The duchess visits a memorial to "show solidarity" with protesters against gender-based violence.
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Saturday, September 28, 2019
Friday, September 27, 2019
Black girl terrorized by white boys who held her down and cut off her ‘ugly’ locs at Christian school
A young Black girl at a predominately white private school in Virginia was abused and suffered through a traumatic incident involving three white classmates who held her down and cut off her locs.
—Kids in Bahamas stranded with schools damaged by hurricane—
The family of Amari Allen are outraged that the 12-year-old girl was harassed, called “ugly” and told her hair was “nappy” by white boys enrolled at the Immanuel Christian School in Fairfax, Virginia.
“They said my hair was nappy and I was ugly,” Amari told News4.
During the horrifying ordeal, Amari said one boy held her hands behind her back, while the others clipped off her locs with scissors.
“They kept laughing and calling me names,” Amari told WUSA9. “They called me ‘ugly,’ [and] said I shouldn’t have been born.”
The girl, with tears in her eyes, said the boys ran along after the bell rang and left her lying on the ground.
There is no word about where teachers were during this terrifying event, which reportedly lasted about five minutes.
Amari is an honor student who earned straight-A’s and plays the violin. On Wednesday, Amari’s grandmother noticed her hair was shorter and asked her what happened.
“It’s very painful,” Cynthia Allen said. “I want to see them dismissed from the school. I want to see something done.”
—Florida cop who arrested 6-year-old girl over school tantrum fired—
The school as reportedly launched an investigation.
“We take seriously the emotional and physical well-being of all our students, and have a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of bullying or abuse,” Head of School Stephen Danish said in a statement.
The family also reported the violent assault to Fairfax County Police and met with administrators on Thursday.
The school has been in the news for other discriminatory practices in the past due to their staunch anti-gay stance and the banning gay and transgender students. It also requires job applicants to pledge marriage is only between a man and woman, the outlet reports.
Mike Pence’s wife Karen also reportedly teaches art at the controversial Christian school twice a week.
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Black Women in Tech: Dell’s Only Black Woman Senior Vice President
Najuma Atkinson has built a 20-year career at Dell Technologies Inc. Earlier this year, she joined Dell’s Chief Customer Office organization as the senior vice president for customer advocacy, insights & analytics, becoming Dell’s only African American female SVP and one of few senior black women in tech.
Atkinson started her career in finance after earning her bachelor of arts degree in political science from Fisk University. In 1999, she took a job at Dell as a tech support manager but quickly transitioned to human resources. She got a master’s degree in organizational management from Trevecca Nazarene University, and over the next two decades she worked her way up from HR operations manager to vice president.
Now, she and her team are responsible for customer data and analytics strategy, including using data science to improve the quality of Dell’s proprietary customer data, developing products that monetize that data, and addressing customer pain points. Here she shares how she became one of the few black women in tech to make it to her level.
How did you start your career?
I graduated from Fisk University with a science degree. But I went to the financial industry because they’re willing to give you any opportunities. So I actually worked for SunTrust bank first as an analyst. And that’s where I found that I have a proclivity for data, and information, and for numbers. I came to Dell Technologies as the front line tech support manager. At Dell, we were opening up our first call center outside of Central Texas, and they wanted leaders. They really didn’t care that you had technical capability or capacity. But they wanted to make sure that you had good leadership skills; I had those. And that’s how I got the first opportunity. About 18 months later, I moved into HR.
You built up a 20-year career in HR. Why did you decide to make a transition?
When you think about the skills, it really was a natural transition. I started to look for opportunities that would leverage those skills—how do I bring together groups of individuals, using facts and data to solve problems and create solutions that empower people and make situations better? HR is definitely one of those places to do it. But I wanted to do it for our customer.
I had an opportunity to see our chief customer officer, Karen Quintos, in action. She was talking about the work that she did in the broad organization and I’m like, “Well, that’s fascinating.” So I was at an event with Michael Dell, and I took the opportunity. I said, ‘”You know what really interests me, Michael? I think my next career should be in the chief customer office. I’m really interested in that space, and I’d like to explore it more if I’m ever given the opportunity.” Karen heard about that. And Karen is one who looks for skills and capabilities, not necessarily job titles, as she’s adding individuals to her team. She felt like if this was something I wanted to explore, I should be given that opportunity.
The more I interviewed and the more I spoke to people, the more I said, “Yeah, this is for me.” This is an organization that I think is at a pivot. It’s got broad, complex things that they’re looking at. And I do that very well. I take the complex and make it really, really simple. So I was bringing the skills that I had so that we could drive strategy for the organization.
Atkinson at the Dell BE Smart Student Symposium (Image: Black Enterprise)
There’s a huge lesson there in asking for what you want.
What’s the worst that could happen, right? He could say, “Well, that’s very interesting” and then we could change the subject. Or he could listen. And that’s what he looks for. He wants people that have perspective and opinion, and they’ll go after what they want. That’s what our organization is about.
You were successful at what you were already doing. What made you comfortable making that kind of leap?
I think those individuals that are successful are those that are risk-takers, that understand that you may not know everything and have 100% of the answer. But if you’ve got like 70%, then you should go for it. Was it a risk? It definitely was. I had built my career in HR, my credibility was there, my successes were there, most of my sponsors were there. I was going to be completely stepping outside of that and moving away from those relationships and that support to try something new. At the same time, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
If I stayed where I was, I could continue to do really great work. But would that be good for Dell? Was it the best thing where I could be the most impactful? They can’t have you play small, and let’s be No. 1, right? We can’t go after market share, achieve success, if people play small. This is a unique environment in that it truly allows you to be empowered and to try stuff that has never been tried. That’s what innovation is all about.
It can be difficult for black women in tech. What challenges have come specifically with making the transition into this role?
One of the interesting challenges is credibility when you work with highly technical people. I work with Ph.D.s, data scientists. They live and breathe data, they design strategies, they build infrastructure, these are like the big brain, Mensa people. And that is not who I am. And that’s not what I bring to the table. But I’ve worked very quickly to build credibility, and I did it by being authentic. I will never be as good as you are in that space. And I don’t need to be. Here’s where I think I have value.
Then going out there and figuring out what are all the things that we need to go after, and synthesizing that into two to three key actions that align to the overall vision of my leader. Those are my biggest challenges right now. I’m on a listening tour. I’m talking to my key stakeholders and our customers. And I’m like, “What do you need from us? How can we help you? What have we done effectively? And what would you like to see differently from us?” This is an environment that moves very fast. So I know that I have to quickly pivot and move to action. When you’re at a senior level, they want you to make an impact. That is why they put you in the job.
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Prosecution rests in Amber Guyger murder trial while defense team now prepares to get the former Dallas officer off
Testimony in the Amber Guyger murder trial continued on Thursday as prosecutors continued to interview witnesses who could attest to her culpability in the death of 26-year old St. Lucian accountant, Botham Jean. The prosecution has rested its case and today, Guyger’s attorneys will have their chance to present her side of the story.
Jean, who was an unarmed Black man, was shot to death by Guyger, a former police officer, when she entered the wrong unit in their Dallas apartment building last September. Guyger was off duty at the time, but has since been fired from the police force.
Her defense team has professed that Guyger acted in self-defense after seeing Jean’s “large silhouette” (which she believed to be a burglar) as she opened the door, but the prosecution says that’s a lie.
The Dallas D.A.’s office has taken most of the week to attempt to prove that Guyger used excessive force and that Jean, who was sitting in the dark, watching television as he enjoyed a bowl of ice cream, posed to visible threat to her whatsoever.
Called to the stand today were Dallas Officer Tu Nguyen. According to the Dallas News, Nguyen’s was one of the officers on the scene who attepted to help Jean by raising his legs onto a pillow in order to move the blood back to Jean’s heart.
READ MORE: Amber Guyger murder trial: Listen to her frantic 911 call
Texas Ranger Michael Adcock who testified that Guyger had a knife and pepper spray in her tool belt, helped to establish the idea that she had other means of stopping a potential intruder if she felt that her life was in danger. The fact that she reached and used her firearm would then not be deemed a reasonable decision.
Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus questioned firearm/toolmark expert, April Kendrick, who provided details about the 9mm service gun Guyger used to kill Jean including projectile distance and bullet casings. This was to gain a better understanding of whether or not Jean was sitting on the couch when he was shot or standing in front of Guyger.
READ MORE: Family of Botham Jean holds press conference after Dallas police officer arrested for manslaughter
Independent Criminal Investigator, Michael Grice said on the stand that he collected Jean’s red front door mat three days after the shooting, and not the Dallas Police Department. This is a key piece of evidence since it was a rather huge indicator that Guyger was in front of the wrong apartment, 1478 and not 1378.
Wendy L. Wilson is the managing editor of theGrio. Follow her rants, raves, and reviews on Twitter @WendyLWilson_
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Sade’s transgender son thanks famous mom for support during sex reassignment surgery
Sade is surely cherishing the day her son came through has sex reassignment surgery stronger and more encouraged by the experience than ever.
— Sade reveals she’s a Drake fan and the Internet is losing it—
The Grammy-winning singer’s son, Izaak Theo Adu, took time out to thank his mom for being his strength as he braved surgery to transition from female to male.
For the last six months, Sade’s 23-year-old on was reportedly in recovery and emerged publicly to give a shout out to his mom by posting a picture hugging her and thanking her for her unwavering support.
“It’s been a long hard road but We did it!! We are coming home!!!!,” he wrote.
“Thank you for staying by my side these past 6 months Mumma. Thank you for fighting with me to complete the man I am.”
“Thank you for your encouragement when things are hard, for the love you give me. The purest heart. I love you so much. Queen of queens ♥️ #mumma #lioness #queen#iloveyou.”
“It’s been a long hard road but We did it!! We are coming home!!!!
Thank you for staying by my side these past 6 months Mumma. Thank you for fighting with me to complete the man I am. Thank you for your encouragement when things are hard, for the love you give me. The purest heart. I love you so much. Queen of queens ♥️ #mumma #lioness #queen #iloveyou.”
Sade shares Adu with reggae music producer Bob Morgan, his father.
— Sade to make musical return with original song for ‘A Wrinkle in Time’—
In July Adu opened up about enduring sex reassignment surgery in an emotional post on social media.
“This process is trying, tiring, painful, emotionally exhausting, physically exhausting, uncomfortable (like I can’t sleep like a normal human being rn lol) I often ask myself “why the fuck do I have to endure this to be who I am” but at the end of the day this is the path that was laid out for me and I’ll walk it to the end. My dad always says “keep your eyes on the horizon” and that’s what I do, because through all this pain is the comfort that it’s not forever and I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I am so, SO DAMN EXCITED, I just have to remind myself to be patient sometimes as I’m sure we all do. Big up to my Mumma, Pappa, family and friends for all the support you give me on the daily, it’ll never be forgotten ☺️ ?? #ftm #trans #transgender #transman#tpoc #tmoc #selfmademan#phalloplasty #thisiswhattranslookslike#yaaaaas,” he posted.
The post Sade’s transgender son thanks famous mom for support during sex reassignment surgery appeared first on theGrio.
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‘OK’ hand gesture and other racist symbols added to Anti-Defamation League ‘hate’ database
The ‘OK’ hand gesture, made famous by white supremacists, and the ‘Bowlcut’ hairdo worn by “Charlotte Nine” killer Dylan Roof, are just a few of the hate symbols added to an Anti-Defamation League database.
—Former NFL player accused of staging a fake hate crime says he’s innocent—
At least 36 new entries tied to white supremacists and other far-right extremist are now included along with hateful symbols like the burning crosses, Ku Klux Klan robes, the swastika and many others, Al.com reports.
The Jewish civil rights group added the symbols to its “Hate on Display” in an effort to assist law enforcement with identifying the emblems that has become hallmarks for hate.
“Even as extremists continue to use symbols that may be years or decades old, they regularly create new symbols, memes and slogans to express their hateful sentiments,” Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.
There are at least 200 entries now in the online database.
The “Dylann Roof Bowlcut,” was added by the ADL because it became synonymous with the killing of nine Black churchgoers in Charleston who were killed in 2015 by Roof who sported the ugly hairdo.
In addition, Jeffrey Clark, a white supremacist, had deep tied to the alt-right and boasted a Facebook username called ‘DC Bowl Gang’. He also bragged that Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims “deserved exactly what happened to them and so much worse,” an FBI agent wrote in a court filing for gun charges against Clark, the outlet reports.
—Emmett Till investigation still underway 60 years post death—
The post ‘OK’ hand gesture and other racist symbols added to Anti-Defamation League ‘hate’ database appeared first on theGrio.
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VIRAL VIDEO: Racist woman who said she wants to ‘kill all n*ggers’ identified and fired
A racist while woman who screamed violent anti-Black slurs saying she wanted to “kill n*ggers” at a CVS has been identified.
—Emmett Till investigation still underway 60 years post death—
The women in a viral video ranting about killing n*ggers has been named as Heather Lynn Patton, Heavy reports.
On the video the woman can clearly be seen and heard spewing hateful threats: “I would kill a n***er but the law says I can’t kill the n***ers. If the law didn’t say I couldn’t kill the n***ers they’d all be dead.”
The other woman who recorded the nasty rant replied that the belligerent woman was “on drugs or something.” Patton turned around and replied, “No, I just hate n***ers.”
Patton screamed racist obscenities while at an Eagle Rock CVS in California. She reportedly is a costume designer who has worked on various film and TV projects including The Americans and Rescue Me.
@KTLA @ABC7 Can you get a police update on this? https://t.co/MAAm5GTzwX
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 26, 2019
The incident reportedly happened on The incident occurred on September 24 and went viral the next day. Patton can be heard saying n*gger a number of times and shouted “f*ck you n*ggers,” when a man passed by her.
Renee Saldana, who witnessed the racist incident, wrote on Twitter, “This happened yesterday afternoon. I was also there and got video of this woman’s racist rant at CVS in Eagle Rock.”
Saldana said there was nothing obvious that happened that provoked the racist outbursts from Patton.
—Former NFL player accused of staging a fake hate crime says he’s innocent—
She added, “There were at least a dozen witnesses and there was more yelling going on inside before the video starts. That woman was freaking out everyone in the store shouting about lynching Black people. There were 2 shoppers who saw her drive up & said she was driving erratically when she parked. When the woman took off after the rant, she was speeding west on Colorado driving on the wrong side of the street. Other frightened customers kept saying, ‘She could kill someone!’”
Saldana said she reported the incident to CVS.
“If the law didn’t say I couldn’t kill the nig*ers they’d be all dead”
This racist lady told a Black woman that she would kill all black people if it wasn’t illegal in a CVS in California
WHO IS SHE?! SHE NEEDS TO BE IN PRISON FOR LIFE! pic.twitter.com/iiShKgmkPL
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) September 26, 2019
After the social media outcry, the film and TV costume designer Heather Patton issued an apology on her Instagram page and claims she’s been fired.
The LAPD is also reportedly investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
And according to IndieWire, there is an online petition being circulated by fellow costumer and Local 705 member Sarah de Sa Rego, calling for other union members to file complaints against Patton and request her immediate expulsion. De Sa Rego recommends that Patton be cited for violating “Article 11 section 2 ‘action unbecoming of a union member’ as well as ‘actions which reflect to discredit this union and its members.’”
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