#JusticeForElijah: Grieving family calls for hate crime charges against white man who stabbed Black teen to death over rap music

The killing of an innocent Black teen by a white man who said he felt threatened by the rap music the 17-year-old was playing has promptedd family members and activists to call for the heinous murder to be categorized as a hate crime.

—Teen killed by white man who says rap music made him feel ‘unsafe’—

Since the killing of Elijah Al-Amin, there has been an outcry by community leaders to bring hate crime charges against 27-year-old Michael Paul Adams who viciously stabbed Al-Amin and then confessed.

The hashtag #JusticeforElijah began trending after he was killed at a Circle K store in Peoria, Arizona last thursday. His family and others are demanding that the homicide include hate crime charges, AZ Central reports.

“When you talk about an individual attacked by their type of music…This is very radicalized language that’s being used. There is definitely a hate component to the crime,” said Imraan Siddiqi, executive director of the Arizona Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, told reporters that the case is still in its infancy in determining what would be included in the case.

On Monday, a vigil was reportedly held for Elijah as family and friends gathered at the Islamic Community Center in Tempe to pay their respects.

—LAPD’s internal affairs will investigate police handling of getaway driver in Nipsey Hussle case—

According to police reports, Adams approached the teen inside the store at 1:42 AM and stabbed him and then slit his throat with a pocket knife.

Adams, who had just been released from prison two days before, told police that “rap music made him feel unsafe because in the past, he was attacked by people who listened to that music genre,” according to court documents.

Police say Adams expressed he, “needed to be proactive rather than reactive and protect himself and the community from the victim” even though Al-Amin did nothing to threaten him.

Surveillance footage shows the teen walking into the convenience store and Adams walking in a few seconds later.

Adams’ criminal history includes theft, shoplifting, marijuana violation, disorderly conduct, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault of a correctional employee, according to Maricopa County Superior Court records.

Jacie Cotterell, Adams’ lawyer, is questioning his ability to access mental health services after he was released from prison and many are concerned that this will be part of his defense.

Adams is reportedly scheduled to appear in court July 15 for a preliminary hearing.

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Dove Joins Effort to Ban Discrimination Against Natural Black Hairstyles in the Workplace

Hair bias in the workplace is an issue that black people know too well. A recent study by Dove reveals that black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair in order to meet social norms or expectations at work. On the other hand, many who don’t conform to Eurocentric standards are often penalized. According to the survey, black women are 50% more likely to be sent home from their jobs or know of a black woman who was sent home over their hair. Now, anti-hair-discrimination legislation is being championed by The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance comprised of Dove, the National Urban League, Color of Change, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

“Dove is proud to be a part of changing the narrative for black women and girls and anyone with textured hair, and we are excited to stand with The CROWN Coalition and Sen. Holly J. Mitchell to make a tangible impact in the state of California,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, EVP and COO of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever, Dove’s parent company, in a press release.

Under the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair (CROWN) Act, employers and school officials will be prohibited from enforcing grooming policies that restrict natural hairstyles, like cornrows, braids, and locs. “The CROWN Act is about inclusion, pride, and choice,” said State Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, the author of the bill, in a statement. “This law protects the right of black Californians to choose to wear their hair in its natural form, without pressure to conform to Eurocentric norms.”

Additionally, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Wednesday making California the first state to ban discrimination against black students and employees over their natural hairstyles. During a press conference last week, Gov. Newsom said his consciousness about the stigmatization of black hair was raised last year when a black wrestler was forced to cut off his dreadlocks in order to participate in a high school wrestling match in New Jersey. Footage of a white woman cutting off the teen’s dreads went viral and sparked a firestorm of backlash. “His decision whether or not to lose an athletic competition or lose his identity came into, I think, stark terms for millions of Americans,” said Newsom. That type of discrimination “is played out in the workplace, it’s played out in schools.”

In February, the New York City Commission on Human Rights issued a ban on hair discrimination, granting legal recourse for victims of the practice.

The unique set of challenges that black women face in the workplace is well-documented. A 2016 study, titled the “Good Hair” Study: Explicit and Implicit Attitudes Toward Black Women’s Hair, found that most people, regardless of race and gender, have an implicit bias toward women of color based on their hair. White women, however, have the strongest bias—both explicit and implicit—against textured hair, rating it as less beautiful, less sexy or attractive, and less professional than smooth hair.

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Airline trashed after using white man in blackface to play President Obama and mocks birther conspiracy in racist ad

How hard can it be to find a Black actor to play a Black man in a commercial?

Apparently, it was a difficult task for the executives at Alitalia Air to tackle as seen in a video ad that uses a white man in blackface to portray President Barack Obama.

Really?

—Viral video captures boy begging dad not to call cops on Black man for ‘trespassing’—

Alitalia is getting slammed on social media after the carrier posted the commercial to its YouTube page with the man in blackface portraying the former president, along with other white actors as Presidents Donald Trump, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, PEOPLE reports.

As a result of the backlash the airline issued an apology but it sounds like it’s too late.

“This flew under the radar (no pun intended).,” wrote #OscarsSoWhite hashtag creator April Reign. “Alitalia dropped an ad featuring a white actor in blackface portraying President Obama. In 2019. Read that again.”

This flew under the radar (no pun intended). @Alitalia dropped an ad featuring a white actor in blackface portraying President Obama. In 2019. Read that again. https://t.co/5VJpNWXRM8

— April (@ReignOfApril) July 4, 2019

The video has been since taken down from their YouTube page but not before people tore into that company’s insensitive casting choice.

Many are calling the ad racist not only for its depiction of Obama but for fanning the flames about the birther controversy that plagued him through his presidency thanks to Trump.

According to The Washington Post, in the video an interviewer asks people if they recognize who Obama is, and follows up and asks if they know where he was born. One person answers, “in Africa.”

—Education Sec. Betsy DeVos hindering Obama-era law meant to help disabled minority students—

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Should You Wear White or Black on Hot Days? Here's the Data

Quick experiments can help you answer the eternal question of whether to wear black or white on hot summer days. Turns out, it's complicated.

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Kim Kardashian’s friend said people were suspicious of Tristan Thompson and Jordyn Woods’ relationship before cheating scandal broke

Kim Kardashian’s close friend Larsa Pippen was reportedly the first one to spill the tea and tell the reality star all about Tristan Thompson cheating on Khloe with Jordyn Woods and now Scottie Pippen‘s ex says things didn’t start there.

Twitterverse drags Khloe Kardashian for ‘fat a**hole’ comment directed at Jordyn Woods

Larsa sat down with Hollywood Unlocked and revealed that even though the story dropped in February that Woods had kissed Thompson after spending the night at his home after a late night party and lots of drinking, many in their inner circle believed that the two had already hooked up before because of questionable interactions the two had previously.

When the story started to circulate earlier this year that Thompson and Woods, who was Kylie Jenner’s best friend, had gotten a little too close for comfort, Pippen said she told Kim Kardashian who initially didn’t believe her, PEOPLE reports.

“I called Kim. She didn’t believe me — she was like, ‘No way. There’s no way,’ ” Pippen said. “Then we called Kourtney and Kourtney was like, ‘Yeah, I believe it.’”

Pippen explained that Kourtney had felt something was amiss with Thompson and Woods.

“There were other situations where [Jordyn and Tristan] were in the same room together and it was like, a weird feeling. And Kourtney was in that room.”

—Jordyn Woods on feeling like a ‘Black woman for the first time’ after being bullied over Tristan Thompson cheating scandal—

The scandal was recently aired out on the new season of Keeping up with the Kardashians.

According to reports, Khloe who shares a child with Thompson, doesn’t plan to reconcile with the NBA star.

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Egypt to sue Christie's to retrieve £4.7m Tutankhamun bust

The artefact was sold for £4.7m last week, despite Egypt warning it was probably stolen.

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Trees Emit a Surprisingly Large Amount of Methane

Figuring out trees' net emissions is becoming an urgent priority as countries and companies adopt tree-planting programs to offset their carbon footprints.

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What Is Blockchain? The Complete WIRED Guide

It's super secure and slightly hard to understand, but the idea of creating tamper-proof databases has captured the attention of everyone from anarchist techies to staid bankers.

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5 Best Slow-Motion Video Apps: How to Shoot Slo-Mo on Phones

How to manipulate time and space to get the most out of your phone's camera. Our slo-mo advice, and the best smartphones for recording in slow motion.

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Wendy Williams reveals chronic illness and vows to beat lymphedema

Wendy Williams has been living her best life since breaking up with her husband but admits that in the meanwhile her body is taking a beating due to a chronic condition called lymphedema.

—Wendy Williams sheds tears over divorce drama, but then gets real about it—

On Monday, Williams revealed on her show that the acute condition causes her body tissue to bloat, which explains why ankles appear to be badly swollen in recent pics holding hands with her new boyfriend, The Daily Mail reports.

“So Marc [Tomlin, the man is in the pics with] is new to New York and he’s having panic attacks,” Williams said.

“I’m unsteady on my feet. I’ve got the vertigo. And lymphedema, by the way. I’ve been diagnosed,” she said.

“It’s not going to kill me, but I do have a machine,” which Williams said she uses 45 minutes a day.

“And how dare you talk about the swelling of it all! It’s lymphedema. And I’ve got it under control.

—Viral video captures boy begging dad not to call cops on Black man for ‘trespassing’—

Williams also suffers from Graves disease and hyperthyroidism, which are two conditions that are also reportedly caused as a result of having breast implants.

Williams filed for divorce from Kevin Hunter after months of speculation and rumors that he was cheating and had fathered a child with his mistress.

The post Wendy Williams reveals chronic illness and vows to beat lymphedema appeared first on theGrio.

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Global literacy targets already off track - Unesco

The UN's education agency says global targets on improving education are going to be missed.

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The Real Challenge for the Green New Deal Isn’t Politics

Generating clean energy is easy. Getting the transmission lines to pipe it to the cities is the hard part.

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How a Blockchain Could Help Roll Out Berkeley’s Next Fire Truck

Berkeley is considering a plan to finance big projects with "minibonds" that would be sold, and interest credited, via a blockchain system.

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Nokia Beacon 1 Home Mesh Router: Specs, Price, Release Date

The Finnish tech company has a new home networking device that could help improve its business customers' internet service.

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Arimah's 'naked until married' story wins Caine Prize

Lesley Nneka Arimah's story imagines a parallel Nigeria were women go unclothed until they are married.

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First ever opera in Pidgin comes to Lagos

Composer Helen Epega says Pidgin is a uniting force in Nigeria, a country with hundreds of languages.

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What’s next for Ryan Destiny after ‘STAR’ cancellation?

When FOX announced that it would be cancelling Lee Daniels‘ STAR, tons of fans were crushed that they wouldn’t be seeing Ryan Destiny grace their small screens every week. any longer.

Luckily, the talented beauty who played Alexandra on the series that also featured Queen Latifah, Luke James, Brandy, Jude Demorest, Brittany O’Grady and Quincy Brown has already landed her next gig and we couldn’t be happier.

EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Destiny on colorism and learning to love her dark skin

Ryan Destiny will have a recurring role on the third season of Grown-ish alongside Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Luka Sabbat, and Chloe x Halle.

According to Deadline: 

Destiny will play Jillian, a transfer student from an HBCU who has come to study filmmaking at Cal U. Smart, worldly, and cultured, Jillian can talk art and music with Luca (Luka Sabbat), politics and activism with Aaron (Trevor Jackson), and also fits right in with Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and her eclectic crew of girls.

EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Destiny gushes over “selfless” boyfriend, Keith Powers

The black-ish spinoff executive produced by Kenya Barris for Freeform has already begun production for the show’s third season.

Following news that the Fox Network cancelled the music drama STAR after three seasons, comes word from producer Lee Daniels that the series will be making a comeback as a televised movie.

“The bad news is that ‘Star’ is not getting picked up for series,” Daniels said in an Instagram video post on Friday, captioned “Get ready for a two-hour gag!!”

In the clip, he calls the circumstances surrounding the cancellation “too long of a story to cry about.”

“The good news is: we’re doing a movie of the week to wrap things up for you all,” he said.

The post What’s next for Ryan Destiny after ‘STAR’ cancellation? appeared first on theGrio.

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The World Cup Was a Prime Target for Amazon Counterfeiters

The ecommerce giant was flooded with fake US women's soccer merchandise the day after their historic World Cup victory.

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Issa Takeover: 4 more Black celebs Disney should consider casting for the Little Mermaid

AfroFuture Fest Organizers Change Decision to Charge White People More for Tickets

The AfroFuture Fest Detroit-based music festival came under scrutiny when its organizers announced that it would charge $10 tickets to people of color and $20 and up to ‘non-POC’ people. The ticket prices have since been changed to reflect one price for all.

One of the event’s organizers, Francesca Lamarre, said that the initial pricing structure was put in place “to ensure people of color have a chance to experience joy and pleasure within the same spaces as their white counterparts” and to allow “white people to show themselves as allies and use their wealth and privilege to increase equity, joy, and pleasure for black life in Detroit,” according to reporting by Detroit Metro Times.

The group received backlash. One rapper who was scheduled to perform, Tiny Jag, pulled out of the concert because of the race-based pricing.

“I was immediately enraged just because I am biracial,” she said to Detroit Metro Times.

Additionally, Eventbrite, the website from which people could purchase tickets for AfroFuture, threatened to take down the event’s ticket page.

In a statement to CNN, Eventbrite outlined its policy to not “permit events that require attendees to pay different prices based on their protected characteristics such as race or ethnicity.”

“In this case, we have notified the creator of the event about this violation and requested that they alter their event accordingly,” the statement continued. “We have offered them the opportunity to do this on their own accord; should they not wish to comply we will unpublish the event completely from our site.”

Race-based pricing came to light last year after Nigerian chef Tunde Wey, said he had given white people the option to pay $12 or $30 at his New Orleans lunch spot, Saartj. At the time Wey said the pricing model was to highlight the gap in racial and wealth disparity in America. He said the higher cost paid by white people would be redistributed to people of color and called the move a “social experiment.”

The reviews site Yelp currently reports Saartj as closed.

But, the question remains—is race-based pricing constitutional? Tiffany Ellis, a Detroit-based civil rights lawyer told The New York Times, that such a pricing structure as AfroFuture was offering could result in lawsuits.

“We have constitutional rights as an individual, and the 14th Amendment provides that we cannot be discriminated against because all people are created equal,” she told NYT, although she said that private businesses have a little more leeway in choosing whom to do business with.

 

 

 

 

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