Six years since his last appearance and almost 19 years since his debut, Austin Ejide says he is ready to solve Nigeria's goalkeeping quandary.
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Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
Iconic Black feminist who helped coin ‘Identity Politics,’ endorses Bernie Sanders
Barbara Smith, who played a significant role in building the Black Feminism movement, has now come forward to announce her endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) for president.
During an exclusive interview with The Root, the founding member of the Combahee River Collective that coined the term “identity politics,” explained why she had been a proponent of Sanders since the last election.
READ MORE: Cardi B tweets endorsement for Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020 presidential bid
“Of all of the people who are running, Bernie Sanders is the person whose political commitment most closely reflects and align with political commitments that I’ve had throughout my life,” she said.
“He has a much deeper understanding of what the situation is, why we have injustice and inequality and oppression and discrimination or whatever words you use to describe a society that isn’t functioning the way that it should be functioning,” said Smith. “He [has] the most incisive, sharpest understanding of where all that comes from.”
Sanders’ campaign responded to the endorsement, saying they were “enormously proud to have earned the endorsement of one of the preeminent black feminist activists in American history.”
READ MORE: ‘Insecure’ actor Kendrick Sampson says he’s backing Bernie Sanders for president
READ MORE: Laverne Cox talks #MeToo and intersectionality
They point out that Smith’s work, which seeks to highlight oppressive intersectional realities of “race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and class,” has aided in empowering millions of people. In the “fight for substantive equality,” they say they are “humbled to have earned her support.”
To those who have criticized the outspoken senator for not having a race analysis, Smith pushes back, stating that the way the term “identity politics” has been used in the last few decades is “very different than what we intended.”
“The Combahee River Collective has a race, class, gender, and sexuality platform and analysis. We wrote in our statement that all of the systems of oppression are interlocking,” she clarified.
“When we use the term’ identity politics,’ we are actually asserting that black women had a right to determine our own political agendas. We, as black women, we actually had a right to create political priorities and agendas and actions and solutions based in our experiences in having these simultaneous identities—that included other identities via the working class, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. So that’s what we meant by it. That didn’t mean we didn’t care about other people’s situations of injustice.”
“We absolutely did not mean that we would work with people who were only identical to ourselves,” she concluded. “We did not mean that.”
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Shaq honors Kobe Bryant at ‘Fun House’ party during Miami Super Bowl weekend
On Super Bowl LIV weekend in Miami, Shaquille O’Neal paid tribute to his former Lakers teammate, Kobe Bryant, while spinning on the ones and twos at one of the biggest pre-game events in town.
“If you love Kobe Bryant put your hands up!” O’Neal yelled to a sea of adrenaline-filled party-goers as they jumped up and down to his ear-piercing techno DJ-mix.
The thousands of people who packed the carnival-themed venue, some sporting O’Neal or Bryant basketball jerseys, forked over at least $200 each to experience Shaq’s Fun House at the Mana Wynwood Convention Center near downtown Miami.
READ MORE: Shaquille O’Neal ‘sick right now’ over Kobe Bryant’s death
All of the proceeds of the star-studded night will be donated to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation to support the families affected by the helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others.
O’Neal said he debated whether to host the party in the wake of his close friend’s death, but decided to move forward. “Kobe would want us to push through and celebrate life,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Ken Marshall, 27, of Los Angeles. “That’s actually one of the reasons why I chose this event. Not only is this something to do, but the proceeds are going to a good cause.”
But others like Jakeita Days, known as “Flyyy Tatted Sky” on VH1’s Black Ink Crew: Chicago, had no idea the adult-only event held a touching, worthy purpose.
“Are you serious? That just made my heart smile,” she said. “That’s a blessing. God is good. Shaq is an amazing man. This is an amazing event and it’s a pleasure for me to even be a part of it a little bit. Being here means a lot to me.”
READ MORE: Shaquille O’Neal urges Black community to get real about heart health after his son’s health scare
Shaq enlisted a top lineup of performers to take center stage, including Pit Bull, Diddy, DaBaby, Tiesto, Diplo, and Carnage. Diddy produced a rousing video tribute to Kobe featuring “I’ll Be Missing You,” the song he performed with Faith Evans and originally dedicated to his close friend, the late Notorious B.I.G.
“Something or somebody got to inspire me,” Diddy told the audience. “And when I feel like giving up, I swear to God, the only person that pops into my head is Kobe shooting in the gym… is Kobe coming in early, leaving later… is Kobe playing [while] hurt.”
A gold and purple banner bearing the jersey number 8 for Gianna and 24 for Kobe hung from the ceiling in the concert hall, where the audience raised their lighted cell phone in their honor. Meanwhile, on the other side of the venue, the crowd enjoyed unlimited carnival food, games, and rides.
“I think it’s live,” said Dion Sims, 28, a recently retired NFL tight end who started his career with the Miami Dolphins and ended it with the Chicago Bears. “It’s good how Shaq put all this together. It’s all his imagination. This being the Super Bowl, I think it’s a fun experience.”
READ MORE: Shaq slam dunks a new business deal with Papa John’s Pizza
Shaq’s popular event, which has popped up in cities such as Atlanta, attracted tons of sponsors—from luxury vehicles to top-shelf liquor brands to fast-food restaurants. Shaq was on hand to debut a new product that Papa John’s will officially launch the day after the Super Bowl.
“When Shaquille was in our test kitchen and he tried the Papadias, he was like ‘you got to serve this at the Fun House because it’s easy to carry about and eat,’” said Melissa Richards-Person, SVP of Branding for Papa John’s.
DeeDee Sharpton, of Orlando, won tickets to Shaq’s Fun House in a radio contest. She said she was overwhelmed by the entire evening, which provided both joy and comfort to all who attended.
“My prayers go out to Kobe and his family,” said Sharpton. “We got much love for Kobe Bryant. He’s the GOAT. He’s the real GOAT.”
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Tabitha Jackson named Director of Sundance Film Festival
The 2020 Sundance Film Festival awarded several Black content creators with awards on Sunday and announced some major news. Award-winning filmmaker, Tabitha Jackson was named the annual film festival’s new Director by the Sundance Institute.
SUNDANCE 2020: Black films and Black women win big at annual film festival
“I founded Sundance Institute with the clear mission of celebrating and supporting independent artists and the Festival is the platform where we can showcase their stories. As we approach our fortieth anniversary, I’m pleased to have Tabitha lead us as we move into the future and meet the next generation of artists and their stories,” said Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford.
Tabitha Jackson is the first new director in 11 years and she has served as the director of the festival’s documentary film program for the past six years. Now, she’ll replace John Cooper, who is moving into the newly-created role of Emeritus Director.
SUNDANCE 2020: Here’s why ‘Charm City Kings’ was our favorite film of the festival
“It is exciting to be amplifying the voices and work of independent artists in these challenging and fast-changing times,’” Jackson said. “My role, working with a team at the top of their game, will be to ensure that the festival remains as effective, vital and transformational in the years going forward as it has been in the past–and to make sure that we have fun doing it. I can’t wait to get started.”
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Donald Trump wants you to forget his racist policies. His Super Bowl ad proves it.
The Trump administration works overtime to keep Black people from attaining political and economic freedom. Yet the president’s reelection campaign called a clever play on Super Bowl Sunday with an ad that sells Trump as a compassionate, conservative fighter for justice.
In the campaign’s second ad spot for the Super Bowl, Trump’s campaign features the story of Alice Marie Johnson, a 64-year-old grandmother granted clemency after getting a life sentence and serving more than 20 years in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. The ad uses emotional footage from the moment of her release, where Johnson is surrounded by family while tearfully thanking Trump.
But this ad isn’t really about uplifting Johnson. Instead, Trump’s Super Bowl ad exploits her case to mislead voters and claim credit for criminal justice reform work that he didn’t do. It’s an act of political trickery that’s more insidious and harmful than it may seem on the surface.
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The ad’s timing and placement are far from coincidental. The NFL and the San Francisco 49ers, who played in Sunday’s game, have spent more than three years mired in controversy after tanking Colin Kaepernick‘s career. Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem, an otherwise silent act of protest against police brutality, and the ensuing backlash, relegated him to being blacklisted by team owners.
Trump repeatedly derided Kaepernick as a means to rally supporters in 2016. After taking office, he eventually gave himself credit for keeping the former 49er unemployed. All the while, he has continued touting “law and order” messages that protect law enforcement from valid critiques. Trump also openly encourages and praises police violence, with appeals to his “guys” being as tough as MS-13 gang members.
Trump leveraged the popularity of Super Bowl commercial breaks to place himself on a pedestal for doing the bare minimum to support Black lives. Johnson’s story arguably wouldn’t have landed on his radar, had it not been for months of lobbying efforts led by celebrities like Kim Kardashian West. She’s not mentioned once in the ad, nor are the actions of other influencers and lawmakers.
READ MORE: 5 Things I want Kim Kardashian to make happen now that she got Trump to spring Alice Johnson out of prison
Kardashian amassed a legal team to help make a case for Johnson’s clemency, and used her celebrity to persuade Trump, culminating in the June 2018 prison release. During that same period, members of Congress introduced the First Step Act, a bill that underwent several bipartisan revisions, before Trump ever came around to supporting any reforms. His change of heart, in large part, can be directly attributed to Kardashian West’s work.
“Politicians talk about criminal justice reform” appears on screen at the ad’s halfway mark. And directly after, the phrase “President Trump got it done” shows up more than twice as large as any other displayed text during the 30 seconds of air. Typical Trump. All about himself.
Sure, he granted Johnson clemency. Yet Trump rarely and barely ever uses his executive power to support Black people who seek opportunities for a better life, regardless of whether or not they’ve been incarcerated.
[Donald Trump] doesn’t care about Black people
Days before the big game, the Trump administration kicked off Black History Month by expanding its immigration ban to include Eritrea and Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa. In addition, people from Sudan and Tanzania will become ineligible for the diversity visa program. Trump’s immigration restrictions date back to the first weeks of his presidency, targeting predominantly Muslim, African and Latin American countries — “sh*thole countries” as he calls them — despite court challenges and swift rebukes from several civil rights groups.
The timing of the Super Bowl ad featuring Johnson, arguably functioned to deflate backlash from the NFL’s controversies on race issues, and divert attention away from charges of racism tied to new immigration restrictions for four African countries.
The spot also landed, along with the game itself, on the eve of the first 2020 presidential primary contest in Iowa, and afforded the campaign an opportunity to drive home a narrative that Trump and his voting base can weaponize against valid critiques of his racism.
It’s the advertising equivalent of the “I’m not racist, I have Black friends” or “I tried to help Black people” excuses that some white people use to defend themselves when challenged about racial prejudice.
A number of the Democratic candidates’ platforms include criminal justice reforms that go many steps further than the president likely ever would, despite what his Super Bowl ad suggests.
READ MORE: Actress Helen Mirren says thanks to Kim K, J Lo – big butts are acceptable
Even with the absence of visible, Black resistance at the Super Bowl this year, the two halftime show headliners managed to use their platform to challenge Trump on justice issues that affect Black and Brown people from Latin American countries. They reminded us of the law enforcement abuses and misuses of presidential power that Trump’s campaign ad glosses over.
Sunday’s halftime performance featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez included a symbolic display of children in cages, a nod to the tens of thousands of migrants jailed or confined in camps, subjected to life-threatening conditions, along with parents separated from their children at the border with Mexico. It’s a direct result of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
Lopez also donned a two-sided, feathered cape with the Puerto Rican flag and U.S. flag, which could be interpreted as both a celebration of her heritage and a reminder of how the Trump administration has spent more than two years hampering aid to an American territory ravaged by multiple natural disasters.
READ MORE: A 6.4 earthquake rocks Puerto Rico amid heavy seismic activity
READ MORE: WATCH | Father-daughter lawyer duo fights for the rights of Black residents in Puerto Rico
Trump’s Super Bowl ad touts how “thousands of families are being reunited” because he eventually signed off on the First Step Act. All the while, his administration’s immigration policies at the southern border continue to rip families apart. The lagging efforts to help rebuild infrastructure in Puerto Rico adds insult to injury as displaced families and thousands of others still struggle to access basic necessities as earthquakes continue to strike.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump tried to drum up support from African-American voters by asking one simple question: “What do you have to lose?”
Four years later and reality still bites. “Make America Great Again” has since morphed into “Keep America Great.” Black people — and millions more who struggle amid Trump’s attacks on people of color and the impoverished — have a lot at stake.
Exploiting one Black woman’s pain with a high-priced, primetime ad shows just how far Trump’s campaign will stretch the truth to convince Americans that the president and his policies aren’t racist.
Yes, we’re happy Ms. Johnson’s painful imprisonment is over.
But the whole truth about Trump and his policies still hurts.
Derrick Clifton is a Chicago-based writer on the intersections of identity, culture and social justice issues. Follow them on Twitter: @DerrickClifton.
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Billy Porter set to appear on ‘Sesame Street’ in his iconic Oscars dress
These days it’s as if Billy Porter can do no wrong, and now it’s been confirmed that the Pose star will be one of the celebrity guest stars making an appearance during the 51st season of Sesame Street.
According to The Daily Mail, last week beloved children’s television show posted photos on social media from a shoot featuring the Broadway star hanging out on the iconic set.
READ MORE: Teen singer Billie Eilish responds to fans disturbed about Drake texting her
Fans quickly noted that the 50-year-old was rocking one of his most memorable red carpet looks during a visit, specifically the velvet gender-bending Christian Siriano tuxedo gown and jacket that he wore to the 2019 Oscars.
“@theebillyporter bringing those fierce vibes to Sesame Street for #Season51,” the show wrote in the Instagram caption, later adding on Twitter that it was “an iconic day with an iconic person.”
“Y’all, talk about iconic… I was tickled to meet @elmo and the gang at @sesamestreet!” Billy replied.
READ MORE: ‘POSE’ star Billy Porter: “Conservatives are human beings too”
Last month Porter co-starred on the big screen alongside Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek in the female-driven flick, Like a Boss.
In the movie, Mia (Haddish) and Mel (Byrne) play best friends who run their own cosmetics company — a business they built from the ground up. Both the actor and comedy veteran Jennifer Coolidge provide support to their bosses while delivering scene-stealing laughs for the audience all throughout the film.
“It’s such a beautiful movie about friendship, about real friendship — your ride or die — the people who are there for you and present for you whenever you need them, however, you need them, unconditionally,” he said last month during an interview with Good Morning America. “I was raised by strong women. I’ve always loved strong women — those are the people that have influenced me the most in my life.”
READ MORE: Billy Porter makes Emmy history with Best Actor win for his role in ‘POSE’
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Trump starts trending for tweeting out the wrong state for Super Bowl champs
President Donald Trump did what he does best Sunday night after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl— tweet out misinformation that shows the nation and world just how factually challenged he is.
READ MORE: Colin Kaepernick’s girlfriend Nessa criticizes Trump and the NFL over Super Bowl ad purchase
Two days after Republican senators voted to not call witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial, the president, who apparently watched the Super Bowl, took to Twitter to congratulate the right team but in the wrong state.
“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs on a great game, and a fantastic comeback, under immense pressure. You represented the Great State of Kansas and, in fact, the entire USA, so very well. Our Country is PROUD OF YOU!” Trump tweeted before he or one of his reps deleted the tweet and updated it with the correct state of Missouri.
However, it wasn’t before many screenshot it and Trump began trending.
Marc Lamont Hill took to Instagram to post the older tweet under the caption: “Who’s gonna tell Trump that the Kansas City Chiefs are in Missouri, not Kansas?”
View this post on Instagram
Who’s gonna tell Trump that the Kansas City Chiefs are in Missouri, not Kansas?
Joy Reid retweeted a marked up tweet from James McKenzie that juxtaposed both the original tweet sent at 10:15 pm and the edited and corrected tweet at 10:27 pm. She captioned it, “Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue?”
Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue? https://t.co/XO8CDFZnfe
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 3, 2020
Others joined in on her thread, mocking the president.
“A bit surprised there isn’t already a resolution to merge the 2 states into the “Greater State of Kansas” just to cover his stupidity,” responded Polly OHara.
“His fan base relishes his ignorance,” wrote S Townsend Ramirez.
Claire McCaskill, a former senator from Missouri, went low in his critique of Trump’s post.
“It’s Missouri you stone-cold idiot,” McCaskill tweeted.
Had they not changed this, how many Republican Senators and Reps would have rushed to cameras by morning to insist that the Chiefs DO play in Kansas, and only the people should decide if that’s untrue? https://t.co/XO8CDFZnfe
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 3, 2020
Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland and ex-head of the RNC, was stunned.
“I got nothing for this one. #SimplyStupid,” Steele wrote.
I got nothing for this one. #SimplyStupid.
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) February 3, 2020
Unlike the comments on Joy Reid, Steele is followed by a lot of Republicans who took to his comment section to defend The POTUS, stating that it was an honest mistake and that the #SimplyStupid should be applied to The Democrats.
READ MORE: Trump gets ripped for suggesting Frederick Douglass is still alive
This isn’t the first time Trump has hit Twitter with inaccuracies. And it’s a good chance that it won’t be the last.
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