Peter Biar Ajak was an outspoken critic of South Sudan and had been detained there since July 2018.
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Sunday, January 5, 2020
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Political Leaders, Black Twitter Speak Out On Threat Of US-Iran War
The US and Iran continue their heated exchange as concern spreads throughout the nation – from Capitol Hill to Wall Street – over the threat of escalating military conflict in the Middle East. Responses have ranged from Democratic presidential contender Cory Booker citing the perils of a commander-in-chief who lacks a coherent strategy and conducts foreign policy “by impulse, by tweet” to Black Twitter followers engaging in a bit of gallows humor through commentary and memes under the hashtag #WWIII.
Wall Street’s reaction Friday to Iran’s vow of retaliation for President Donald Trump ordering the airstrike that killed its military leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani: skittish investors caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to plummet some 230 points – its greatest one-day decline in a month – as oil prices spiked. Expect continued market volatility as Trump declares he’s “prepared to take whatever action necessary” if Iran attacked Americans.
“THEY ARE MOTIVATED NOW TO RETALIATE”
The potential for military, civilian, technical and economic hazards are real. Susan Rice, former UN Ambassador during the Obama Administration, told MSNBC Saturday that killing Soleimani does not eliminate the looming threat of an attack from Iran: “We can be certain that they are motivated now to retaliate in far greater scale than they may have been planning.”
USA Today reported that even though analysts confirm that Iran can’t match American military might, it can initiate a plan for revenge through rocket attacks on US allies such as Israel or sabotage oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway considered the most sensitive transportation choke point for global oil supplies. Moreover, observers also noted that Iran could engage in a series of cyberattacks as well as target American citizens and troops abroad near embassies, consulates or military installations. In the US, cities like New York beefed up security at landmarks, structures and other “sensitive areas” as Mayor Bill de Blasio maintained that “we’re at this point in a de facto state of war between the United States of America and Iran. None of us knows how this will play out.”
Trump told reporters Friday that he ordered the drone strike at Baghdad Airport to prevent a conflict with Iran because Soleimani was plotting attacks that endangered American troops and officials. However, he did not produce any evidence to back up his assertion. Despite the president’s claim, Democrats – including members of the Congressional Black Caucus – demanded more information about the strike, condemning Trump Saturday for not notifying Congress – including the Gang of Eight senior leadership — ahead of the airstrike.
“NO STRATEGY FOR CHALLENGES IN MIDDLE EAST”
Moreover, the Trump Administration’s action will most certainly impact the 2020 presidential race. In fact, US Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Democratic presidential candidate, and Congressman Ro Khanna of California announced Friday introduction of legislation to prohibit any funding for offensive military force in or against Iran without prior congressional authorization. The measure to restrict funds for such military activities passed by a bipartisan 251-margin vote in the House but was later removed from the National Defense Authorization Act adopted by Congress in December. Sanders stated: “After authorizing a disastrous, $738 billion military budget that placed no restrictions on this president from starting an unauthorized war with Iran, Congress now has an opportunity to change course. Our legislation blocks Pentagon funding for any unilateral actions this president takes to wage war against Iran without Congressional authorization.”
US Sen. Booker of New Jersey has made the rounds at CNN, MSNBC, TIME and other media outlets to share his views on Trump’s reckless actions in the Middle East. “I have a lot of concerns right now as this is unfolding about that standard of the use of military force and I have a lot of concerns about a president who’s already shown to have no strategy for the larger challenges we have in the Middle East, especially around Iran,” Booker said in television interviews. “These are statements coming from the Trump White House. There’s a lot more facts that have to come out to see if indeed this president, who already has done things that have undermined what people on both sides of the political aisle in the Senate have said do not constitute the authorization for the use of military force.”
Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, a founding member of the Congressional No War With Iran Caucus, said in a released statement: ”The assassination of Iran’s notorious high-ranking top paramilitary general, who is immensely popular in Iran, could trigger a deadly galvanized response from the regime and undoubtedly lead us to the brink of war. Tragically, [Trump] has done so without securing an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran from Congress or properly briefing the American people.”
“IMPEACHED PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS PREDICATED IN POLITICS THAN POLICY”
She further expressed concern that “the now impeached president’s actions may have been predicated in politics rather than sound foreign policy.” In fact, she cited claims that Trump made against President Barack Obama of seeking to employ military action in the Middle East as a means of boosting voter approval to gain a second term. “In 2011, Trump tweeted, In order to get elected, @BarackObama will start a war with Iran,’ and in 2012, he again tweeted, ‘Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate,’ ” Waters stated. “Perhaps Donald Trump believes that if he drags the country into war, the American people and Congress will rally behind him. Perhaps he thinks that war is a diversionary tactic. Perhaps he thinks it will drown out the criticisms of his scandal-plagued administration and protect him from removal by the Senate.”
Once again, partisan warfare broke out over the airstrike when Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas clashed with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota – a member of “The Squad” – after she tweeted: “We are outraged the president would assassinate a foreign official, possibly setting off another war without Congressional authorization and has zero plan to deal with the consequences.”
Omar rebutted the GOP opposition Saturday: “They’re going to accuse anyone who cautions against war of ‘siding with our enemies’ or ‘supporting terrorists.’ This is the exact rhetoric that got us into the War in Iraq.”
“WILL DRAFT COME BACK?”
On Twitter, hashtag #WWIII was trending online. The New York Times reported that the Selective Servuce System website, which maintains the database for those eligible for military if the draft was reinstated, crashed. Even though mandatory conscription ended in 1973, all men from 18 to 25 years old are required to register with the system by checking a box to register when getting a driver’s license or signing up when applying for federal student aid to attend college. Many now ask, “Will the draft come back?” And despite the irreverence of omments and images, a number of black Twitter followers offered their concerns on people of color being placed “on the front lines” if war broke out.
In responding to the possibility of war, the NAACP’s Crisis Magazine invoked the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., tweeting one of his powerful quotes: “We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but on the positive affirmation of peace.”
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Black Woman Says Ulta Beauty Makeup Artist Told Her She’s ‘Too Dark’ for Products
A black woman seeking makeup application services at an Ulta Beauty store in New Jersey says an employee told that her “skin was too dark for most colors in the store.” Now, she’s calling for the beauty store chain to give its workers’ diversity training.
Ebony Kankam London, an expecting mother from Houston, Texas, told KTRK-TV that she traveled to the East Coast for a baby shower on Dec. 28 planned by her mother-in-law. She says she went to the Ulta Beauty store a day before to book a makeup appointment and confirm that their makeup artists were comfortable working with her skin tone.
“Sometimes with darker skin, some people don’t feel comfortable [or] don’t know what they’re doing,” she told the ABC News affiliate. “So, I went in the day before just to see if they could achieve the look I was wanting.” However, she says the makeup artist assigned to her did a botch job and criticized her complexion.
“So today at Ulta Beauty in Holmdel I went in to get my makeup done for my baby shower. I brought in a picture for reference and was told that my skin tone was too dark for most colors in the store,” Kankam London wrote on Facebook and Instagram. She also shared side-by-side images of what she wanted and the look she ended up with.
When London told the makeup artist that she was dissatisfied with her work, she says the staffer “got really upset” and told her that “was the best she could do” because “her skin was too dark” for most of the products in the store.
“In a store full of people who didn’t look like me I felt sad and upset,” Kankam London wrote on social media. “Like my skin tone was a problem.”
The employee also asked her if she had ever had her makeup done professionally. Kankam London told her that she did and even shops at Ulta Beauty, but the staffer didn’t believe her.
In a separate update posted on Facebook on Monday, Kankam London said she was contacted by a manager at the Holmdel store “who is apparently biracial and witnessed the entire situation” but she “didn’t want to make a big scene” by interfering. Kankam London added that the store manager told her that she felt “comfortable doing black makeup” and offered to do her makeup over along with a bag of sample lotions as compensation. Kankam London, however, declined to get her makeup done at the store since she was returning to Houston, reports NBC News.
Ulta said it was in contact with Kankam London in a statement published Thursday on Twitter.
“Guest satisfaction with our services is a top priority,” a spokeswoman said. “We never want to hear that a guest has had anything less than a great in-store experience. This is our responsibility and we take it seriously.”
Ulta provides “ongoing artistry education, and diversity and inclusion trainings across the organization, which is an important commitment that we recognize requires daily action and accountability,” the spokeswoman said. “We remain committed to provide a welcoming, inclusive environment where our guests can feel their best.”
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Hasbro toy company announces Death Row Records ownership after Suge Knight appoints Ray J to run it
The legendary toy company, Hasbro, is officially the proud owner of Death Row Records – the iconic west coast music label once associated with artists Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and the late, great 2Pac.
Just a couple of days before the New Year, on Dec. 30, Hasbro finalized a $3.8 billion merger that placed Canadian studio Entertainment One (eOne) under its ownership. The acquisition places Death Row under Hasbro, after eOne purchased the music label back in 2013.
Entertainment One scooped up Death Row Records’ extensive music catalog after the company declared bankruptcy back in 2006. Death Row Records was originally founded by Dre and Suge Knight back in 1991. While the famed producer has gone on to flourish in other successful business ventures, namely his “Beats By Dre,” product line, Knight, now 54, is currently serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter.
READ MORE: Ray J responds to rumors that he’s asking Trump to pardon Suge Knight
Back in October, it was announced that singer Ray J would oversee Death Row in the future. In a statement to The Blast, Knight stated, “I respect Ray J and his business dealings, that’s why I choose him as one of the guys to deal with the music side of the future for as Death Row Records, anything to do Death Row.”
He continued, “It’s great to have him ‘cause he will be putting out this incredible album and I heard it before.”
Fast forward a few months later, and in an official statement of their own, Hasbro announced that it would be acquiring eOne.
READ MORE: Suge Knight makes major deal with Ray J for rights to tell his story
“We are excited about what we can do together and see tremendous opportunity for shareholder value creation through this acquisition,” Brian Goldner, Hasbro chairman, and chief executive officer said in the company’s press release.
Goldner continued, “Our businesses are highly complementary with substantial synergies and a great cultural fit. The addition of eOne accelerates our blueprint strategy by expanding our brand portfolio with eOne’s beloved global preschool brands, adding proven TV and film expertise, and creating additional opportunities for long-term profitable growth. We are pleased to welcome the incredibly talented eOne team to our Company.”
The post Hasbro toy company announces Death Row Records ownership after Suge Knight appoints Ray J to run it appeared first on theGrio.
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Black Chicago man and other people of color, come forward, to call out clergy abuse
While very little has been done to aptly investigate and penalize predator priests, far less has been done to help vindicate victims of clergy abuse, especially those of color.
However, Terrence Sample, a Black male Chicago native, recently broke his 33-year-silence on his own abusive past.
“Somebody had to make the effort,” Sample said in an in-depth interview and investigative piece with AP News, where several victims of color spoke out on their abuse.
“Why wasn’t it the church?” Sample rhetorically inquired.
READ MORE:Italian priest, and 2 Kenyan men who say he’s their father
According to Sample, growing up, he was one of six children in a family of few resources. At the time, the priest who assisted his family helped the Samples with tuition, clothing and money, while also promising them a better life. This same priest would also go on to abuse all six of the children.
Out of all of the Sample kids, no one spoke up out of fear of losing the very few resources being provided by their priest. It wouldn’t be until a recent investigation, nearly three and a half decades later, that Terrence Sample would even speak up.
As reported by the Associated Press, of the 88 dioceses that responded to their inquiry on clergy abuse, only seven knew the ethnicities of victims, and only one out of the 88 collected pieces of data, as it pertains to race, as part of their reporting process on clergy abuse, despite the fact that nearly half of the nation’s followers of Catholicism are people of color.
According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hawaiians make up nearly 46% of the faithful in the U.S. However, despite said reports, the Catholic Church has made almost no effort to track the victims among these demographics.
“The church has to come out of the shadows, into the trenches to find the people who were victimized, especially the people of color,” Sample stated. He continued, “There are other people like me and my family, who won’t come forward unless someone comes to them.”
READ MORE: Pope Francis places slave who escaped and became priest on the path to sainthood
Brian Clites, a professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and a leading scholar on clergy sexual abuse, states that the church has demonstrated a known pattern of funneling predator priests specifically to economically disadvantaged communities of color, where the victims have far more to lose in the event that they report their abuse.
“They are less likely to know where to get help, less likely to have money for a lawyer to pursue that help and they are more vulnerable to counterattacks” from the church, which will hire investigators against the survivors, said Clites in reference to victims of color.
READ MORE: Catholic church paid Black abuse victims $235K LESS than white victims
It’s been noted that on top of the general trauma that comes with being a victim of abuse, the taboos on sex and sexual abuse within the African American community, also impedes on more people of color, coming forward.
The post Black Chicago man and other people of color, come forward, to call out clergy abuse appeared first on theGrio.
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Trey Songz hit with another sexual assault suit after 2 women detail alleged attack
Singer, songwriter Trey Songz faces a $10 million dollar lawsuit for alleged sexual assault of an unnamed woman.
According to reports, Tremaine “Trey Songz” Neverson is being sued by Jane Doe, as stated in official court documents obtained by The Blast. The alleged victim, who is from Georgia, alleges that the assault took place on New Year’s Day, back in 2018, when the R&B crooner reportedly invited Doe to Miami’s E11even night club, following a New Year’s Eve celebration at Hip Hop mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ Miami home. According to Doe, it would be Songz’ VIP section at E11even where the assault later took place.
READ MORE:Trey Songz arrested after alleged assault, claims he’s being falsely accused
The lawsuit states, “[Songz] sexually assaulted and battered Jane Doe by proceeding to forcefully place his hand under her dress, without her consent, and attempting to insert his fingers into Jane Doe’s vagina without her consent or permission.”
The claim continued, “Neverson intentionally created an offer of bodily injury to Plaintiff by force under circumstances that created a well-founded fear of imminent peril in Plaintiff and Neverson had the present ability to effectuate his attempts to produce bodily injury towards Plaintiff when he reached under her skirt and attempted to insert his fingers into her vagina.”
Further into the statement, Doe goes on to claim she was not the only female victim to Songz’s assault. The document later details another woman confided in Doe that Songz placed his hands down her pants as well. The second victim, also unnamed, also alleged that Songz forcefully touched her buttocks without consent.
READ MORE: Trey Songz arrested after alleged assault, claims he’s being falsely accused
Songz alleged attack has led Jane Doe to seek more than $10 million from the artist, the result of which includes damages as the result of the assault and battery, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The post Trey Songz hit with another sexual assault suit after 2 women detail alleged attack appeared first on theGrio.
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Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign raised $6.6M in Q4 – the largest collection raised to date
Senator Cory Booker is still putting up a good fight in terms of fundraising, as it was recently reported that his campaign raised $6.6. million in the fourth quarter of 2019.
On Friday, it was revealed that the Democratic prospect had raised over six and a half million dollars in Q4, the largest sum Booker has collected during his presidential campaign to date. While this is a huge win for Booker, he still falls noticeably short in funds, compared to the vast majority of his 2020 campaign rivals.
As it stands, popular Dem. candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, leads the 2020 Democratic campaign haul with $34.5 million raised in the last quarter. Behind the Vermont Senator is South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg with $24.7 million, and former Vice President Joe Biden at $22.7 million.
READ MORE: Mayor Pete starstruck over Lizzo during ‘CBS This Morning’ appearance: “I’m 100% that… nominee”
According to a report from Axios, the full Democratic Q4 haul is as follows:
- Bernie Sanders: $34.5 million
- Pete Buttigieg: $24.7 million
- Joe Biden: $22.7 million
- Elizabeth Warren: $21.2 million
- Andrew Yang: $16.5 million
- Amy Klobuchar: $11.4 million
- Cory Booker: $6.6 million
In an official statement cited by Yahoo, Booker’s campaign noted that more than half of the Q4 contributions came from new donors, also noting that, while it’s a big win for Sen. Booker, that the New Jersey Democrat is still struggling to stay in the presidential race ahead of the Iowa caucuses, set to take place in February.
The former Newark mayor is also looking to earn a spot on the last primary debate stage before voting begins after missing the most recent debate last month. Senator Booker has struggled to reach the polling threshold set by the Democratic National Committee.
READ MORE: Aiming for debate, Cory Booker appeals directly to Kamala Harris voters
Booker’s campaign manager, Addisu Demissie, celebrated Booker’s total, which Demissie stated came, regardless of “artificial thresholds that prevented viable candidates” such as Booker, from participating in last month’s Los Angeles Dem. debate.
Demissie also noted Booker’s role in the 2020 presidential run, as it pertains to campaign funding, to be more crucial than, following fellow candidates of color Julián Castro and Sen. Kamala Harris’ exits from the race, due to lack of funding.
The post Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign raised $6.6M in Q4 – the largest collection raised to date appeared first on theGrio.
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West VA correctional cadets photoed giving Nazi salute will all be fired
The new graduating class of West Virginia correctional cadets strategically photoed posing with one arm up – a known Nazi-related gesture and salutation – are all set to be fired, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice recently announced.
In a recent statement released on Monday, Governor Justice condemned the training group’s behavior, according to CNN.
READ MORE: W. Va. police trainees get canned for group photo with Nazi salute
Justice stated, “We have a lot of good people in the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. But this incident was completely unacceptable. Now, we must continue to move forward and work diligently to make sure nothing like this happens ever again.”
The governor condemned the training group’s behavior in a statement on Monday.
The now-viral image, which hit the internet back in early December, shows members of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Basic Training Class 18 uniformly posing with one arm raised, with the words, ‘HAIL BYRD,’ seen above the cadets. According to the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, ‘HAIL BYRD,’ is a reference to Class 18’s training instructor.
The Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety released the image to the public, blurring out the faces of the trainees and employees. Following the photo’s release, the department underwent an investigation, and a number of employees were suspended. Along with the suspension, Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, Jeff Sandy, recommended to Gov. Justice that the cadets be fired.
In Sandy’s letter to the governor, he noted that some of the cadets, “were aware of the connotations associated with the gesture, that they were uncomfortable with the practice … and/or that they only followed what they perceived to be an order” because they feared they wouldn’t graduate, according to CNN.
READ MORE: W. Va. police trainees get canned for group photo with Nazi salute
Sandy wrote, “Nonetheless, their conduct, without question, has also resulted in the far-reaching and harmful perceptions that are the antithesis of the values we strain to attain.”
Along with the pending release of the cadets, three staff members at the training academy are also slated for termination, and four instructors who failed to report the problematic picture will be suspended without pay.
The post West VA correctional cadets photoed giving Nazi salute will all be fired appeared first on theGrio.
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D.C. Elementary School Offers Apology After Black Students Were Asked To Portray Slaves
You would think people know better, but ignorance continues to blossom. An elementary school has apologized for having black students portray slaves in a “lesson” being presented by their peers.
According to CNN, at Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C., fifth graders had been studying the Civil War and Reconstruction and the students started reading an article titled “A Nation Divided.” The teaching team gave the students options to further engage with the material they were reading by having them put on a dramatic reading, create a living picture, or create a podcast in small groups according to a letter to the families of the students from the school’s fifth-grade teaching team.
Some students of color were asked to portray roles by their peers that were “inappropriate and harmful,” including “a person of color drinking from a segregated water fountain and an enslaved person,” the letter stated in part.
Lafayette Elementary School Principal Carrie Broquard sent a letter of apology to the families of the students affected. “At Lafayette, we believe in the importance of teaching painful history with sensitivity and social awareness,” Broquard wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 23. “Unfortunately, we fell short of those values in a recent 5th-grade lesson.”
“During the classroom circles and small group discussions, students expressed discomfort in the roles they were asked to play,” Broquard wrote. “Others expressed uncertainty in how to respond or advocate for peers who were uncomfortable.”
“We acknowledge the approach to learning that took place around this lesson was inappropriate and harmful to students,” District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) said in a statement to CNN. “The school recognized its mistakes, addressed the matter with families, and is actively reinforcing values of racial equity across the entire school community. We support Lafayette Elementary as it nurtures young scholars to be models of social awareness and responsibility.”
Broquard said the school is planning to create a Diversity and Inclusion Committee and has teams working to ensure “all assignments are culturally sensitive and appropriate.” In January, the entire staff will also have diversity training.
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