Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), otherwise known as Auntie Maxine, has been calling for Donald Trump’s impeachment for the last two years—basically since his inauguration. Waters was the first member of Congress to do so based on his behavior during the 2016 presidential campaign, his refusal to release his tax returns and his history of questionable financial dealings. Democrats in the House of Representatives officially launched a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump in late September. The investigation is based on reports that he abused presidential powers by seeking help from the government of Ukraine to look into former Vice President Joe Biden to help his own re-election campaign.  Waters is one of six committee chairs involved in the impeachment inquiry process. She recently spoke to Blavity: Politics about her longstanding efforts to impeach Trump and what the public can expect from the process.“It is well-known that I started calling for President Trump’s impeachment soon after he was inaugurated,” Waters explained. “The members of Congress were not eager to get involved with impeachment, and many of our new members certainly did not want to get involved; they didn’t know what it would mean in their re-elections. But now, we have more than a majority in our caucus.”As the chair of the Financial Services Committee, Waters is specifically looking into Trump’s relationship with Deutsche Bank and his finances. Other committees are investigating Trump’s tax returns and his relationship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is accused by the U.S. Intelligence Community of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. Once the committee chairs complete the investigation, they will work with House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to draft an impeachment resolution containing information detailing Trump’s alleged offenses. The next step is for the House Judiciary Committee to hold public hearings on the information, and they must vote to send it out of committee to the full House for a vote. If the House passes the resolution, it goes to the Senate, which must also vote to impeach. Waters believes that the House will vote to pass the resolution and that some members of the Senate, which is currently controlled by Republicans, will also vote to impeach if they are presented with strong facts and information. In the event that Trump is impeached, the next person in line to become president is Vice President Mike Pence. Waters assured Blavity: Politics that her plan is to get rid of Pence, as well.“I do believe he’s aligned with white supremacists and Ku Klux Klan types,” said Waters. “I tell people, ‘Don’t worry. If we get Trump, we’re gonna get Pence also.’”As far as when a House vote on impeachment might happen, Waters thinks it could happen as soon as December and certainly prior to the election in November 2020. She underscored the urgency of impeaching Trump as soon as possible.“America cannot continue to suffer under this president and the destruction that he’s doing,” she...

Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, just launched a partnership to create and sell hijabs in order to build a more inclusive space for patients and their employees, KSTP reported.Hilal Ibrahim, the mastermind behind the project, is a former volunteer who is now an employee at the hospital. In an interview with KARE 11, she described the limited options women in the hospital had if they wanted to wear a hijab. “I first noticed a need when I was working in labor and delivery. Seeing a lot of Muslim women, their hijab was falling off during labor or they were rushed to a c section and there was nothing available to them,” she said. “Sometimes when I was working in the ER I would see someone vomit on a hijab and need to remove it.”Noticing the need, Ibrahim got to work. She created a company called Henna and Hijabs before signing the first-of-its-kind partnership to sell her exclusively designed hijabs at the hospital’s gift shop.In an interview with KSTP, Ibrahim explained why she expects the hijabs to sell well."If you are a nurse in ICU, or surgery, or labor and delivery, you don't want a scarf that is slipping off constantly; likewise, if you are a patient, you want something that is comforting," she said. "It's breathable, it's flexible, it holds well for the hospital setting for both patients and employees.”Officials from HealthPartners, a nonprofit healthcare provider and insurance company in the area, said they are proud to partner with Ibrahim."I am hopeful others will follow in our footsteps and also look for ways to make their teams feel included," said Chief Human Resources Officer Anahita Cameron.All of the hijabs will be made in Minnesota and money raised from sales will help fund health and education programs for staff and...

Black NFL fans took their fury out on Twitter Friday afternoon when it was announced that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and other Black players were being suspended. The players were handed a suspension after a fight ended Thursday night's football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The altercation started with just eight seconds left in the 4th quarter with the Browns winning 21-7. During a routine pass play, Garrett slammed Steelers' quarterback Mason Rudolph into the ground, infuriating him.At the end of the play, Rudolph punched Garrett in the helmet before trying to rip it off his head. As they tussle, Rudolph stomps on Garrett's crotch, enraging him further. However, unfortunately for Garrett, the part of the fight that got the most play on ESPN and other sports outlets was the end of the fight, which showed him ripping off Rudolph's helmet and swinging it at his head.This led to a much larger fight that was eventually broken up, but before it was morning Garrett was public enemy number one. The morning shows had both Black and white commentators bashing Garrett and going so far as to say he should be arrested for attempted murder. Comments surrounding how Garrett should be punished fueled hysteria on Twitter. The NFL ultimately decided to ban Garrett from playing indefinitely and gave Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi a one-game suspension. Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey received a three-game suspension.Despite starting the fight, Rudolph received no suspension at all and was showered in love and concern by NFL players, analysts and fans who only saw the end of the fight. Rudolph's agent has even implied that he may press charges against Garrett, according to ESPN. He then made that threat public on Twitter.There are many risks an NFL QB assumes with every snap taken on the field. Being hit on your uncovered head by a helmet being swung by a 275 lb DE is not one of them. Tonight could have had a catastrophic ending. The matter will be reviewed thoroughly.— Younger & Associates/QB Limited (@YoungerAssoc) November 15, 2019Cleveland Police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia had to come out and tell reporters that the city would not be investigating the incident at all. After the NFL's decision was handed down, the owner of the Browns, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, issued a fawning statement apologizing to Rudolph."We are extremely disappointed in what transpired last evening at the end of our game. There is no place for that in football and that is not reflective of the core values we strive for as an organization. We sincerely apologize to Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Myles Garrett has been a good teammate and member of our organization and community for the last three years but his actions last night were completely unacceptable. We understand the consequences from the league for his actions," the statement read. The initial responses online were heavily in Rudolph's favor but as Friday rolled around and more people watched the full video, the tide turned against him. People were also furious at the media coverage that painted Garrett as a criminal for something that happens repeatedly on most Sundays. View this post on Instagram I promise my next post is going to be about my Clippers 🤣 but damn this Miles Garrett story is fascinating. My satellites are telling me this is why Miles Garrett got medieval on Mason Rudolph’s ass, in addition to Rudolph trying to rip off his helmet! Mason, you ain’t slick! Not going to let them demonize my D-Line brethren Garrett without a balanced conversation! 💯 Now, can someone please justify these pics to me? 🥜 #dontstartnonewontbenoneA post shared by Marcellus Wiley (@marcelluswiley) on Nov 15, 2019 at 11:32am PSTPeople calling for Myles Garrett to be arrested is rooted in anti Black racism. You’ve never seen a white hockey player get in a fight and then fans call for the arrest of the athlete. A white pitcher can throw a fastball at a batters head and might not even be ejected.— Brotha B (@BlakeDontCrack) November 15, 2019Max Kellerman is speaking facts & y’all hate it. Every action has a reaction. Rudolph tries to pull Myles helmet off and kicks him in the nuts = He gets his own helmet ripped off. Mason Rudolph charges at Garrett after the play is over = Mason gets hit in the head with helmet.— Benji From Fisk (@NubianKingBenji) November 15, 2019Max Kellerman and Damien Woody get heated on First Take after Kellerman says Mason Rudolph instigated and pursued fight with Myles Garrett pic.twitter.com/hno6wBF62i— gifdsports (@gifdsports) November 15, 20192. Mason Rudolph first tried to take the helmet off of Myles Garrett. It’s outrageous that in ALL of this that Mason Rudolph wasn’t suspended a single game. pic.twitter.com/2hijGMo7XC— Shaun King (@shaunking) November 15, 2019There’s not a lot of space left for nuance on Twitter. But Myles Garrett was absolutely wrong. However he wasn’t the only one. Mason Rudolph def instigated. Both things can be true. And that doesn’t excuse Myles Garrett. It’s just what happened.— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) November 15, 2019I am not defending Myles Garrett’s decision. I’m not even saying Rudolph deserves near as much punishment as Myles. I am telling you that for Mason Rudolph to take zero accountability for his role in escalating a conflict and pretend he is 100% innocent is asinine.— Jay Arnold (@JArnoldTAMU85) November 15, 2019Garrett released an apology, admitting he "made a terrible mistake.""I lost my cool and what I did was selfish and unacceptable. I know that we are all responsible for our actions, and I can only prove my true character through my actions moving forward. I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL. I know I have to be accountable for what happened, learn from my mistake, and I fully intend to do so," he said.The Browns released a statement from Myles Garrett: (via @Browns) pic.twitter.com/wS0769bXxo— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 15, 2019"What I did was foolish, and I shouldn't allow myself to slip like that. That's out of character, but a situation like that where it's an emotional game, and I allowed myself to fall into those emotions with what happened," Garrett told reporters after the game.The Browns and Steelers have another game against each other on December 1 in Pittsburgh. Garrett said he plans to appeal the suspension. He will also reportedly lose at least $1.139 million during the time he's out, according to...

Twitter users had a grand time this week joining Chrissy Teigen in roasting her husband, John Legend, as the sexiest man of 2019. And of course last year's sexiest man Idris Elba had to get in on the fun, proving to the world that he's always been sexy. Here are your Tweets of the Week.After Legend was given the title of People's sexiest man of 2019, Teigen had a few thoughts along with other Twitter users.john legend reading y’all’s reactions to his people cover pic.twitter.com/FlHhXgfeud— hot girl midsommar (@Ianakane) November 13, 2019Why are yall doing John Legend like this 🤣 pic.twitter.com/NCXPAoxLI0— Chy👻 (@SpazzMuffins) November 14, 2019This meme speaks to my heart. Lmaoo 🤣😂🤣 #JohnLegend pic.twitter.com/5On1BKnTyw— GfromWHOATV 🇭🇹 (@GfromWHOATV) November 14, 2019Even the R&B singer himself got in on the fun, clowning himself compared to Elba while guest-hosting Ellen DeGeneres' daytime TV show.The #SexiestManAlive was here and did the sexiest monologue ever. @JohnLegend pic.twitter.com/OwbqD6d1v5— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 15, 2019But his wife, of course, gave him a virtual piece of humble pie by pointing out that even last year's sexiest man has probably always been "very hot."yeah but let's see an @idriselba pic from 1995 (prob still very hot) https://t.co/7DtT72InGk— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) November 13, 2019👀👀 1995-ish. pic.twitter.com/7dC1S5gG9p— Idris Elba (@idriselba) November 14, 2019And Twitter folks had a lot to say about Elba reclaiming his time.Idris Elba said “I respect the unsexy community but that’s never been me” 😩 https://t.co/VXOecBvuOx— Jelly Rowland (@THISisLULE) November 14, 2019😂😭 sorry @JohnLegend, I tried!!! https://t.co/6ijcPf3HfZ— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) November 14, 2019Also in the Twitter world this week, as if we hadn't gotten over the loss of Bernie Mac, @JBTaughtYa reminded us that he was truly a pioneer.The first vlogger, a pioneer. pic.twitter.com/XlF3viL4LJ— BRWN SKN GRL ✨🍫 (@JBTaughtYa) November 13, 2019I can hear this tweet pic.twitter.com/HAykxoqpqm— TooChill (FEVR) (@2Chill_Phill) November 13, 2019“Lemme tell ya somethin, America...” https://t.co/wrc447vXPm— Chidden Nuddet Requiem (@Maraculousness) November 13, 2019"How you doin', America?"— Wakanda Shit Is That? (@unemployedfatty) November 13, 2019America, I ain’t playing wit these doggone keeids https://t.co/0IMNaMz9dN— Eagles 5-4 (@DeondreTD) November 13, 2019As always, there were an assortment of random Tweets that did huge numbers.U need to comb it out pooh https://t.co/3gnAAcRZc4— S.🎨 (@makeupbyshaniah) November 14, 2019The sharks swam with Rihanna* https://t.co/6bfD1Dtz9K— $anta’s hoe hoe hoe🎄 (@teyanaAnaya) November 14, 2019*hears big sean at the veeeery end of jhené aiko’s new song* 😐😑 pic.twitter.com/zzwkkA7PTC— badgalmimi (@xcamillerose) November 15, 20192000s Black Prom should be the next MetGala theme. https://t.co/5cTum0hjCm— mo (@mo_ologist) November 12, 2019Mos Def ate fried fish with greens & yams and washed it down with HOT CHOCOLATE in the You Dont Know Ny Name video. And everyone acted like it was okay. https://t.co/3Cbm879PQL— fat joe & his lovely daughter fat joanna (@BiancaRaye) November 13, 2019But the clear winner of Twitter this week was a young and energetic drummer whose performance garnered millions of views and hundreds of new fans. 😳 pic.twitter.com/jMLCjzlxKU— Ariana Lenarsky (@aardvarsk) November 14, 2019it’s that first yell in the opening seconds that lets you know she’s coming for the crown https://t.co/Dj1iSP8dpJ— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) November 14, 2019This is the best thing I'll see for the rest of the year. I am so fukn happy watching this. https://t.co/qg7ZUcwOkb— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) November 14, 2019Stay warm this...

Update (November 15, 2019):  Rodney Reed, the 51-year-old Black man believed to be wrongfully accused of killing a white woman has finally been granted a stay of execution after countless folks championed his innocence amid new DNA evidence. The Innocence Project reports the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted unanimously in favor of indefinitely terminating Reed's execution date, which was set for November 20. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals' announcement of the stay of execution was made soon after the Friday vote. Reed has now been granted a 120-day reprieve which means his execution will be delayed for about four months. Update (November 4, 2019): Rodney Reed, a 51-year-old Black man accused of killing a 19-year-old white woman in 1996, is due to be executed on November 20.However, Reed is receiving outpouring support from many individuals and groups who believe he's innocent. Reed's support group includes Kim Kardashian West, who recently went to Twitter to plead with Texas Governor Greg Abbott."How can you execute a man when since his trial, substantial evidence that would exonerate Rodney Reed has come forward and even implicates the other person of interest," Kardashian West tweeted. "I urge you to do the right thing."PLEASE @GovAbbott How can you execute a man when since his trial, substantial evidence that would exonerate Rodney Reed has come forward and even implicates the other person of interest. I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 19, 2019According to the Innocence Project, an organization that strives to exonerate wrongly convicted people, Reed has been on death row in Texas for the murder of Stacey Stites. In a hard-fought battle to clear Reed's name, the Innocence Project maintains there is substantial evidence that exonerates Reed and implicates Stites’ fiancé, Jimmy Fennell, a local police officer.   The Bastrop County man is also getting support from a group of police officers, who are calling on the Supreme Court to stop the execution.According to KVUE, 13 officers filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to consider new evidence in Reed's case.Texas pastors also held a rally to show their support for Reed.  "No one should be executed when there is reasonable or even possible evidence of their evidence," Pastor Gaylon Clark told KVUE. "Let the evidence take us where it leads."In a jailhouse interview with ABC News, Reed maintained his innocence.“Early on I was somewhat upset, just for knowing her. If I wouldn’t have known her, I wouldn’t have been associated with her [and] I wouldn’t be in this situation,” Reed told ABC News’ Deborah Roberts. “But, this is the situation that was handed to me so I have [to] accept … that I did know her. I have to accept that there was a relationship. I have to accept that I’m here now for something that I didn’t do.”Reed, who was sentenced to death by an all-white jury, told ABC News that race has been a factor in his case.“None of them look like me but I grew up in the military. I was a military brat. I figured that they would hear the evidence and know that I’m innocent,” Reed said. “Race played a big part. I didn’t see it at first. I wasn’t seeing racism like that.”Original (September 25, 2019): A 51-year-old Black man who was accused of killing a 19-year-old white woman in 1996 is still fighting to be exonerated.Rodney Reed, who has been on Texas' death row since 1998 for the alleged murder, is scheduled for execution on November 20. His lawyers, however, believe there is enough evidence to clear Reed's name. According to The Innocence Project, an organization that strives to exonerate wrongly convicted people, there is enough DNA evidence to prove Reed's case.Lawyers for Reed have filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying they are "challenging the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ unexplained rejection of critical evidence of innocence in his 1998 conviction for the murder of Stacey Stites."The petition asks the court to look at new evidence which could confirm investigators' initial suspicion of Stites' fiancé, Jimmy Fennell. Fennell did not give a consistent account of where he was on the night Stites was murdered, Innocence Project said. Adding to the evidence, The Innocence Project said "all of the State’s expert witnesses who supported the State’s theory that Reed raped and murdered Stites have withdrawn or modified those opinions."  According to The Economist, the main evidence against Reed in 1998 was the strands of his DNA found inside the body of Stites.Reed said during the trial that he was having an affair with Stites and that he had sex with her the day before she was murdered, The Economist reported. Prosecutors presented Reed's semen as "the smoking gun," but Reed's lawyers argued that there should have been a closer look at Fennell.   According to Reed's complaint filed in August, Texas has consistently opposed DNA evidence which can prove Reed's innocence.The complaint states that Stites was reported missing on the morning of April 23, 1996.  "She was alleged to have been traveling in her fiancé Jimmy Fennell's red pickup truck, which was found that morning in the Bastrop High School parking lot," the complaint states. "Immediately outside of the locked driver side door were some papers and a broken portion of Ms. Stites's leather woven belt."A passerby reportedly found Stites' body later that day in the brush in the rural area of Bastrop County in Texas with the other half of her belt on the side of the...

The Madame Tussauds museum in Las Vegas has debuted their latest attempt to capture Beyoncé in wax form, releasing photos of the newest statue on Friday. Fans say the museum finally got it right with the star but missed the mark elsewhere.Wow the accuracy of this wax work... its about time they got it right!! #beyonce pic.twitter.com/iV3lOpT11Z— Bey Brooklyn (@Bey_Brooklyn) November 15, 2019The internet has spent years panning the wax museum's disastrous attempts over the years to create statues of the Grammy-winning icon. The global wax museum was criticized heavily for repeatedly lightening her skin to make her look white or making her largely unrecognizable to fans, but now it's her backup dancers that appear to be white. Here's Beyoncé's figure unveiled at Madame Toussaud in China. Same outfit and pose, different face? pic.twitter.com/rqZGY6rWMK— Studio Glibly (@NoTotally) July 18, 2017I misspelled Tussaud, but here's Bey in Orlando pic.twitter.com/d4Gi56ZbgU— Studio Glibly (@NoTotally) July 18, 2017This guy might disagree I suppose pic.twitter.com/p4KPoFkt81— Studio Glibly (@NoTotally) July 18, 2017The new wax figure will pay homage to Beyoncé's groundbreaking "Beychella" performance with the star donning her signature sweatshirt.The museum went to great lengths to popularize the release by shooting a music video and taking dozens of promotional shots with other figures.It took 20 Madame Tussauds artists four months and over 500 hours to complete the figure.What do you guys think of the new Beyoncé wax figure? pic.twitter.com/1o3rpdxR7U— BEYONCÉ HUB (@theyoncehub) November 14, 2019The response online was mixed, mostly because the wax museum made yet another racial faux pas. They failed to make any of the backup dancers Black, which would be strange to anyone who watched her Coachella performance. Some also complained that the wax figure removed all of the singer's curves.Hit the mark with the wax missed it with the dancers—  today is birthday🎉🎉 𓆣 (@keyawnce3) November 14, 2019Homecoming was a tribute to Blackness!!! Where are the Black dancers?? I'm tired.— M🍑🍬 (@Brwnsugababe83) November 15, 2019needs some more cornbread— BEYONCÉ🖤 (@stanbeyonce4) November 14, 2019Where are all of her black dancers...— fatimah (@fatianitam) November 14, 2019Love it but the queen's dancers are black and why are they so scared of giving her curves— Vuvudoingthings (@vuvudoingthings) November 15, 2019In other parts of the world, London recently replaced an aging statue of Queen Elizabeth II with one of Beyoncé. The replacement was partially a joke but also because the legend is shooting the music video for "Brown Skin Girl" in London right...

A building on Syracuse University's campus was vandalized with racist graffiti Wednesday, an incident that comes only days after a similar event occurred in one of the university's residence halls.The original incident led to student protests on Wednesday after the university refused to disclose the nature of the graffiti. Those protests occurred at the same time as the second incident, which took place in a bathroom stall in the university's physics building.In an Instagram post by Renegade Magazine, a publication that describes itself as a platform for Black college students said that the n-word was graffiti in the bathroom. "On Wednesday, Nov, 6, in Day Hall, not only did someone take out all the light fixtures and put them in the toilets, they wrote the N-word across the bathrooms on both floors," Renegade Magazine said earlier this week. "Once notified of the actions, the chief of the department of public safety, the chief diversity officer, the dean of students, and an administrator told the residents on the floors to not spread any photos or videos of the incident." "I'm disgusted by the recent rash of hateful language found scrawled on the walls at Syracuse University, where students from around the world are drawn each year in the pursuit of higher learning," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday in a statement reported by NBC News. "These types of hateful and bigoted actions seek to splinter and segregate our communities, and they have no place in New York — period."According to a statement by the Governor's office, Cuomo has directed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force and State Division of Human Rights to assist in the investigation on the campus. At this time, no suspects have been identified in either...

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is facing criticism for how he advertised his Douglass Plan for Black America a couple weeks ago. The plan listed numerous policy proposals the potential Buttigieg administration would act upon to assist the lives of Black folks across the country. In an open letter to HBCU Times, the Buttigieg campaign released statements from Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Devine, Rehoboth Baptist Pastor and State Rep. Ivory Thigpen, as well as more than 400 supposed Douglass Plan endorsers. Devine had not yet endorsed Buttigieg's presidential campaign, despite the announcement, and immediately informed The Intercept of the lapse in communication.Rolling out his racial justice plan, Pete Buttigieg claimed support from 2 prominent black South Carolina officials, Rep. Ivory Thigpen and black caucus chair Johnnie Cordero.They told me they did not endorse his plan, had their names used anyway. https://t.co/OqnGSIqCLS— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) November 15, 2019“I think the way they put it out there wasn’t clear, that it was an endorsement of the plan, and that may have been intentionally vague. I’m political, I know how that works,” Devine said. “I do think they probably put it out there thinking people wouldn’t read the fine print or wouldn’t look at the details or even contact the people and say, ‘Hey, you’re endorsing Mayor Pete?’”Devine went on to explain why Buttigieg may have used the misleading tactic. With South Carolina being the earliest test of Black voter support, the campaign may have been trying to appear to have more endorsements than they currently did to persuade voters.“The only ones I really knew were me and Rep. Thigpen,” Devine continued in her statement to The Intercept. “I don’t know many — actually, now that I think about it, other than the folks working on Mayor Pete’s campaign, I don’t know of any local elected officials who have endorsed him yet.”Black voters, like in every democratic primary, are seen as a very important constituency for gaining the popular vote and winning elections. It's understandable why Buttigieg's campaign made the move it did, but now it seems that it's done more harm than...

Social media's stellar aptitude for pulling receipts proves Gina Rodriguez has never been able to shut her mouth on issues that don't pertain to her.  In the video, the Jane the Virgin star is participating in a 2015 roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter discussing the lack of Black female representation in movies.While most of the actresses at the roundtable were white, Rodriguez was joined by fellow actress Tracee Ellis Ross as the only two women of color. The roundtable participants also included Lena Dunham, who’s had her own fair share of controversies, as well as Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon and Ellie Kemper.The 35-year-old is shown in the clip jumping to discuss the Latinx community during a question specifically geared towards Black women.“Chris Rock talked about how you can go to the movies once a week for many months and never really see a Black woman on screen in a substantial way,” the moderator said to the table.Before she could continue, Rodriguez interrupted, adding, “I think that also goes for Latinos as well.”Gina Rodriguez literally hates black people so much. She can literally not hear about black issues without inserting herself. pic.twitter.com/QqyXQwIDng— jiir (@TMIN0793) November 6, 2019Rodriguez has previously wedged her unsolicited views during conversations tailored toward the Black community.During an interview with actress Yara Shahidi, Rodriguez attempted to correct the moderator's question about "Black women" to "women." View this post on Instagram #yarashahidi is a role model for many young Black women in my life and in general. I asked Yara about it and the love was surreal to her but she appreciates she gets love for being her true self. #Smallfoot is in theaters tomorrow.A post shared by Xilla Valentine (@blogxilla) on Sep 27, 2018 at 8:01am PDT Also, in the midst of Black Panther's success, the Chicago native rallied for Latinx inclusion in the film industry. The 2018 movie included prominent Latinx actors Rasario Dawson and Carlos Valdes.Marvel announces Black Panther. Gina Rodriguez: pic.twitter.com/76pmKaSS9o— Boyz Eleven Men (@eleven8) January 23, 2019Most recently, the Latina actress posted a video of her saying n****s while singing The Fugees' "Ready or Not."“I can do what you do, easy, believe me. Fronting n****s give me heebie-jeebies,” she recited on her Instagram story, a clip that has since deleted.In the past, Rodrguez has cried for sympathy coupled with weak...

A white officer with the New York Police Department is filing a lawsuit against the city after she reported that her colleagues made racist comments toward her, according to NBC New York.In the suit filed by Officer Vanessa Weinbel, she claims she experienced racially and sexually offensive comments from NYPD Supervisor Lt. Rasheena Huffman. The comments allegedly started in July 2016 during a conversation about a party for a police fraternal organization comprised of mostly Black police members.According to Weinbel, Huffman, who is Black, began making comments toward her, including a remark that Black men are only attracted to her because she looks like Kim Kardashian-West. When the officer revealed to Huffman that she was in a relationship with a Black man, the lieutenant reportedly responded, “He probably isn’t even Black."The 35-year-old also alleges that the lieutenant told her she should feel “lucky” in the wake of a news report that a white man stabbed a person for “just being Black.”"They're tired of seeing Black men with white women. So, you should consider yourself lucky because you probably would've been shot up first,” Huffman reportedly said. According to Patch, the Black lieutenant also made comments about Weinbel’s personal hygiene. “Ewww, oh my god!" Huffman reportedly said after mistakenly picking up the officer’s water bottle. “Who knows where your mouth has been."The lawsuit lists other detailed accounts of clashes between Weinbel and Huffman, including the lieutenant reportedly intentionally bumping into Weinbel and making derogatory comments about her children's race.Weinbel was reportedly told, "people should stick with their own because your kids won't come out right or look like you." She also alleges Huffman told her the U.S. Census Bureau will have to add a box titled "confused" because of her children's race, according to NBC New York.While some of the encounters reportedly occurred in front of fellow senior-level officials, Weinbel said leaders failed to report Huffman’s harassment.She claims despite attempting to file a complaint against her supervisor in May 2018, she was told she didn't have enough evidence, Patch reported. An NYC law department spokesman called the allegations "troubling.""If these allegations are true, this conduct is troubling. The city has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We’ll investigate the facts as we proceed with the litigation," they said. NBC News reported Weinbel is seeking unspecified...

Actress Lena Waithe discreetly married her longtime partner, Alana Mayo, in San Francisco. The Westworld actress made the revelation to guest host John Legend on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday.   "We snuck and did it," the 35-year-old said. "We didn't make any announcements. We went to San Francisco. We went to the courthouse. Got married right in front of Harvey Milk's bust. It was her idea, as all good things are. And she was just driving and she saw the courthouse and she said, ‘We should get married there.' And I said, ‘Cool, I'm down.'"According to Rolling Out, Waithe and Mayo, 34, were engaged for almost two years before they decided to get married. Speaking to Legend, who was recently named People's "Sexiest Man Alive," the actress said she proposed to Mayo during Thanksgiving in Tokyo. Mayo also works within the film industry as head of production and development with the Outlier Society. The screenwriter explained the significance of San Francisco City Hall and the significance of getting married in front of the bust honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk. She didn't say when exactly the nuptials took place. "It was a humbling day to marry someone so amazing," the actress said. "But also to really appreciate all the work that so many people have put in for us to be able to do that."According to E! News, the Chicago-born actress made history in 2017 when she became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for best comedy series writing, getting the honor for her work on the show Master of None with Aziz Ansari. Speaking to Legend on Friday, the Emmy Award winner said she wants to honor other talented Black women. "I know so many amazing women of color, particularly Black women, who have written episodes that are worthy of winning an Emmy," Waithe said.Waithe credited Ansari for helping her succeed. "He really gave me the floor and was like, ‘Tell your story.' And I had no idea that the episode would take on the life that it's taken," she said. Waithe also talked about her latest movie, Queen & Slim, the story of a Black couple who become outlaws after getting into a fatal confrontation with an...

If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.____I’m going to preface this article by saying this: If you are not a diehard TLC fan, I truly apologize for the level of stanning I’m going to exhibit.For context purposes, I’ve been an avid fan of the group since my days in Huggies Pull-Ups.One of my earliest memories of TLC, and music in general, was catching glimpses of the “Creep” music video while getting dressed for kindergarten. The song would ultimately peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts, as well as earn the group a Grammy in 1996 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.While I was too young to appreciate the significance of their lyrical content, or the barriers they were breaking down for other artists in the music industry (especially during the CrazySexyCool era), I knew that TLC was special. And on November 15, 1994, a mere two weeks after dropping the lead single, “Creep,” the world observed TLC's brilliance with the release of their highly anticipated sophomore album, CrazySexyCool.The mega girl group, comprised of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, came out swinging with their second album, using each track as an opportunity to tackle topics that were more often than not reserved for male artists. Topics such as infidelity, the female orgasm and phone sex were all up for discussion with TLC, and what made their artistry so profound was that the subject matter never felt forced.TLC had become a beacon of female empowerment. Moreover, they'd become known for blurring the lines between their personal lives and their music. Controversy seemed to plague the women throughout the development of their second album; each woman found themselves at the center of rumors that varied from domestic violence to alcohol and drug abuse.The group’s resident rapper, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, was arrested in June of 1994, only six months prior to the release of CrazySexyCool, for burning down her boyfriend’s Atlanta, Georgia, home. And while she was released in time to promote the album with her bandmates, her incarceration left her incapable of contributing to the artistic direction of their sophomore album.The members of TLC approached the public scrutiny head-on by inserting their truths into their lyrics, something most artists opted out of in fear of unfavorable press. And believe it or not, before Lil Kim, before Nicki, before Cardi, before Megan, it was TLC who was pushing the envelope in a way the world had never seen women do before.They demystified the subject of female sexuality and used their lyrics to tell stories that other women could relate to, even if it was just in the privacy of their own homes. At a time when women were expected to don scantily clad dresses and belt out songs about love and heartbreak (Oh, hey Toni Braxton!), TLC was doing the polar opposite.When TLC was first introduced to the world on November 22, 1991, via their debut single “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (one of three singles from their debut album, Ooooooohh on the TLC Tip, to land in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts), they were dressed in baggy clothes (often adorned with Cross Colours insignia) and condoms.By the end of the Ooooooohh on the TLC Tip era, fans and critics alike were curious as to whether or not the group would be able to match the success of their debut album. All questions concerning TLC’s ability to succeed the second time around came to a halt upon the release of CrazySexyCool.It had become clear that the young girls with the big personalities had grown into full fledged women who, while a bit more subtle in their approach, were more in control than ever. The brilliance of CrazySexyCool wasn’t just their more mature sound, but TLC’s decision to use the album as a vehicle to shine a light on important issues.Topics such as HIV, gang violence and drug abuse were only some of the many subjects the women chose to face head-on through their new music, specifically through one of their most popular songs, “Waterfalls.”The world seemed to watch them in anticipation of what they would do or say next. And true to form, TLC didn't disappoint.In 1996 during the 38th Annual Grammy Awards press conference, TLC took to the stage to announce they were flat broke. They would ultimately go on to file bankruptcy, but found success once again with a new manager, new contracts and the release of their third studio album, FanMail.Now, I could write a book full of major TLC milestones. Today, however, I just plan on playing CrazySexyCool on loop at full blast (despite the side eyes I may get from my colleagues) and relishing in the fact that TLC has provided me with enough bops to get me through an eight-hour work day.Thank God for Friday, and thank God for...