ULTIMATE 2019 GIFT GUIDE FROM BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES: Health, Wellness, and Beauty

ULTIMATE 2019 GIFT GUIDE FROM BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES: Health, Wellness, and Beauty

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Kreyol Essence

Kreyol Essence (KE) brings natural hair, skin, and body products from Haiti to the world. Our eco-friendly formulations are made from pure and natural ingredients with a special focus on dry hair and skin. As a social business, we are maniacal about creating sustainable jobs, protecting and conserving the island’s environment and empowering women. We promise that every purchase you make w ill have a positive and global impact.

(Image: Kreyol Essence’s Instagram)

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Evita Joseph

The Evita Joseph Lip Gloss League Collection comes with all 5 shades. A lightweight, intensely opaque gloss formula with a melted smooth texture that glides on smoothly and moisturizes the lips.

(Image: Evitajoseph.com)

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By T. Spruill

By T. Spruill® founder, Tracey Spruill, is among the estimated 31.6 million [1] people in the U.S. affected by some form of eczema. Her chronic skin condition is isolated around her hairline. After a routine visit to the dermatologist office, Tracey inquired with her physician what shampoo and conditioner was recommended aside from prescription shampoos. Tracey wanted effective products that would gently cleanse, soothe irritation and restore moisture.

(Image: Bytspruill.com)

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The Stork Bag

The Stork Bag® is a curated reusable bag of thoughtful products tailored for expecting women. When you gift yourself or gift an expectant or new mother The Stork Bag, you also support a critical ecosystem of entrepreneurs and inventors who are all hard-working moms themselves.

The second trimester Stork Bag (Image: The Stork Bag)

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Marsh + Mane

As one of only three black owned beauty supply stores in Philadelphia, Jenea Robinson took a different approach to creating Marsh + Mane, a beauty supply boutique that carries a curated selection of products for natural hair, skin and lifestyle goods. Jenea wanted to create an experiential shopping experience which is typically not found in black beauty retail spaces.

 (Image: marshandmane.com)

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LivSo

(Image: LivSo.com)

LivSo offers shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizing scalp lotion created by a black woman dermatologist, Dr. Shari Hicks-Graham, to fight extreme dry and itchy scalp for men and women with textured hair—without ripping the hair of its moisture.

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Nubian Heritage

(Image: NubianHeritage.com)

 

Nubian Heritage creates a line of skin and body products. From the company’s blog, “We got our start as street vendors in Harlem. Fresh out of college and without jobs, we set out to bring the healing traditions of African Black Soap and Shea Butter to the community we loved. Short on experience, but full of passion and determination, we used our knowledge of culturally authentic healing traditions to create our natural skin and body treatments back in 1992, and every day since.”

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Joy Lorraine Cosmetics

 

(Image: joylorrainecosmetics.com)

 

Joy Lorraine creates a line of highly pigmented, vivid color cosmetics for women of color. The products are also not tested on animals for the ethically conscious.

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Good Night Darling Co.

(Image: goodnightdarling.co)

Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a normal, essential human need. Without sleep, we get stressed and sick. We deserve better than that. Women deserve better than that! Good Night Darling Co.’s products include candles, room spray, and comfy sleep clothing for a perfect sleep! (From the Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech, Holiday Gift Guide curated by Sista Circle founder, Lexi Bulter, and stitched together by designer, Adanma Ojukwu.)

 

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BLK + GRN

(Image: BLK + GRN)

 

BLK + GRN curates natural products handcrafted by black artisans & entrepreneurs. We partner with the best black-owned brands that are creating specialized products that support a holistic + healthy lifestyle. The brand uses ingredients that are high-quality, ethically sourced, toxin-free, and cruelty-free.  (From the Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech, Holiday Gift Guide curated by Sista Circle founder, Lexi Bulter, and stitched together by designer, Adanma Ojukwu.)

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Scotch Porter

(Image: Scotch Porter)

Scotch Porter is a premium-affordable men’s grooming brand, with a focus on delivering efficacious, high-quality products that give men the confidence, courage, and style they need to go out in the world and crush it.

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Tropical Isle Living

 

 

Tropic Isle Living is a line of natural hair and skin products made with castor oil and other organic ingredients.

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Marjani Beauty

 

(Image: marjanibeauty.com)

“Marjani” means “she who is precious like coral” in Swahili. Marjani Beauty is a beauty and cosmetics company for women of color with product curated from around the world.

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SW&G Essentials

 

(Image: www.pure-swag.com)

Medical esthetician and inventor Lydia Evans created SW&G Essentials, a line of cruelty-free, naturally-derived skin care products.

 

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The Cut Buddy

 

(Image: thecutbuddy.com)

The Cut Buddy is a beard and hair shaping tool for those wanting to feel that “fresh from the barbershop” confidence in between barber visits or if they can’t afford or get to the barber multiple times per month.

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VeganSmart

(Image: VeganSmart)

VeganSmart is company that develops and sells plant-based protein powders and shakes, to increase the awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Zuhuri Beauty

 

(Image: Zuhuri Beauty)

Zuhuri Beauty is an online store offering clean beauty products (natural, non-GMO, cruelty-free and handcrafted) as well as a subscription box service. 

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skinBUTTR

(Image: SkinButtr)

Model and beauty entrepreneur Tatiana Elizabeth Price created skinBUTTR out of the comfort of her home. Coming to the conclusion that she wasn’t the only person dealing with skin issues, she leaped into action and turned her passion into a business.

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Foxie Bombs Cosmetics 

Foxie Bomb Cosmetics include a vegan and handcrafted beauty line that produces bath bombs, soaps, and other products for body, skin, and hair care.

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The Afro Hair & Skin Co.  

The Afro Hair & Skin Co. is an independent beauty and wellness business founded by Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka. These organic and handmade products were listed at No.3 as one of VOGUE magazines, best skincare products for people of color according to the company’s website.

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Luxe Face Oil by Leland Francis

Luxe Face Oil by Leland Francis is a blend of 16 mostly organic lightweight and natural oils that hydrates the skin and helps fade stubborn dark spots. It also includes argan oil, an ancient remedy for acne and scars.

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FARSAIL’S THE ONE

The One is a gentle, non-drying, antioxidant-rich cleanser that rapidly dissolves makeup and impurities. It is infused with eight organic plant extracts that combat inflammation, acne, uneven tone, oiliness, and enlarged pores.

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Yubi Beauty 

The Yubi Buff and Blend set (Photo courtesy of Yubi Beauty, LLC)

Yubi Beauty is a cosmetic tool brand that allows women to quickly and effectively apply makeup. It was listed as one of TIME’s best 50 inventions of 2018. 

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 Alikay Naturals

 Alikay Naturals is a beauty and lifestyle natural hair brand.

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Ceylon

 

Ceylon offers a line of products designed to improve skin for men of color.

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Desert Harvest 

Desert Harvest offers nutritional supplements and skin care made with organic aloe vera and natural ingredients.

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Black Naps 

Black Naps creates products for 4c, 4b, 4a hair types.

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Base Butter 

Base Butter is “a skincare line born through the grown consciousness, intellect and demand for representation from consumers.”

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Bevel 

Bevel is a universal staple when beauty is talked about in Silicon Valley. There aren’t too many people who don’t know Bevel, the first end-to-end shaving system designed to help prevent razor bumps and irritation from shaving. Get clearer, smoother skin within four weeks, the tagline boasts.

 

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The Lip Bar

 The Lip Bar offers all-natural, vegan, gluten-free, lipsticks that are not tested on animals.

 

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Vera Moore 

Established in 1979, Vera Moore has built one of the most progressive and prestigious cosmetic and skincare lines anchored in the mantra that ‘skincare is the true foundation.

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Precious Tresses

Up your #HairGoals with this entrepreneur’s ‘“Quench & Drench Method,” a hair kit crafted to promote healthy, growing hair.

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Please note: Black Enterprise makes a small commission when you purchase one of these products via the embedded Amazon links. 

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Georgia woman arrested for shooting up a Kentucky KFC

A Georgia woman who went straight Madea last month as she shot up a Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-thru over some napkins and utensils has been arrested.

Shelbyville, Kentucky police say Jonelle Jade Dare, 33, of Marietta, Georgia, fired shots into a KFC drive-thru window on Boone Station Road in Shelbyville. Fortunately, no one was injured in the Oct. 28 incident, which occurred at 11:45 a.m. as numerous employees and customers were inside and could have potentially been harmed, reported The Courier-Journal.

READ MORE: REPORTS: Man KILLED after alleged fight over Popeyes chicken sandwich

Dare was arrested on Tuesday by the Sandy Springs, Georgia Police Department. She is being held without bond and is expected to be extradited to Kentucky. She is scheduled to appear at an extradition hearing in Fulton County Superior Court today.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office told ABC’s WHAS 11 that if Dare “waives extradition, then KY authorities will have 15 business days to pick her up from the Fulton County Jail. If Dare fights extradition, then a governor’s warrant from Kentucky will be required and that process could take 90 days or more.”

Police say Dare argued with a KFC cashier from the onset when she pulled up to the drive-thru window. But she grew irate at the cashier after she received her meal, drove off a few feet and discovered she didn’t receive a fork and napkin. It was then that she brandished a handgun and started firing shots into the drive-thru window, according to a police statement.

During the investigation, police identified Dare as the suspect and sent an arrest warrant and request for extradition to the U.S. Marshals Office in Atlanta, according to The Courier-Journal.

READ MORE: White woman gets body slammed outside a Popeyes restaurant after complaining about her bill

When Dare was arrested early Tuesday morning, police recovered a gun that matched the description of the weapon used at the KFC shooting.

We just have one question: Why? Sis, over some napkins and utensils? What were you thinking? Ok, that was three questions, but really.

The post Georgia woman arrested for shooting up a Kentucky KFC appeared first on theGrio.

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On Hope (in a Time of Hopelessness)

Almost everyone I love is having a hard time right now. This is about hope—but not in the way we often talk about it.

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The 20 Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes, Ranked

Looking for something on-brand to watch this Thanksgiving? These are all available to stream right now.

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'It's about football' - Botswana's female coach Carolin Braun

German Carolin Braun is the first female coach to sit on the bench for Botswana.

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Melania Trump was booed and heckled at youth summit in Baltimore

Baltimore was not here for First lady Melania Trump’s visit yesterday.

Melania was heckled and booed for about a minute as she brought her “Be Best” public awareness campaign to attendees of a youth summit held Tuesday, according to CNN. The goal of the campaign is to draw attention to the country’s opioid addiction.

READ MORE: Social media confused by strange statue of Melania Trump erected in her home country

Even after the boos subsided, audience members continued talking over Melania during her speech at the B’More Youth Summit held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

“Thank you to all of the students who are here. I am so proud of you for the bravery it takes to share that you have been strongly affected by the opioid epidemic in some way,” Melania commented, according to CNN.

Her “Be Best” initiative promotes children’s well-being and addresses cyberbullying and the perils of drug abuse.

“Promoting education and awareness on these issues will always be one of my top priorities. I am in this fight with you and I am fighting for you. I encourage you, if you are struggling with addiction right now, reach out for support — whether it’s a teacher, parent, friend, grandparent, coach or pastor, talk to an adult in your life that you trust. It is never too late to ask for help,” Melania added.

After her speech, Melania released a statement to CNN addressing the booing: “We live in a democracy and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the fact is we have a serious crisis in our country and I remain committed to educating children on the dangers and deadly consequences of drug abuse.”

The audience cheered when she exited the stage, CNN reported.

READ MORE: Congressman Elijah Cummings’ Baltimore home burglarized the same day Trump launched verbal attacks

But why would anyone in the Trump administration think Baltimore would receive them well?

This is the same city that the President called “rat and rodent-infested mess” in a tweet last summer aimed at the late Rep. Elijah Cummings’ 7th Congressional district, which includes parts of Baltimore.

The post Melania Trump was booed and heckled at youth summit in Baltimore appeared first on theGrio.

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Rep. Elijah Cummings’ daughters back longtime staffer to fill his term

Jennifer and Adia Cummings, daughters of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, are backing one of their dad’s former staff members in the race to fill the remaining term of his seat.

The two daughters are backing Harry Spikes for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in a competitive field that includes Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, Cummings’ widow. In a statement, Jennifer said she and Adia are supporting Spikes because he was a longtime staffer and represents the future of the party, according to The Baltimore Sun.

READ MORE: Maya Rockeymoore Cummings set to run for Congress

The daughters accompanied Spikes, one of the youngest candidates running, when he declared his candidacy at North Avenue’s Umar Boxing Gym in Baltimore.

“Our father often said of himself that he was ‘an ordinary man called to an extraordinary mission,’ and Harry embodies that same spirit,” Jennifer wrote in the statement, reported The Sun.

Jennifer Cummings said Spikes “has the unique ability to build a multigenerational and diverse coalition of support.”

She said her father tried to work with freshmen members of Congress as often as possible, particularly those in his House Oversight and Reform Committee, so he could help steer them to the next level.

“Harry Spikes represents that next generation of leadership,” Jennifer Cummings wrote.

32 candidates are vying for Cummings’ seat, including four state legislators. The 7th district includes portions of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Howard County. District voters are 68 percent Democrat and 16 percent Republican, according to The Sun.

The most high profile candidates running include Spikes, Rockeymoore Cummings and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman from the 7th district who vacated the seat to lead the NAACP in 1996.

READ MORE: Rep. Elijah Cummings: Politicians and celebrities react to sudden death of Baltimore congressman

Rockeymoore Cummings, who is the former chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party, and Cummings married in 2008.

Cummings died on Oct. 17 from thymic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. He was 68.

The primary is set for Feb. 4 and the general election will be held on April 28.

 

The post Rep. Elijah Cummings’ daughters back longtime staffer to fill his term appeared first on theGrio.

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Sleepwalkers Podcast: Rethinking Our Relationship With AI

A podcast series examines AI and its influence on humans. 

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LG OLED TV Black Friday Deal: LG B9 Drops to a New Low Price

You can snag a gorgeous LG 4K TV for $1,200 now through Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

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Cameroon's Pierre Webo gets coaching role in Turkey

Former Cameroon forward Pierre Webo joins Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir as an assistant coach.

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Think Twice Before Giving Gifts With a Microphone or Camera

Black Friday is going to be overrun with cheap, internet-connected gifts. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re buying.

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Who's Regulating Self-Driving Cars? Often, No One

Two hearings reveal that neither the federal government nor many states are monitoring the hundreds of self-driving vehicles being tested on US roads.

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China Is Still Building an Insane Number of New Coal Plants

While the rest of the world turns away from the fossil fuel, China is investing big in coal-powered electricity.

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Woman survives as runaway truck flattens her car in South Africa

The truck landed on the woman's car in the city of Port Elizabeth, leaving her trapped inside.

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Galatasaray 1-1 Club Bruges: Visitors have two sent off in celebrations

Club Bruges enjoy their equaliser at Galatasaray so much, they have two players sent off for celebrating.

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Egypt's Hany Said retires from football aged 39

Egypt's two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Hany Said retires from football aged 39.

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First-years learn fundamental principles by creating

Many first-year students arriving on campus each year share a driving force that brought them to MIT — a passion for making. Whether it’s tinkering with robots, building motors, or designing devices, they are eager to create something tangible during their time at MIT. Typically, an engineering curriculum starts by introducing key concepts and fundamentals, delaying the act of creation until later in the undergraduate experience.

In class 2.00a (Fundamentals of Engineering Design: Explore Space, Sea and Earth) first-year students are tasked with designing and building their own machine so they can see first-hand how the fundamentals they are learning apply to real-world scenarios.

“A lot of students come to MIT motivated to actually creating something, but they might have to wait until junior or senior year in some cases,” explains Daniel Frey, professor of mechanical engineering. “I want to give them a chance to experience what it’s like to build and create in their first year.”

The course introduces students to key principles and themes in design and engineering. Students get a crash course in MATLAB and CAD programming like SolidWorks. They learn the fundamental principles that govern structures, controls, and mechanics. By the third week of the semester, they are divided into teams that work together to conceptualize, design, and build a machine.

“This class really forces you to dive into the deep-end of the pool and see what you can make,” says Jason Ramirez, a current sophomore studying mechanical engineering who took 2.00a last spring.

Each year, the item students are tasked with building changes. Every project has hinged upon one central theme: exploration. The subtitle for Course 2.00a is, after all, “Explore Space, Sea and Earth.”

According to Ramirez, this theme of exploring is central to mechanical engineering. “I think that mechanical engineering in and of itself is about exploring — mechanical engineers like asking questions and trying to find solutions to problems,” he says.

In the past, projects included assessing the stability of a ship, using remote controlled aircrafts and robotic harvesters to clear watermilfoil growth in a lake, and searching for the existence of life on one of Jupiter’s moons. 

On the surface, the theme of this year’s projects was quite simple. Students were charged with building something with the theme of "flying." The resulting projects, however, were anything but simple. “This particular year everyone was swinging for the fences. They were all really trying to do something ambitious,” recalls Frey.

This year’s projects included both a "butterfly plane" and a bird-shaped plane, complete with flapping wings. While these ambitious designs gave students experience in making, they also introduced them to something nearly every engineer experiences throughout their career: failure.

While most design courses taken later in a students’ academic career have the end-goal of a successful product, Frey and his teaching team see value in giving first-year students the room to fail.

“I think early enough in the sequence of design courses a student takes, there should be the option for students to go out on a limb, tackle a particularly hard project, and give it the ‘old college try,’” Frey says.

Ramirez’s team met failure a few times throughout the design process. “We definitely failed a lot, but I think that there is a lot of learning in that,” he says.

One of the many things the project instills in students is how to work with fellow students to achieve a goal. As student teams worked together on refining their designs, Frey and the staff at the MIT International Design Center helped guide students’ visions and assist in the operation of machinery.

Along with other first-year courses 2.00 (Introduction to Design) and 2.00b (Toy Product Design), the class is meant to give first-year students a taste of what studying mechanical engineering at MIT will be like.

“The classes 2.00, 2.00a, and 2.00b are like an advertisement, not just for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, but for the particular way we want students to learn which really embodies MIT’s motto ‘mens et manus,’” adds Frey.

Last spring, Naomi Michael entered the class unsure of what major she would declare at the end of the year. For her, 2.00a tipped the scales toward mechanical engineering.

“The class gave me a good framework for thinking about the rest of Course 2,” says Michael, who is now a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. “2.00a does a good job of giving you a foundation across a lot of different subjects you’ll encounter within mechanical engineering including statics, MATLAB, and CAD. While these fundamentals will be covered in greater depth in later classes, it’s nice to have some familiarity with what they are and what they can do.” 

Like Michael, this insight into the topics that students will learn during four years of studying mechanical engineering helped strengthen Ramirez’s own decision to declare Course 2. “2.00a has shown me all the fun things mechanical engineering has to offer in the next four years,” he explains.

Course 2.00a has also armed Ramirez with a new perspective on how to approach the rest of his time at MIT. “The class showed me that MIT isn’t just about staying in your room working on p-sets at your desk,” he says. “You can get out, explore, and work on projects you actually care about.”

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The Guy Behind Bloomberg2020.org: ‘We Know How to Do Logos’

When an ad exec snagged a key election domain, he shared the news with just one other person: ex-White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci.

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Why France is focused on fighting jihadists in Mali

As Islamist militant violence escalates France wants the the rest of Europe to join the deadly fight.

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Jason Derulo denies photoshopping his ‘bulging trunks’ pic on IG

Well, good morning to you, Jason Derulo.

This past weekend, the Haitian heartthrob posted a steamy photograph of himself on Instagram under the caption: “Good Mornin’ 💦,” and the photo started trending because of a certain, ahem, feature.

READ MORE: Jason Derulo’s entourage gets kicked off a Southwest flight, says he fired travel agent

Derulo, 30, posed for the shot against the sexy Bali landscape and he wore black underwear that seemed to fit real good.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Good Mornin’ 💦

A post shared by Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) on Nov 21, 2019 at 6:17am PST

 

Taking advantage of the photo’s instant hit, Derulo had one question for his IG followers: “Don’t lie.. did you zoom?” When one responded back asking him what animal he was hiding in his pants, Derulo answered: “anaconda.”

Woo chile.

“We all zoomed,” wrote shallywilli, with tlbooey adding: “There’s no need to zoom, unless you wanted it to slap you in your face.”

“So is this why Jordan Sparks couldn’t breathe with no air???😎😇” one IG follower named budadatdude wrote.

Derulo addressed the photo again in an interview with TMZ. He said he was shocked the photo was such a hit.

Nah dawg, we ain’t buying that.

“It’s crazy, man. I honestly ain’t feel like that was gonna be my most-liked picture when I woke up this morning,” Derulo told TMZ. “I posted [it] very early [and] it was like from months ago, it was not even something that I just did.”

The “Want to Want Me” singer who just released his new EP 2Sides was then asked if our eyes were betraying us or whether he used Photoshop to touch up the image, for which Derulo got downright indignant.

“Photoshop?! Photoshop?! Man don’t make me —,” Derulo said, according to TMZ. “Just know … us Haitians, we look different.”

READ MORE: Deadly protests squeeze Haitians in shrinking economy

Derulo can be seen on the big screen next month in Cats, along with Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, and Taylor Swift.

But as for right now, he is taking in the photo’s success. He made the photo his IG profile picture where the post continues to be popular, attracting over 456,000 likes and more than 36,000 comments.

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Eto'o aims to use studies to 'give back to Africa'

Cameroon legend Samuel Eto'o says he wants to give back to Africa after completing his studies at Harvard Business School in the USA.

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GirlTrek Is Helping Black Families Shake Off the ‘Itis’ and Lace Up Their Walking Shoes This Thanksgiving

Instead of overindulging this Thanksgiving weekend—whether that means a food coma from the greens, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, you name it, or a debt hangover from the Black Friday discounts, deals, and doorbusters—one organization is encouraging black families to get fit together.

In what has become an annual tradition, GirlTrek is calling for black families across the country to pull themselves away from the eating and the shopping and invest their time and resources in their collective health instead by holding a Thanksgiving weekend walk.

“We invite you to join hundreds of women across the country to host a #BlackFamily5K with your family this Thanksgiving. Aunties, uncles, grandparents, and neighbors will gather after dinner on Thursday or during the holiday weekend to walk together,” GirlTrek co-founder Vanessa Garrison said in a statement. “This is a new tradition.”

GirlTrek is the country’s largest public health movement for black women, with 315,000 active members. It encourages black women to use walking as a form of self-care and a first step toward leading healthier and more fulfilled lives—or, as they put it on their website, to “heal our bodies, inspire our families, and to reclaim the streets of our neighborhoods.”

Most of the walks will take place Thursday after dinner, but they can also happen on Friday or Saturday morning. To host a Black Family 5K, register here. You can even print out customizable race bibs to make your family walk photos look official (or for those #Thanksgiving bragging rights on the ‘gram).

“Three years ago we decided to join the #optoutside movement by inviting black families to participate in a new holiday tradition—Black Family 5Ks,” added GirlTrek co-founder T. Morgan Dixon.

“That’s right, we appropriated, rebranded, and flipped a corporate holiday into a pre-Kwanza lovefest,” Dixon continued. “We’ve made Black Friday the new Black Holiday by inviting families to shake off the sweet potato ‘itis, put away the credit cards, gather up all the cousins who done snuck out to ‘go to the store,’ and hit the streets of our neighborhoods for some good ole’ fashion family fun.”

 

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AI Innovators Should Be Listening to Kids

Input from the next generation is crucial when it comes to navigating the challenges of new technologies.

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We're All 'P-Hacking' Now

An insiders' term for scientific malpractice has worked its way into pop culture. Is that a good thing?

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John Legend calls Trump a “cancer” who should be removed from office immediately

John Legend called Donald Trump a “cancer” who needs to be removed from office after he asked Navy Secretary Richard Spencer to resign.

Legend tweeted out Spencer’s resignation letter, in which he explained how he was asked to quit by Trump because the two don’t see eye to eye on what is meant by “good order and discipline,” according to Newsweek.

READ MORE: John Legend attends Miami hearing that officially permits felons the right to vote

“The President is a cancer and needs to be removed from office as soon as possible,” Legend tweeted.

The President is a cancer and needs to be removed from office as soon as possible. https://t.co/TS1KG7ruFV

— John Legend (@johnlegend) November 25, 2019

In a separate Tweet, Legend adds: “’In July Mr. Trump said that the Constitution gives him ‘the right to do whatever I want.’ Those are the words of a despot, not an American president.”

Spencer was asked to resign by Trump due to how he handled the Navy Seal Edward Gallagher case, in addition to “large cost overruns from past administration’s contracting procedures,” Newsweek reported.

Spencer said he’s out of here because he can’t “in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took,” Spencer said in his letter.

“The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again. The constitution and the uniform code of military justice are the shields that set us apart, and the beacons that protect us all. I have strived to ensure our proceedings are fair, transparent and consistent, from the newest recruit to the flag and general officer level. Unfortunately, it has become apparent that in this respect I no longer share the same understanding with the commander in chief who appointed me,” Spencer added.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Esper violated his “trust and confidence” for having secret talks with the White House about reinstating Gallagher’s initial rank, Newsweek reported.

READ MORE: 5 reasons John Legend is a legit choice for PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive

Gallagher, a Chief Petty Officer, was charged with war crimes in Iraq, for which he was ultimately acquitted, however, he was convicted of posing with the corpse of a foreign prisoner and demoted to petty officer first class as a result. He faces a disciplinary review.

Trump later reinstated Gallagher back to chief petty officer, which sparked tensions between Trump and the Pentagon.

Can we throw the whole Trump White House away?

 

 

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Julián Castro wants you to know he’s still in the race for President: ‘I have the strongest vision for Black voters’

Although the pool of Democratic candidates in the 2020 Presidential race continues to expand to ridiculous proportions, there is in fact, one candidate whose presence was missed from last week’s debate in Atlanta.

Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro is the only Latino candidate in the hodgepodge of choices available and he doesn’t want voters, especially those who are Black and Brown, to forget that he’s still very much in this fight. Although he didn’t meet the financial or polling criteria for the November debate, Castro is still pushing forward to secure his place on stage in December and beyond.

He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s counting on support from the biggest ethnic group voting bloc in 2020, particularly as he details one of the most progressive immigration plans of any of the Democratic candidates. He calls it the People First’ Immigration policy which would protect Dreamers, their parents, those seeking asylum and others who are undocumented, but have successfully contributed to the country.

Then there are the promises Castro has made on reparations if he becomes President, particularly creating a special task force that would explore the possibility of economic remuneration to the ancestors of Black American slaves.

Addressing these and other critical issues, Castro spent time on Sunday in Iowa (a key state) to meet supporters and continue to raise money and his presence in America’s heartland. He also hopes to stay long enough to meet the filing criteria to be on the ballot for the 2020 South Carolina Democratic Primary in February, a state where mostly Black voters will actually get to have their say. The application and $20,000 fee are due by December 4.

In a telephone interview with theGrio, Castro’s tone is soft and selective, but resilient and determined as he talks about why he’s the right Democrat to push Donald Trump out of the ivory tower, once and for all.

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TheGrio: First of all, how are you? How has campaigning across America been for you?

Julián Castro: I’ve gotten more used to waking up at 4:30 a.m. to take early morning flights. The hardest part is being away from my daughter, Carina who’s 10 and my son, Cristián who is four and will turn five at the end of the month. You get used to it after doing it for 10 or 11 months. The best part is that I’ve met so many people along the way who have expressed their hopes for their families and for the country. And people who have been very inspiring.

TheGrio: Both Mike Bloomberg and Deval Patrick have recently joined this race. In an already crowded Democratic field, what are your thoughts about them coming in so late and how are you planning to remain a viable contender?

Julián Castro: There’s no question at all that this has been a different kind of primary season. With the candidates who have been around, the new candidates just getting in, the threshold the DNC has put in place and then the craziness of the Trump administration playing out in the background, it has been unique for sure.

READ MORE: WATCH: Meet Julián Castro, the nation’s first Latino president?

Our campaign continues to work hard to get out our message to as many people as possible and to build up support in these early states, especially in Iowa, Nevada and then go on to South Carolina. We’re just trying to work hard and build up our support.

TheGrio: You weren’t at the debate last week because you didn’t meet the financial and poll thresholds. How are you planning to change that for December’s debate in Los Angeles?

Julián Castro: We’re working hard toward the donor threshold. I believe that we will make that and we’re doing what we can to increase name I.D. and get the word out to move up in the polls by December 12, which is cut off.

The polling threshold is a little bit different because there’s no way to directly impact that short of spending millions of dollars, which has been done. We are doing everything we can to get the word out and strengthen our outreach and I feel good that in the last few weeks.

Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro speaks at a Democratic presidential forum on Latino issues at Cal State LA on November 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The presidential primary in California will be held on March 3, 2020. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

More people have gotten my message, ironically even though I wasn’t on that debate stage. People are taking note. The entire push of this campaign, which is that we need to build an America where everyone counts and that I’ve been speaking up for a lot of people who often are not spoken up for — people who are forgotten, people who are poor or people who are cast aside.

TheGrio: Why should Black voters believe that you to beat Donald Trump?

Julián Castro: I have the strongest vision for the future of our country when it comes to Black voters, especially when we’re talking about investments we need to make in better educational opportunities when so many schools need tremendous improvement. I haven’t been afraid to take on issues that just about every other candidate doesn’t want to touch like police reform and to do it in a blunt and truthful way because it needs to be done.

“I have the strongest vision for the future of our country when it comes to Black voters…”

I wasn’t afraid to take on the issue of reparations, even though some people said, ‘hey, just leave that alone.’ I’ve laid out a plan for how we’re going to make sure that lead is no longer a major public health threat. I’ve been speaking powerfully to so many of the issues that many Americans, but especially Black Americans, face on a daily basis. Maybe most importantly, I have a very strong track record working to boost opportunities for African Americans.

When I was mayor of San Antonio, one of my biggest efforts was on the east side, which traditionally has been largely African Americans, to improve the quality of life for people and neighborhoods. Because of our work, San Antonio got a Promise Neighborhoods grant, a Choice Neighborhood grant and other federal funding under the Obama administration.

Julian Castro, former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary and San Antonio Mayor, announces his candidacy for president in 2020, at Plaza Guadalupe on January 12, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images)

Then when I went to HUD, I continued that work and we did the most groundbreaking regulation since the Fair Housing Act called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing to help ensure that communities across the United States put more effort into breaking down barriers so that everybody in this country has access to opportunities, regardless of their skin tone.

TheGrio: There are many Black voters who have decided to align with former Vice President Joe Biden, for better or worse. How do you get those folks to change their minds?

Julián Castro: My approach has been to be bold and to blunt and to lay out the plan. You know, it’s true. I don’t have nearly the amount of resources that some of the other candidates have, but if you look at our campaign and look at some of the other campaigns, people can see the difference. We’re going to do everything that we can so that more people are able to make that comparison.

And, when people make the comparison, I believe I win. 

TheGrio: There has been a lot of buzz around Bloomberg, especially since he apologized for implementing the Stop and Frisk policy in New York City, which unfairly targeted Black and Brown people. As a former mayor yourself, do you think he’s believable?

Julián Castro: I’ll take him at his word, although it is mighty convenient. My hope is that he’s going to delve into more detail about how he would change the problem that we have with policing in America especially when it concerns young Black men and women.

TheGrio: You were one of the first Democratic candidates to really support the idea of reparations. Is this an agenda that you would be committed to supporting, win or lose?

Julián Castro: Absolutely, but honestly I haven’t thought much beyond this election cycle. I have no Plan B right now at all, but I will say there are a number of issues, and that’s one of them, that I would gladly take forward and be a strong voice for in the years to come.

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Wendy L. Wilson is the managing editor at theGrio. Follow her rants, raves, and reviews on Twitter @WendyLWilson_

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California Teacher Trashes Students’ Black Lives Matter Posters

A teacher at Del Paso Manor Elementary School in Sacramento, California, decided to give sixth-graders a lesson on white supremacy as he threw away four student art projects because of their “political nature.”

KCRA, an NBC affiliate in Sacramento, originally reported that David Madden trashed student projects that illustrated the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement after they were inspired by a parent who was invited to the class to give a presentation on topics that the students cared about. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, Magli Kincaid gave a lesson on how art can manifest in activism on Sept. 16. After drawing inspiration from Kincaid’s lesson, four students created posters that were ultimately tossed out by Madden.

Subsequently, students and parents expressed their concerns about the matter to the principal of the school and proceeded to seek counsel and support from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California after they were reportedly confronted by Madden for reporting their trepidations. The lesson given by Kincaid was not her first at the school and she is hoping that it is not her last.

In a letter written to Kent Kern, Superintendent of the San Juan Unified School District, Abre’ Conner, Staff Attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, made it clear that the disposal of the students’ art posters violates their first amendment rights. And, that having received the directive to recreate their projects during class was unnecessary punishment.

The ACLU Stepped In When Leadership Wouldn’t

“Black Lives Matter posters and conversations are protected speech even if the principal and Mr. Madden believe that they are ‘political.’ Education Code § 48907 gives students the right to ‘exercise freedom of speech and of the press including, but not limited to, the use of bulletin boards, the distribution of printed materials or petitions, the wearing of buttons, badges, and other insignia.’ Cal. Ed. Code § 48907(a) (emphasis added). This speech must not be “obscene, libelous, or slanderous.” Cal. Ed. Code § 48907(a). First, Black Lives Matter posters are protected speech because they communicate a student’s expression of their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs regarding the support of Black lives. Additionally, the California Legislature squarely contemplated speech such as Black Lives Matter posters to ensure speech, like the type meant to uplift black students and other marginalized groups, was protected under the California Education Code. The District has not and cannot make a serious argument that Black Lives Matter speech is obscene, libelous, or slanderous. Indeed, this type of speech meant to create a more inclusive campus is quite the opposite.”

Report: Charter School Leaders of Color Encourage Families to Support Students

Conner went on to explain censorship, California state laws, and what inclusion actually means.

“There are obvious problems with a teacher and principal who currently have black students in their classroom and school taking the positions that the acknowledgment of Black Lives is controversial and political in nature. Students have a legal right to support their classmates and others within the black community through protected speech by creating Black Lives Matter posters. Indeed, even if the teacher believes that supporting Black Lives Matter is somehow political, the “silencing of a political message because of disagreement with that message, is particularly offensive.” Gillman ex rel. Gillman v. School Bd. for Holmes County, Fla., 567 F.Supp.2d 1359, 1376 (N.D. Fla. Jul. 24, 2008).”

The ACLU made the following demands:

• The District to issue a public apology
• To allow parents to continue volunteering in the classroom
• To hang the Black Lives Matter posters up during the Spring Art Night (if the students want to remake them) that has a Black Lives Matter theme, in addition to the breezeway where the other artwork is hung at Del Paso Manor Elementary
• Curriculum and events that include Black Lives Matter
• A cultural and sensitivity training for staff that is based on our clients’ input and (6) parent engagement training.

Since the incident, the San Juan Unified School District has issued the following statement on Nov. 21:

On Thursday, we received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that asserted students in one of Del Paso Manor’s sixth-grade classes had been censored because of the content of their artwork related to Black Lives Matter. We want all of our families to know that censoring student work because of its content would not be acceptable.

 

Del Paso Manor and San Juan Unified are committed to developing an equitable environment in all of our classrooms where students feel comfortable sharing their voice. Some of the assertions made in the letter from the ACLU are new information to the district and we will be investigating to determine their validity.

 

Art docent volunteers are welcomed into our classrooms to deliver district developed lessons aligned to grade-level standards. In this case, the parent volunteer was allowed to provide a lesson that was not prepared by the district’s art program and without having been trained. That should have not occurred and unfortunately led to disagreement between the parent and the classroom teacher on the assignment’s final outcome.

 

As stated in the letter from the ACLU, the teacher’s understanding of the resulting assignment was for students to produce artwork related to a change they wanted to see within the school itself. Students whose artwork focused on large social issues, which varied in topic, and was not directly tied to the school, were asked by the teacher to complete another poster the next day.

 

All artwork that met the assignment’s purpose was displayed in the classroom.

 

It is inconsistent with our values and never our intent or desire for any student to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome to discuss issues that are important to them. We sincerely apologize if this experience made any student feel such discomfort. We are open and committed to continuing our work with students, staff, community partners and others to ensure that our school communities embrace a diversity of thoughts and experiences.

Talk about life lessons.

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Three Baltimore men have been exonerated after serving 36 years

This Thanksgiving will be extra sweet for three Baltimore men released from prison on Monday after wrongly serving 36 years for a murder they didn’t commit. But will they be compensated for the state taking so many years from their lives?

Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart entered the prison system as 16 and 17-year-old teenagers. Yesterday, they received a writ of innocence in the death of 14-year-old middle school student, DeWitt Duckett. They have always maintained their innocence, according to CNN.

READ MORE: Louisiana man exonerated after serving 17 years for a robbery he didn’t commit

“That was hell,” Chestnut said to reporters upon release, CNN reported. “That was miserable.”

Last spring, Chestnut contacted Baltimore’s Conviction Integrity Unit after he found new evidence that could have helped exonerate him, Watkins and Stewart.

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby later joined in on the fight, jointly filing a petition with the men for their release. Yesterday, she apologized to the men for the injustice and told them they were being freed.

“I don’t think that today is a victory, it’s a tragedy. And we need to own up to our responsibility for it,” Mosby said, according to CNN. “There’s no way we can repair the damage to these men, when 36 years of their life were stolen from them.”

“You were all arrested on Thanksgiving 1983. Now you are free to spend the holidays with your loved ones for the first time in 36 years,” Mosby added during a press conference.

On Thanksgiving morning, Chestnut, Watkins and Stewart were arrested for the shooting death of Duckett, who was murdered for his Georgetown University jacket.

The state convicted the three young men based on witness testimony and a Georgetown jacket found in Chestnut’s room – even though his mom produced a receipt and a store clerk testified that Chestnut’s mom had purchased it. Further, the jacket had no blood on it or bullet residue. And like the case of the Central Park Five, the teenage boys were questioned by police without a parent in the room.

READ MORE: Exonerated ‘Central Park Park’ men receive joyful praise and standing ovation at BET Awards

Now the released men are in their fifties – and the state of Maryland has no system in place to compensate the men for their wrongful convictions. Mosby said she plans to push for laws that would pay inmates who are wrongly convicted and that would require a parent to escort underage kids during police interrogations.

Shameful.

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The Black Woman Who Turned Around the Dallas Mavericks’ Notorious Toxic Culture

Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall changed the toxic culture lingering around the NBA team in less than two years after being named to that position, according to CNN.

Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank personality Mark Cuban lured Marshall out of retirement to change the work environment after Sports Illustrated exposed a “corrosive workplace culture” at the organization. A number of instances of sexual harassment over more than 20 years were unearthed after an independent investigation launched by the Mavericks was publicly released.

“I walked into a bad culture,” says Marshall. “I walked into a place where the women were not valued and treated the way I would like to see them treated. Frankly, I think we had a problem with how we respected and treated people of color. It wasn’t a very diverse and inclusive environment when I got there. And so we needed to do some things.” 

Prior to becoming the NBA’s first black woman CEO, the highly respected leader was senior vice president of Human Resources and the chief diversity officer at AT&T before she retired in 2017 to launch her own consulting firm. She was also the first African American cheerleader at UC Berkeley. In 2015, she was named as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America by BLACK ENTERPRISE. 

“We are committed to running a business of excellence,” Marshall told BE in an exclusive interview shortly after joining the Mavericks. “Clearly we have work to do, and I walk in knowing that there’s a lot that I don’t know. But I do know how to lead, and how to effect necessary change in an organization.” 

When Marshall was named CEO, there were no employees on the executive leadership team who were women or people of color. Under her leadership, she increased diversity by promoting from within and recruiting from outside of the organization. Today, 50% of the executive leadership team are women and 47% are people of color. 

“She is driven, smart, compassionate and a realist,” Cuban wrote in an email to CNN. “But those don’t compare to her thirst to learn. She does whatever it takes.” 

Marshall hopes her work with the Mavericks will set the standard for inclusion and diversity in all sports organizations. “You don’t get results if you don’t take care of people. And so, that’s why I come to work every day. Literally, that’s what gets me up in the morning,” she told CNN.

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82-Year-old bodybuilder beats up her home intruder: ‘He picked the wrong house’

A home intruder in Rochester, NY got the surprise of a lifetime when the house he chose to burglarize ended up being the residence of an 82-year-old female body builder who had no problem beating him into submission until the authorities arrived.

According to a local ABC affiliate, late Thursday, a man allegedly started pounding on the door of Willie Murphy in the hopes of pushing his way into her home.

READ MORE: How Jada Pinkett Smith schooled an ‘incredibly apologetic’ T.I. during a candid ‘Red Table Talk’

“He was outside and saying, ‘Please call an ambulance,’ saying, ‘I’m sick, I’m sick,’” recalled the award winning body builder. But when she didn’t give him access, the would be assailant became angry.

“I hear a loud noise,” she said. “I’m thinking, ‘What the heck was that? The young man is in my home. He broke the door.”

“He picked the wrong house to break into,” continued Murphy who works out at the YMCA almost every day.

Because it was dark at the time of the break in, Murphy was able to hide as the suspect walked through her house then grabbed the closest thing she could find, which just so happened to be a table.

“I picked up the table, and I went to work on him,” she explained, noting that, “the table broke,” by the time she was finished whooping him with it.

“And when he’s down,” she added, “I’m jumping on him.”

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Once the suspect was subdued she ran to grab a bottle of shampoo and started pouring it on his eyes to further disorient him.

“I grabbed the shampoo,” she said. “Guess what? He’s still on the ground. In his face, all of it, the whole thing.”

“I got the broom,” she continued. “He’s pulling the broom. I’m hitting him with the broom.”

By the time the police arrived the man had to be taken to the hospital and the first responders were so impressed she states they, “wanted to go on my front porch and take selfies with me.”

Murphy, who can deadlift 225 pounds and received a hero’s welcome when she returned to the YMCA, hopes her story inspires people of all ages.

Ms. Murphy standing shoulder to shoulder with Genesee Section Officers after an intruder attempted to break into her home. Ms. Murphy is tough as nails & fended off the intruder. Ms. Murphy standing with some of the officers that responded to her home. pic.twitter.com/1gr8KfWZ4d

— Rochester NY Police (@RochesterNYPD) November 25, 2019

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