Steam lets you run local multiplayer videogames over the internet, allowing you to play with friends even when they’re not next to you.
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Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Meet The Polyglot Who Started The First Black-Owned Online Korean Language School
Learning a new language can be an extremely useful tool is forging new business relationships and expanding your operations to international markets. As business becomes more globalized and the internet allows us to connect with people around the world, speaking multiple languages becomes a valuable asset. One entrepreneur used his passion for learning foreign languages to open an online language school to inspire others to learn about new cultures.
Los Angeles-born Nathan Thornton started SmarterKorean, an online Korean language school where he works as an online Korean language coach & South Korea expert assisting expats to live, travel, and work in South Korea comfortably and with confidence. Driven by his own passion to study in South Korea and attending the IPAG Business School in Paris, France, Thornton is currently fluent in Korean, English, and French, stating that learning the language has been extremely useful in his professional career.
“Learning Korean opened up a multitude of doors for me both professionally and personally,” says Thornton in a blog interview with Black Girls Learn Languages, “Korean has helped me stand out in my job applications, work for international companies in both South Korea and Spain, ask for competitive salaries, and allowed me to open my own online business. Being able to speak Korean allowed me to experience living in South Korea on a much deeper level with a different understanding of the culture.”
Thornton goes on to explain how his passion for language learning started at a young age as a way to deal with stresses at home. “I used the Korean language as a way to escape my abusive household and create a better life for myself. Learning Korean as a teenager helped to develop confidence and discover a new culture,” he explains. “I was determined to learn Korean well enough so that I could escape my violent home life, apply for a scholarship and go to university abroad.”
He says he is currently moving toward his fourth language and looking forward to seeing where it takes him. “Now, I have fallen in love with the Russian language and am excited to see where it takes me in the future!”
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A Brave New Book Reveals Alicia’s Keys to Success
Usually, books are packaged with personal endorsements—the most famous and impactful ones the author can get. But More Myself: A Journey, Alicia Keys’ new memoir, has only one endorsement on the back cover: her own.
“I’m done with dimming my light,” she writes. “Writing this book has been about meeting myself, with all my wounds and vulnerabilities, exactly as I am—and then, at last, having the courage to reveal my full face. it has been about realizing that, in order for the truth to set me free, I must first be brave enough to birth it.”
The 15-time Grammy Award-winning musician, singer, and songwriter, whose career seamlessly encompasses equally passionate work as an actress, producer, entrepreneur, and activist, was also already a New York Times best-selling author (for her previous book, Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics).
Known (most recently) for her natural-girl look and a consistently soulful vibe that’s equal parts hippie and ‘hood, Keys strips away the years and any old fears of vulnerability and disapproval to reveal her true self and what it took to become, own, and amplify all that she is—with or without makeup, or a microphone.
Raised by her single, white mother, Terri Augello, to proudly own her inner light and darker skin as a black girl, by calling out her own contradictions and unfinished-ness, Keys enables us to accept and even celebrate our own. “I am frightened and I am fearless,” she concludes. “I am weak and a warrior. I am uncertain and I am confident. And by learning to embrace the paradox in all of it, I am more myself.”
Reading More Myself: A Journey is a great way to chase away the quarantine-and-curfew blues with some calm and engaging contemplation from an artist whose reflections on her own journey from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to the higher ground of her own heart, will stir and uplift you.
Here is a small sample of life lessons, in the key of Alicia:
Success is a hungry tiger, always growling for its next meal.
In life, we don’t get what we ask for, we get what we believe.
I don’t have to fit in. None of us does. Our uniqueness isn’t a scar, but a beauty mark.
An aha moment is not a happy ending – it’s an open doorway, one you have to choose to walk through.
There is power in sisterhood. Our voices are strongest as part of a chorus.
With every word and every intention I am creating the masterpiece that is my life.
Bliss is a beautiful destination, but you can often only reach its shores after a turning point.
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Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Brooklyn YMCA employee dies of coronavirus
A popular Brooklyn YMCA employee, Janice Rodman, has become the latest fatality of the coronavirus pandemic.
At first, there were some people who believed Black people were immune to the coronavirus. It was also said that the deaths were mostly people 65 and up.
However, Rodman was 52 years old and still became a victim of COVID-19. Buzzfeed reported that while Rodman’s day job was at New York’s Sterling National Bank, she also held down the reception desk at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA one day a week and was beloved by the patrons there.
READ MORE: Virginia pastor who called coronavirus a hoax dies
The Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA is heartbroken after learning that we lost our beloved staff member, Janice Rodman, who…
Posted by Bed Stuy YMCA on Thursday, April 2, 2020
“This work for her was really her community service,” said Sonia Atherly, executive director of the Y, who worked with Rodman for 10years. “It’s a distinction between her job and her work.”
Rodman would take balloons leftover from YMCA celebrations to hand out to kids. She knew most patrons by name.
Rodman had suffered from bronchitis for years and that’s what her family originally thought was the issue when she fell ill in March. But when her daughter, Jasmine Thornton, saw that her mother was getting short of breath at the end of the month, she took her to the hospital.
On March 30, after some time on a ventilator, Rodman passed away.
The North Carolina native had lived in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy section since childhood in a brownstone shared by her family, including her daughter, niece, and parents until her parents returned to the South.
“So many memories in this house — with her friends and girlfriends, having barbecues outside, block parties,” Thornton told Buzzfeed. “Everyone knows my mom on this block.”
READ MORE: Not all people of color feel comfortable wearing masks
Funeral arrangements are pending because of social distancing guidelines. Thornton said her mother wanted to be buried in North Carolina but she wanted to hold a service for her friends and family in Brooklyn at some point in the future.
Atherly does not know how she’ll handle telling the kids who loved Rodman she’s no longer going to be there to greet them.
“It’s not going to be the same,” she said.
The post Brooklyn YMCA employee dies of coronavirus appeared first on TheGrio.
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5 things I need to see from ‘Insecure’ season 4
Issa Rae took the entertainment world by storm with Insecure, a comedy series showcasing modern, millennial adulthood. Through the main characters Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji), audiences get a first-hand look at dating, work-life, friendship and familial relationships as young Black women.
Debuting on HBO in 2016, Insecure has returned for three seasons and now, the fourth is at our fingertips.
READ MORE: Issa Rae comedy ‘Love Birds’ goes straight to Netflix
The season four official trailer reveals a few things: Issa remains the queen of awkward, Lawrence (Jay Ellis) is back with a new boo, and Kelli (Natasha Rothwell) dresses as Halle Berry’s character in B*A*P*S at some point this season. As trailers should, not many details are revealed about the upcoming season.
Many of the characters of Insecure have been running the same mile for three seasons. It is time for the real growth the characters inch toward each episode. Still, there are other wishes for season four, and one has already come true.
READ MORE: Issa Rae shuts down rumors she’s remaking ‘Set It Off’: ‘I would never’
Seasons one through three finished with eight, 30-minute episodes that occur in the blink of an eye, even with the after-show. This season, episodes will remain 30-minutes, however, Rae shares that season four will be extended to 10 episodes. What else do we wish for season four?
Issa in a healthy relationship
Will this be the season viewers get to watch an emotionally healthy Issa flourish? The situationships make for good Twitter debates, however, the former may make for better television. In season four, I hope Issa finds a healthy romantic relationship. For years, Issa Dee has dealt with awkward amorous interactions and relationships with dead-ends. For at least part of the season, Issa deserves to be loved fully and that love needs to be shown on screen.
Show in the show
The show-in-the-show is always a treat during the Insecure broadcast. Between season three’s rift on reboots with ‘Kev’yn’ to season two’s ‘Due North,’ a slave drama starring Regina Hall, the fictional show in the already fiction show gives insight to the character’s interest. During an interview with TheWrap, showrunner Prentice Penny shares the inspiration behind ‘Kev’yn’ was the lack of Black shows being rebooted.
“This season, we were just talking a lot about how much we love like ’90s Black sitcoms, and obviously in the wake of ‘Roseanne’ and ‘Will and Grace’ and, you know, ‘Full House’ and all the shows they brought back, we just started having discussions too about like, why aren’t they rebooting any shows of color?” Penny said. Hopefully, the show-within-the-show this season is just back, and as satisfying.
More Kelli
Kelli often adds a level of truth underlined by humor that Issa and Molly are incapable of delivering. Her moments on-screen are often the most refreshing. “I think people tune in every week and love Kelli is because she is unpredictable, and not the cliché portrayal of a plus-size friend,” Natasha Rothwell said on her character to ESSENCE.
Hopefully this season, Kelli gets a storyline beyond being the funny friend with her life together. Season three introduced a new vulnerable side of Kelli and I want to see more. Her outspoken, dynamic personality deserves to be humanized by emotions not simply defined by laughter, smiles, and status.
A banging soundtrack
One amazing thing about Insecure is the music used to soundtrack the show. Viewers have come to expect and anticipate the playlist to follow each season. From City Girls to Little Simz, the show has featured both rising and established artists in hip-hop, R&B, and pop genres. The creative team diligently selects music that matches the story in both lyrics and sound. Music supervisor Kier Lehman, who has worked on Insecure since the show’s inception, credits Rae with adding her own personal ear to the song selections.
“It’s definitely driven by Issa. It’s her voice and her tastes, and I work with her as kind of a facilitator. So as we get into the beginning of the season, especially now that we’ve worked together for a little while, we have a shorthand,” Lehman told Variety.
“I know what she likes, so I’m reaching out to artists to get music if it’s unreleased or ahead of an album coming out, or reaching out to artists to see if they can create music.”
The official trailer reintroduced the Insecure gang with Yung Baby Tate and Kari Faux’s
“Hot Girl.”
Millennial looks
It’s time for Insecure’s girl gang to get major wardrobe upgrades. Not wearing designer looks or couture pieces every episode, but having a clear, signature style defined by their character’s personality, means, and ideals. The predecessors of Insecure in the Black TV canon such as Living Single, The Fresh Prince of BelAir, and Girlfriends had wardrobes that captured not only each character’s persona but gave looks that captured the time.
Will future generations look back at the outfit choices on Insecure and crave the Black millennial looks? Issa’s graphic t-shirts and quirky pattern mixing and Molly’s legal looks can be taken to the next level.
The post 5 things I need to see from ‘Insecure’ season 4 appeared first on TheGrio.
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Kentucky doctor arrested for strangling Black teen for not social distancing
A white Kentucky doctor has been arrested after strangling a Black teenager following a confrontation about social distancing.
Over the weekend, Reddit blew up with footage of a man pushing and shoving young female teens to the ground Friday night at the Norton Commons amphitheater in Louisville. At one point, John Rademaker is seen strangling a Black teenager and obstructed her breathing.
Witnesses claimed he approached the group of nine teenagers and berated them for not practicing social distancing. He was accompanied by his wife who is describing as having shoved a phone in the faces of one of the girls.
It has been advised that people stay home unless it is necessary to go out and to keep six feet apart to stop the spread of the COVID-19 disease. He is alleged to have become angry that the group was gathered and physically assaulted them. He grabbed the neck of one and continued to argue with the others.
READ MORE: Florida sheriff’s deputy slammed for ‘racist’ Tik Tok videos mocking Black people
The young woman did not suffer any serious injury and Rademaker was arrested. He was charged with strangulation and three counts of harassment with physical contact.
LMPD provided guidance on how people should report those who are not practicing social distancing according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
“We are aware of this video and officers from the 8th Division responded to a call to this incident (Friday) and took a report,” LMPD stated.
“Obviously, we do not advise individuals concerned about social distancing to take matters into their own hands and confront people about it, especially in any physical way. We ask people who are concerned about large gatherings to call 311 or 911 to report their concerns.”
READ MORE: Black woman says her Zoom was hijacked by racists hurling N-word
LMPD spokeswoman Jessie Halladay stressed that there should be no vigilantism.
“We know people are out there saying, ‘Hey guys, you should probably social distance,’” Halladay said. “That’s one thing, if you’re being polite and it’s your neighbors, we don’t want you to take it into your own hands, and you certainly should never get physical.”
Rademaker is an independent contractor who works as a physician at Baptist Health. A spokesperson has stated that he is now on administrative leave and an investigation is pending.
“The partners of SIAC, a division of One Anesthesia PLLC have decided to place the physician that appeared in the video on administrative leave as of April 5th pending further investigation. Our well wishes extend to all parties involved and we will continue to monitor this situation as new information develops.”
Louisville Urban League President and CEO Sadiqa Reynolds said that accountability was needed.
“These are grown people who assaulted young people,” she said. “They’re kids, and we need to deal with it like that has to be stopped, and he and his wife have to be held accountable.”
The post Kentucky doctor arrested for strangling Black teen for not social distancing appeared first on TheGrio.
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Apple To Produce 1 Million Face Masks For Medical Workers Per Week
Computer and technology giant Apple announced in a video Sunday it’s designing and producing face masks for medical workers and plans to produce 1 million masks per week.
According to CNBC, Apple CEO Tim Cook made the announcement on Twitter. Cook added the masks fit 100 in a box, takes two minutes to assemble, and are fully adjustable.
“We’ve launched a company-wide effort, bringing together product designers, engineering, operations and packaging teams, and our suppliers to design, produce, and ship face shields for health workers,” Cook said. “Our first shipment was delivered to Kaiser hospital facilities in the Santa Clara Valley this past week and the feedback from doctors was very positive.”
Medical professionals across the country are dealing with a shortage of medical supplies including face shields and masks, putting them at risk while they save lives. Cook added Apple has donated 20 million N95 masks to organizations that need them.
In some states, governors are asking citizens with sewing skills to make and donate masks for medical workers. Some hospitals are threatening to fire doctors and nurses who speak out on the lack of medical equipment.
Apple has already donated 20 million N95 masks and is working with medical professionals and government officials to determine where the shields are most needed. Cook said the company is also looking to expand distribution beyond the United States soon.
Other technology giants are also pitching in. Google announced it will release location data in more than 100 countries to help health officials and governments make informed decisions on the virus.
“For Apple this is a labor of love and gratitude, and we’ll share more of our efforts over time,” Cook continued. “In the meantime each of us can stop the spread of the virus by following expert advice to stay home, and practice social distancing.”
The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than 350,000 and killed more than 10,000 in the US alone.
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Fair Count and Comcast NBCUniversal Partner to Encourage People of Color to Get Counted in the 2020 Census
Today, Fair Count and Comcast NBCUniversal announced a million-dollar national partnership to encourage people of color to participate in the 2020 Census. Historically, black and brown people have been undercounted in the census. In 2010, 1.5 million black, Latinos, and Native Americans were undercounted. Part of that is due to the lack of access to the Census as well as mistrust and disinformation campaigns in communities of color.
With federal funding for communities at stake, Fair Count and Comcast NBCUniversal want to ensure that people understand the importance of being represented this time around.
As a part of the partnership, Fair Count’s “Piece of the Pie” ad began airing during Comcast NBCUniversal’s Public Service Announcement time across the nation this week. It will be followed by another ad, called “Sisters for the Census,” that will run through the end of the census response period on Aug. 15.
In a joint statement released by Fair Act and Comcast NBCUniversal, Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, vice president of Fair Count said, “Comcast is a trusted voice in households across the nation, and we are grateful to them for allowing us to utilize this platform. This partnership will allow us to reach people across the country—from urban to rural communities — letting them know how participation in the 2020 Census will benefit their families, friends, and communities for the next ten years.”
American’s response to the Census helps direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services.
On the heels of the announcement, McLean of Fair Count joined Sheila Hyland to talk about how Fair Act is working to achieve a fair and accurate count of America’s population in Census 2020.
With the Census now being offered digitally and over the phone, people have more access to the form.
“As we embark on the first digital census, Comcast is proud to extend our platform and support the outreach efforts of Fair Count, an organization that shares our commitment to encouraging census participation across hard to count communities, particularly communities of color,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, senior vice president for Community Investment at Comcast Corp. and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.
Communities are reliant on every member to be counted to receive the support they need to advance over time
To be counted in the Census, click here.
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Korey Wise, of the Exonerated Five, Is Providing Food For Harlem-Based Senior Citizens
Korey Wise, a member of the Exonerated Five whose story was portrayed in the Netflix series, When They See Us, has been committed to paying it forward. Now Wise is stepping up to help those in his community of Harlem who have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The community activist has teamed up with Councilman Bill Perkins, Harlem District Leader Keith Lilly, and a group of local teenagers to deliver food to over 100 elderly residents living at Harlem’s Schomburg Plaza where Wise grew up. The group of teenagers who participated in the deliveries volunteered after finishing their online school studies, which were also impacted by closures due to the coronavirus. They plan to help provide more meals for people who are food insecure through the nonprofit organization, Meals on Wheels.
Wise stresses how important it is for the community to rally around the seniors during this time of need. “I love being here,” Wise told PIX 11. “We have to go back to the essence anyway. Just give to them. Visit them.”
This act comes during a time where many community leaders are coming together to provide food for local residents. The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in massive job lay-offs, which have caused the unemployment rate to soar to record numbers over the past few weeks. Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network has transformed its headquarters into a community kitchen to assist thousands with meals for low-income families, senior citizens, and re-entry program participants. Chef Marcus Samuelsson of the famous Red Rooster has also converted his space to service the local community. Wise hopes the act encourages others in the community to help each other during a difficult time.
“It’s a lesson of giving back,” he said. “Kids all over should take this as a guiding point to do things that are positive for our community.”
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