Visual artist Melody You is making waves among Hollywood stars and online fans alike by creatively reimagining the album art of famous musicians as receipts on Instagram.In an interview with Hypebae, You detailed her journey to viral stardom due to the popularity of her Instagram platform, @albumreceipts. Since the spring, with the coronavirus sheltering most of the country to the confines of their homes, she has been remixing the discographies of artists by redesigning the track list of albums onto an infamous piece of paper people usually trash or scrap.According to Asian news publication Bandwagon, her Instagram account gained over 93,000 followers in the span of three...

A Harvard University junior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has become the first Black student body president in the Ivy League university’s 384-year history.Noah Harris, a 20-year-old government major, who dedicated his platform to diversity and inclusion and student health and wellness, won the election on Nov. 12.Harris told the Jackson Free Press that he is honored to hold the esteemed title, particularly given the events of 2020. “Especially with everything that went on this summer with the death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, all the protests that went on in this moment of racial reckoning in this country,” Harris said. “This is a major statement by the Harvard student body to entrust a Black man with such an unprecedented moment in its history.”Meet Noah Harris, the first Black man Harvard's student body elected as council president https://t.co/EqeocTqKd3 pic.twitter.com/Vzprv3kEXw— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 20, 2020The Harvard Crimson also featured Harris right before he won the election. Along with another student, Jenny Gan, the young man proposed the Advocacy Fund, a campaign that provides financial assistance to protesters and organizers. The scholar and his partner also wanted to ensure that students’ mental health stays intact during these difficult times. “Our goal is to create a space where students can check in with their mental health, as much as they feel comfortable, and providing resources,” Gan told The Harvard Crimson. “So the same resources that are provided for physical health reasons — for COVID — for mental health.”According to CBS News, Harris' campaign was virtual due to the pandemic, forcing him to utilize social media and texting to spread his message. He spoke about how the coronavirus changed the scope of elections.“It is something that we’ve never been through as a college; we’ve certainly never been through this as students,” Harris told CBS News. “It’s been such a hard year, and this is such an unprecedented time for everyone at Harvard. We’ve never had a virtual election.”Harris, who also held a position as co-chair of Harvard’s Undergraduate Council -- a position only held by two other students, said he wants to be the catalyst for change at the conservative university. “It’s a message to the university that we really have to be conscious about the decisions that we’re making and how we’re standing with all of our students of color and making sure that their college experience and just their livelihoods are as good as possible when a university like Harvard has so many resources,” Harris...

The Weeknd is feeling blindsided by the Grammys after the organization snubbed his latest album, After Hours. The three-time Grammy-winner, who was not nominated for any awards this year, went to Twitter on Tuesday to express his frustration."The Grammys remain corrupt," he wrote. "You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency..."The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency...— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 25, 2020According to TMZ, the 30-year-old artist was recently engaged in a weeks-long dispute with the Grammy executives who gave him an ultimatum to perform at their awards show or sing at the Super Bowl in February. The two sides eventually agreed that the artist can perform at both events. But there seems to be bad blood still dividing the two parties. A source who spoke to TMZ said the bitter back-and-forth may have played a factor in the Grammy's decision to snub the Weeknd, who wasn't nominated for an award despite the massive success of his chart-topping album.A source gave their account of the feud to Rolling Stone.“There was an ultimatum given resulting in a struggle over him also playing the Super Bowl that went on for some time and was eventually agreed upon that he would perform at both events," the source told Rolling Stone. "[The Recording Academy] had all these convos with the Weeknd team in the past month, and today on Nov. 24, The Weeknd had not one nomination and is now completely ignored by the Grammys.”Although it's not clear why The Recording Academy wouldn't want The Weeknd to perform at both events, it's possible that they were trying to avoid a duplicate performance since CBS is broadcasting the award show and the game one week apart, TMZ reported. Featuring hits such as "Heartless," "In Your Eyes" and "Save Your Tears," After Hours spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. But The Weeknd's name didn't appear in any of the nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards, Esquire reported. Harvey Mason Jr., interim president and CEO of the Grammys, responded to the artist's frustration in a written statement."We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated. I was surprised and can empathize with what he’s feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone’s admiration," Mason said, according to NBC News. "Unfortunately, every year, there are fewer nominations than the number of deserving artists."The "Blinding Lights" singer, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, announced earlier this month that he would perform at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, in...

A Black transgender woman is suing the Georgia Department of Corrections for the second time for failing to protect her from “brutal and unrelenting” abuse while in custody.After surviving abuse during her previous incarceration and receiving a historic settlement, Ashley Diamond is suing the Georgia agency again following another sexual assault during a second stint in prison, the Daily News reported.Diamond first made headlines in 2015 when she worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center to take legal action against the Georgia penal system for the mistreatment she and other transgender inmates faced at the hands of prison staff, according to The New York Times.While incarcerated, Diamond was housed in male designated areas for more than three years. She was mocked, intimidated, sexually abused and deprived of the female hormones she had made a part of her everyday life. Before Diamond’s release in Sept. 2015, she was in isolation for 30 days in a windowless cell as a means to help protect her.Eventually, she was released early, awarded a settlement and given a commitment from the agency that it would improve its treatment of transgender people, which include provisions for hormone treatments. Diamond’s case also led the Justice Department to issue a Statement of Interest, detailing how prisons in Georgia were unconstitutional in their treatment of transgender inmates.Despite results of Diamond’s legal settlement, the state’s prisons have done little to rectify their treatment of the incarcerated transgender community. In October 2019, she was sent back to prison following a parole violation where she said she was abused on 14 separate occasions by both staff and people serving sentences in a men’s facility, according to the Daily News. Diamond also revealed that prison officials refused to provide her with “constitutionally adequate treatment for gender dysphoria.” The American Psychiatric Association defines gender dysphoria as a serious medical condition that causes mental anguish and can lead to physical injury if not treated.“Being a woman in a men’s prison is a nightmare. I’ve been stripped of my identity. I never feel safe. Never,” she said. “I experience sexual harassment on a daily basis, and the fear of sexual assault is always a looming thought. I’m bringing this lawsuit to bring about change on behalf of a community that deserves the inherent dignity to simply exist.”SPLC senior attorney Beth Littrell offered her support to Diamond and said, “unfortunately, we’re having to sue again to end the abhorrent treatment of transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, in Georgia’s prisons.”The law center said in a statement that the Georgia Department of Corrections is “fully aware of its legal responsibility to properly evaluate, treat, and protect all incarcerated transgender women,” yet it hasn't effectively maintained that duty.“Five years after changing its policies in response to our first lawsuit, [the department] tragically continues to flout its legal obligations to protect transgender people in its custody. The assaults and threats that Ashley continues to face on a daily basis are based on the fact that she is a woman in a men’s prison — it’s intolerable and inexcusable," the statement read. As Blavity previously reported, violence against the transgender community is surging. At least 37 transgender people have been killed this year, a number the Human Rights Campaign said was most likely underreported.With Transgender Day of Remembrance on Friday, advocates of the LGTBQ+ community told Blavity that it's important for allies to consider all the obstacles facing the community.J. Mase III, an author, educator and theologian, said, “to observe Trans Day of Remembrance, cisgender people can take seriously the financial and housing needs of trans people. They can admit to themselves that they benefit from transphobia," and that it is their duty to work to end...

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.____When I was 26 years old, I packed up my SUV, left my comfortable home in Virginia and moved to Los Angeles by myself to pursue a career in entertainment law. I wanted to be known as the Olivia Pope of the entertainment industry. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, I landed an entry role position at one of the biggest entertainment agencies in Hollywood. Over the next few years, I networked and hustled my way up to the top of the corporate ladder. By the time I turned 29, I was making six-figures at an up-and-coming beauty and lifestyle company working in talent partnerships.At this point in my career, I had worked with everyone from the Kardashians to Serena Williams. I spoke at conferences across the nation about my professional experiences and was asked to join the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board of the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel. I had accomplished in just four years what many work their entire career to achieve. From the outside looking in, I was living the dream. But on the inside, there was a vast black hole that seemed to expand with each new accomplishment.My work felt soul-less. I didn’t like the money-hungry attitude and the profit over people mentality that everyone in Hollywood seemed to possess. No one seemed to know what they valued, or why. I sat in meetings where people cussed one another out over trivial matters, as if we’d been tasked with curing cancer or restructuring the mass incarceration system. On top of all of that, I was more often than not the only Black person in the room. I grew tired of dealing with daily microaggressions and being asked about my hair every other week.Eventually, my discontentment became impossible to ignore. Monday became my least favorite day of the week. I dreaded waking up in the morning. Some days, I carried so much anxiety that I physically couldn’t get myself out of bed in the morning. When I did make it into work, it was hard to focus. I often found myself sitting at my desk, daydreaming about everything else I’d rather be doing. After years of soul searching, and some clarifying conversations with my therapist, I decided I needed to make a change.In February of 2020, I left my full-time job as an attorney to become a full-time small-business owner alongside my partners Michael Nelder Henderson and Brian Taylor. Our vision was to create a platform to share stories that would change the world. We developed a card game called LikeU Cards — an ice-breaker game that would allow people to figure out what they have in common through a series of thought-provoking questions. I was terrified about letting go of my cushy salary and high-title, but excited about finally being able to work on a project I believed in. And then COVID-19 happened.Our marketing and sales plans were flipped entirely upside down. Most of the conferences and events we had initially planned to sell our cards at were canceled. Local and national retail establishments stopped purchasing inventory. We were forced to rely solely on e-commerce and digital marketing, but since we had already spent a pretty penny on buying thousands of units of inventory, we didn’t have the funds to pour into a marketing budget.Nevertheless, we persisted. We posted about our card game on social media and sent emails to friends and family about what we were up to. Slowly but surely, the word began to spread. High school teachers loved using the cards to build relationships with their students. Friends used them on dates to make conversation. As racial and political tensions grew over the course of the year, families with different ideologies and from different generations used them to reconnect and better understand one another. In October of 2020, we signed a purchase order with our very first retail establishment to sell the cards in stores.Why am I sharing this story? Because we are living through an unprecedented time of economic uncertainty. No one knows what long term effects this pandemic will have. Over 31 million people are currently unemployed, and businesses across the country are being forced to shut down and lay off employees at alarming rates. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to start a successful business during the pandemic. In fact, for those who don’t have a job, now is arguably a great time to become a small business owner.Black people make up almost 13% of the U.S. population, but only own 4.3% of businesses. Compared to our white counterparts, we often lack the resources and connections necessary to run a small business sustainably. If you’re thinking about starting a business, I’ve compiled a list of 10 practical tips to help you set yourself up for...

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.____During my junior year of high school, around the time former President Barack Obama was re-elected, I made a new friend. Among the wooden coasters, leftover mail and an odd golf tee, her family had a chocolate bar wrapped with the president’s face on it on their living room table.“Look how funny this is,” she emphasized as she handed me the chocolate, smiling; probably trying to relate to me. Looking around the room I noticed things that would never exist in my own living room, like New England Patriot paraphernalia and old Christmas cards of smiling white families with dogs printed on them.Perceiving my friend’s gesture was perplexing, as I was unsure whether her family had the chocolate bar to literally eat our 44th president or to support him. Having moved just a few years earlier from a red district in Virginia to a blue state, Rhode Island, I wasn’t used to white people supporting Democratic politicians, especially Black ones. To my own ironic chagrin, it turned out that the family was, and continue to be, steadfast democrats. This was a dynamic I wasn't used to or knew how to deal with.Biden supporters and democrats broadly have so much to celebrate. A few Saturdays ago, as the unseasonably warm November air breezed through my window, I felt a collective exhale. As cars honked and pedestrians cheered, our bodies let go of that tight bracing defense for just a moment as it set in that Biden won this election.As the rest of the year unfolds with Trump in office, I implore you to show up for Black people and Black women in the same way we have been showing up for this country for centuries. As we approach the anniversaries of the 15th and 19th Amendments, giving Black Women the double-valenced enfranchisement required to gain the constitutional and societal right to vote, we need to recognize how much adversity we have prevailed against in order to improve the lives of all American people.We have to lift up Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris and the communities of Black women leaders in Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and Milwaukee who made this necessary change a reality. We have to do our part to mitigate the proliferation of the coronavirus, knowing that it is disproportionately affecting Black and brown people. We have to show up and take the Senate. A Biden win is a phenomenal thing in the context of the past four years under a Trump regime. However, as individuals we have to uphold the same values we want our national leadership to.The memes during election week are now the social media artifacts that captured our collective mind-state during the week the votes were ever-so-slowly tallied. I found one in particular hilarious yet condemning. It stated, “Now back to the racism we’re used to,” with Denzel Washington smiling underneath the text. While bursting into sharp laughter, I immediately covered my mouth to stop myself. It’s unnerving to think about just how much prejudice Black people and many other marginalized groups, including undocumented immigrants, indigenous people and women, have endured before the Trump administration. Albeit far from utopian, back then, bigotry wasn’t embroidered into red caps and yard signs.As exit poll data from this mind-numbingly close election rolled in, my teenage intuition that doubted white support of a democratic government held true. 57% of white people voted to re-elect President Trump, up from 54% in 2016.Roxane Gay writes of the dangerous yet urbane Trump supporter — someone whom you may never guess as such. They are “the ones who want to be invited to all the good parties. They lie to pollsters. They lie to family and friends. And when they fill out their ballots, they finally tell the truth.” I know these people. Some of them have even called themselves my friend. This is why I was wary of that chocolate bar back in high school.As a Black person, watching the presidential race unfold felt exhausting, because we know both concealed and flagrant support for President Trump is the present American reality. We were on edge because we could not determine its extent. As Jelani Cobb put it in his New Yorker piece: “To be Black in the first week of November 2020, is to yet again have the feeling of being called off the bench and being told that the whole game is riding on you.”Imagine feeling like you're about to be called at any moment to strategize, sprint and try to score for the entire country without having the win in the bag.In 2016, when Trump was first elected, I woke up to look at my phone in utter disbelief. My entire college campus, an incredibly democratic, liberal-arts and school felt literally overcast. Everywhere I looked there were tears and solemnity. I didn’t understand it fully. I wondered what my mostly white, economically enfranchised classmates were so worried about. I remember going to the library to get some assigned reading done, but couldn’t focus through my tears staining the borrowed pages.That day, I posted my now favorite poem, on my Instagram, my first time discovering Nayyirah Waheed’s words:If we wanted to. people of colorcouldburn the world downfor whatwe have experienced. are experiencing. butwe don’t.- how stunningly beautiful that our sacred respect for the earth. for life. is deeper than our rage.After I posted, my old classmate, a Black man, unquestionably feeling sorrow himself responded, “I love you Kali,” in a comment. I loved him back and didn’t have to say it for him to know. Throughout the remainder of Trump’s tenure, people of color, Black people in particular, have had to move through the world with a character that has illustrated an ever-important fortitude.For the past four years we’ve wanted to burn down this place where leadership has made us feel unwelcome and wronged — and some of us have justifiably tried.Instead we fought, we showed up, we campaigned, we...

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.____Let’s keep it 100. A lot of organizations are looking sketchy as they discuss their interest and plans for combating racism and anti-Blackness in their spaces. But why are these organizational statements and efforts so ineffective and unbelievable?Partly because many organizations aren’t being honest with themselves and others.As someone who researches organizational behavior, I am moved to pay more attention to the consequential things that often aren’t said rather than simply what is. Here are four things most organizations should be saying, but probably never...

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.____The atrocities of 1619 are still affecting us as Black women today. Despite being beaten, raped and treated inhumanely, our ancestors paved the way for us. But as Black women, we are still experiencing the residual effects from 401 years ago. These discriminations prevented us from focusing on our mental, emotional and physical health. Therefore, it is time for us, my sisters, to acknowledge these oppressive forces, and at the same time focus on our health.In what follows, I will share with you how we can redefine strength through the oppressive forces we face.I am a Black Caribbean woman in a graduate program at a Predominantly White Institution(PWI) who also attended a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). I embodied the "strong Black woman" (SBW) and "superwoman" (SW) stereotypes, and did not prioritize my holistic wellbeing. However, that changed in October 2019 when I decided to redefine strength and prioritized my...

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.____As COVID deaths approach 300K in the U.S., Black people are dying at twice the rate as white people. The economic impact of COVID is similarly disproportionately hurting the Black community. A new report warns that Black New Yorkers are suffering from food insecurity at more than twice the rate of white New Yorkers. If it isn’t enough that we are getting sicker and dying faster than anyone else because of the pandemic, now, we have to contend with the prospect of our families going hungry at a faster rate than anyone else as well.Over our 400-year history, Black people have always proven to be resilient. Our families, churches, fraternal orders, community centers, even businesses, have a history of feeding the hungry, clothing those without, and providing shelter when needed. Thankfully, Black people and our institutions maintain those simple acts of charity for our own, and anyone else in need.However, the challenges of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic crisis loom larger than the capacity of individuals or nonprofits to keep pace. As the Chief Operating Officer of New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization, meeting the exponential demand of those who are suffering food hardships today cannot be satisfied by families, churches, nonprofits and philanthropy alone.Even before the pandemic, 12% of New Yorkers were reporting food insecurity fears. According to Robin Hood’s newly released Food Hardship Poverty Tracker, that percentage has now increased to 32% of those surveyed. Nearly 250,000 New Yorkers signed up for food stamps since the pandemic began last spring; now, 1.7 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families while the number of New Yorkers who have had to use a food bank or pantry has increased by 250% since February.The sad fact that this storm of events is disproportionately affecting the Black community is neither unprecedented nor surprising. Prior to COVID-19, 22% of Black New Yorkers lived in poverty in 2018, compared to only 13% of their white counterparts. As the pandemic ripped through New York City, more than 50% of the city’s low-wage, Black, and Hispanic workers lost their jobs or part of their income, making it harder for them to provide for themselves or their families.Nearly 70% of Black and Hispanic New Yorkers who lost employment income worried that they would run out of food before the end of the month because they did not have money to buy more, compared to 33% of white New Yorkers who lost employment income.Food insecurity only threatens to become more dire with the expiration of the CARES Act benefits at the end of the year. SNAP benefits as they stand now simply cannot meet the explosive growth in hunger that is pervading the country.Food insecurity cannot be adequately addressed without rapid federal policy changes that not only supplement the local efforts of nonprofits, churches and philanthropy, but provide holistic support for communities in distress.At a minimum, we need Congress to increase maximum SNAP benefits by 15% – giving current SNAP recipients around the country an average of $100 more each month for a family of four. Providing this increase would also stimulate the economy – increasing GDP by around $1.50 for each dollar provided – giving Black communities disproportionately affected by job loss a chance to potentially regain their economic footing.Policy changes to address hunger cannot start and end with those that specifically target food insecurity, as this neglects the varied needs of struggling families. Too many families are choosing between food and housing.Congress should marry a SNAP increase with $100 billion in emergency rental assistance for the 15 million renting households who aren’t confident they can pay next month’s bill. In addition, Congress should continue expanded unemployment insurance benefits at no less than $400 a week, which would help decrease poverty rates among the unemployed.Together, these policy changes will give people the money they need to buy food directly, as well as address other household expenses, taking the burden of choice between food, housing and other critical expenses off struggling families.More than ever, we need the lawmakers we elected to deliver real relief to our communities. As the lame duck Congress returns to Washington and a new administration gears up to govern, let’s transform this moment of suffering into a moment of opportunity. We can, and should, adequately fund relief efforts for struggling families, but we should also reform the outdated systems that are now incapable of meeting the food, housing, and medical needs of people in...

In the wake of Breonna Taylor's killing, a former head of a tactical law enforcement unit has endorsed efforts to end the use of no-knock warrants and has collaborated with a racial justice organization to bring about police reform.Mark Lomax, the former executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association, released a statement with Campaign Zero, a group affiliated with Black Lives Matter, acknowledging the seriousness and priority of “ending the dangerous practice of no-knock warrants and raids” unless absolutely unavoidable, according to HuffPost. A no-knock warrants was used when Louisville police executed the raid on Taylor's home in March.“Our law enforcement and government leaders need to engage and step up and fight against discriminatory and unsafe tactics that not only disproportionately put the lives of Black and brown Americans at risk, but also the lives of our police officers,” Lomax said. “The time is now. It is time to adopt meaningful legislation and policies that will work for all of us, our communities, and our police officers.”According to USA Today, Louisville police were able to get a judge to sign off on the warrant on the basis of Taylor’s previous relationship with a man investigated for selling drugs. Although Taylor had no prior criminal record, her connection to the man was enough for detectives to write in an affidavit that a no-knock warrant was necessary. Police said they believed he was using her to funnel drugs through the apartment. Following the fatal March raid, no drugs were found in Taylor’s apartment, USA Today reported. In January, a local postal inspector determined that Taylor’s estate hadn’t received any packages of interest or illegal drugs, according to WDRB.com. Given the public backlash related to Taylor’s case, Lomax called on law enforcement officials to take a serious look at the practices and policies that have caused harm to people and communities of color for generations. He said even though it is an uphill challenge to reform one of the most dehumanizing policing acts, it is one that must be made to honor Taylor’s memory.Lomax, a retired major with the Pennsylvania State Police, clarified that there are a few exceptions, like situations where lives are at stake. However, the former police official said placing restrictions on no-knock raids would save more lives. “My son is in law enforcement, and I do not want him to get hurt, shot, killed while serving a warrant when it wasn’t necessary,” he said. “I had friends who were shot doing dope deals, and then years later marijuana was legalized in that state.”Campaign Zero, which launched it’s #EndAllNoKnocks initiative on Monday, has been endorsed by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, who said the police raid that resulted in the death of her daughter should have never been permitted. According to the organization’s website, more than 1,000 people are killed by police each year with nearly 60% of these victims not being armed or involved in an act that requires police intervention. “I’m not the only parent who has lost a child due to these practices of breaking down doors with hopes of scoring drugs and cash,” Palmer said in a statement. “These reform efforts need to continue so that no one else loses a loved one as a result of these dangerous, deadly and unnecessary practices.As Blavity previously reported, Louisville’s city council unanimously voted in June to pass “Breonna’s Law” to end no-knock warrants in the city. Mayor Greg Fischer wrote on Twitter that he “wholeheartedly” agreed with the council in its...

Honestie Hodges, a Black girl who was handcuffed by police at the age of 11 and held at gunpoint in front of her home, has died from COVID-19 three years after the incident, The New York Times reported. The teen's grandmother, Alisa Niemeyer, confirmed the loss of her loved one on a GoFundMe page."It is with an extremely heavy heart that I have to tell all of you that my beautiful, sassy, smart loving Granddaughter has gone home to be with Jesus," Niemeyer wrote on Sunday. I cannot stop thinking about Honestie Hodges. Violently restrained, detained, traumatized at age 11 by Grand Rapids PD and dead from COVID-19 by 14, whose mom had to seek financial help to be by her side as she fought to live, in a state being contested by this administration. pic.twitter.com/3WoCGa75A4— Kirsten West Savali (@KWestSavali) November 23, 2020Honestie was taken to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after experiencing stomach pains on Nov. 9, the day of her birthday. After testing positive for COVID-19 at the hospital, the teenager was sent back home. But she had to be taken back to the hospital in an ambulance that same evening as her condition worsened.The Michigan girl, who faced more complications in the following days, received iron and blood transfusions. As her condition continued to deteriorate, Honestie was placed on a ventilator on Nov. 14. Niemeyer said her granddaughter had been healthy and happy until this point with no underlying health issues and she had a bright future ahead of her.“She could have been the vice president one day, or maybe the president,” the heartbroken grandmother said. “The world was open to her.”Three years ago, Honestie was confronted by police as she was leaving her home with her mother and another family member to go to the store. With guns drawn, police ordered the family to put their hands up as they stepped outside of their home.Body camera footage captured one officer who ordered the 11-year-old to walk backward toward him with her hands up. Another officer handcuffed the teenager after pulling her arms behind her back. “No, No, No,” the frightened girl said as she was being handcuffed. Police removed the handcuffs several minutes later. Their explanation was that they were looking for a 40-year-old woman in connection with a stabbing.The disturbing incident caused the city to examine itself.“Listening to the 11-year-old’s response makes my stomach turn; it makes me physically nauseous,” David Rahinsky, who was police chief at the time, said at a press conference. In a written statement following the incident, the retired police chief said none of the officers faced consequences because they didn't violate any departmental policies.Honestie also spoke out and led an effort to combat racism in Grand Rapids.“I have a question for the Grand Rapids police: If this happened to a white child, if her mother was screaming, ‘She’s 11,’ would you have handcuffed her and put her in the back of a police car,” the teen said, according to MLive.The young activist inspired the “Honestie Policy,” which now requires Grand Rapids police to use the least restrictive options when dealing with young people. But other incidents of police pointing guns at children have been reported since the policy passed. According to WOOD-TV, Hodges and her family were in the midst of negotiating with the city to settle a claim over the handcuffing incident. The community came together on Monday to hold a vigil for the teenager, Michigan Radio reported.Although COVID-19 deaths are rare among children, Hispanic and Black children are more likely to be hospitalized due to the disease, the CDC...

The publisher of Brooklyn-based Fireside Magazine has been forced to apologize after releasing a bigoted recitation of a Black expert's essay about legendary rap group OutKast. Fireside has removed the recording from the internet but clips of it have floated around social media all day, sparking outrage and questions as to how the magazine could publish something so blatantly offensive. Dr. Regina Bradley wrote an essay titled "Da Art of Speculatin’," that breaks down "the afrofuturistic stylings of OutKast," which was published in Fireside Magazine's 85th issue. Each issue comes with audio readings of each story or essay.But Bradley took to Twitter on Tuesday outraged at the person they chose to read her story and the awful accent he somehow felt the need to adopt to imitate her. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?! @FiresideFiction @KevinRineerVO This is what you think I’d sound like? What BLACK WOMEN AND SOUTHERN BLACL FOLKS SOUND LIKE?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/wLCm34P2l2— Zora Neale Thirston (@redclayscholar) November 24, 2020 The audio recording features voice actor Kevin Rineer apparently attempting to read Bradley's story by mimicking what he believes a Black woman from the South would sound like.  Some people online thought it was a joke before realizing that Fireside Magazine had legitimately released the recording for people to actually listen to. Bradley wrote a lengthy Twitter thread about how appalled she was by the magazine's treatment of her story. "I've ran the entire gamut of emotions today. And the best I have to offer in terms of commentary is 'all the women in me - ancestral, present, and future - are tired.' Today has been exhausting. To have my truth taken from me and minstrelized is just....Jesus Devonte Christ," she wrote on Twitter. I've ran the entire gamut of emotions today. And the best I have to offer in terms of commentary is "all the women in me - ancestral, present, and future - are tired." Today has been exhausting. To have my truth taken from me and minstrelized is just....Jesus Devonte Christ.— Zora Neale Thirston (@redclayscholar) November 24, 2020 "I even questioned if my writing was not up to part like I thought: could the narrative be that mangled and wrecked that dude found room to so callously interpret my words. My truth. My power. I questioned every damn thing. My voice, my word choice, my accent," she wrote, adding that the situation made her think about the "countless other moments past and present where silence is the preferred and forced language for Black women.""From Phillis Wheatley and Sojourner Truth to Fannie Lou Hamer, my great grandmother, Mary Jones Barkley, Mary Turner and Meg thee Stallion. I'm seething," Bradley wrote.On top of the offensive manner in which the story was read, many online noted the stupidity of hiring a white man to read a story by a Black woman about Black...