theroot--2020-07-02--Kobe Bryant Announced As NBA 2K21 Cover Athlete

Fans of the NBA 2K series are in for a treat .
After announcing that NBA stars Dame Lillard and Zion Williamson will be gracing separate covers of NBA 2K21 , 2K Sports has revealed that its third cover athlete is none other than Kobe Bean Bryant .
“ Relentless .
Driven .
A true competitor , ” NBA 2K tweeted .
“ We celebrate Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition.
” Kobe ’ s “ Mamba Forever ” editions will include two separate covers .
One will be featured on the PS4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PC , while another will arrive with the next generation of consoles this fall .
And as you can imagine , Twitter is losing its entire shit at this reveal—in addition to taking a trip down memory lane to revisit previous video games that featured the Lakers legend on the cover .
For those unfamiliar with the NBA 2K series , Kobe also graced the covers of NBA 2K10 and NBA 2k17 's Legend edition .
Popular graphic designer Cole also took a crack at his own would-be NBA 2K21 cover that features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The cover we all want 🤧 💜 , ” Cole posted on Instagram .
“ Who thinks Kobe should be on regular # nba2k21 cover ⁉ ”

Fans of the NBA 2K series are in for a treat.
After announcing that NBA stars Dame Lillard and Zion Williamson will be gracing separate covers of NBA 2K21, 2K Sports has revealed that its third cover athlete is none other than Kobe Bean Bryant.
“Relentless. Driven. A true competitor,” NBA 2K tweeted. “We celebrate Kobe Bryant as our Cover Athlete for the Current Gen Mamba Forever Edition.”
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Kobe’s “Mamba Forever” editions will include two separate covers. One will be featured on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, while another will arrive with the next generation of consoles this fall.
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And as you can imagine, Twitter is losing its entire shit at this reveal—in addition to taking a trip down memory lane to revisit previous video games that featured the Lakers legend on the cover.
Advertisement
Advertisement
For those unfamiliar with the NBA 2K series, Kobe also graced the covers of NBA 2K10 and NBA 2k17's Legend edition.
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Popular graphic designer Cole also took a crack at his own would-be NBA 2K21 cover that features Kobe embracing his late daughter, Gigi.
“The cover we all want 🤧 💜,” Cole posted on Instagram. “Who thinks Kobe should be on regular #nba2k21 cover ⁉”
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NBA 2K21 is scheduled for a September 4 release.


theroot--2020-07-02--Summer Is Here With a Three-Pack of Polarized Sunglasses

It ’ s summertime which means the sun is shining and going right into your eyeballs .
With polarized sunglasses @ @ @ @ @ sight by blocking out harmful UV rays while also getting that good , good vitamin @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ll look pretty cool , too !
Grab em ’ before they ’ @ @ @ @ @ to scroll for the pair or pack you ’ d like , the prices start @ @ @ @ @ their way up .

Ignacia on Kinja Deals, shared by Ignacia to The Root

Polarized Sunglasses | $10+ | Amazon
It’s summertime which means the sun is shining and going right into your eyeballs. With polarized sunglasses, you can protect your sight by blocking out harmful UV rays while also getting that good, good vitamin D. Not only that, you’ll look pretty cool, too! Grab em’ before they’re gone! Make sure to scroll for the pair or pack you’d like, the prices start at $10 and work their way up.


theroot--2020-07-02--America Is a Confederate Monument

America Is a Confederate Monument

I am sad because my face is black and not striped .
My sisters and I are at Kalmia Gardens , the beautiful home of Thomas Hart , who founded my hometown , Hartsville , S.C. , in 1817 .
Every year , we visit the Kalmia Gardens Festival and every year , my mother forbids us from having the local artists paint our faces , which saddens me .
It ’ s not like they paint our faces white .
I am obsessed with tigers and I desperately want some tiger stripes painted on my face but my mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even here !
This is a Vacation Bible School trip and—even though my mother knows the Bible like the back of her hand , she never takes a vacation .
But my oldest sister Sean is in charge , and Sean does not break the rules .
Sean won ’ t even allow me to even go to the little house where they paint the faces .
It ’ s so small and pretty , it ’ s almost like it was made for children .
Like a dollhouse .
I always wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t go inside .
She is as inflexible as my mother .
Every small Southern town has their own version of the Kalmia Gardens Festival that celebrates the history and the tradition of the area .
Darlington , S.C. , the city adjacent to my hometown , calls theirs the Sweet Potato Festival .
Lamar , S.C. , has the Egg Scramble .
McBee has the Peach Festival .
They usually take place at a bucolic location like the plantation home in Kalmia or the town square in Darlington .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but to this day , I still haven ’ t had my face painted at Kalmia Gardens Festival .
I still haven ’ t even gone into that small cabin even though most of my childhood friends have this shared common experience .
They probably don ’ t even consider it a privilege to frolic in the face-painting dollhouse .
Or as it is technically called ...
The notion that America whitewashed its history is a somewhat abstract principle to most people because America ’ s education system avoids the reckoning that comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not just about statues and school names .
This seemingly innocuous oversight actually causes many of the economic , political and social disparities that persist in one of the richest countries on earth .
Perhaps the reason that the prospect of reparations is , for many , an outlandish idea , is because we are not truly educated about the devastating effects of slavery , Jim Crow or white supremacy in general .
Every institution in this country treats America ’ s foundational racism as though it is a stain on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean .
So the racial wealth gap remains .
School inequality remains .
Police brutality remains .
After all , why would anyone go out of their way to fix a country that was never broken ?
In May , Ursula Harris helped her daughter with her history homework and discovered that a fourth-grade teacher at Bradley Elementary in Columbia , S.C. , had tasked each student with writing an essay on whether they ’ d prefer to be a slave or a slave owner .
“ I was so mad I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My baby was like momma its okay .
I had tears in my eyes.
” This is not unusual .
Black fifth-graders in Bronxville , N.Y. , were forced to portray slaves while their classmates bid on them in a mock slave auction .
It happened in Virginia , too .
And New Jersey .
California ’ s Whitney High School put their eighth-graders on an imaginary slave ship .
It happens all the time .
To be black in America is to ingest the historical hate that this nation has shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we consume it , but we are also expected to smile while swallowing the rancid meal that this country force-feeds us .
We are expected to honor the brutality .
To herald our oppressors as heroes .
We must love the thing that hates us .
My uncle Junior gave me $ 20 , so my cousins Tyran , Derrick and I take off from my aunt Jannie ’ s house in East Orange , N.J. , where we spent the summer .
We are going shopping .
Tyran buys gummy bears .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ) buys fat shoelaces for his Adidas .
I spot a replica of a car from one of my favorite television shows and immediately know that ’ s what I ’ m going to buy .
The cashier looks at me as if I am crazy but sells it anyway .
I am happy .
We walk to Newark to my Uncle Rob ’ s ( Geet ’ s dad ) ninth-floor apartment .
The house is filled with Uncle Rob ’ s shady friends .
Tyran shows his gummy bear haul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do not show my Hot Wheels car because I already know , for some reason , everyone in my family hates that car .
Even my Uncle Rob won ’ t let us watch it and he sells cocaine .
Hours later , after driving around for hours searching for us , my Aunt Jannie bursts through the door with tears in her eyes to inform my Uncle Rob that his son and nephews have been kidnapped .
She turns around and discovers us .
She is relieved .
But her relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newest addition to my Hot Wheels collection .
She snatches it from my hand and throws it out the window .
She could have killed someone .
And that ’ s how I lost my replica of The Dukes of Hazard ’ s General Lee .
When members of the South Carolina African American Heritage Foundation , charged with creating a more representative Black history curriculum , confronted the officials at the South Carolina Department of Education , Stephen J. Corsini , the Social Studies Education Associate in the SCDOE Office of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Nowhere in our 2011 standards or support document or in the 2019 standards or alignment guides do we suggest students pretend to be a member of enslaved populations or any marginalized groups.
, ” Corsini wrote in emails obtained by The Root .
“ This was a local decision made by individuals in that school district .
The activity , upon looking at the image provided in the news media and that observation alone , appears to be purchased and not properly vetted.
” Another parent , Bobby Donaldson , didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was enough , writing : When I was 12 , my football coach dimmed the lights in his history class and showed us a slideshow of his weekend activities—fighting on the “ Gray Side ” in Civil War reenactments .
My other football coach married my Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher .
In that AP U.S. history class—the most advanced high school history course in the state of South Carolina—we didn ’ t talk about slavery , even though my teacher was a bonafide Civil War historian .
I was mostly quiet during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was decorated with Confederate memorabilia .
Donaldson knows the whitewashing of America ’ s history .
He has made it his lifelong fight to correct it , which is why he sits on the board of the SCAAHF .
But that is not his main job .
Bobby Donaldson is also a history professor and the director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina .
I am being restrained by police .
For years , the Black students at Auburn University have protested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Parade , ” a tradition that happens on college campuses where members of one of the oldest American fraternities celebrate the Confederacy .
Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee did it when he was a member .
South Carolina Gov .
Henry McMaster did it when he was a member in college .
So did Rep. Joe Kennedy III ( D-Mass . )
, Roy Blount ( R- Ala. ) , Former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson , among many others .
The parade was notable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially the Confederate flag .
People had protested the parade before .
Weeks earlier , George Smith , a former student who attended Auburn 20 years before that day , told me how he and his friends climbed a flagpole and removed the Confederate flag during an Auburn football game .
That was why the school stopped flying it .
I move past the protest barriers that were set up by the city and step out in the street in front of the parade .
Police grab me .
Other students cross the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That was the last Kappa Alpha Old South Parade at Auburn University .
Kappa Alpha ’ s history is interesting because it is important to the spread of the mythology of the “ lost cause.
” The Southern fraternity is actually a reboot of the Original Kappa Alpha Order , formally known as Kuklos Adelphon or “ Circle of Brothers , ” which was disbanded in 1855 and reorganized after the Civil War .
But even during the gap in the fraternity ’ s existence , it didn ’ t totally disappear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K.A .
ritual verbatim .
The new group didn ’ t go to college , so they didn ’ t care about the greek letters .
So they slightly modified the name Kuklos and added a word that symbolized their family ties .
They called themselves the Ku Klux Klan .
The next day , there was a picture of me on the cover of the local newspaper .
The caption read : The South Carolina African American Heritage Foundation responded to the SCDOE ’ s lack of action with a statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismal failure on the part of the school district ’ s personnel helps to explain why for years , South Carolina ’ s public-school system has continually ranked one of the worst in the nation .
Perhaps because most of the children who are victims of this sorry state of affairs are Black , Brown and poor , the mostly white powers-that-be in the state simply don ’ t care .
They send their children to private schools or live in wealthy mostly white school districts with major resources .
Meanwhile , poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those in the Corridor of Shame along Interstate 95 languish in mediocrity .
Our “ minimally adequate ” educational system produces students who are handicapped bylow expectations , apathy , scant resources and the least qualified personnel who are often just working for a living and are indifferent or even hostile toward the population they are supposed to be serving For its part , the state Department of Education passed the buck .
“ The state does not assign curriculum which encompasses homework assignments and classroom activities , ” state Department of Education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the media .
“ Slavery is covered extensively in state social studies standards , but we do not prescribe how those standards are taught.
” Our children must not be given assignments that will marginalize them or make them feel inferior .
They look up to their teachers and generally would not question an assignment .
“ As a former educator and chairperson of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission , an organization that provides resources in social studies for South Carolina ’ s educators—resources which often are not used or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how somebody dropped the ball , ” the statement continues .
“ We can not afford to have people dropping the ball where the education of our children is concerned.
” That statement was drafted by the chairperson and founder of the SCAAHF .
She is a Black woman .
She does not play about history .
I wouldn ’ t even call her a “ nice lady ” and I know her well .
Of course , I may be prejudiced because I still hold a slight grudge from when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a ninth-story window .
Her name is Jannie Harriot .
My aunt Willa Mae is telling the tale of my family , which began when my great-great-great grandfather Earvin was tossed off a Sumter County plantation for teaching enslaved Africans how to read and write .
He was always trouble .
When Earvin ’ s owner , John , died , he left dozens of slaves to his children .
But in the last paragraph of the will , John wrote : “ My negro man Ervin is to have his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws of the State—he is not to be appraised when my estate is valued and no other services are to be required of him.
” But Earvin kept jeering at whites .
He managed to buy his own property and he somehow sold more tobacco than anyone in Sumter County .
The white farmers eventually stopped Earvin from selling tobacco , so he went to neighboring Darlington County to sell his harvest .
But Earvin wasn ’ t a farmer , he was a teacher and a blacksmith .
In the mid-1800s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to preach and teach enslaved children how to read .
It turns out , the enslaved people would pay Earvin by stealing small amounts of tobacco from their owners ’ farms and giving them to Earvin .
And , because many of the plantation owners were fighting in the Civil War , the people who were running the plantations didn ’ t know they had been missing crops .
After the Civil War , Earvin continued to teach but he still had to go out of town to sell his crops .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , everyone was gathered to get their tobacco stamps , which essentially allowed them to sell their crops or trade the stems for other goods .
The white men , suspicious of how many stamps Earvin needed , “ seized upon ” Earvin and his grandson , Earvin Jr .
They took all of their tobacco stamps and killed Earvin .
Earvin Jr. managed to get away .
And that ’ s how my family ended up in Hartsville , S.C. , with no property , no land .
No crops .
Sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business , I would imagine where the spot is where my great-great grandfather was lynched on the steps of the county courthouse .
I always imagine that Earvin Sr. made it to the grassy area in front of the courthouse .
There is no reason for me to think this ; I just made up the spot because that location is marked with a phrase that reminds me of my history : I first saw that plaque at the Darlington Sweet Potato Festival .
It doesn ’ t take place on a plantation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is the place where my family ’ s history is stolen .
It is just a grassy area in front of a courthouse .
Actually , the patch of grass has an official name : My niece gives birth to a son .
He will continue this family ’ s legacy .
His name is Earvin .

I am 6.
I am sad because my face is black and not striped.
My sisters and I are at Kalmia Gardens, the beautiful home of Thomas Hart, who founded my hometown, Hartsville, S.C., in 1817. Every year, we visit the Kalmia Gardens Festival and every year, my mother forbids us from having the local artists paint our faces, which saddens me.
It’s not like they paint our faces white. I am obsessed with tigers and I desperately want some tiger stripes painted on my face but my mother says no.
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Mama’s not even here! This is a Vacation Bible School trip and—even though my mother knows the Bible like the back of her hand, she never takes a vacation. But my oldest sister Sean is in charge, and Sean does not break the rules. Sean won’t even allow me to even go to the little house where they paint the faces. It’s so small and pretty, it’s almost like it was made for children. Like a dollhouse. I always wanted to stay there, even though I couldn’t go inside.
I beg.
Sean says no.
She is as inflexible as my mother.
Every small Southern town has their own version of the Kalmia Gardens Festival that celebrates the history and the tradition of the area. Darlington, S.C., the city adjacent to my hometown, calls theirs the Sweet Potato Festival. Lamar, S.C., has the Egg Scramble. McBee has the Peach Festival. They usually take place at a bucolic location like the plantation home in Kalmia or the town square in Darlington. I’ve been to them all, but to this day, I still haven’t had my face painted at Kalmia Gardens Festival. I still haven’t even gone into that small cabin even though most of my childhood friends have this shared common experience. They probably don’t even consider it a privilege to frolic in the face-painting dollhouse.
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Or as it is technically called...
The slave quarters.
America hates us.
The notion that America whitewashed its history is a somewhat abstract principle to most people because America’s education system avoids the reckoning that comes with learning the truth. The maliciousness is not just about statues and school names. This seemingly innocuous oversight actually causes many of the economic, political and social disparities that persist in one of the richest countries on earth.
Advertisement
Perhaps the reason that the prospect of reparations is, for many, an outlandish idea, is because we are not truly educated about the devastating effects of slavery, Jim Crow or white supremacy in general. Every institution in this country treats America’s foundational racism as though it is a stain on the American fabric that we have since washed clean. So the racial wealth gap remains. School inequality remains. Police brutality remains.
After all, why would anyone go out of their way to fix a country that was never broken?
Advertisement
In May, Ursula Harris helped her daughter with her history homework and discovered that a fourth-grade teacher at Bradley Elementary in Columbia, S.C., had tasked each student with writing an essay on whether they’d prefer to be a slave or a slave owner .
“I was so mad I was shaking,” Harris told WISTV. “My baby was like momma its okay. I had tears in my eyes.”
Advertisement
This is not unusual. Black fifth-graders in Bronxville, N.Y., were forced to portray slaves while their classmates bid on them in a mock slave auction. It happened in Virginia, too. And New Jersey. California’s Whitney High School put their eighth-graders on an imaginary slave ship. It happens all the time.
To be black in America is to ingest the historical hate that this nation has shown to black people. Not only must we consume it, but we are also expected to smile while swallowing the rancid meal that this country force-feeds us. We are expected to honor the brutality. To herald our oppressors as heroes.
Advertisement
We must love the thing that hates us.
I am 11.
I am happy.
I am technically a runaway.
My uncle Junior gave me $20, so my cousins Tyran, Derrick and I take off from my aunt Jannie’s house in East Orange, N.J., where we spent the summer.
Advertisement
We are going shopping. Tyran buys gummy bears. Derrick (We called him “Geet”) buys fat shoelaces for his Adidas. I spot a replica of a car from one of my favorite television shows and immediately know that’s what I’m going to buy. The cashier looks at me as if I am crazy but sells it anyway. I am happy. We walk to Newark to my Uncle Rob’s (Geet’s dad) ninth-floor apartment.
The house is filled with Uncle Rob’s shady friends. Tyran shows his gummy bear haul. Derrick strings up his Adidas. I do not show my Hot Wheels car because I already know, for some reason, everyone in my family hates that car. Even my Uncle Rob won’t let us watch it and he sells cocaine.
Advertisement
Hours later, after driving around for hours searching for us, my Aunt Jannie bursts through the door with tears in her eyes to inform my Uncle Rob that his son and nephews have been kidnapped. She turns around and discovers us. She is relieved. But her relief soon turns to anger when she discovers the newest addition to my Hot Wheels collection. She snatches it from my hand and throws it out the window. She could have killed someone.
And that’s how I lost my replica of The Dukes of Hazard’s General Lee.
I am not happy.
When members of the South Carolina African American Heritage Foundation, charged with creating a more representative Black history curriculum, confronted the officials at the South Carolina Department of Education, Stephen J. Corsini, the Social Studies Education Associate in the SCDOE Office of Standards and Learning responded with a shrug.
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“Nowhere in our 2011 standards or support document or in the 2019 standards or alignment guides do we suggest students pretend to be a member of enslaved populations or any marginalized groups.,” Corsini wrote in emails obtained by The Root. “This was a local decision made by individuals in that school district. The activity, upon looking at the image provided in the news media and that observation alone, appears to be purchased and not properly vetted.”
Another parent, Bobby Donaldson, didn’t think Corsini’s explanation was enough, writing:
I assume “nowhere in our 2011 standards or support document or in the 2019 standards or alignment guides” is it recommended that our third grade son bring home a social studies assignment on “Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin” WITHOUT ONE reference to enslavement and the brutal exploitation of black people that intensified after “Whitney’s invention.” Instead our son reads: “However, picking cotton was hard work. Men, women, and children stooped over the cotton plants into the fields all day long.” “A single one of Whitney’s machines replaced a back-breaking day’s work of many people. The most difficult and slowest work of cotton plantations became much easier and faster.” And then the assignment carried the attached photograph, clearly depicting African people. The caption reads: “Everyone seemed to want to have a cotton farm after the invention of the cotton gin.” Needless to say, our son was re-educated.
When I was 12, my football coach dimmed the lights in his history class and showed us a slideshow of his weekend activities—fighting on the “Gray Side” in Civil War reenactments. My other football coach married my Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher. In that AP U.S. history class—the most advanced high school history course in the state of South Carolina—we didn’t talk about slavery, even though my teacher was a bonafide Civil War historian. I was mostly quiet during our study sessions at their beautiful home, which was decorated with Confederate memorabilia.
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Donaldson knows the whitewashing of America’s history. He has made it his lifelong fight to correct it, which is why he sits on the board of the SCAAHF. But that is not his main job.
Bobby Donaldson is also a history professor and the director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina.
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I am 18.
I am not happy.
I am being restrained by police.
For years, the Black students at Auburn University have protested Kappa Alpha Order’s “Old South Parade,” a tradition that happens on college campuses where members of one of the oldest American fraternities celebrate the Confederacy. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee did it when he was a member. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster did it when he was a member in college. So did Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), Roy Blount (R- Ala.), Former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, among many others.
Advertisement
The parade was notable for its use of racist imagery, especially the Confederate flag.
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People had protested the parade before. Weeks earlier, George Smith, a former student who attended Auburn 20 years before that day, told me how he and his friends climbed a flagpole and removed the Confederate flag during an Auburn football game. That was why the school stopped flying it.
I move past the protest barriers that were set up by the city and step out in the street in front of the parade. Police grab me. Other students cross the line and sit down in the street.
Advertisement
That was the last Kappa Alpha Old South Parade at Auburn University.
Kappa Alpha’s history is interesting because it is important to the spread of the mythology of the “lost cause.” The Southern fraternity is actually a reboot of the Original Kappa Alpha Order, formally known as Kuklos Adelphon or “Circle of Brothers,” which was disbanded in 1855 and reorganized after the Civil War. But even during the gap in the fraternity’s existence, it didn’t totally disappear because another, non-college organization adopted the K.A. ritual verbatim. The new group didn’t go to college, so they didn’t care about the greek letters. So they slightly modified the name Kuklos and added a word that symbolized their family ties.
Advertisement
They called themselves the Ku Klux Klan.
The next day, there was a picture of me on the cover of the local newspaper. The caption read:
“Sophomore Michael Harriet, restrained by police, jeers at whites.”
Advertisement
The South Carolina African American Heritage Foundation responded to the SCDOE’s lack of action with a statement, which read in part:
Such a dismal failure on the part of the school district’s personnel helps to explain why for years, South Carolina’s public-school system has continually ranked one of the worst in the nation. Perhaps because most of the children who are victims of this sorry state of affairs are Black, Brown and poor, the mostly white powers-that-be in the state simply don’t care. They send their children to private schools or live in wealthy mostly white school districts with major resources. Meanwhile, poor majority Black districts in rural areas like those in the Corridor of Shame along Interstate 95 languish in mediocrity. Our “minimally adequate”educational system produces students who are handicapped bylow expectations, apathy, scant resources and the least qualified personnel who are often just working for a living and are indifferent or even hostile toward the population they are supposed to be serving For its part, the state Department of Education passed the buck. “The state does not assign curriculum which encompasses homework assignments and classroom activities,” state Department of Education spokesman Ryan Brown said in an email to the media. “Slavery is covered extensively in state social studies standards, but we do not prescribe how those standards are taught.” Our children must not be given assignments that will marginalize them or make them feel inferior. They look up to their teachers and generally would not question an assignment.
Advertisement
“As a former educator and chairperson of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, an organization that provides resources in social studies for South Carolina’s educators—resources which often are not used or used properly—I am appalled at this incident and how somebody dropped the ball,” the statement continues. “We cannot afford to have people dropping the ball where the education of our children is concerned.”
That statement was drafted by the chairperson and founder of the SCAAHF. She is a Black woman. She does not play about history. I wouldn’t even call her a “nice lady” and I know her well. Of course, I may be prejudiced because I still hold a slight grudge from when she tossed my General Lee Hot Wheels out of a ninth-story window.
Advertisement
Her name is Jannie Harriot.
She jeers at whites.
I am 38.
I am happy.
My aunt Willa Mae is telling the tale of my family, which began when my great-great-great grandfather Earvin was tossed off a Sumter County plantation for teaching enslaved Africans how to read and write. He was always trouble. When Earvin’s owner, John, died, he left dozens of slaves to his children. But in the last paragraph of the will, John wrote:
“My negro man Ervin is to have his own time so far as consistent with the laws of the State—he is not to be appraised when my estate is valued and no other services are to be required of him.”
Advertisement
But Earvin kept jeering at whites. He managed to buy his own property and he somehow sold more tobacco than anyone in Sumter County. The white farmers eventually stopped Earvin from selling tobacco, so he went to neighboring Darlington County to sell his harvest.
But Earvin wasn’t a farmer, he was a teacher and a blacksmith.
In the mid-1800s, Earvin would go onto Sumter County plantations to preach and teach enslaved children how to read. It turns out, the enslaved people would pay Earvin by stealing small amounts of tobacco from their owners’ farms and giving them to Earvin. And, because many of the plantation owners were fighting in the Civil War, the people who were running the plantations didn’t know they had been missing crops.
Advertisement
After the Civil War, Earvin continued to teach but he still had to go out of town to sell his crops. One day, at the Darlington County Courthouse, everyone was gathered to get their tobacco stamps, which essentially allowed them to sell their crops or trade the stems for other goods. The white men, suspicious of how many stamps Earvin needed, “seized upon” Earvin and his grandson, Earvin Jr. They took all of their tobacco stamps and killed Earvin.
Earvin Jr. managed to get away.
Earvin Jr. is my grandmother’s father.
And that’s how my family ended up in Hartsville, S.C., with no property, no land. No crops.
Advertisement
That’s how long ago slavery was.
Sometimes, whenever I had to do official business, I would imagine where the spot is where my great-great grandfather was lynched on the steps of the county courthouse. I always imagine that Earvin Sr. made it to the grassy area in front of the courthouse. There is no reason for me to think this; I just made up the spot because that location is marked with a phrase that reminds me of my history:
They never fail who Die in a great cause. While the tree of freedom’s wither’d trunk puts forth a leaf, even for thy tomb a garland let it be. Conquered they can never be Whose spirits and Whose souls are free.
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I first saw that plaque at the Darlington Sweet Potato Festival.
It doesn’t take place on a plantation. There are no slave quarters there. It is the place where my family’s history is stolen. It is just a grassy area in front of a courthouse.
Advertisement
Actually, the patch of grass has an official name:
Darlington County Confederate Park.
I am 35.
I am happy.
My niece gives birth to a son. He will continue this family’s legacy.
His name is Earvin.
America jeers at him.


theroot--2020-07-02--Did You Know Irregardless Is Officially a Word? Also, It ALWAYS HAS BEEN A REAL WORD. Fight Me, Bro

Aside from my personal mission to convince the planet that Mark Morrison ’ s “ Return of the Mack ” is the greatest song of all time , the only other conversation I feel super passionately about is about the fluidity of language and my distaste for the disregard for so-called “ not real words ” like “ conversate ” and “ irregardless.
” ( For the record , they ’ re both real words according to every dictionary you might reference . )
For instance , I ’ d be willing to bet all of the money in Terry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading this had a visceral reaction to the mere sight of both of those words .
And I will never understand it .
Language is probably the most fluid thing that has ever existed .
Words get made up all of the time .
In fact , that ’ s my biggest issue with any discussion about something not being a real word ; in order to say it ’ s not a real word….you kind of have to say it .
And if I say it , and you know what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to continue the flow of conversation , then that means there was effective communication , which is the point of language .
How does conversate get in the way of this ?
( It doesn ’ t . )
In more fact , the only reason we have visceral reactions to conversate and irregardless is because at some point , somebody said “ that ’ s not a word.
” But what happens when those same people decide something “ is ” a word ?
According to sticklers for language , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So that should be fine , yes ?
People still hate it .
In my head , it ’ s some sort of uneducated signal , especially amongst Black people .
We like to ( many times inaccurately ) associate certain words to Blackness and Black speech , and for some reason , lots of Black people—folks who didn ’ t start out speaking English in the first place , mind you—place some sort of “ less than ” judgment upon both the word and the person using it .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the arbiter of language in the first place ?
We let governing bodies force us into shaming folks for speaking naturally and effectively communicating , because “ it ’ s not correct.
” Those same governing bodies fought for slavery and told Black people we weren ’ t full humans until the 19th century in this country , but go awf , sis .
What the fuck is correct in a world where every single word is made up to begin with ?
At some point , the word “ door ” was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thing that opens and closes as you move between spaces .
If that word had been ceiling , we would call doors ceilings .
Words and language are just choices .
Since I can hear you looking at me sideways , let me also say this : I fully respect the need for grammar and syntax rules .
The whole point of grammar is to ensure the most effective communication of thoughts and ideas .
You need some uniform way of ensuring that , when written , everybody who reads something can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended result .
The words are almost secondary to that ; a comma in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of a sentence .
I ’ m not an English teacher so I ’ m not going to build out examples for you , but those are lessons we learned early in our individual educations .
I don ’ t care about a bunch of old white men telling me that a comma should be used like this , that or this , and uh .
Future is not the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So it is helpful to have something that ensures the greatest amount of people across a wide swath of terrain all have some measure of understanding .
But that does not apply to words .
It ’ s one thing to call blue , red .
Or to call a couch a sock .
That ’ s confusing because no matter who came up with it , there has been universal buy-in ; that would be a fundamental reframing of specific words nobody had a problem with in the first place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seemingly only because somebody didn ’ t put them in the dictionary in the first place .
But words get added all the time and rarely do you get much indignation about it .
If words can be added , frankly on a whim , then why the hell does “ what makes a word a word ” matter at all ?
If I can say it , and you know what I mean , it ’ s a word .
Plus , English is fucking hard , fam .
We park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Apart ” means separated by distance but “ a part ” means included .
If you put a space between the a and p , you ’ re together , but if you don ’ t put a space , you ’ re separated .
English is drunk .
There are tons of little confusing pieces of the English language .
Why ?
Because the shit is a blend of tons of languages and made up on the spot half the time and somebody writes it down in a place where most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are all okay with it .
Which is so stupid to me .
I f the only thing separating a word from being “ a real word ” is some governing body who got to “ bling bling ” first , then none of it matters .
Nobody should be penalized or judged for saying something just because an educated or enlightened society doesn ’ t like it .
What happens when that society then changes its mind ?
Now I ’ m not dumb anymore ?
Black people especially should understand this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been white supremacy policing our culture by their standards .
Which is extra stupid when it comes to language , white people get shit “ wrong ” all the time , too .
The penalty just isn ’ t as severe , if it exists at all .
I will never forget the time that my very white , very southern , very educated boss said “ conversate ” in the middle of a meeting and nobody batted an eye .
I was waiting for folks to mention it later and somebody did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did you know what she was saying ?
” Of course he did .
That was the boss , though .
Can you imagine a bunch of white people working for a black person who constantly said conversate or irregardless ?
It would never happen .
But it shouldn ’ t matter .
Language is and should be fluid .
Humanity is creative by nature , we should be able to experiment with communication and evolve it constantly .
If you read , you see the constant evolution of language and its use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practices that help make it as effective to the most people , but even that shit is fluid .
Just recently , the Associated Press changed its style guide to allow for the capitalization of Black when speaking about the Black culture , etc .
A week prior to that decision , capitalizing the B was a fight in newsrooms— now , it ’ s how we all do business .
Anything that can be changed so simply by somebody making a decision shouldn ’ t be that much of a debate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ making the decisions for how Black and other people of color communicate properly .
If you are ever around me , it is a guarantee that if a conversation allows for me to use the word “ conversate ” I will use the word conversate and dare you to tell me it ’ s wrong short of white supremacy policing your language choices , until it didn ’ t .
You know why ?
Because somebody at some point was like , y ’ all , enough people use it , let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the book .
Now we ’ re gucci .
Because we ’ ve always been gucci .
Because if I said it , I meant it , bite my tongue for no one , call me evil , I ’ m unbelievable .
Anything less is uncivilized , irregardless of what you think .

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

Aside from my personal mission to convince the planet that Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack” is the greatest song of all time, the only other conversation I feel super passionately about is about the fluidity of language and my distaste for the disregard for so-called “not real words” like “conversate” and “irregardless.” (For the record, they’re both real words according to every dictionary you might reference.)
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For instance, I’d be willing to bet all of the money in Terry Crews’ wallet that some of you reading this had a visceral reaction to the mere sight of both of those words. And I will never understand it. Language is probably the most fluid thing that has ever existed. Words get made up all of the time. In fact, that’s my biggest issue with any discussion about something not being a real word; in order to say it’s not a real word….you kind of have to say it. And if I say it, and you know what I mean when I say it and are able to continue the flow of conversation, then that means there was effective communication, which is the point of language. How does conversate get in the way of this? (It doesn’t.)
In more fact, the only reason we have visceral reactions to conversate and irregardless is because at some point, somebody said “that’s not a word.” But what happens when those same people decide something “is” a word? According to sticklers for language, that makes it a word, no? So that should be fine, yes? People still hate it. In my head, it’s some sort of uneducated signal, especially amongst Black people. We like to (many times inaccurately) associate certain words to Blackness and Black speech, and for some reason, lots of Black people—folks who didn’t start out speaking English in the first place, mind you—place some sort of “less than” judgment upon both the word and the person using it.
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Here’s something else: who gets to be the arbiter of language in the first place? We let governing bodies force us into shaming folks for speaking naturally and effectively communicating, because “it’s not correct.” Those same governing bodies fought for slavery and told Black people we weren’t full humans until the 19th century in this country, but go awf, sis.
What the fuck is correct in a world where every single word is made up to begin with? At some point, the word “door” was accepted to be the word choice for the thing that opens and closes as you move between spaces. If that word had been ceiling, we would call doors ceilings. Words and language are just choices.
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Since I can hear you looking at me sideways, let me also say this: I fully respect the need for grammar and syntax rules. The whole point of grammar is to ensure the most effective communication of thoughts and ideas. You need some uniform way of ensuring that, when written, everybody who reads something can come to some discernible conclusion about the intended result. The words are almost secondary to that; a comma in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of a sentence. I’m not an English teacher so I’m not going to build out examples for you, but those are lessons we learned early in our individual educations. I don’t care about a bunch of old white men telling me that a comma should be used like this, that or this, and uh. Future is not the only person who has fucked up some commas. So it is helpful to have something that ensures the greatest amount of people across a wide swath of terrain all have some measure of understanding.
But that does not apply to words. It’s one thing to call blue, red. Or to call a couch a sock. That’s confusing because no matter who came up with it, there has been universal buy-in; that would be a fundamental reframing of specific words nobody had a problem with in the first place. Conversate and irregardless though, get pushback, seemingly only because somebody didn’t put them in the dictionary in the first place. But words get added all the time and rarely do you get much indignation about it. If words can be added, frankly on a whim, then why the hell does “what makes a word a word” matter at all? If I can say it, and you know what I mean, it’s a word.
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Plus, English is fucking hard, fam. We park on driveways and drive on parkways. “Apart” means separated by distance but “a part” means included. If you put a space between the a and p, you’re together, but if you don’t put a space, you’re separated. English is drunk. There are tons of little confusing pieces of the English language. Why? Because the shit is a blend of tons of languages and made up on the spot half the time and somebody writes it down in a place where most people respect and #wallahmagic, we are all okay with it.
Which is so stupid to me. I f the only thing separating a word from being “a real word” is some governing body who got to “bling bling” first, then none of it matters. Nobody should be penalized or judged for saying something just because an educated or enlightened society doesn’t like it. What happens when that society then changes its mind? Now I’m not dumb anymore? Black people especially should understand this; so much of American society has been white supremacy policing our culture by their standards. Which is extra stupid when it comes to language, white people get shit “wrong” all the time, too. The penalty just isn’t as severe, if it exists at all.
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I will never forget the time that my very white, very southern, very educated boss said “conversate” in the middle of a meeting and nobody batted an eye. I was waiting for folks to mention it later and somebody did and I was like, “but did you know what she was saying?” Of course he did. That was the boss, though. Can you imagine a bunch of white people working for a black person who constantly said conversate or irregardless? It would never happen. But it shouldn’t matter.
Language is and should be fluid. Humanity is creative by nature, we should be able to experiment with communication and evolve it constantly. If you read, you see the constant evolution of language and its use in real time. There are standard practices that help make it as effective to the most people, but even that shit is fluid. Just recently, the Associated Press changed its style guide to allow for the capitalization of Black when speaking about the Black culture, etc. A week prior to that decision, capitalizing the B was a fight in newsrooms— now, it’s how we all do business. Anything that can be changed so simply by somebody making a decision shouldn’t be that much of a debate. Especially when a white power structure is making the decisions for how Black and other people of color communicate properly.
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If you are ever around me, it is a guarantee that if a conversation allows for me to use the word “conversate” I will use the word conversate and dare you to tell me it’s wrong short of white supremacy policing your language choices, until it didn’t.
You know why? Because somebody at some point was like, y’all, enough people use it, let’s go on ahead and throw it in the book. Now we’re gucci. Because we’ve always been gucci. Because if I said it, I meant it, bite my tongue for no one, call me evil, I’m unbelievable.
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Anything less is uncivilized, irregardless of what you think.


theroot--2020-07-02--A Complicated Strong Black Lead and More Is Coming to Netflix in July 2020—Can Ya Dig It?

When ’ s the last time I ’ ve done one of these ?
Hmmm ... actually , it doesn ’ t matter because time doesn ’ t exist in 2020 .
It ’ s a construct !
Let ’ s live in the here and now and get to this Black-ass content on Netflix for July ... First up , there ’ s John Shaft , who has been known to be a bad mother—shut yo mouth !
Actually , I won ’ t because I have a blog to continue .
Netflix has invited the film to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not talking about the 2019 remake , this is the OG !
The 1971 film starring the iconic Richard Roundtree , himself .
The film actually kicked off the month on July 1 , so it ’ s available to stream now !
Also dropping on the first of the month was Double Platinum , Ali , This Christmas , and A Thousand Words .
For my fellow James Baldwin fans , if you haven ’ t gotten a chance to catch Raoul Peck ’ s 2016 documentary about the legendary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Remember This House , ” here ’ s your chance , because I Am Not Your Negro drops on Netflix on July 3 .
On July 10 , Gina Prince-Bythewood ’ s new action joint , The Old Guard starring Charlize Theron and KiKi Lane debuts for all of us to stream .
Another Netflix original , Fatal Affair , starring Nia Long and Omar Epps premieres on July 16 .
Netflix will also be inviting a film festival joint , The Remix : Hip Hop x Fashion , which was featured at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and if you ’ re looking to binge a few television shows , Season 10 of Shameless will appear on the platform on July 26 , while Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy will drop on July 31 .
Catch the complete Black Netflix content list for July below .
‘ Til next month !

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

When’s the last time I’ve done one of these? Hmmm...actually, it doesn’t matter because time doesn’t exist in 2020. It’s a construct! Let’s live in the here and now and get to this Black-ass content on Netflix for July...
First up, there’s John Shaft, who has been known to be a bad mother—shut yo mouth! Actually, I won’t because I have a blog to continue. Netflix has invited the film to its streaming platform, and no, we’re not talking about the 2019 remake, this is the OG! The 1971 film starring the iconic Richard Roundtree, himself.
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The film actually kicked off the month on July 1, so it’s available to stream now! Also dropping on the first of the month was Double Platinum, Ali, This Christmas, and A Thousand Words.
For my fellow James Baldwin fans, if you haven’t gotten a chance to catch Raoul Peck’s 2016 documentary about the legendary writer’s unfinished manuscript, “Remember This House,” here’s your chance, because I Am Not Your Negro drops on Netflix on July 3.
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On July 10, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s new action joint, The Old Guard starring Charlize Theron and KiKi Lane debuts for all of us to stream. Another Netflix original, Fatal Affair, starring Nia Long and Omar Epps premieres on July 16.
Netflix will also be inviting a film festival joint, The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion, which was featured at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
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Oh, and if you’re looking to binge a few television shows, Season 10 of Shameless will appear on the platform on July 26, while Season 2 of The Umbrella Academy will drop on July 31.
Catch the complete Black Netflix content list for July below. ‘Til next month!


theroot--2020-07-02--Video Shows White Woman Pulling a Gun on a Black Woman and Child After an Argument in a Detroit Park

Video Shows White Woman Pulling a Gun on a Black Woman and Child After an Argument in a Detroit Parking Lot

This is no “ Karen ” story .
This isn ’ t a story about an entitled white woman calling the police on Black people for simply existing .
This is a story about a Black family calling the police on a white woman who pulled a gun on them in a Detroit , Mich. , parking lot Wednesday ... for doing little more than simply existing .
This is about white racism coming out of nowhere and putting Black lives in danger .
The Washington Post reports that Takelia Hill and her three daughters were on a trip to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white woman began .
Hill ’ s 15-year-old daughter , Makayla Green , was walking towards the restaurant when the woman who was walking in the opposite direction bumped into her .
This lead to a heated exchange in which the white woman started cursing at a child and Makayla called her “ ignorant and racist.
” When the woman bumped into Makayla , the teenager asked her for an apology .
Instead , the woman began yelling expletives .
“ I had moved out of the way so she can walk out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ She bumped me and I said , ‘ Excuse you.
’ And then she started cussing me out , and saying things like I was invading her personal space.
” Scared of what might happen next , the teenager called her mother over .
The confrontation escalated and a man got out of a gray minivan and pulled the woman inside , the News reported .
“ You can not just walk around calling white people racist , ” the woman said through the car ’ s passenger-side window .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … I care about you and I ’ m sorry if you had an incident that has made someone make you feel like that .
No one is racist.
” What happens next would lead any Black person who has seen this kind of situation before to side-eye any claims that this woman isn ’ t , in fact , racist as hell .
According to the Post , Hill was afraid the woman ’ s minivan was going to hit them while backing out of a parking spot so she hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand to alert the driver .
That ’ s when the white woman got out , pointed a gun at them and shouted at them to “ Get away !
” Hill can be heard in the video calling for one of her daughters to call the police .
“ She ’ s got the gun on me , ” Hill shouted .
“ She was about to hit me with the car .
This is crazy !
Trump making it real comfortable.
” According to Detroit News , a police officer arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and handcuffed the white woman who , at that point , was already on her hands and knees on the ground near her car .
It ’ s unclear whether she was charged with anything , but a family member , who was not there during the incident , said on Twitter that she was arrested but then let go .
Hill wrote in a Facebook post regarding the incident , “ So this is America ... .I ’ ve never in my life had a gun pulled out on me let alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughters I ’ ve never felt so helpless in my life I ’ m so shaken up .
”

This is no “Karen” story.
This isn’t a story about an entitled white woman calling the police on Black people for simply existing. This is a story about a Black family calling the police on a white woman who pulled a gun on them in a Detroit, Mich., parking lot Wednesday...for doing little more than simply existing. This is about white racism coming out of nowhere and putting Black lives in danger.
The Washington Post reports that Takelia Hill and her three daughters were on a trip to Chipotle when the altercation with the unidentified white woman began. Hill’s 15-year-old daughter, Makayla Green, was walking towards the restaurant when the woman who was walking in the opposite direction bumped into her. This lead to a heated exchange in which the white woman started cursing at a child and Makayla called her “ignorant and racist.”
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From the Post:
When the woman bumped into Makayla, the teenager asked her for an apology. Instead, the woman began yelling expletives. “I had moved out of the way so she can walk out,” Makayla told the Detroit News. “She bumped me and I said, ‘Excuse you.’ And then she started cussing me out, and saying things like I was invading her personal space.” Scared of what might happen next, the teenager called her mother over. The confrontation escalated and a man got out of a gray minivan and pulled the woman inside, the News reported. “You cannot just walk around calling white people racist,” the woman said through the car’s passenger-side window. “White people aren’t racist. … I care about you and I’m sorry if you had an incident that has made someone make you feel like that. No one is racist.”
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What happens next would lead any Black person who has seen this kind of situation before to side-eye any claims that this woman isn’t, in fact, racist as hell.
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According to the Post, Hill was afraid the woman’s minivan was going to hit them while backing out of a parking spot so she hit the back window of the car with her hand to alert the driver. That’s when the white woman got out, pointed a gun at them and shouted at them to “Get away!”
Hill can be heard in the video calling for one of her daughters to call the police.
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“She’s got the gun on me,” Hill shouted. “She was about to hit me with the car. This is crazy! Trump making it real comfortable.”
According to Detroit News, a police officer arrived at the scene with his weapon drawn and handcuffed the white woman who, at that point, was already on her hands and knees on the ground near her car. It’s unclear whether she was charged with anything, but a family member, who was not there during the incident, said on Twitter that she was arrested but then let go.
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Hill wrote in a Facebook post regarding the incident, “So this is America....I’ve never in my life had a gun pulled out on me let alone two and while I had my three daughters I’ve never felt so helpless in my life I’m so shaken up.”


theroot--2020-07-01--Moisturize Your Curls With Carol's Daughter Hair Milk

If your natural hair is starting to get a little dry because of the summertime heat , give it some @ @ @ @ @ Daughter Hair Milk .
It ’ s only $ 11 and is super gentle on @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s also sulfate-free , so it won ’ t unintentionally dry your @ @ @ @ @ it before it ’ s gone .

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

Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk | $11 | Amazon
If your natural hair is starting to get a little dry because of the summertime heat, give it some moisture with Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk. It’s only $11 and is super gentle on natural hair of all types. It’s also sulfate-free, so it won’t unintentionally dry your hair out more. Grab it before it’s gone.


theroot--2020-07-02--Trump Big Mad at Black Lives Matter, Calls NYC Fifth Avenue Mural a ‘Symbol of Hate’

President Trump started his Wednesday morning the way he normally does .
He woke from his sleeping coffin , pulled South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham from his woven cot and began punching him in his ball gag until his knuckles turned pink .
He then walked into the presidential kitchen in which he stepped on the backs of Fla. Rep. Matt Gaetz and his adopted man-son Nestor and grabbed two baby crows and ate them whole .
He grunted all the way back to the television room in which secretary of pillows , pandering , and potting soil , Kellyanne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , verbally .
It didn ’ t take long for the president to demand five baby goats for him to kill after learning that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , ( who has a B lack son named Dante ) will allow people , free people , to paint the words “ Black Lives Matter ” along Fifth Avenue where the shitty Trump Towers is located .
( The mural has been put on hold until next week . )
Trump , of course , called the words a “ symbol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police $ ’ s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS , and yet the @ NYCMayor is going to paint a big , expensive , yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue , denigrating this luxury Avenue , ” Trump wrote on Twitter , CNN reports .
“ This will further antagonize New York ’ s Finest.
” The president , who ’ s only had kind words for white nationalists , not only called the words “ Black Lives Matter ” a “ symbol of hate , ” he offered a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our GREAT Police , who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them , won ’ t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York ’ s greatest street .
Spend this money fighting crime instead !
” But….but ... but….What happened to good people on both sides ?
Trump ’ s whole schtick at this point–hell , since his presidency began , has been siding with the worst that America has to offer and hoping that ’ s enough to ride him back to another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made clear from the beginning that he ’ s not only firmly in the “ white power ” camp but that if he has things his way , he will start a race war that will be yuge ; bigger than anything America has ever seen .
His Twitter has been a cannon of hate , his speeches racist missiles of destruction , his mouth an anus ... that ’ s it .
His mouth just looks like an anus and there is really no need to elaborate on that .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can ’ t unsee it , can you ?
According to CNN , Trump hasn ’ t been concerned about the hundreds of thousands of people who have died from COVID-19 , or that the coronavirus is still out here fucking up the streets like 1996 Suge .
Nope , he ’ s been focused on fucking statues and monuments of old white people who are national symbols of hate .
Maybe he hopes to become one someday , who knows ?
But Trump ’ s not even concerned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounties on American soldiers because he knew about that shit .
Instead , on Wednesday , the Department of Homeland Security announced it was forming a task force to “ protect American monuments , memorials and statues.
” “ This is a battle to save the Heritage , History , and Greatness of our Country !
” he wrote on Tuesday , using his campaign hashtag # MAGA2020 , CNN reports .
See what I ’ m saying ?
He knows that white people don ’ t have any oppression so they tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing a mask when shopping in Rite-Aid or statues of old racist heritage .
He ’ s playing to his base , and moderate Republicans ( yes , this a thing ) believe that he ’ s alienating them .
Trump reportedly believes that this is a winning issue for him so much like the statues he ’ s protecting , he ’ s not budging .
“ I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘ Pocahontas ’ Warren ( of all people ! )
Amendment , which will lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things ! )
of Fort Bragg , Fort Robert E. Lee , and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars , is in the Bill !
” Trump wrote on Twitter .
If only Trump cared as much about actual people as he did these racist monuments to American history , but that would require things Trump doesn ’ t have like compassion , and empathy and a son-in-law who doesn ’ t look like penis .

President Trump started his Wednesday morning the way he normally does. He woke from his sleeping coffin, pulled South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham from his woven cot and began punching him in his ball gag until his knuckles turned pink. He then walked into the presidential kitchen in which he stepped on the backs of Fla. Rep. Matt Gaetz and his adopted man-son Nestor and grabbed two baby crows and ate them whole. He grunted all the way back to the television room in which secretary of pillows, pandering, and potting soil, Kellyanne Conway, began feeding the president news, verbally.
It didn’t take long for the president to demand five baby goats for him to kill after learning that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, (who has a B lack son named Dante) will allow people, free people, to paint the words “Black Lives Matter” along Fifth Avenue where the shitty Trump Towers is located. (The mural has been put on hold until next week.)
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Trump, of course, called the words a “symbol of hate.”
“NYC is cutting Police $’s by ONE BILLION DOLLARS, and yet the @NYCMayor is going to paint a big, expensive, yellow Black Lives Matter sign on Fifth Avenue, denigrating this luxury Avenue,” Trump wrote on Twitter, CNN reports. “This will further antagonize New York’s Finest.”
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The president, who’s only had kind words for white nationalists, not only called the words “Black Lives Matter” a “symbol of hate,” he offered a way to stop it from happening: “Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates & disrespects them, won’t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York’s greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!”
But….but...but….What happened to good people on both sides?
Trump’s whole schtick at this point–hell, since his presidency began, has been siding with the worst that America has to offer and hoping that’s enough to ride him back to another term in the White House.
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Trump has made clear from the beginning that he’s not only firmly in the “white power” camp but that if he has things his way, he will start a race war that will be yuge; bigger than anything America has ever seen. His Twitter has been a cannon of hate, his speeches racist missiles of destruction, his mouth an anus...that’s it. His mouth just looks like an anus and there is really no need to elaborate on that. He just has an anus-shaped mouth is all.
Anus.
Mouth.
You can’t unsee it, can you?
According to CNN, Trump hasn’t been concerned about the hundreds of thousands of people who have died from COVID-19, or that the coronavirus is still out here fucking up the streets like 1996 Suge. Nope, he’s been focused on fucking statues and monuments of old white people who are national symbols of hate. Maybe he hopes to become one someday, who knows? But Trump’s not even concerned about the intelligence that suggests he knew about Russian bounties on American soldiers because he knew about that shit. Instead, on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it was forming a task force to “protect American monuments, memorials and statues.”
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“This is a battle to save the Heritage, History, and Greatness of our Country!” he wrote on Tuesday, using his campaign hashtag #MAGA2020, CNN reports.
See what I’m saying? He knows that white people don’t have any oppression so they tend to foster oppression around trivial shit like wearing a mask when shopping in Rite-Aid or statues of old racist heritage. He’s playing to his base, and moderate Republicans (yes, this a thing) believe that he’s alienating them. Trump reportedly believes that this is a winning issue for him so much like the statues he’s protecting, he’s not budging.
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From CNN:
Polls have shown voters now largely disapprove of Trump’s handling of race, including large majorities of women. Sixty-four percent of women said in a New York Times/Siena poll last week they disapproved of how Trump is handling race relations. Despite those figures, Trump has not shown a willingness to change course. This week he has sided publicly with those who want to maintain monuments to America’s racist past — including on Tuesday threatening to veto a defense authorization package if it includes a provision to rename some military bases honoring Confederate leaders.
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“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
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If only Trump cared as much about actual people as he did these racist monuments to American history, but that would require things Trump doesn’t have like compassion, and empathy and a son-in-law who doesn’t look like penis.
Sorry, but fuck Jared:


theroot--2020-07-02--Yeah, It's Time to Bury the Cutesy 'Karen' Nickname for Dangerous White Women

If the COVID-19 crisis hadn ’ t introduced zeitgeist-crashing terms like “ coronavirus ” and “ social distancing ” to our lexicon , “ Karen ” might have very well been the word of 2020 .
There have been explainers about it—one of which I wrote to distinguish it from “ Becky.
” There have been arguments over whether it ’ s racist ( LOLOL ) and misogynist ( well ... more on that in a bit ) .
Washington Post global opinions editor Karen Attiah , who is Black—and , if you skimmed past that part , actually named @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ridiculousness of white women being upset by it , and the historical context of them using performative victimhood to endanger ( and , sometimes , murder ) Black people .
In America , white women are often believed and protected at all costs , even at the expense of Black lives .
In 1955 , it was a white woman who falsely accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of whistling at her in Mississippi , which led to him being brutally beaten and killed .
Fast-forward to recent years and we still learn about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white woman called the police unnecessarily .
Becky and Karen memes and jokes should be understood in this context , part of a long tradition to use humor to try to cope with the realities of white privilege and anti-Blackness .
Dehumanizing slurs don ’ t gain their cruel power overnight .
They are part and parcel of generations of violence , erasure and discrimination .
Calling the Karen meme the new n-word or asserting that it is a sexist slur only trivializes actual violence and discrimination that destroy lives and communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karen Gone Wild ” stories have been particularly fortuitous here , at VerySmartBrothas and at The Root .
For instance , an all-caps essay I wrote on Amy Cooper , the “ Darth Karen ” who called the police on a Black birdwatcher in Central Park , ” had over 500,000 page views and also remains the most fun I ’ ve had writing this year .
The benefits of using that term are obvious and aggressively seductive .
It ’ s a reliable and immediately relatable shorthand for a type of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us have had very personal and very dangerous interactions with them .
And while the recognition of and conversations about this archetype ain ’ t new , the election of Donald Trump—and the revelation that 53 % of white female voters voted for him ( a number that , admittedly , has been in dispute ) —was a massive exacerbator .
But that Karen has become so ubiquitous that it ’ s a reliable shorthand is the problem .
What began as a term for the sort of obnoxious and entitled suburban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager has become a catchall for all problematic white women , including those who are potentially murderous .
( And sometimes actually murderous . )
Of course , there ’ s considerable overlap here : an image of the coupon-wielding Karen and the pistol-wielding Karen together might just be the Spiderman meme .
But giving women who do things that might actually kill you the same cutesy nickname as women who are just annoying as fuck just feels , I don ’ t know ... weird and wrong .
Like it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The role of white women in enacting , enforcing and protecting white supremacy has been established , for centuries .
It ’ s a reality Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers explores in They Were Her Property : White Women as Slave Owners in the American South and a dynamic that carries through today .
But it also feels weird and wrong that the Karen has become the contemporary face of white supremacy when white men are way more destructive .
There ’ s a thing happening here where white women , collectively , seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men do , and the Karen becomes a thing in a way that the “ Ken ” never would .
And now what we ’ re seeing is the “ Karen Safari , ” where footage of white woman behaving badly has become perhaps the most sought-after source of viral content .
( Is there even an agreed-upon shorthand for dangerous white men ?
I guess Brad or Chad or Thad could work , but they don ’ t . )
A natural response to that question is that white men have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point in giving them a nickname .
Which is true—but then why call a white woman pointing a loaded weapon at protestors a Karen , too ?

Damon Young on Very Smart Brothas, shared by Damon Young to The Root

If the COVID-19 crisis hadn’t introduced zeitgeist-crashing terms like “coronavirus” and “social distancing” to our lexicon, “Karen” might have very well been the word of 2020. There have been explainers about it—one of which I wrote to distinguish it from “Becky.” There have been arguments over whether it’s racist (LOLOL) and misogynist (well...more on that in a bit). Washington Post global opinions editor Karen Attiah, who is Black—and, if you skimmed past that part, actually named “Karen”—wrote an essay on the ridiculousness of white women being upset by it, and the historical context of them using performative victimhood to endanger (and, sometimes, murder) Black people.
In America, white women are often believed and protected at all costs, even at the expense of Black lives. In 1955, it was a white woman who falsely accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of whistling at her in Mississippi, which led to him being brutally beaten and killed. Fast-forward to recent years and we still learn about black people being arrested or assaulted because a white woman called the police unnecessarily. Becky and Karen memes and jokes should be understood in this context, part of a long tradition to use humor to try to cope with the realities of white privilege and anti-Blackness. Dehumanizing slurs don’t gain their cruel power overnight. They are part and parcel of generations of violence, erasure and discrimination. Calling the Karen meme the new n-word or asserting that it is a sexist slur only trivializes actual violence and discrimination that destroy lives and communities.
And, well, the “Karen Gone Wild” stories have been particularly fortuitous here, at VerySmartBrothas and at The Root. For instance, an all-caps essay I wrote on Amy Cooper, the “Darth Karen” who called the police on a Black birdwatcher in Central Park,” had over 500,000 page views and also remains the most fun I’ve had writing this year.
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The benefits of using that term are obvious and aggressively seductive. It’s a reliable and immediately relatable shorthand for a type of white woman we all recognize, and some of us have had very personal and very dangerous interactions with them. And while the recognition of and conversations about this archetype ain’t new, the election of Donald Trump—and the revelation that 53% of white female voters voted for him (a number that, admittedly, has been in dispute)—was a massive exacerbator.
But that Karen has become so ubiquitous that it’s a reliable shorthand is the problem. What began as a term for the sort of obnoxious and entitled suburban soccer mom who demands to see your manager has become a catchall for all problematic white women, including those who are potentially murderous. (And sometimes actually murderous.) Of course, there’s considerable overlap here: an image of the coupon-wielding Karen and the pistol-wielding Karen together might just be the Spiderman meme. But giving women who do things that might actually kill you the same cutesy nickname as women who are just annoying as fuck just feels, I don’t know...weird and wrong. Like it’s memeifying death.
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Also...hmm. The role of white women in enacting, enforcing and protecting white supremacy has been established, for centuries. It’s a reality Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers explores in They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South and a dynamic that carries through today. But it also feels weird and wrong that the Karen has become the contemporary face of white supremacy when white men are way more destructive. There’s a thing happening here where white women, collectively, seem to draw more ire and contempt than white men do, and the Karen becomes a thing in a way that the “Ken” never would. And now what we’re seeing is the “Karen Safari,” where footage of white woman behaving badly has become perhaps the most sought-after source of viral content. (Is there even an agreed-upon shorthand for dangerous white men? I guess Brad or Chad or Thad could work, but they don’t.)
A natural response to that question is that white men have been so dangerous that there’s no point in giving them a nickname. Which is true—but then why call a white woman pointing a loaded weapon at protestors a Karen, too?


theroot--2020-07-02--'All of These Guys Are Complicit in the Brutal Practice of Slavery': The Cast and Crew of Hamilton H

'All of These Guys Are Complicit in the Brutal Practice of Slavery': The Cast and Crew of Hamilton Have a Reckoning

The filmed version of the original Broadway hit Hamilton is coming during a timely moment—not just because we ’ re stuck in our homes during self-isolation amid a pandemic , but because it allows us an opportunity to revisit and reckon with the history of this nation ’ s founding fathers during a national uprising .
So , as we watch this extremely popular reimagining of American history created and told by people of color , we can ’ t help but state the obvious : These are men lauded as American heroes who fought for freedom , but many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by owning enslaved Black people .
I sat down via Zoom to have a virtual conversation with show creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda ( Alexander Hamilton ) , Daveed Diggs ( Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson ) , Christopher Jackson ( George Washington ) , Leslie Odom , Jr. ( Aaron Burr ) , Renée Elise Goldsberry ( Angelica Schuyler ) and more to discuss this historically important time in our lives , and they certainly had a lot to say about it .
The passion jumped out !
“ If this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is what you want us to parrot the way it happened , well fine , then we ’ re going to take it and we ’ re going to say it and use our own words to tell it !
” Odom mused .
“ Our problems are not new , but to me , what strikes me as new about the conversation is that the work that everybody has to do , personally , ” Goldsberry noted .
“ What is privilege ?
Who is responsible ?
What is complicity ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to answer and when we look at the forefathers and foremothers of our country , they did not answer some of these questions .
They did wonderful and miraculous things , but these problems are inherited.
” “ Originally , this was a concept album , ” Miranda explained .
“ I wanted to write a hip hop album , so I was never picturing the guys on the statues that are being torn down right now .
I was picturing , ‘ What are the voices that are best suited to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picturing hip-hop and R & B voices because what Hamilton did is what my favorite hip-hop artists do , which is to write so well that they transcend their circumstances .
All of these guys [ in the musical ] are complicit in the brutal practice of slavery , slavery is the third line of our show ... that is just a prerequisite for the story we ’ re telling .
”

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theroot--2020-07-02--This $29 Smart Scale Connects With Lose It, My Favorite Weight Loss App

I use the Lose It !
app in my own weight loss journey , and it ’ s been killer @ @ @ @ @ with my goals .
Now , you can add a smart scale for $ 29 @ @ @ @ @ to record your body weight , fat percentage , and other metrics and sync it @ @ @ @ @ glass scale can read up to 4000 pounds and tracks up to four profiles , @ @ @ @ @ get in on it .

Quentyn Kennemer on Kinja Deals, shared by Quentyn Kennemer to The Root

Health-o-Meter Lose It! Smart Scale | $25 | Meh
I use the Lose It! app in my own weight loss journey, and it’s been killer at keeping me on track with my goals. Now, you can add a smart scale for just $25 at Meh and allow it to record your body weight, fat percentage, and other metrics and sync it all wirelessly. This tempered glass scale can read up to 400 pounds and tracks up to four profiles, so the whole family can get in on it.
This deal was originally published by Quentyn Kennemer on 7/2/2020 and updated with new information on 7/6/2020.


theroot--2020-07-02--Soledad O’Brien Explores Race, Class and Injustice In New True Crime Podcast Murder on the Towpath

If you ’ re a fan of true crime podcasts , it can be a real challenge finding a well-produced show anchored by a Black host .
Thankfully , award-winning journalist Soledad O ’ Brien is more than equipped to accomplish such a feat and has blessed us all with her latest endeavor , Murder on the Towpath .
Produced by the fine folks at Neon Hum Media , in conjunction with FilmNation Entertainment , Murder on the Towpath descends upon Washington , D.C ’ s Georgetown neighborhood to dissect the peculiar circumstances surrounding the 1964 murder of socialite Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in an illicit affair with President John F. Kennedy .
In the immediate aftermath of her murder , Ray Crump Jr. , a Black man with a questionable alibi , is apprehended and put on trial , setting the stage for lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree to rely on her ingenuity and guile in order to eventually earn his acquittal .
Throw in a couple of conspiracy theories , a contentious racial climate and other fascinating elements , and you have the perfect opportunity for O ’ Brien to make her auspicious debut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I really wanted to explore podcasting and I had a couple of people approach me with different stories , but they weren ’ t things that I was particularly passionate about , ” she told The Root .
“ I don ’ t think you could do a documentary on this because you take too many turns.
” She ain ’ t lying about the turns .
“ This story was just kind of crazy .
It ’ s about two women in the 1960s and what society limits are [ placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ One Black , one white .
One wealthy , one sort of scraping to become what she wants to become .
But then more than that , you have the story of this affair with the socialite and JFK .
We talk about drugs in the White House and then also the idea of like , well , who killed this woman ?
And why ?
It seems like it had a lot of threads.
” There ’ s also the prevailing themes of civil rights and criminal justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same struggles that Black people still face today .
“ It ’ s the trial of a young Black man who is accused of killing a wealthy white woman , ” she explained .
“ Ray Crump himself is a very flawed character .
Dovey seemed to think that he had intellectual challenges , but this story is so full of holes .
It ’ s just odd .
And there ’ s no real motive for why he would kill Mary Pinchot Meyer .
“ The fight around criminal justice and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been going on for a very long time , I think for young people especially , it feels sometimes like these battles are brand new and they ’ re not.
” But despite Crump being accused of murder , O ’ Brien believes that Roundtree is the true star of the show , who exhibits the type of Black Girl Magic that far too often goes unsung in the annals of history .
“ [ It ’ s important for Black audiences to know ] that Dovey Roundtree existed , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her and I ’ ve [ been in journalism ] for a long time .
So if I haven ’ t heard of somebody even in passing , then they ’ re really missing from the pages of history books .
I think that we really do need to remember those people who are trailblazers for us .
“ Dovey Roundtree really is Black excellence .
[ ... ] She ’ s just basically a pissed off Black lady when it comes to injustice.
” Murder on the Towpath is available now on @ @

Jay Connor on The Grapevine, shared by Jay Connor to The Root

If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts, it can be a real challenge finding a well-produced show anchored by a Black host. Thankfully, award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien is more than equipped to accomplish such a feat and has blessed us all with her latest endeavor, Murder on the Towpath.
Produced by the fine folks at Neon Hum Media, in conjunction with FilmNation Entertainment, Murder on the Towpath descends upon Washington, D.C’s Georgetown neighborhood to dissect the peculiar circumstances surrounding the 1964 murder of socialite Mary Pinchot Meyer—who just so happened to be involved in an illicit affair with President John F. Kennedy.
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In the immediate aftermath of her murder, Ray Crump Jr., a Black man with a questionable alibi, is apprehended and put on trial, setting the stage for lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree to rely on her ingenuity and guile in order to eventually earn his acquittal.
Throw in a couple of conspiracy theories, a contentious racial climate and other fascinating elements, and you have the perfect opportunity for O’Brien to make her auspicious debut in the wonderful world of podcasts.
Advertisement Advertisement
“I really wanted to explore podcasting and I had a couple of people approach me with different stories, but they weren’t things that I was particularly passionate about,” she told The Root. “I don’t think you could do a documentary on this because you take too many turns.”
She ain’t lying about the turns.
“This story was just kind of crazy. It’s about two women in the 1960s and what society limits are [placed] upon these two women,” she said. “One Black, one white. One wealthy, one sort of scraping to become what she wants to become. But then more than that, you have the story of this affair with the socialite and JFK. We talk about drugs in the White House and then also the idea of like, well, who killed this woman? And why? It seems like it had a lot of threads.”
Advertisement
There’s also the prevailing themes of civil rights and criminal justice, which draw parallels to many of the same struggles that Black people still face today.
“It’s the trial of a young Black man who is accused of killing a wealthy white woman,” she explained. “Ray Crump himself is a very flawed character. Dovey seemed to think that he had intellectual challenges, but this story is so full of holes. It’s just odd. And there’s no real motive for why he would kill Mary Pinchot Meyer.
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“The fight around criminal justice and giving people a fair chance in court has been going on for a very long time, I think for young people especially, it feels sometimes like these battles are brand new and they’re not.”
But despite Crump being accused of murder, O’Brien believes that Roundtree is the true star of the show, who exhibits the type of Black Girl Magic that far too often goes unsung in the annals of history.
Advertisement
“[It’s important for Black audiences to know] that Dovey Roundtree existed,” she said. “I never heard of her and I’ve [been in journalism] for a long time. So if I haven’t heard of somebody even in passing, then they’re really missing from the pages of history books. I think that we really do need to remember those people who are trailblazers for us.
“Dovey Roundtree really is Black excellence. [...] She’s just basically a pissed off Black lady when it comes to injustice.”
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Murder on the Towpath is available now on Luminary.


theroot--2020-07-02--EMILY's List Names Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes Its 2020 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star A

EMILY's List Names Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes Its 2020 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award Winner

The nation ’ s largest resource for women in politics is recognizing a rising force in the political world .
On Thursday , EMILY ’ s List announced its 2020 recipient of the Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award is Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes , who represents Ohio ’ s 34th House District .
The award , due to be presented at the virtual We Are EMILY Conference on July 27 , “ celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office , ” according to a statement provided to The Glow Up .
“ The award honors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commitment to community , dedication to women and families , and determination and civility that have been the highlights of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords ’ career , in and out of office , ” the statement continued , noting that the virtual presentation will feature remarks by the award ’ s namesake herself .
The Rising Star Award has previously been awarded to former Georgia House Minority Leader turned gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams ( 2014 ) , former Boston City Councilwoman turned U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley ( 2015 ) , and Cook County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , making Sykes the latest in a legacy of dynamic women who have indeed risen in the political sphere .
And Sykes knows something about legacy .
H ailing from Akron , she has not only earned a B.A .
in Psychology , a JD with a certificate in family law , and a Master of Public Health , but she is the daughter of former state Representatives Barbara Sykes and Vernon Sykes ( now an Ohio state senator ) .
The elder Sykes collaboratively held the seat their daughter now holds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has represented the 34th House District since 1982 .
Founded in 1985 , EMILY ’ s List ( EMILY is an acronym for “ Early Money Is Like Yeast ” ) is one of the most progressive and proactive organizations in contemporary politics , having raised over $ 600 million to elect pro-choice Democratic women candidates .
Additionally , nearly 40 percent of the candidates EMILY ’ s List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color .
Stephanie Schriock , president of EMILY ’ s List said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and champion for civil rights , and EMILY ’ s List is proud to honor her with the 2020 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award .
As Ohio House minority leader , Emilia has proven her dedication to her community , working across the aisle to nearly double the amount of bipartisan legislation passed by the State House , and empowering women by fighting to re-establish the Ohio Women ’ s Policy and Research Commission .
She continues to be a leading voice on racial health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic and passionately calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including writing a resolution demanding the declaration of racism as a public health crisis .
As co-chair of the Legislative Task Force on Redistricting , Reapportionment , and Demographic Research , Emilia will hold officials accountable and ensure a fair redistricting process in 2021 .
We are proud to celebrate Emilia ’ s fearless leadership and we could not be more excited to see where her work takes her in the future .

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

The nation’s largest resource for women in politics is recognizing a rising force in the political world. On Thursday, EMILY’s List announced its 2020 recipient of the Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award is Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, who represents Ohio’s 34th House District. The award, due to be presented at the virtual We Are EMILY Conference on July 27, “celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office,” according to a statement provided to The Glow Up.
“The award honors a woman who demonstrates the sort of commitment to community, dedication to women and families, and determination and civility that have been the highlights of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ career, in and out of office,” the statement continued, noting that the virtual presentation will feature remarks by the award’s namesake herself.
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The Rising Star Award has previously been awarded to former Georgia House Minority Leader turned gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (2014), former Boston City Councilwoman turned U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (2015), and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in 2018, making Sykes the latest in a legacy of dynamic women who have indeed risen in the political sphere. And Sykes knows something about legacy. H ailing from Akron, she has not only earned a B.A. in Psychology, a JD with a certificate in family law, and a Master of Public Health, but she is the daughter of former state Representatives Barbara Sykes and Vernon Sykes (now an Ohio state senator). The elder Sykes collaboratively held the seat their daughter now holds until 2014, meaning the Sykes family has represented the 34th House District since 1982.
Founded in 1985, EMILY’s List (EMILY is an acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast”) is one of the most progressive and proactive organizations in contemporary politics, having raised over $600 million to elect pro-choice Democratic women candidates. Additionally, nearly 40 percent of the candidates EMILY’s List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List said in a statement: