Gabe's Musings

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Florida officer fired after punching Black woman in viral video

A Miami-Dade Police officer has been fired after a video of him punching a Black woman started circulating on social media. The officer, who has been identified as Antonio Clemente Rodriguez, was “relieved of duty” yesterday.

The exact date of the incident is not clear. However, it took place at Miami International Airport, and the officers present were all wearing masks while the woman involved was not.

The video was shared on Twitter by Billy Corben, the director of Cocaine Cowboys, and an avid critic of police violence.

#BREAKING: @MiamiDadePD cop hits woman at Miami International Airport @iflymia #BecauseMiami pic.twitter.com/KnAVipZKtb

— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) July 2, 2020

Miami-Dade Police Department Director, Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, wrote that he is “shocked and angered by a body cam video that I just saw involving one of our officers.”

The footage shows a Black woman arguing with a police officer, although only her side of the conversation is clearly heard. In the video, she says, “Don’t walk up on me, for real.” She then tells him, “What you wanna do?”

She approaches the officer, and says, “You think you white, but you really Black.” At which point, Rodriguez punches her in the face and tackles her to the ground, handcuffing her. In the video, after the punch, the officer is heard saying, “She headbutted me.”

“Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in our community and causes my heart to break for our community and for the vast majority of our officers who dedicate their lives to serving our County.” Director Ramirez wrote on Twitter.

I am shocked and angered by a body cam video that i just saw involving one of our officers. I’ve immediately initiated an investigation and ordered that the involved officers be relieved of duty. Actions such as these undermine the hard work that we have invested in (1 of 3)…

— Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III (@MDPD_Director) July 2, 2020

He stated that he is referring the case to State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle.

However, Corben pointed out on Twitter that Rundle has never prosecuted a police officer for an on-duty killing in her 27-year career as State Attorney.

More on Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Rundle: #DarrenRainey, a mentally ill inmate serving 2 years for drug possession, was locked in a shower for 2 hours by prison guards, who rigged the water to 160 degrees and boiled him to death. @KathyFndzRundle covered up his murder. pic.twitter.com/KbBUGxB2Ov

— Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) July 2, 2020

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez called the incident “appalling” and “unnecessary.” He noted, “this is why I instituted body cameras & MDPD is reviewing all footage.”

This is appalling. It’s excessive use of force and unnecessary. That’s NOT what our @MiamiDadePD are trained to do. @MDPD_Director Ramirez has ordered the officer relieved of duty & investigation is underway. This is why I instituted body cameras & MDPD is reviewing all footage. https://t.co/KHDsEohBym

— Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez (@MayorGimenez) July 2, 2020

The name of the woman involved has not been released, nor whether she is facing charges.

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What Trump's Twitter and Clinton's Sax Have in Common

In some ways, Trump's use of social media follows a history of politicians sidestepping media gatekeepers that dates back to FDR. In others, he's a complete anomaly.

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New Chicago Mobile Drive-In Movie Theater Provides Safe Summer Fun

Due to the spread of COVID-19 and the resultant social distancing restrictions, many are having trouble adjusting to a summer without traditional activities. With restaurants still in the early stages of reopening and large-scale events shut down for the foreseeable future, it seems like most of our summer plans are canceled.

But two Chicago-based entrepreneurs have decided to use the coronavirus as an opportunity to make an old-time staple relevant again.

Percy Scott and Rita Lee are the creators of PR Pop-Ups, a mobile drive-in operation that provides a fun family outing option during the new normal.

“We came together to start PR Pop-Ups because of COVID-19. When it hit, we were looking for things to be out-of-the-box, different, and had to change the way we do business,” said Scott in an interview with Chicago Defender. “With our marketing company [Global 360 Marketing], people stopped doing concerts and having concerts because they could not get anymore due to COVID. We were talking, and Rita came up with the idea to do a drive-in.”

“We wanted to do PR Pop-Ups to give the communities of the south suburbs and people of our culture some normalcy during the time of panic,” Lee added. “When McHenry [drive-in] opened, we thought we would be the balancer in distance and an opportunity for the families to do some nostalgia and come together. Everybody is saying stay home, but we need each other to heal from all viruses.”

Currently, the drive-in operates in the Chicago suburbs with plans to spread across the area. “A lot of times, the south suburbs [of Chicago] are the first to get hit the hardest and the last to receive any help. We wanted to make sure that we did it here in the south suburbs first,” said Scott.

“We did our first drive-in pop-up in Harvey, on Mother’s Day weekend and SOLD OUT. We were right here in Harvey hosting another drive-in while all the looting and rioting was going on in Chicago and suburbs. Here, at PR Pop-ups in Harvey, we had no clue what was going on outside of our environment for that moment. It was like the United Nations here–everybody loving, laughing, enjoying a wonderful experience even amid apparent turmoil around us.”

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White Hampton Inn Employee Fired After Calling Police on Black Family Using Swimming Pool

A white woman who was an employee at a Williamston hotel in North Carolina has been fired after she called police on a Black woman and her children who were guests swimming in the hotel pool, according to USA Today.

A Black woman, Anita Williams-Wright, who was with her children at a Hampton Inn in Williamston, North Carolina, was at the hotel swimming pool when a white employee and two white police officers approached her asking if she belonged there. Williams-Wright started a Facebook Live as she showed the interaction she was having with them.

She also placed the video on her Instagram page.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anita Williams-wright (@anitawilliamswright) on Jun 27, 2020 at 3:37pm PDT

The woman’s job was terminated by Hampton Inn. A statement was placed on the Hampton by Hilton Facebook page.

“Hampton by Hilton has zero tolerance for racism or discrimination of any kind. On Saturday, we were alerted to an online video of a guest incident at one of our franchise properties. We moved quickly to identify the hotel and the guest, so that we could make contact and review the matter.

Even as we communicated our expectations to the ownership and management of the Williamston property on Sunday, we learned that the team member is no longer employed at the hotel. We have apologized directly to the guest and her family for their experience, and will work with them and the hotel to make this right. We remain in contact with the hotel’s ownership about follow up actions, and to ensure that in the future, their employees reflect the best values of our brand and are welcoming of all.”

“The Williamston Police Department takes the complaint process very seriously and has initiated an internal investigation surrounding our response to this call for service,” the department said in a written statement to ABC News. “Our office will conduct a thorough and complete internal investigation. We appreciate the public’s concern and efforts to make us aware of this incident.”

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HiMirror Slide Review: A Smart Mirror for Your Makeup or Beauty Routine

This tablet-mirror hybrid can analyze your skin, keep track of your skincare products, and is a handy way to follow makeup tutorials on YouTube.

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Women’s Roller Derby Has a Plan for Covid, and It Kicks Ass

While baseball, basketball, and other sports struggle to adapt, an international team of skater-experts has figured out a safer way to play.

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Trump Calls Planned Black Lives Matter Mural Outside Trump Tower “A Symbol Of Hate”

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that a Black Lives Matter mural that will go in front of Trump Tower is “a symbol of hate.”

According to Forbes, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last Thursday the phrase “Black Lives Matter” would be painted in large yellow letters on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets in Manhattan, which is right in front of Trump Tower.

Trump reacted to the news on Twitter Wednesday and on New York City cutting $1 billion from the city’s police department budget.

“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.

Trump also suggested the New York Police Department could prevent the mural.

“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!” Trump tweeted.

Julia Arredondo, a spokeswoman for De Blasio, told the New York Times Thursday this is a moment Trump cannot hide from.

“The president is a disgrace to the values we cherish in New York City,” Arredondo told the Times. “He can’t run or deny the reality we are facing, and anytime he wants to set foot in the place he claims is his hometown, he should be reminded that Black lives matter.”

Despite a poll showing 95% of Americans are in favor of some kind of police reform and growing disapproval of Trump’s handling of the nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd, the president has refused to change his stance on police brutality, the protests, or the taking down of Confederate statues.

“We have to remember the heritage and the culture of our country,” Trump said on Fox News Sunday. “I see what’s happening on television, and they are ripping down things. They have no idea what they are ripping down, but they started off with the Confederates and now go to Ulysses Grant. So what is that all about?”

De Blasio is facing his own heat in the city that never sleeps. Last month, a group of more than 200 former and current de Blasio staff members signed a letter slamming the mayor’s handling of the Black Lives Matter protests and for not following through on promises he made when he was running for mayor.

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WIRED’s Ultimate Summer Reading List

Summer is as much a season as a mindset—a sunny thing to escape to. Here are some weird, wild books to help get you there.

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4th of July Sales (2020): 25 Best Mattress and Tech Deals This Weekend

From mattresses to laptops, we'll meet all of your stay-at-home holiday tech needs here.

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Your Firework Smoke Could Be Tainted With Lead

It may be the most unpatriotic toxicology study ever, but so be it: Metals give fireworks their color, but some manufacturers are slipping in toxins.

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Khayelitsha: Cape Town police suspended for evicting naked man in South Africa

Their actions in a township were branded degrading and inhumane by South Africa's housing minister.

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France suspends Nato mission role amid Libya row

Paris says Turkey targeted a French frigate in the Mediterranean - a claim Ankara strongly denies.

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Hachalu Hundessa: Mob violence in Ethiopia as protest singer buried

Popular Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa is being buried as unrest over his death spreads.

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2010 World Cup: Ghana players 'cannot forgive' Suarez handball ten years on

Hans Sarpei and John Paintsil played for Ghana in one of the most controversial matches in World Cup history ten years ago against Uruguay.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Haile Selassie: Statue of former Ethiopian leader destroyed in London park

Police are investigating the incident, which is being linked to unrest in Ethiopia.

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Paris Jackson says King of Pop caught on ‘pretty quickly’ to her sexuality

Paris Jackson claims the King of Pop caught on ‘pretty quickly’ to her sexuality when she was a child as young as 8-years-old.

The daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe is opening up her relationship with Soundflowers bandmate Gabriel Glenn for a new Facebook Watch docuseries, Extra reports.

In the premiere episode of Unfiltered: Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn, the 22-year-old admits she “never thought I’d end up with a dude.” Adding, “[I] thought I’d end up marrying a chick. I’ve dated more women than men,” Jackson said of her sexual orientation.

“The public only knows about three long-term relationships that I’ve been in and they’ve been with men. The public doesn’t know about most of the relationships I’ve been in,” she continued.

After the death of her her father, Paris went to live with her grandmother Katherine Jackson, who is a Jehovah’s Witness.

“Homosexuality in general is very taboo in the Black community,” she said. “That, on top of the religious aspect — it was something that I did feel like I needed to withhold for a while.”

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“the night that we met, the back of the show, my favourite band but you wouldn’t know, from looking at me, all wrapped up in you…”

A post shared by Gabriel Glenn (@gabrielglenn) on Oct 11, 2019 at 10:51am PDT

On Monday, Facebook Watch gave viewers a first look into the first season of her new series. In the clip, Jackson’s famous father makes an appearance.

The touching home videos show the pop icon interacting with a much younger Paris and when he asks what she wants to be when she grows up she quickly responds, “I do what you do,” adding, “dance and sing!”

When it comes to her sexuality, Jackson claims her dad “caught on pretty quick.”

“I think he just felt the energy and he would, like, kind of tease me the same way that he would tease my brothers, like ‘Oh, you got yourself a girlfriend,'” she said.

“I’m very lucky to have that, especially so young — I think I was like 8 or 9. Not many children have that experience.”

Jackson doesn’t consider herself bisexual because “I’ve dated more than just men and women, I’ve dated a man that had a vagina. It has nothing to do with what’s in your pants, it’s literally like, ‘What are you like as a person?'”

In the preview for her docuseries, she admits that “Gabe understands the pain that I’ve gone through in my life.”

Of their relationship, Jackson also noted: “It is nice to finally have a home base, which is something that I’ve never really had before,” she explained. “The only home I’ve ever had before was my dad and now I have Gabe, so… I’m very lucky.”

Catch all-new episodes of Unfiltered: Paris Jackson and Gabriel Glenn Tuesdays on Facebook Watch!

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2 Florida officials fired for erasing Black faces from firefighter murals

The first Black female deputy fire chief in Boynton Beach, Florida is speaking out after she was erased from a mural honoring the city’s firefighters.

Latosha Clemons is understandably outraged over the incident, which resulted in two city employees losing their job.

Former fire chief Glenn Joseph, who us Black, was also set to appear on the mural but he too was replaced by a white face.

Clemons has now lawyered up to get to the bottom of why the Black faces were omitted from the display and made to look Caucasian.

“Who made these changes and why did they make these changes?” her attorney, Nicole Hunt Jackson, asked Wednesday at a news conference, NBC News reports.

JUST IN: Two Florida officials fired for erasing faces of Black firefighters from city mural.
“It’s a huge racial insult. For them to unilaterally take this and decide to not only remove her face but to whitewash the face, it is beyond offensive.”@NBCNews https://t.co/yGMpGNgS8u pic.twitter.com/VWiK3A6isd

— Shomari Stone (@shomaristone) July 1, 2020

“I wanted little Black girls to look at that mural and know they can have their face on a mural,” said Clemons, the only Black female firefighter in Boynton Beach. She retired a few months ago after serving her community for 20 years.

The mural was unveiled at a ribbon-cutting this month, showing her image replaced by a white face.

“My role is to get to who is responsible, how they came to the conclusion it was acceptable — and to push the issue for the need to examine policies and determine whether or not there needs to be racial sensitivity training,” her attorney explained.

“It’s a huge racial insult. For them to unilaterally take this and decide to not only remove her face but to whitewash the face, it is beyond offensive,” said Jackson.

Latosha Clemons is the FIRST Black female deputy fire chief & ONLY Black female firefighter in Boynton Beach. Despite this, the mural's creator WHITEWASHED her. Join me in thanking Latosha for risking her life to protect others. Let's give her the honor & respect she deserves pic.twitter.com/CYnbkMHWwe

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 2, 2020

The mural has been removed and public arts manager, Debby Coles-Dobay, and the chief of the fire rescue department, Matthew Petty, have reportedly been fired over it.

“The decision made to alter the artwork that was approved by the Public Arts Commission was wrong and disrespectful to our community,” City Manager Lori LaVerriere said in a statement.

Coles-Dobay claims she “was pressured to make this artwork change by the fire chief and his staff, as the city well knows.”

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Apple acquires Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ in largest film festival deal ever

Apple Studios has secured global rights to Will Smith’s slave drama Emancipation, in a historic festival acquisition deal worth over $100 million.

The film package with director Antoine Fuqua attached was brought to the Virtual Cannes market last week. After a heated bidding war with seven other studios, including Warner Bros., Apple bagged the project for a whopping $120 million, Deadline reports.

Based on a true story, the movie follows Smith as a slave named Peter who flees a Louisiana plantation and must outsmart his captors on a journey North, where he joins the Union Army.

The story of Peter made headlines in 1863 when a photo taken of him during an Army medical examination was published. The visually-arresting image showed cars on his bare back from a brutal whipping received by an overseer on the plantation owned by John and Bridget Lyons.

Peter’s story is one of courageous heroism against insurmountable odds. A true hero’s journey that helped unify America and put an end to slavery. https://t.co/xDv9FBn7RI pic.twitter.com/qzbq2DIm9N

— Joey McFarland (@JoeyMcFarland) June 16, 2020

“It was the first viral image of the brutality of slavery that the world saw,” Fuqua told Deadline. “Which is interesting, when you put it into perspective with today and social media and what the world is seeing, again. You can’t fix the past, but you can remind people of the past and I think we have to, in an accurate, real way,” he explained.

Adding, “We all have to look for a brighter future for us all, for everyone. That’s one of the most important reasons to do things right now, is show our history. We have to face our truth before we can move forward.”

Fuqua noted that the Civil War-era thriller is “based on historical fact” and that writer Bill Collage “really went deep into” the “historical documents and also information from Peter’s own diaries,” he said.

“When I read the script, I thought, what an amazing journey, a heartbreaking and heart-racing film to have an opportunity to make,” Faqua added.

“It’s rare to have a film that, on the entertainment side, has action that I’ve never seen before, real action, a guy running through the swamps for his life, wrestling with alligators and snakes, being chased by hounds, then joining the Civil War, fighting against the Confederate army.”

Fuqua told Deadline that the image of Peter’s back “hit my heart and my soul in so many ways that are impossible to convey.”

Citing the most recent protests over racial injustice and police brutality, he added, “we’re watching some of the feeling that I had, in the streets right now. There’s sadness, there’s anger, there’s love, faith and hope as well because of what I see young people doing today.”

He continued, “They’re doing all the heavy lifting now. Black, white, brown, yellow, you name it. They’re out in the street, they’re young, and they’re standing up for their future.”

Production on Emancipation is slated to kick off in 2021.

The film will premiere in theaters and on Apple TV +.

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Delaware moves whipping post from public square that was used until the ’50s

You may wonder why in the world a whipping post ever existed in a public square in America post-slavery.

And then, you might wonder, well after its use was outlawed, why it remained in that public square for another 70 years, in full view of anyone passing by on a daily basis.

That is the question residents of Georgetown, Delaware must have asked before the protests in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor generated a national and global racial reckoning not seen in decades.

A protester holds up a sign that reads “We Never Left Jim Crow” during a protest sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody on May 29, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Some of those protests targeted still existing symbols of racism including monuments and statues to Confederate leaders and others who had played a role in subjugating Black people.

That outrage played a role in the removal of a whipping post that had existed outside Delaware’s Suffolk County courthouse this week but not before its horrific history was revealed.

UPDATE: After an hour and a half of excavation, the whipping post has been removed from the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown, Delaware. https://t.co/6DjNMEpcoU pic.twitter.com/Cr5iYJ8Ql9

— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) July 1, 2020

As reported by Philadephia’s ABC station, WPVI, the 8-foot tall whipping post was used up until the ’50s to publicly punish people convicted of crimes. According to the state’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) it remained in use until 1952 and African-Americans were the ones who were punished that way more often than others.

Delaware, the nation’s first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, was also a slave slate. Freedom fighter Harriet Tubman escaped from Maryland to Delaware via their shared border and the Underground Railroad but had to continue on to Pennsylvania to live as a free woman.

“It is appropriate for an item like this to be preserved in the state’s collections, so that future generations may view it and attempt to understand the full context of its historical significance,” HCA Director Tim Slavin told ABC. “It’s quite another thing to allow a whipping post to remain in place along a busy public street – a cold, deadpan display that does not adequately account for the traumatic legacy it represents, and that still reverberates among communities of color in our state.”

Delaware did not outlaw the practice of whipping as punishment until 1972, the last state to do so. The post will be stored and preserved in an HCA facility so that it can be determined how to present it in its proper historical context in a museum.

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Actor Nathan Davis Jr. sues United Airlines for $10M for racial profiling

Nathan Davis Jr. from Marvel’s Runaways and Snowfall filed a lawsuit this week alleging he was kicked off an airplane last December after a flight attendant falsely accused him of possessing a gun, in what the actor believes was a racially motivated incident.

“I was extremely fearful,” Davis said in a recent interview with Variety. “I honestly felt like there was nobody there that had my back. I was the only Black man on the plane. I just honestly felt like my life didn’t matter — I literally felt like this lady was going to take away my life, just by saying that I had a gun.”

As a result, his attorney George Mallory has filed the racial discrimination lawsuit against United Airlines, ExpressJet Airlines, which operates as United Express, on behalf of United and ManaAir.

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This was the scariest moment in my life! Please share! This could’ve cost me my life. We need change.

A post shared by NDJ (@nathandavisjrndj) on Jun 28, 2020 at 1:52pm PDT

In addition to his work in Hollywood, the 26-year-old is also a TikTok star with more than 9 million followers on the app. After going public with his story he decided to explain his decision to file the suit in which he is seeking $10 million in damages.

“I feel like that I needed to talk about the situation to kind of show people that no matter how much money or fame you have, as a Black man, we’re still gonna have a target on our backs,” he said. “And I don’t want another person to go through this situation who doesn’t have the platform that I have.”

On the day of the incident he recalls that after taking his seat at the back of a flight from Houston to Nashville, he was approached by a female flight attendant asking him to turn down the music playing through his earbuds.

Davis says that he complied with her request to turn the music down but noticed that other passengers around him were also listening to music on their devices at the same volume without being reprimanded. He goes on to say that the attendant approached him a second and third time about the same issue even after he’d turned the music off entirely.

“The last time, the third time, I had my music paused, just to see, and she did it again and she was mocking me,” he said.

When other passengers sitting near him spoke up and said they couldn’t hear his music and felt the attendant was singling him out, the actor began recording what was happening on the plane.

In one clip obtained by Variety, Davis can be heard saying, “She’s literally calling the cops on me for listening to music. That’s crazy.”

“I just started recording because I felt like that was the only way the truth was gonna come out, with me recording on my phone,” he now explains.

According to the lawsuit, the flight attendant had the captain make an announcement that the plane would “return to the gate to remove a passenger.” When they reached the gate, one of the airline’s operations supervisors came on board to escort Davis off and the captain allegedly “attempted to forcefully take away [Davis’] cell phone while he recorded the interaction between the parties.”

When the stunned actor was allowed back onto the plane to retrieve his belongings, the flight attendant announced over the loudspeaker ‘He has a gun now”, an accusation that Davis claims was false and hadn’t even been brought up before. Fortunately, this part was also captured on video although at the time he was gripped with fear that police would be waiting for him in the terminal.

“The whole time I’m sitting there, thinking that there’s about to be all these cops that are about to point their guns at me, or they’re gonna see my phone and think it’s a gun and kill me,” he said. “I’m thinking there could have been an air marshal on the plane that could have attacked me.”

“I just felt so alone. I’m just thinking to myself, ‘I’m gonna die. Nobody’s gonna know my story; all they’re going to know is there’s a Black kid in the hoodie and some sweats that just got gunned down by these cops because a flight attendant said he had a gun.’” Davis continued. “I shouldn’t have to wear a suit and tie everywhere I have to go. I should be able to wear what I want to wear. I shouldn’t have to explain to people that my hoodie wasn’t on. Why do I have to say that? Why can’t I just be a human being that’s on a plane ride to go perform?”

Fortunately when he got off the staff was much more compassionate towards him than the attendant, which may have something to do with the fact that by then someone onboard recognized him from his Tik Tok and an agent recognized him as an actor.

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Michael B. Jordan creates summer drive-in movie series

Creed star Micheal B. Jordan is doing his part to keep the entertainment industry afloat despite the coronavirus pandemic. The actor, through his Outlier Society production company, is partnering with Amazon Studios to create a socially distanced movie experience via a summer screening series at drive-in movie theaters.

As reported by Deadline, A Night at The Drive-In will focus on multicultural movies and will happen in several cities including outside Philadelphia, Savannah, Georgia, August-Aiken, South Carolina, Baltimore, Maryland, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, and more. The double-feature movie nights will be free of charge and the free refreshments provided are from Black-owned and/or brown-owned companies Path Water, Pipcorn Popcorn, and Partake Cookies.

We’re partnering with @michaelb4jordan and @Outlier_Society to bring communities a selection of drive-in film screenings this summer, celebrating Black and Brown stories in cinema. Check out the list at the link here: https://t.co/AqDb2P7pHG pic.twitter.com/jeZmAgdV3M

— Amazon Studios (@AmazonStudios) June 26, 2020

“With this drive-in summer series, I hope that friends and families are able to not only enjoy, but to learn and grow,” Jordan said in a statement.

“Now more than ever, amplifying Black and Brown stories means engaging culture to speak to hearts and minds about the world we live in. As we use this opportunity to reimagine community and proximity, I am excited that these films will be shared and celebrated all across the country.”

The series runs from July 1 – August 26 with various themed movie nights.

Movies to make you fall in love:
Love & Basketball (Warner Bros. / New Line)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.)

Movies that make you proud:
Black Panther (Disney)
Creed (Warner Bros.)

Movies to inspire your inner child:
Hook (Sony Pictures)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)

Movies to make you open your eyes:
Do The Right Thing (Universal)
Get Out (Universal)

Movies to make you laugh:
Coming to America (Paramount Pictures)
Girls Trip (Universal)

For schedules and participating theaters, click HERE.

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LeBron James Says the NFL Needs to Apologize to Colin Kaepernick Because he ‘Basically Sacrificed Everything’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently admitted that the NFL was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.” But, according to Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, that admission should be made directly to Colin Kaepernick, who was the ‘poster boy’ of peaceful protests while he was still playing in the league, reports Pro Football Talk.

James was discussing the issue when he appeared in an interview with Jason Kelly of Bloomberg Businessweek.

“As far as the NFL, I’m not in those locker rooms, I’m not with those guys, but I do understand that an apology — I have not heard a true, official apology to Colin Kaepernick on what he was going through and what he was trying to tell the NFL and tell the world about why he was kneeling when he was doing that as a San Francisco 49er. I just see that to still be wrong. Now they are listening some, but I still think we have not heard that official apology to a man who basically sacrificed everything for the better of this world,” James said.

“One thing I can speak for is what I’m apart of,” he continues. “I’m a part of a league with a great commissioner in Adam Silver and he’s always listened to the voices of his players and I’ve always respected him for that. He’s given us an opportunity that when we feel something that’s very wrong with society, that’s very wrong with what’s going on in our communities, that we can speak upon that and use the NBA’s shield to back us and I have nothing but respect for Adam Silver.”

Apparently, James isn’t alone in his thought process. Based on a recent poll, two-thirds of those polled said Goodell’s statement felt insincere and was done just for publicity while 53% said it was “too little too late.”

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Netflix Taps Marketing Powerhouse Bozoma Saint John as New CMO

Bozoma Saint John is leaving her executive role at Endeavor to start a new position as the chief marketing officer (CMO) at Netflix.

Saint John, a marketing veteran with nearly 20 years of experience, will take over for Jackie Lee-Joe, the former BBC Studios CMO who began working at Netflix in July 2019. Lee-Joe said she is stepping down from her role due to personal reasons.

“Bozoma Saint John is an exceptional marketer who understands how to drive conversations around popular culture better than almost anyone,” said Netflix Content Chief Ted Sarandos in a statement, according to Deadline. “As we bring more great stories to our members around the world, she’ll define and lead our next exciting phase of creativity and connection with consumers.”

Starting in August, Saint John will be responsible for spearheading marketing initiatives for the global entertainment streaming business, which reaches over 180 million subscribers and produces a slate of original films and series, reports Adweek.

“I’m thrilled to join Netflix, especially at a time when storytelling is critical to our global, societal well-being,” said Saint John. “I feel honored to contribute my experience to an already dynamic legacy, and to continue driving engagement in the future.”

For the last two years, the 43-year-old marketing guru served as the CMO of Endeavor, the parent company of leading talent agency WME, which represents A-list stars like Oprah Winfrey and Matt Damon. Prior to Endeavor, Saint John worked for a little under a year as the Chief Brand Officer for Uber, starting in 2017. During her tenure, she took steps to improve Uber’s embattled image, even going as far as to personally work as a driver to better serve customers. Yet, despite her efforts and the shift in company leadership, Uber was riddled with scandals and controversy and made little progress in diversifying its workforce.

Saint John also held top marketing positions at Apple Music and iTunes along with Pepsi-Cola North America. She gained national notoriety after she delivered an impressive presentation at the 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, making her the first Black woman to present at an Apple event. There, she demonstrated new Apple Music features while playing “Rapper’s Delight” on stage.

While working as Head of Music and Marketing Entertainment for PepsiCo, she was instrumental in curating Beyoncé’s sponsorship deal with Pepsi and her 2013 Super Bowl halftime performance.

Saint John graced the cover of BLACK ENTERPRISE’s Jan./Feb. 2017 Women of Power issue cover and has been a featured speaker at the BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit and TechConneXt conference.

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35-Year-Old Black Biologist Lynika Strozier Dies After Contracting COVID-19

A beloved Black biologist and college professor who worked in Chicago at the Field Museum has died from complications of the coronavirus, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Lynika Strozier, a 35-year-old researcher for the Field Museum’s Pritzker DNA Lab, died June 7 after testing positive for COVID-19.

“This is a big, big place,” said her supervisor, Matt von Konrat, head of botanical collections. “And she would walk through the halls, with her long stride, and always, always, a smile and hello for everyone. For all of us, for strangers, it didn’t matter.”

Speaking about Strozier’s work in the Pritzker DNA Lab, von Konrat stated Strozier was “a perfectionist.”

“The work can be frustrating, it can be tedious, and she was determined to get it right,” he said. She would work long hours when necessary. Recently, she worked on extracting DNA from plants, sometimes tiny plants, ‘the size of an eyelash,’ von Konrat said. Or sometimes the specimens would be dried plants, decades old.

“I told her she had hands of gold,” von Konrat said. “She would always manage it.”

At the beginning of the year, in January 2020, she was hired as an adjunct instructor at Malcolm X College to teach biology, according to TheGrio. Two months later, she received an honorary appointment of Collections Associate for the Gantz Family Collections Center at the Field Museum. Because of the coronavirus, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the rigors of the positions.

A GoFundMe account was set up to pay her funeral costs and to establish a scholarship to support young scientists.

“Although we have met our original goal to cover the funeral costs, the family has decided to increase it to establish a scholarship fund in her honor. Now, the funds we raise here will go towards her funeral expenses, medical bills, and supporting young scientists like Lynika. We hope you will help us continue her legacy and keep her memory shining bright.”

Donations continue to pour in as the total funds have reached $82,553, which is more than $30,000 over the intended goal of $50,000.

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Richelieu Dennis steps down as CEO of Essence Communications

A blog post titled, The Truth About Essence, went viral over the weekend as the anonymous women writers blogged about their painful experiences working at the magazine. In it, they requested the resignation of several key senior managers.

Today, one of those requests was honored. Richelieu Dennis has stepped down as CEO of Essence Magazine.

Dennis, the founder of Shea Moisture and Sundial Brands, bought the iconic magazine and brand from TIME in 2018. The acquisition made Essence Communications 100% Black-owned again. However, according to the blog post, that did not stop a pervasive culture of toxicity and harassment.

The Truth About Essence was written by a group of anonymous women who state that they are either current or past employees of the magazine. They wrote the post out of frustration, and as a demand for change. The scathing allegations reverberated throughout the Black media world, and Essence Communications quickly released a statement.

Richelieu Dennis theGrio.com — (L-R) Essence CEO Michelle Ebanks, Essence Ventures Founder & Chairman Richelieu Dennis, and Essence Chief Content & Creative Officer Moana Luu at the 2020 13th Annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Essence Communications released a statement on Monday denouncing the allegations as baseless. However, on Tuesday, they released another statement that Dennis will be stepping down as CEO, and that they have committed to an independent review of their business practices.

“Out of an abundance of caution and an unwavering commitment to transparency, ESSENCE is in the process of hiring law firms and other independent external experts to assess and review the company’s policies and practices and conduct comprehensive employee interviews.” The statement reads.

BREAKING NEWS: @Essence Communications just dropped a statement in my in inbox announcing that Carolina Wanga will step as interim CEO of the company, replacing Richlieu Dennis, who owns the magazine. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/DqpRBz5lOY

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) July 1, 2020

“It is of critical importance to us that there is no doubt or question about who we are, what we represent, and what we believe in.”

Caroline Wanga will be stepping in as interim CEO. Wanga was hired by Essence on June 2 to be the company’s Chief Growth Officer. She was previously the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Vice President of Human Resources at the Target Corporation.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

The post Richelieu Dennis steps down as CEO of Essence Communications appeared first on TheGrio.

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