them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and stock options at the popular online platform. When the two women attempted to resolve the issue—first internally and then via formal complaints filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, they say management and colleagues resorted to intimidation tactics.
Advertisement Advertisement
Perhaps most disturbingly, the intimidation included the doxxing of Ozoma by a colleague who placed her information on alt-right forums in June of 2019, resulting in threats of assault and murder. The company neither assisted Ozoma in scrubbing her information nor punished the offending employee. (CEO Ben Silbermann did personally apologize to Ozoma and offer to send a security officer to her home, an offer she declined.) The treatment ultimately compelled both women to resign this May, later filing their complaints with DFEH.
“Our work was very public but the way that we were treated they expected to never be public.” — Ifeoma Ozoma
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Business Insider was the first to break the story, which was also covered by the Washington Post and Fast Company. Following Pinterest’s online declarations that they stand in support of Black lives following the protests that arose in late May, Color of Change Campaign Director Jade Magnus Ogunnaike issued a statement in support of Ozoma and Shimizu Banks titled “Pinterest’s Hypocrisy Is Glaring.”
The hypocrisy of which Ogunnaike was speaking was partly in reference to the highly publicized removal of plantation weddings from the platform last December when Pinterest joined several platforms in Color Of Change’s campaign to abolish the promotion of slavery-associated destination weddings, effectively rendering them “gone with the wind.”
Advertisement
It was a campaign Ozoma had spearheaded for Pinterest, despite already being in a yearlong-plus dispute with the company over the level at which she’d been hired in July 2018. At the time, she’d been told the salary she’d negotiated was the top available for her bracket. Upon discovering that the level at which she’d been hired was three levels below commensurate with her skills and experience in the industry—which included creating and managing global policy programs for Facebook and working in public policy and government relations for Google—she flagged her managers, but no immediate resolution or restitution was offered. The issue remained unresolved by the time she resigned in May of 2020.
Advertisement
“[The pay chart is] not transparent at all—which is by design,” she told The Glow Up. “And for me, it was three months after I started that I discovered the level chart. I started full-time in July of 2018 and didn’t find out what my level was until September of 2018, and that’s the case for many people, and how they’re able to keep folks from negotiating with full context.”
Shimizu Banks, who’d previously worked with Ozoma as a patent policy analyst at Google, joined Pinterest in 2019, where she and Ozoma worked on a three-person team that included a white male manager with lesser credentials than theirs. Nevertheless, Shimizu Banks was also told she’d negotiated to the top salary available for her experience, which included a stint in the Obama Administration and being honored as a 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur.
Advertisement
“I also negotiated to the top of the pay bands that I was offered—not to the very top; I was told that wasn’t possible,” she told The Glow Up. “But I was also told that Ifeoma had played a substantive role in the forming of the level chart, and that turned out to be a total lie. I was also told that there was no tenure or experience required for promotion—it was based on performance—that also turned out to be a lie.
“And so those are just a couple of the ways in which Pinterest and other companies like it get to sort of continually move the goalpost,” she explained.
Advertisement
“We’re supposed to be grateful for being under-leveled and stymied in our pursuit of professional mobility.” — Aerica Shimizu Banks
By their accounts, their manager was not only fairly compensated for his position but frequently demonstrated behavior problematic enough (including racial gaffes and inappropriate comments) to compel each woman to file complaints. Nevertheless, the two continued to bolster the public image of a company that continually scrutinized, underpaid and undervalued them while repeatedly ignoring their concerns.
Advertisement
“The company was happy to take all of that credit,” said Ozoma, referencing the success of the Color of Change anti-plantation campaign. “But then, the same manager who I had filed multiple complaints against by that point was still in charge of my performance review, which affected my pay.”
“Our work was very public but the way that we were treated they expected to never be public,” she later added.
Advertisement
It’s a radically different reality from what the Washington Post characterized as a “kinder, gentler” version of the typical Silicon Valley tech juggernaut. But the implications for the women’s future professional and financial mobility in the notoriously lucrative tech space are far more staggering, as they explained to The Glow Up. Despite an impressive work history and degrees from the likes of Yale (Ozoma) and Oxford and Princeton (Shimizu Banks), they were still subject to the gender pay gap; this, despite bringing tangible returns to their employers. It’s a brutal reality made even harsher as we commemorate yet another Black Women’s Equal Pay Day today, August 13, and consider the longterm implications of perpetuating pay disparities.
Advertisement
“We are set back from the jump and we’re supposed to be grateful just to be considered,” Shimizu Banks said, adding: “We have credentials that if this white person had the [same] credentials, they would be a director-plus at the company and we’re supposed to be grateful for being under-leveled and stymied in our pursuit of professional mobility.”
“Not only where we cheated out of the pay that we would have received while we were there; the difference in the pay that they slotted us in versus what we were doing and what we earned is the difference between [earning a salary and] developing generational wealth,” said Ozoma. “And for our communities, that is so important…the order of magnitude in what we got and the compensation versus what we were owed is the difference between going on vacation and buying a house. And for our communities—and for Black women, specifically—we know that pay disparities just stack up over time.
Advertisement
“The earlier you’re paid less, the longer it takes to retire, the longer it takes to do the sorts of things that our white peers are able to do and set their kids up for success,” she continued. “And so, what Pinterest did to us, we’re not going to feel the effects of it just in the two years that we were there; it’ll be over the rest of our careers.”
“And to add to that, you know, we, as Black women, so often face familial responsibilities that our white counterparts don’t,” Shimizu Banks chimed in, referencing both the fact that Black families tend not to have generational wealth to give their children a head start, and that she personally provides for her mother. “When you think about the Black community, we are so often part of multigenerational households where Black women are the breadwinners—and we’re not just paying for our spouses and our kids, we’re usually also supporting extended family.”
Advertisement
Neither woman has worked full-time since filing their complaint (though Shimizu Banks runs her own consulting company). Going public was a risk they felt privileged to be able to take, even amid the ongoing economic threat of COVID-19. Both believe the issue is far bigger than themselves.
Advertisement
“Like, there’s so many layers of oppression here,” said Ozoma. “The first one is most people in our position don’t have the ability to hire a lawyer...that’s one of the ways that companies keep people from talking about what has happened to them because you literally can’t even afford to get counsel to then dive deep on what is actually being done to you...We know that COVID is disproportionately affecting us and our communities; how many of us can afford to even take the risk of not being in a job right now?”
“We took a calculated risk,” Shimizu Banks added. “If we hadn’t been discriminated against we would be in our jobs in Pinterest working. And so, we are missing out on that salary; we’re missing out on accruing those benefits.
Advertisement
“One piece of compensation that a lot of people don’t know about tech is that in terms of your stock, your compensation is a combination of the salary, stock and sometimes a bonus,” she continued. “But you do not receive your stock unless you complete a full year—and you don’t receive the total of your stock until several years out, so what you negotiate for in the beginning does not materialize until sometimes up to five years later.
“And we had to forego that to stand up for ourselves and to file these complaints and we were pushed to quit for doing that,” she added. “We hope that by coming forward other companies will think twice before they decide to be as racist and sexist to the degree that Pinterest is...hopefully, we’ll be able to impact the industry at large this way.”
Advertisement
The Glow Up reached out to Pinterest for comment on this article; a spokesperson issued the following statement: “We never want anyone to feel the way Ifeoma and Aerica did while they were working at Pinterest. We’re committed to immediately taking the actions that we’ve outlined to our employees, and we’re actively pursuing this work.” We were also directed to a link to the statement from Pinterest’s board of directors and Silbermann’s note to employees following the filing of the complaint, in which he said: “I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t understand the depth of the hardship and hurt many of our team members have experienced.”
However, at least one former employee weighed in on the issue for Business Insider, which wrote: “One person familiar with management’s thinking at the time who is no longer with the company pushed back on their claim; they said the two women were already well paid and had received multiple raises though not the precise promotion or pay they sought...[saying] ‘This is a story of mismanaged expectations wrongly folded into African Americans’ collective story of oppression.’”
Advertisement
“When you think about the Black community, we are so often part of multigenerational households where Black women are the breadwinners—and we’re not just paying for our spouses and our kids, we’re usually also supporting extended family.” — Aerica Shimuzu Bank
“First of all, who are you to tell me what’s well paid when I’m in an industry where people make millions of dollars a year—and believe me, we were not making that at all, even though there are people at the company that do,” said Shimizu Banks, clarifying that she’d received neither a raise nor promotion during her tenure at the company.
Advertisement
“That quote, it was so insulting but also a relief to hear them kind of say the quiet part out loud, where there’s denigration from the beginning,” she added.
Ozoma agreed, stating: “We wouldn’t have even been hired if we didn’t go to the schools and had the pedigree that we had, so there’s that, first...So not only did I have to go to the best schools and then I had to work in the best companies before I could even get an interview and then get hired but I do all that and I can’t even get paid according to the chart that they created for the work that I’m doing. There is literally no way to catch up.”
Advertisement
Sadly, as both women note, the disadvantages of being sidelined fall upon not only them, but Pinterest and other companies that do the same.
“Maintaining and sustaining and investing in the people that you have—we were exceptional performers in our roles—is actually the best thing you can do for your business,” said Ozoma. “It’s not even rocket science; this isn’t all of the training you need in the world, this isn’t an implicit bias, this isn’t a pipeline issue. It is literally just treating people fairly so that you don’t continue to turn good talent in and out.”
Advertisement
Instead, it has become yet another of many racial reckonings taking place in 2020. “This is about holding the company and the entire industry accountable for this,” Ozoma continued, admitting that ultimately, she doesn’t expect Pinterest to do the right thing without being legally compelled to do so, which is why she and Shimuzu Banks were willing to go public and take this fight to the legislative level.
Advertisement
“This is wage theft,” Ozoma adds. “And so, I want them to at least pause for a second when they decide to not only engage in wage theft but then retaliation and intimidation in the way that they have with us—and think about what the consequences of that could be for the company.”
Shimuzu Banks agrees, echoing so many professional and personal narratives when she says: “What makes this worthwhile, in addition to just speaking up for ourselves and honoring our own dignity and our own self-worth is the countless number of women—specifically, Black women—who have reached out to us individually to share their stories from all ages, all industries to say, ‘Not only do we believe you but this happened to me too...thank you for sharing your story because it validates mine, even if I don’t tell anyone else.’
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“And it really pains me to know that every single Black woman I know has gone through something like this,” she concludes. “My heart breaks to know this and at the same time, I’m so honored to be in a community of such strong and resilient women. And I want this to end; it truly needs to end.”
Updated: Thursday, 8/13/20 at 5:40 pm: An earlier version of this article indicated that Ozoma and Shimuzu Banks had filed suit against Pinterest. While the two obtained the right to sue from the California DFEH, they found their legal avenues insufficient. Both the article and our headline have been amended to reflect this, as well as clarifying Shimuzu Banks’ title at Pinterest, which was also Public Policy and Social Impact Manager.
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While Ozoma and Shimuzu Banks tell The Glow Up they have no further plans to pursue legal action, it appears that change at Pinterest is imminent, nevertheless. On Tuesday, the company’s former chief operating officer and top female executive, Françoise Brougher, filed a gender bias lawsuit against Pinterest, following an unceremonious departure in April of this year.
As reported by the New York Times:
Ms. Brougher accused the $21 billion company, which makes virtual pinboards, of firing her after she complained about sexist treatment. In her suit, which was filed in San Francisco Superior Court, Ms. Brougher said she had been left out of important meetings, was given gendered feedback, was paid less than her male peers when she joined the company, and ultimately was let go for speaking up about it. “Gender discrimination at the C-level suite may be a little more subtle, but it’s very insidious and real,” Ms. Brougher, 54, said in an interview. “When men speak out, they get rewarded. When women speak out, they get fired.”
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Additionally, as this article went to press, another announcement came from employees of the company declaring solidarity with Ozoma, Shimuzu Banks and Brougher and demanding #changeatpinterest.
An online statement read.
We are employees of Pinterest. We care about the company we work for. We believe that Ben Silbermann is a good person trying to do the right thing. However, Ifeoma Ozoma, Aerica Shimizu Banks, and Francoise Brougher have accused Pinterest of racial and gender discrimination. Even when unintended, all forms of discrimination and retaliation at Pinterest must stop.
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In addition to an anonymous petition demanding systemic change, the employees are planning a walkout on Friday, August 14.
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Join the discussion! The Root is hosting its first-ever, virtual Root Institute, presented by Target, featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics, culture, health, community building and social impact. Subscribe for updates today!


theroot--2020-08-13--Nike Unveils 'Mamba Week' Just In Time for Kobe Bryant's Birthday

The tragic death of Kobe Byrant caught the entire world by surprise , but Nike is doing its part to both celebrate and extend his legacy with the launch of “ Mamba Week.
” Set to begin on August 23 , the Los Angeles Lakers legend ’ s birthday , ESPN reports that the seven-day event will consist of retail launches and programming inspired by his profound impact on the cultural landscape .
During “ Mamba Week , ” Nike is expected to release several colorways of the Kobe 5 Protro , the sneaker worn by Bryant throughout the 2009-10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fifth championship .
One gold-accented version will feature graphics from the pairs he wore during the 2010 Finals , and a trio of collaboration colorways with L.A.-based boutique Undefeated will celebrate his upcoming Hall of Fame induction .
The brand will also be releasing Lakers jerseys featuring both his No .
8 and No .
24 , with the front of the jersey celebrating the first decade of his career and his second number featured on the back .
Additionally , Yahoo reports that “ Mamba Week ” will include a $ 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sports Foundation and Nike lending its support to the Mamba League .
The Mamba League was created in 2017 as a partnership between Nike , Bryant and local Boys & Girls Clubs in Los Angeles .
Per Yahoo , it “ brings together girls and boys as well as engages female coaches as a way for all to learn the fundamentals of the game and the life lessons that accompany it.
” “ Mamba Week ” will also celebrate the impact and importance of Bryant ’ s infamous “ Mamba Mentality ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all backgrounds and regions can relate to and aspire to incorporate into their lives.
” Bryant ’ s birthday typically falls during the NBA ’ s offseason , but with the league in the midst of the playoffs due to the NBA restart , several yet-to-be-revealed players will be rocking Kobe ’ s signature sneakers as part of Nike ’ s week-long tribute .
Nike won ’ t be the only one celebrating Bryant ’ s birthday either , as officials in Orange County announced that August 24 will officially become Kobe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A treasured member of our Orange County community , Kobe Bryant was the basketball legend that inspired so many young men and women to pursue their dreams and never give up , ” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said .
“ I ’ m proposing August 24 to be dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant , and all that he brought to Orange County community , which to ( sic ) strive to live by his words of encouraging those around us to never give up on their dreams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.
” Much respect to Nike and Orange County for holding down one of the greatest players in the history of professional sports .

The tragic death of Kobe Byrant caught the entire world by surprise, but Nike is doing its part to both celebrate and extend his legacy with the launch of “Mamba Week.”
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Set to begin on August 23, the Los Angeles Lakers legend’ s birthday, ESPN reports that the seven-day event will consist of retail launches and programming inspired by his profound impact on the cultural landscape.
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From ESPN:
During “Mamba Week,” Nike is expected to release several colorways of the Kobe 5 Protro, the sneaker worn by Bryant throughout the 2009-10 NBA season, when he won his fifth championship. One gold-accented version will feature graphics from the pairs he wore during the 2010 Finals, and a trio of collaboration colorways with L.A.-based boutique Undefeated will celebrate his upcoming Hall of Fame induction. The brand will also be releasing Lakers jerseys featuring both his No. 8 and No. 24, with the front of the jersey celebrating the first decade of his career and his second number featured on the back.
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Additionally, Yahoo reports that “Mamba Week” will include a $1 million donation to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation and Nike lending its support to the Mamba League. The Mamba League was created in 2017 as a partnership between Nike, Bryant and local Boys & Girls Clubs in Los Angeles. Per Yahoo, it “brings together girls and boys as well as engages female coaches as a way for all to learn the fundamentals of the game and the life lessons that accompany it.”
“Mamba Week” will also celebrate the impact and importance of Bryant’s infamous “Mamba Mentality” and the “relentless work ethic that fans of all backgrounds and regions can relate to and aspire to incorporate into their lives.”
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Bryant’s birthday typically falls during the NBA’s offseason, but with the league in the midst of the playoffs due to the NBA restart, several yet-to-be-revealed players will be rocking Kobe’s signature sneakers as part of Nike’s week-long tribute.
Nike won’t be the only one celebrating Bryant’s birthday either, as officials in Orange County announced that August 24 will officially become Kobe Bryant Day, according to CNN.
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“A treasured member of our Orange County community, Kobe Bryant was the basketball legend that inspired so many young men and women to pursue their dreams and never give up,” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said. “I’m proposing August 24 to be dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant, and all that he brought to Orange County community, which to (sic) strive to live by his words of encouraging those around us to never give up on their dreams. The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”
Much respect to Nike and Orange County for holding down one of the greatest players in the history of professional sports.