A couple who ran a French supermarket quit after trophy pictures from a safari hunt go viral.
from BBC News - Africa https://ift.tt/32feO38
via
Intro Video
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Phil Freelon, architect known designing for African American museum dies
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Architect Phil Freelon, who designed buildings ranging from local libraries to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, died Tuesday in North Carolina.
Freelon, 66, had suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease for several years. He died in Durham about a week after he had quit consuming food or liquids, his neurologist said.
“I’ll remember him as one of the most gifted architects I’ve ever worked with but also one of the kindest individuals I’ve ever known,” said Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the African American Museum and now secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
One of Freelon’s most important contributions to the museum was recognizing the National Mall as “sacred space,” Bunch said, so visitors “didn’t just go into a building. They could look out and see where history occurred. So that was kind of his genius.”
Freelon, a Philadelphia native, worked for years at architectural firms in Texas and North Carolina. When he opened his own firm, he was the only employee. He declined to design prisons, casinos or strip malls, focusing instead on libraries, museums and schools because he preferred “projects that contribute to society in some way,” he told The Associated Press in early 2017.
A statement from his family said Freelon “designed buildings to uplift the human spirit.”
His reputation grew as he designed projects such as the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture in Baltimore, and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro.
Along the way, The Freelon Group merged with Perkins and Will, where he was managing and design director.
In a statement on its website, Perkins and Will said Freelon “was committed to designing a socially equitable world,” and broke down socio-economic and cultural barriers in architecture and design.” It added, “He led the design of almost every major museum or public space dedicated to black culture in the United States … He was, arguably, the most significant African American architect in recent history.”
The African American history museum opened in September 2016 in Washington, D.C., to wide acclaim. Freelon was the architect of record for the museum, working with partner David Adjaye, the lead designer, and Max Bond, whom Freelon described as dean of the project. The building’s design included a facade known as the Corona. Its three-tiered shape was inspired by a symbol from the Yoruba people of West Africa featuring a crown.
“Freelon’s career reflected how much he valued transforming the diversity of the architecture practice, especially for African Americans,” said professor David Hill, head of the school of architecture at North Carolina State University, where Freelon graduated in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental design.
Months before the Washington museum opened, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative neurological disease that leads to total paralysis. His disease slowed him, but he kept working, with projects that included a $50 million expansion of the Motown Museum in Detroit.
Dr. Rick Bedlack, a Duke University neurologist, said he last saw Freelon on June 27. By then, Freelon was in a wheelchair and unable to dress or bathe himself without assistance.
“In that conversation, Phil had told me that he just had had enough,” said Bedlack, who began treating Freelon in March 2016. He had decided to quit eating and drinking, which he did on June 30, Bedlack said.
“He lived his life, and he made the decisions,” Bedlack said. “The disease didn’t make the decisions for him.”
In a speech at Duke University in 2017 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Freelon described his vision of architecture as a form of activism.
“I have worked through my career as an architect to create environments that are uplifting, inspiring, and set the tone for sharing knowledge and facilitating cultural exchange,” he said. “You see, I believe that the built environment — that’s buildings and landscapes — can and SHOULD contribute in a positive way to the lives of everyday people. Beautiful architecture should be accessible to all, not just the 1 percent that can afford to engage the stars of our profession.”
Friends and colleagues described Freelon’s genius and generosity. He would sit quietly and beam as a colleague made a presentation at museum planning meetings, said Kinshasha Holman Conwill, the museum’s deputy director.
“He listened deeply. He heard profoundly. And he translated brilliantly the ideas of his clients,” she said. Many architects have an attitude of “my way or the highway,” but Freelon was different, she said.
Bunch said Freelon was valuable not only as an architect but as one who remained calm during the stress of deadlines and budgets.
“He made us believe we could always do this,” Bunch said. “And that’s a unique talent.”
A service will be held Sept. 28 at the Durham County Human Services Complex, which Freelon designed. Survivors include his wife, the Grammy-nominated singer Nnenna Freelon, and three children.
The post Phil Freelon, architect known designing for African American museum dies appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2JCdyOV
via
Reddit’s ‘Manosphere’ and the Challenge of Quantifying Hate
Best MacBooks for 2019: Which Model Should You Actually Buy?
Inside Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Body-Hacking Gym
In New York, Friendships Run Along Subway Lines
Albert Adomah: Nottingham Forest sign former Aston Villa winger
Libya conflict: French missiles found on pro-Haftar base
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Africa Cup of Nations: What to look out for on day 20 in Egypt
Caring for her community
Lisa Volpatti loves helping people. She also loves a challenge. That’s part of the reason why she’s working to improve insulin therapies for diabetic patients.
A PhD student in chemical engineering, Volpatti is researching avenues for a self-regulating insulin treatment that people with diabetes could take once a day. The insulin would be released from an implanted reservoir when a person’s blood sugar levels are high. Manual insulin administration doesn’t always mimic the function of a healthy pancreas, and it’s a burden for patients to give themselves regular injections. Volpatti hopes a self-regulating insulin system could help keep patients’ blood sugar at therapeutic levels for longer periods of time.
One in 11 people across the globe have diabetes, and so the potential reach of Volpatti’s research is massive.
“I get really excited about working on something that could potentially help so many people across the globe and give them a higher quality of life,” she says. “And it’s a really challenging problem, so that’s also exciting from a scientific standpoint.”
Dispelling imposter syndrome
Before coming to MIT, Volpatti studied chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. During her senior year, she applied to the graduate program in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE). She didn’t get in, but that didn’t dissuade her from trying a second time. After going abroad and earning a master’s degree in chemistry from Cambridge University, Volpatti applied to MIT again and was accepted.
“I was really embarrassed to share that with people because I felt like I didn’t really belong. But now, I think that I’ve had a lot of success here, and I’m more willing to share that with people who are also struggling with imposter syndrome, or who think that they can’t do it, or that if they get a rejection it’s the end. It’s never the end,” Volpatti says.
At Cambridge University, her research involved looking at amyloid fibrils, proteins that are typically associated with neurodegenerative disorders, and investigating possible uses for them in biotechnology, specifically in drug delivery. As a fifth-year doctoral student at MIT, working in the labs of Daniel Anderson and Robert Langer, Volpatti continues to work with drug-delivery applications, now for insulin therapies.
Caring for her community
Volpatti’s passion for helping others is reflected in her community service at the Institute, especially in the department where she makes her academic home.
“It’s always been my goal, broadly, to help people. Since I was really excited about chemistry, I thought medicine would be a great place to do that. Throughout my undergrad and grad careers, I try to be involved in other things [in addition to academics] so I can give back, because I also have gotten a lot of help,” explains Volpatti.
She is the co-founder of the Institute’s Graduate Women in Chemical Engineering group that provides support for female graduate students in the department. The group is relatively new — it was established last fall — and Volpatti is excited to see where the initiative will go. When the Department of Chemical Engineering received a 2019 Change-maker award for this effort, they asked Volpatti to accept the award on the department’s behalf. She also recently received a 2019 PKG award.
“I’ve had a lot of really important mentors that have helped me make my decisions, so I try to be a mentor for other people as well,” she says.
Volpatti is also a fellow in the ChemE Communication Lab, where she helps students and postdocs with their communication needs. From dissertation help to resume workshopping, Volpatti tries to help her peers effectively translate their work outside of the department.
She is also active in Resources for Easing Friction and Stress (REFS), a confidential peer-to-peer counseling service that serves as a mental health resource for graduate students. In addition to being a peer counselor, Volpatti and her colleagues organize stress-reducing activities such as free ice cream events and mindfulness workshops.
“Anyone can learn”
Volpatti and her colleagues haven’t created the perfect self-regulating insulin system quite yet, but they have made good progress. For example, they have made headway in the kinetics of insulin release. In mouse models, they have minimized the lag in the self-regulating insulin’s response to high glucose levels.
She will finish her degree in December, and will pursue a postdoc in immunology, specifically in cancer immunotherapy, which involves similar materials and delivery principles as her work with insulin, but with a focus on the immune system.
To take a break from her research, Volpatti loves taking runs down to the esplanade along the Charles River. She also enjoys hiking and camping, and staying in touch with her family. She video-chats with her sister and niece on a daily basis, often showing them her experiments in the lab.
Something that not many people know about Volpatti is that she is an adept juggler — a skill she acquired with her signature determination and persistence.
“One summer I just practiced with a friend who knew how and finally figured it out. I now believe that anyone can learn how to juggle,” she says. “You think ‘no I can’t, I’m not coordinated enough’ but you can. Anyone can learn.”
from MIT News https://ift.tt/2SbTcAc
via
A Zoom Flaw Gives Hackers Easy Access to Your Webcam
Lawyers for police officer who killed Botham Jean in his apartment want murder trial moved out of Dallas
TheGrio has launched a special series called #BlackonBlue to examine the relationship between law enforcement and African-Americans. Our reporters and videographers will investigate police brutality and corruption while also exploring local and national efforts to improve policing in our communities. Join the conversation, or share your own story, using the hashtag #BlackonBlue.
The law team for the former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger who shot and killed Botham Jean last year, is fighting to get her murder trial moved and asked a judge on Monday to consider a new venue given the “media hysteria” the case has caused.
—Judge issues gag order in fired cop Amber Guyger’s murder trial—
Last September, Amber Guyger shot and killed 26-year-old Botham Jean in his own apartment claiming she thought he was an intruder in her residence. Guyger claimed that she was tired after working a 14-hour shift and thought she was on the third floor where her apartment was located, when she had parked her car on the fourth.
In their court filing, Guyger’s attorneys Robert Rogers, Toby Shook and Michael Mowla, claimed that the “publicity surrounding this case has been prejudicial and inflammatory,” The Dallas Morning News reports.
Guyger’s legal team doesn’t believe she can get a fair trial in Dallas with the potential jury pool who have likely already formed an opinion about the case.
The also stated that national figures such as former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, U.S. presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke and state Sen. Royce West also caused harm when they “injected themselves into the case.”
They attorneys also argued that the media has been biased because Jean is Black and Guger is white saying that they promoted a false racial narrative.
— Witness who filmed Botham Jean police shooting aftermath harassed and fired—
The trial is scheduled to start Sept. 23.
The post Lawyers for police officer who killed Botham Jean in his apartment want murder trial moved out of Dallas appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2Jx7ffL
via
Home Depot shoppers call for boycott after co-founder plans to Trump 2020 support and reports reveal he donated millions to defeat Clinton
Some shoppers are threatening to jump ship from Home Depot after it was discovered that one of its co-founders donated $7 million to groups supporting Donald Trump’s presidential run in 2016, and he reportedly plans to do it again in 2020.
—Kamala Harris pulls forward as top Democratic 2020 contender, polls suggest—
In 2016, Bernie Marcus reportedly gave $7 million to spending groups and PACs that backed Trump, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Home Depot shoppers are also furious that the billionaire told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he will support Trump’s re-election campaign.
“If we look at this country, I would say that we are better off today than we were eight years ago or six years ago,” he said.
Marcus says while he doesn’t “agree with every move” be believes the president had made great strides and “produced more than anybody else.”
Since his announcement, twitter users have made the #boycotthomedepot hashtag go viral and they are asking companies who work with the home improvement brand to cancel them and go with Lowes.
A Home Depot representative however told MarketWatch that Marcus doesn’t speak for the brand and retired some 15 years ago from the company.
Marcus, “isn’t speaking on behalf of the company. In fact, as a standard practice, the company does not endorse presidential candidates.
—Education Sec. Betsy DeVos hindering Obama-era law meant to help disabled minority students—
The post Home Depot shoppers call for boycott after co-founder plans to Trump 2020 support and reports reveal he donated millions to defeat Clinton appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2G201iK
via
La La Anthony wins $68,000 casino jackpot and 50 Cent’s got his hand out already
Lady Luck La La Anthony cleaned up at a New Orleans casino when she dropped $200 into a slot machine and hit the jackpot for $68,000.
And the Power star’s winnings caught the eye of the show’s executive producer 50 Cent who couldn’t help but comment after hearing that Anthony had come into some cash. But luckily it doesn’t seem like she owes him a cent. We all know that 50 Cent “The Loan Shark” loves to call people out people and collect his coins.
“So, it all started when I put $200 in a slot machine in NOLA at 4am this morning,” Anthony wrote on Instagram, The NY Daily News reports.
“Well god damn, good morning” 50 Cent replied. “I thought I was having a good morning,” he joked.
Then in true 50 Cent fashion, he asked his million of Instagram followers if they perhaps owed him some money because he was ready to collect.
“Any of you motherf—er owe me money, it’s Monday,” the “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” rapper tweeted.
—Lala Anthony, Ne-Yo, Gabrielle Union and more celebs share their mom’s best advice—
On Sunday, she also sent birthday wishes to 50 Cent who celebrated his 44th birthday.
“Happy Birthday 50 Cent!!” she wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be on such an iconic show…Power changed my life. Wait til they see what we do next‼️Enjoy your day Fif.”
In addition to working on Power together, Anthony and 50 Cent have a new show in the works.
In the new Starz series, Intercepted, Anthony plays the role of Marlee Harper, girlfriend to an NFL-star. However, when her relationship unexpectedly ends, she vows to never date an athlete again until Gavin Pope, the new star quarterback comes to town.
The post La La Anthony wins $68,000 casino jackpot and 50 Cent’s got his hand out already appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2XxNMjT
via
#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.
The post #JusticeForElijah: Grieving family calls for hate crime charges against white man who stabbed Black teen to death over rap music appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2JpyjyI
via
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.
from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2YJ6cPZ
via
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—
The post Airline trashed after using white man in blackface to play President Obama and mocks birther conspiracy in racist ad appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2NDy6vF
via
Should You Wear White or Black on Hot Days? Here's the Data
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.”
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.
The post Kim Kardashian’s friend said people were suspicious of Tristan Thompson and Jordyn Woods’ relationship before cheating scandal broke appeared first on theGrio.
from theGrio https://ift.tt/2S25Rph
via
Egypt to sue Christie's to retrieve £4.7m Tutankhamun bust
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)