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.____Livid. That might be the only word that I can muster up when thinking of a particular workplace situation in my professional experience that left me reeling from an onslaught of disrespect and gaslighting.Let’s take a journey down a path that many of us Black professionals find definitive of some of our most harrowing work experiences. A journey fraught with discourtesy at the hands of our alabaster-skinned colleagues (not all) who project their insecurities onto us in an effort to curb our Black excellence while simultaneously making a feeble attempt to supplement for their white mediocrity.One day I decided to stay after work to finish some assignments I'd been working on. I guess a few of my “colleagues” were unaware that I was still in the building because they proceeded to discuss my character and their perceived quality of my work in the most outlandish of ways. I was offended for obvious reasons and I informed my supervisor of this for the simple reason that they were speaking these lies about me. I needed my supervisor to understand that while I will continue acting cordial and respectful, I needed to signal awareness of this behavior in case Ren and Stimpy did not. My supervisor then proceeded to suggest that I had a “fixed mindset” and that my colleagues weren’t really discussing me but the workload itself. This is called gaslighting, my friends. I left that conversation feeling hopeless and frustrated because it was then that I realized they considered my Blackness expendable.Given this situation, and countless others, I am sadly not surprised by NBC’s treatment of Gabrielle Union as it relates to her employment with America’s Got Talent.We oftentimes bring up the notion that survivors of sexual assault don’t speak up as often because they are usually not believed. What about survivors of workplace discrimination? Oftentimes people of color in the workplace, especially Black people, feel as if our voice doesn’t hold the same weight as our white counterparts, which is why many of us do not speak up. I am in no way trying to minimize either of the two, but we need to advocate more for a culture that listens to incidents of workplace discrimination and actually takes action with proper protocol being followed to ensure racism, sexism and any other form of discrimination doesn’t happen. Period.On November 23, B. Scott was the first to report that the Union had been terminated from her host position due to calling out the sexism and racism that she saw transpiring on set. It is infuriating that the star was scrutinized for bringing up concerns about an alleged racist comment, made by Jay Leno, to Human Resources. It’s even more infuriating that she asked that something be done about Simon Cowell’s constant smoking, which was having a negative impact on her health, and nothing was done.What I'm also confused by is that it was perceived negatively when she acted as a basic human being by asking drag performers what their pronouns were. To top all of this off, her hairstyles were deemed “too Black.” What does that even mean?What is probably the most exasperating out of all of this is that Union spoke up multiple times with little to no action being implemented by NBC. I’m sure NBC had no problem calling upon her to increase social media traffic for the fledgling primetime show, especially since she has more followers than all of the hosts combined. That’s unfortunately how it happens in the workplace for Black people. These workplace environments will squeeze all of our talents and resources out of us in order to benefit them, but when it comes to truly respecting us, listening to us and valuing us, all of a sudden we're being “too difficult” or “inconvenient.”It should also be noted that Black college graduates are more likely than our white counterparts, to be underemployed when it comes to utilizing our skillsets. Not only are we humiliated at work through these discriminatory practices, but our skillsets are underutilized.NBC had a real opportunity to utilize Union's extensive knowledge and experience with inclusion by implementing structures that would create an environment where diversity is fostered — but they fumbled the ball. We’re considered more valuable when we don’t speak up against the injustices that plague our work experiences and settle in the “token Black person” role that they’ve constructed for us. I feel as if they wanted to put her on display in the manner of a beautiful porcelain doll for show, but when she began to speak up against the injustices she saw, it was a problem. Shame on her for being a decent human being.It's no secret that workplace discrimination occurs everywhere, the real mystery is why this is allowed to happen. According to data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, between the fiscal years of 2010 and 2017, most investigations of workplace discrimination were closed whether it was concluded that discrimination occurred or not. Are the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion considered an illusion?Personally, I am tired. I’m tired of being expected to extend this saintly level of grace to my discriminatory colleagues when it isn’t reciprocated. We are always expected to be the “bigger person” and damn near let our olive complexioned colleagues get away with murder. I'm hoping Gabrielle’s situation brings to light how situations like this happen so frequently in workplaces across the world and are swept under the rug.If I’m being completely transparent, I’d have to agree with Tyler Perry when he spoke on the importance of building our own table as opposed to looking for “a seat at the table.” Let’s continue to make strides toward building our own workplaces where we don’t have to be subjected to the racist undertones of our subpar white...

Often times, individuals are caught on film doing unsightly and inconsiderate things.However, this time, a deliveryman's reaction to a kind gesture has made for a video being appreciated all over the globe.In a video posted to Facebook on Monday that has since gone viral, an Amazon Prime delivery man is elated to see snacks left on the porch of one of his delivery destinations. The home belongs to Kathy Ouma of Middleton, Delaware. The delivery man, now identified as Karim Earl Reed III, is heard on video saying “Oh, this is nice!" and "Ah, they got some goodies! Wow! Oh, this is sweet! Oh, wow, get out of here!"He's also seen doing a little jig as he walks away. A note accompanying the treats reads, “Please take some goodies to enjoy on your route. Thank you for making holiday shopping easy.”In a Facebook post, Ouma shared that she likes to spread the holiday cheer by leaving snack baskets for delivery persons each year. The baskets so far have included Oreos, coca-cola soda, water and various other delights. Since being posted, the heartwarming reaction has garnered 9 million views and over 7,000 shares on Facebook. Ouma expressed her jubilation by commenting, "THIS!❤️❤️ Made my day! I leave goodies out every year."With the influx of online shopping and dwindling manners, individuals tend to treat those offering services with disdain and flippancy. It is great to see those who value workers in all industries.Joy is really one of the gifts that keep on...

George Zimmerman announced that he is suing Trayvon Martin's family for $100 million more than six years after he was acquitted in the heinous killing of the Florida teen. In a press release, Zimmerman and right-wing activist Larry Klayman said they were suing Martin's parents, as well as attorney Benjamin Crump, Florida prosecutors Bernie de la Rionda, John Guy and Angela Corey. He is also suing the State of Florida and the publisher of Crump's memoir. Zimmerman claims Martin's father, Tracy Martin, and his mother, Sybrina Fulton, defamed him. He alleges the case against him was based upon false evidence conjured up by Martin's parents. A new documentary titled The Trayvon Hoax from right-wing activist Joel Gilbert claims to have uncovered new evidence in regards to the killing. It alleges that Florida prosecutors forced Martin's friend, Rachel Jeantel, to testify that she was Martin's girlfriend and that she was on the phone with him right before his death. The film and a corresponding novel floats the conspiracy theory that a woman named Brittany Diamond Eugene was actually Martin's girlfriend but refused to say she was on the phone with him prior to his death, so prosecutors found someone else to testify.In the lawsuit, Zimmerman said the prosecution forced Jeantel to lie about being Martin's girlfriend and about being on the phone with him right before his death. Zimmerman allegedly filed the lawsuit in Polk County on Wednesday.The filmmaker originally planned to have a screening of the film at Coral Gables Art Cinema, but the theater recently came out and said it was canceling the event. Coral Gables Art Cinema was not aware of all of the details surrounding this event and has made a decision to cancel it.— Coral Gables Art Cinema (@gablescinema) December 4, 2019On February 26, 2012, a 17-year-old Martin was visiting his dad in Sanford, Florida, when he was coming from a nearby 7-Eleven. Zimmerman called the police on him because he believed him to be suspicious.The 911 operator repeatedly told Zimmerman not to approach Martin. He nonetheless ignored the order and confronted the child, attacked him and fatally shot him.  Zimmerman then claimed he had no choice but to attack the teenager who was notably smaller in stature.  He was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree murder, but a jury acquitted him in 2013 under Florida's broadly applied "Stand Your Ground" law. In a statement, Martin's family lawyer Crump said Zimmerman's latest claims were fairytales and represented another attempt by Zimmerman to profit from Martin's killing.  “I have every confidence that this unfounded and reckless lawsuit will be revealed for what it is — another failed attempt to defend the indefensible and a shameless attempt to profit off the lives and grief of others,” Crump said.“This plaintiff continues to display a callous disregard for everyone but himself, revictimizing individuals whose lives were shattered by his own misguided actions. He would have us believe that he is the innocent victim of a deep conspiracy, despite the complete lack of any credible evidence to support his outlandish claims,” he added. Zimmerman said he was also suing HarperCollins Publishers, the publisher of Crump's recently released memoir, for defamation. Fulton gained national prominence when she campaigned with Hilary Clinton and became an advocate for social justice and gun reform. She recently announced that she is running for the District 1 seat on the Miami-Dade County...

Dozens of disturbing videos have circulated in recent months of bigoted white people showing their ass — literally. Less than a week ago, a white woman called the police on a Latino man and his small child for entering an apartment building. A similar situation happened again on Friday. High school junior Taheera Rashad posted a video of a white woman blocking her from leaving her own apartment building in Maryland’s Montgomery County, all while the unidentified white woman's young grandchild screamed and begged her to stop the attack. Montgomery county, Maryland This RACIST white lady wouldn't let this young black girl exit her own residental building."What are you going to do, rob somebody?"This is so insane and OUTRAGEOUS!THIS IS NOT OK! pic.twitter.com/zSEVMRUkOj— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) December 1, 2019 Rashad said she was trying to get to class when the white woman refused to let her leave the building. In the video, we don't get to see exactly how the altercation began, but the white woman is seen on video stopping Rashad from exiting the front doors.“White people are crazy as f**k,” Rashad is heard saying at the beginning of the video as she speaks into the camera. “Do you see her?”In the footage, the older woman can be seen with her back pressed against Rashad in an attempt to prevent her from exiting her residence."I'm not letting you out of this building," the woman said."Who are you talking to on that phone? Is it a resident of this building" the woman shouted after she saw Rashad filming the assault.The white woman repeatedly asked whether Rashad was a resident of the building before she finally lets go of the teenager and says, "You're going to go in and rob somebody."While Rashad iterates multiple times the likelihood that she’ll “beat this woman’s ass,” miraculously, she does not. Kudos to her. Granny eventually got going before any ass-beating needed to take place.Rashad did not respond to multiple outlets' requests for comment, but she wrote on Instagram that the white woman didn't think she lived there because most of the building's residents are white. Account of the victim. This racist lady told her that she didn't live in the apartment building because most of the people who live there are white! SHE NEEDS TO BE EVICTED AND ARRESTED! pic.twitter.com/vLYTABaT6p— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) December 1, 2019 The video went viral because of how egregious it was and because the woman did it in front of her grandchild, who repeatedly screamed "Nana, please," during the altercation.  Many Instagram and Twitter users recounted their own experiences dealing with similar situations, and another woman who lived in the building said she was surprised by the situation. Omg y’all this is my building and the white woman lives directly next to me! I’m dying 😩😂😂 this is so funny cuz she’s so nice to me lls. Imma ask her wtf she was thinking next time I see her. https://t.co/WUkdqiktKq— Kakey👅💦 (@Queen_Funsize) December 1, 2019Yes please do. #FrontdoorFanny needs to gathered all the way together...— Gertha Kitt (@amorlow2427) December 2, 2019The woman has not been identified yet, but both Rashad and the woman's neighbor said they would be reporting the incident to the leasing office. "I’m gonna post this for today but to show you all that white people think they’re superior than everyone else and it’s not fair," Rashad wrote on Instagram."My mom has worked hard just like 90% of the white people who live here. Get a life," she added in the...

Lil Uzi Vert has created the next viral dance that he's predicted will take over the start of the new decade. On Monday, the rapper teased a snippet of his new single, "Futsal," along with a dance he seems to have created, called the Futsal Shuffle. According to Uzi’s tweet, the dance consists of a left leg step out, a right leg step out, a cancel out and repeat. There's also a lot of hand movement, but we're not even going to try to break those down. The Single that I’m going with From Eternal Atake is a Dance Record called FUTSAL ⚽️🔥.— Uzi London 🌎☄️💕® (@LILUZIVERT) December 1, 2019THE DANCE IS CALLED THE FUTSAL SHUFFLE 🕺🏾.— Uzi London 🌎☄️💕® (@LILUZIVERT) December 1, 2019 Step out Left Step out Right Cancel Out REPEAT 🕺🏾🔥 Super easy !!!! Don’t Forget ALOT OF HAND 🖐🏾 MOVEMENT #FutsalShuffle 🛸 pic.twitter.com/TIRW3Ir8q0— Uzi London 🌎☄️💕® (@LILUZIVERT) December 1, 2019The "Sanguine Paradise" rapper claims the dance is going to "take over 2020."THE FUTSAL SHUFFLE WILL TAKE OVER 2020 ®️— Uzi London 🌎☄️💕® (@LILUZIVERT) December 1, 2019Since he dropped the first look of the song and dance, fans have been posting videos of their own, practicing the quick footwork. We Do The #FutsalShuffle 🛸 Now 🙃💜 @LILUZIVERT pic.twitter.com/8WSftjRjwC— 10k (@10k_cash) December 1, 2019Come on uzi They not from Philly they don’t know how to do that shit for 😂😂😂🔥🔥🔥 #FutsalShuffle 2020 pic.twitter.com/lAwhgRCvUQ— zayskola WB🏁 (@ZayyTovenn) December 1, 2019@LILUZIVERT best futsal shuffle by far 💁🏻‍♂️🕺🏻 pic.twitter.com/jDngzeK8aD— Shane Drake (@shanedr47869338) December 2, 2019The song is the first single off his upcoming album Eternal Atake, which he’s been teasing for over a year, according to Genius.Yes it’s true @tylerthecreator Told me my beats wasn’t hard enough I love that nigga honesty 🔥🔥 thanks big bro ++®️— Uzi London 🌎☄️💕® (@LILUZIVERT) November 30, 2019Last week, Uzi credited Tyler The Creator for helping him finish the album, thanking the “Earfquake” rapper for saying his beats weren’t hard enough.The Futsal Shuffle joins a long list of dances to make its rounds on the internet. The "floss" became famous after the characters in the video game Fortnite began doing it. Rapper BlocBoy JB also popularized the "shoot," while KRYPTO9095's hit song "woah" started having people everywhere hitting the lock-style move.Back in 2018, Shiggy created the "In My Feelings" challenge to go along with Drake's hit. The dance had even the likes of Will Smith breaking down — and essentially winning — the challenge as Blavity previously reported. Now, we'll have to wait and see who joins in on the Futsal...

In the latest sit down with Blavity Politics, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro discussed a wide array of issues such as immigration, reparations, as well as police reform. On top of serving in the Obama administration, he also severed as San Antonio's mayor from 2009-2014.REPARATIONS One of the larger points Castro has made on the campaign trail has been reparations for the descendants of enslaved people."If the government takes your property that’s considered a taking and they owe compensation," Castro said. "So why wouldn’t we compensate people who were actively sanctioned as property by the state or in this case their descendants? I believe that we should."Despite not having a direct proposal on his campaign website, Castro has brought up the topic consistently arguing that payments should be made.POLICE BRUTALITY Another topic the 2020 candidate was not hesitant to bring up was policing reform — a topic he discusses on his website. Castro has called for the establishment of national standards for the conduct of police officers and for any department that refuses to enact the standards to have federal funding withheld. "You have a lot of police officers that I believe are good individuals, they’re trying to do a good job, but I also think the system itself is out of order," Castro said. "The system itself is messed up."IMMIGRATION Being a presidential candidate, attempting to replace Donald Trump, immigration policies are drawn into even more scrutiny.  Castro's immigration plan includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people currently in the country and lifts Trump-era restrictions on the number of refugees allowed. "My immigration plan has tried to look beyond these usual sort of boundaries that we have in our mind about immigration, and tries to address the situation that people find themselves in," Castro said. "[Situations where] people with brown skin, people with black skin, people with white skin that are caught up in this broken immigration system." Currently, Castro is polling at 1.4 percent in the Real Clear Politics average and is fighting to keep up support in order to qualify for future debates.Watch the full video below to see what else Castro had to share with the Blavity News team on the latest episode of The Sit...

Republican Congressional Candidate George Buck is receiving heavy backlash after suggesting in a fundraising email that Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somali-born Democrat representing Minnesota, secretly works for the country of Qatar and should be gravely punished for it.According to the Tampa Bay Times, the email listed numerous “traitors” but never specified exactly who was meant by the label. The email also mentioned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and freshmen U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, along with Buck's opponent Rep. Charlie Crist. “We should hang these traitors where they stand,” the email said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.Following the statement, Buck began to get heavy pushback from his potential Republican colleagues."There's no place for inciting violence in politics," said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise in a statement. "Instead of doubling down on these disgraceful comments, the candidate ought to apologize unequivocally and denounce these unacceptable statements."Even those who were among the potentially targeted Democrats began to call out the overstepping remarks. “The fact that those who make these violent threats very publicly without hesitation reaffirms just how much white supremacy has spread within the @NRCC,” tweeted Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat and ally of Omar who has also been targeted by Trump. “They are raising money on a call to hang a Black Muslim member of Congress and too many are silent.”The fact that those who make these violent threats very publicly without hesitation reaffirms just how much white supremacy has spread within the @NRCC. They are raising money on a call to hang a Black Muslim member of Congress and too many are silent. @IlhanMN https://t.co/VR92QvWh2z— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) December 4, 2019While it is still unclear if the remarks will hurt Buck's campaign, the candidate has been removed as one of the Republican party’s “Young Guns." The National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program is a recruitment program that trains and supports candidates in competitive House races. Following the backlash, Buck has attempted to distance himself from the email with the defense that, despite it holding his signature, he did not write the words that have him placed in the...

During a speech Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said that communities that do not show proper deference and respect to law enforcement should go without police protection in the future. The remarks were made while announcing the recipients of the third annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. The award recognizes the exceptional work of 19 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country. "But I think today, American people have to focus on something else, which is the sacrifice and the service that is given by our law enforcement officers,” Barr said. “And they have to start showing, more than they do, the respect and support that law enforcement deserves ― and if communities don’t give that support and respect, they might find themselves without the police protection they need.”While the attorney general's comments do not specify what "communities" he is referring to, a spokesperson for American Bridge said he was referring to communities of color that have historically had an adversarial relationship with law enforcement due to repeated incidents of police brutality, long-standing mass incarceration and the permissive practice of racial profiling."The Attorney General isn’t being subtle and that shouldn’t surprise us considering this administration’s record,” American Bridge Spokesperson Jeb Fain said in a statement reported by HuffPost. “When it comes to communities of color, he sees justice and equal protection under the law as subject to conditions. Barr’s words are as revealing as they are disturbing ― flagrantly dismissive of the rights of Americans of color, disrespectful to countless law enforcement officers who work hard to serve their communities, and full of a continuing disregard for the rule of law.”These are not Barr's first controversial comments regarding policing. In August, the attorney general said to the Fraternal Order of Police―the country’s largest police organization―that there should be “zero tolerance for resisting...

A 30-year-old father from Haines City, Florida, has been charged with three counts of negligent child abuse without bodily harm after allegedly leaving his young son on the side of a highway because he is gay.Evenaud Julmeus turned himself into police on Monday after a bystander saw him leave the young boy in a turn lane on U.S. Highway 27 near the Haines City Police Department.According to an affidavit, the boy later told police that Julmeus abandoned him there because he caught him watching male pornography on his phone. The police didn't share the boy's name or age but told Fox News that he's a preteen."When asked what was wrong, the victim stated that Evenaud Julmeus left him on the side of the road because he thinks that he is gay. I asked the victim why the defendant thinks that he is gay, at first, the victim stated that he just does. He advised they got into a verbal argument over the issue," the police officer said in his report. "Upon talking further with the victim, he stated he has a cellphone and he was watching male pornography with no females on the phone. When the defendant looked at the phone and found the videos, he became very upset," the officer added.Julmeus forced the young boy to immediately pack a bag and said he was taking him to the police station. He allegedly told the boy, "the police will find you a new home."The father allegedly left the young boy on the side of the road without a cellphone, food, water or money before making a u-turn and returning home. When Julmeus arrived back home without the boy, the mother of the child repeatedly asked where he was.He admitted to leaving the young boy outside of the police station before the mother ran out of the house to find him.The 30-year-old was later charged with additional negligent child abuse counts because he fled the house before the mother returned, leaving two children at home by themselves. He was released on a $3,000 bond Tuesday...

About 250 to 600 bodies were shackled together, often head to toe, in the cargo hold of a ship. Of the estimated 12.5 million Africans who were forcibly ripped from their families and sold like cattle around the world, about 10.6 survived the middle passage. Thousands of souls died along the way from sickness, cruelty or via a lesser-discussed demise, due to shipwrecks. Faulty record-keeping has prevented archaeologists from knowing the exact number of slave ships that faced wreckage along the way, but 400 years after the beginning of slavery in the United States, this group of Black maritime archaeologists and divers are searching ships and stories often left out of history.Diving with a Purpose was co-founded by Kenneth Stewart, a regional representative of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS), and Biscayne National Park archaeologist Brenda Lanzendorf. When Stewart was featured in a documentary about the search for the Guerrero, a lost slave ship that is said to have crashed near the Florida Keys, Stewart was asked if he could connect the documentarians with Black divers who would be interested in being interviewed about the subject. Lazendorf eventually told Stewart she was the long diver at the park and needed help documenting ships. After considering this, Stewart went home and sent his NABS family that opened with, “Tired of the same old dives? Let’s dive with a purpose!”Although Lazendorf has since passed away, Diving with a Purpose’s mission continues to thrive; the program now boasts 500 divers, 18 shipwrecks documented and 18,000 volunteer hours clocked. Divers registered with Diving with a Purpose undergo a weeklong training before their discoveries can begin. During training, they learn trilateration mapping, which is a method for underwater cartography. Once a diver comes upon an artifact underwater, they create an equilateral triangle by finding three artifact reference points and measuring the distance between them.“The first day of training is all classroom,” Stewart told Blavity. “A mock wreck is placed outside, and they practice what they have learned from [Diving with a Purpose’s] manual […] The other piece is in situ [which means "in position"] drawing. The advocate draws artifacts they measured using regular pencils and waterproof paper.” Photo courtesy of Kenneth StewartDr. Ayana Flewellen, a terrestrial archaeologist who has a Ph.D. in anthropology with a focus in African diaspora archaeology, learned about Diving with a Purpose when a board member approached her group, the Society for Black Archaeologists, at a conference. Jay Haigler, who representing Diving with a Purpose, was searching for Black archaeologists to train in the art of maritime archaeology, and Dr. Flewellen has been working with Diving with a Purpose ever since. “There is something expansive about this work,” Dr. Flewellen said when considering her reason for becoming a diver. “To be a person of African descendants working on the materiality of the Transatlantic Slave Trade – be it on land or at sea – is a healing process. It allows me to connect with my ancestors and bring their lives to the surface to be reckoned with, praised and honored.”One instance of healing stands out amongst the rest. After finding the wreck site of a slave ship, whose boards once carried ancestors of Mozambique, Diving with a Purpose shared their findings with the ship’s descendants, the Makua tribe. One elder from the tribe handed the team a carefully crafted basket filled with soil from the place where many enslaved Africans last stepped on their continent before being taken from their homes. The elder wanted one thing­: For Diving with a Purpose to pour the soil as close to the site of the slave shipwreck as they could, thereby acknowledging those who were lost and finally allowing their souls to rest with a piece of home. These invaluable moments helped shape the young divers, who through their work are better understanding the full weight of what Black people around the globe have endured.Diving with a Purpose trains both adults and young adults ranging from 16 to 23 years of age, who hail from all around the world, including Costa Rica, Mozambique, Peru and more. Stewart shared that it was crucial to include young people who could grow, take up where older divers left off, and continue the discovery of a neglected history.While training his younger divers, Stewart considers how many schools have failed to teach essential parts of history, like details of slavery. “There is a saying, ‘Those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it,’” Stewart said. “I tell [young people] that they have a voice and if they use it, history can never repeat itself.”For 29-year-old Dr. Flewellen, the power of youth learning to map wrecked slave ships “puts the documentation, preservation and ultimate dissemination of this history into the hands of youth, who can then choose to move with as they may with this knowledge.”“The hope is that this work brings about cultural stewardship among youth,” Dr. Flewellen shared.For the young and old alike, there is much to be learned from the diving, archiving, mapping and discovery of these once-forgotten ships, whose boards once housed the ancestors and stories of families across the Diaspora that aren’t weighed in history books.“[Your learn] the effect of the Transatlantic Slave Trade,” Dr. Flewellen said. “When you study these ships, and when you get to hold remnants of people’s everyday lives, you gain a deeper sense of the effect of enslavement and the value of freedom. These ships demonstrate just one aspect of the aquatic lives of enslaved Africans from that era.”Slave shipwrecks — underwater cemeteries — are home to thousands of stories that remain untold, but, with the work of Diving with a Purpose, pieces have begun to come together.Diving with a Purpose runs on grants, fundraisers and money acquired from training classes. To donate and help the group continue discovering pieces of Black history, click...

So many of history’s most impactful peace movements have been organized and led by Black people across the world. Legendary leaders like Nelson Mandela, Fannie Lou Hamer and Sojourner Truth were able to change history and affect the lives of millions through peaceful protest and mass collective action. These five Black-led movements changed the lives of millions and inspired a new generation of activists eager to uphold their legacy.1. Women of Liberia Mass Action for PeaceAfter living through more than 14 years of civil war, the women of Liberia took matters into their own hands in 2003 when they spearheaded a peaceful protest movement led by Leymah Gbowee, Comfort Freeman and Crystal Roh Gawding. The three led thousands of Muslim and Christian women fed up with the rampant abuse of women and nonstop war.They wore white as a symbol for peace and protested relentlessly outside of the mansion of President Charles Taylor. Their endless badgering helped force him to the negotiating table with his rivals at the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy and Movement for Democracy in Liberia. When talks between the three competing sides broke down, the women staged a mass sit-in, with women from all economic classes and ethnic groups right outside of the presidential palace.The women’s movement became so politically powerful that they’re part of why the civil war ended. They didn’t stop there either. Their movement is part of what propelled Ellen Johnson Sirleaf into the presidency in 2006. With her win, Sirleaf became the first female head of state in Africa and used her perch to promote and enforce the rights of women across Africa. 2. U.S. Civil Rights MovementWhen people talk about the civil rights movement, they immediately picture Martin Luther King Jr. and the thousands of peaceful protesters who descended on Washington, DC, in 1963. However, the civil rights movement in the U.S. dates back to the end of the Civil War, when Black communities were finally emerging from slavery and attempting to secure their rights as Americans. The economic and social strides made during Reconstruction at the end of the 19th century helped lay the groundwork for a generation of Black activists who would lead the labor movement in the early 1900s. Powerful activists like Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and Marcus Garvey commanded huge followings and led successful peace movements that slowly but surely improved the country. Protests and collective action was spearheaded by labor organizations and teachers across the nation.With the end of Reconstruction and the creation of “separate but equal” laws that plunged Black citizens back into racial terror, activists redoubled their efforts. The protests got larger and more sophisticated, all while movements used the power of rare court victories to support their message. Black groups protested segregation in innovative new ways to bring attention to the unfairness of rules enforced by certain states. These peaceful movements, which organically evolved over almost 100 years, changed the U.S. forever, and so many of the laws Americans now cherish are a direct result of the actions of Black protesters. 3. Caribbean Decolonization MovementsCaribbean countries were still struggling with colonialism deep into the 20th century, unable to loosen Europe’s grip on their land and money. However, World War II set off a cascade of peaceful decolonialism movements that took shape on many Caribbean islands between 1940 and 1960.Even before that, dating back to World War I, states across the Caribbean began to question colonialism and reframe their understanding of the region’s place in the world order. So much of colonialism was based on the idea of Europe needing to “civilize” the Caribbean, but this began to erode as more colonies looked to the example of Haiti.The irony is that many of these wildly successful, peaceful decolonization movements gained some of their inspiration from the decidedly not-peaceful actions of Haiti nearly 100 years earlier. After taking their independence by force from France in 1804, Haitians prodded other colonies to think of themselves as equals to Europeans and look to their revolution as proof that white supremacy was a myth — which largely worked.Activists, artists and academics in Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad began local, peaceful protest movements that prioritized indigenous pride and championed labor reforms. Many of these peaceful movements in places like Jamaica and Trinidad led to a new crop of leaders, who managed to secure independence and replace a rapidly decaying generation of autocrats supported by colonial powers.4. The Anti-Apartheid MovementNelson Mandela became one of the world’s most famous activists and civil rights leaders due to his efforts in ending the Apartheid government in South Africa.After being elected president of the African National Congress Youth League in 1951, Mandela led dozens of peaceful protests against the discriminatory government. Students and adults joined the protests hoping to bring down the all-white government which had been in power for decades. They held boycotts and sit-ins across the country, calling for equal rights and democracy. Mandela managed to continue his movement even from prison. His detention, and graciousness toward those detaining him, turned him into a worldwide figure and galvanized other governments to step in.The anti-apartheid movement became a global phenomenon and is a clear example of the effect collective action can have. Consumers across the world boycotted or threatened to boycott companies that did business in South Africa while continuing to protest and call for Mandela’s release. Everything eventually came to a head in 1994, after Mandela was finally released and the country was allowed to have its first truly democratic election. With his peaceful resistance movement behind him, Mandela easily won the presidency, becoming the country’s first democratically elected president.5. Black Lives MatterAlicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi kicked off the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2013, after spreading #BlackLivesMatter across social media in response to George Zimmerman's acquittal for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. What started as just a hashtag became so much more; the phrase took on a life of its own, morphing into a worldwide political movement aimed at addressing systemic oppression and ending police brutality. After the tragic deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown in 2014, Black Lives Matter organizers led peaceful protests through cities across the country that brought media attention to the plight of Black people unjustly shot and killed by police.Garza, Cullors and Tometi specifically wanted the movement to be decentralized, shifting focus away from a handful of senior leaders to more localized efforts. One of the first to take viral success into the real world, BLM gained notoriety for its modern take on the peaceful protest tactics popularized during the civil rights era of the 1960s. The group has since organized thousands of protests, and now has 30 chapters in five countries. It continues to be a major peaceful organizing force, now spotlighting important issues on an international...

It appears people in America aren't the only ones talking about President Donald Trump behind his back. World leaders in London during the NATO Summit were caught red-handed talking about America's leader on Tuesday, according to CNN.Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was joined by U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Princess Anne for a conversation that seemed to be centered around Trump at a reception at the Buckingham Palace.Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) shared the video of the conversation on Twitter which has since made its rounds on social media..@JustinTrudeau, @EmmanuelMacron, @BorisJohnson and other VIPs shared a few words at a Buckingham Palace reception Tuesday. No one mentions @realDonaldTrump by name, but they seem to be discussing his lengthy impromptu press conferences from earlier in the day. (Video: Host Pool) pic.twitter.com/dVgj48rpOP— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) December 3, 2019In the brief 25-second clip, Johnson can be heard asking Macron why he was late."Is that why you were late?" Johnson asked."He was late because he takes a ... 40-minute press conference at the top," Trudeau interrupted.Prior to the reception, the president had called an impromptu conference and although his name wasn't explicitly mentioned, assumptions were made that the conversation was about him, Fox News reported.Trudeau later admitted during a press conference on Wednesday that he was indeed talking about the president."Last night I made reference to the fact that there was an unscheduled press conference before my meeting with President Trump. I was happy to be part of it but it was certainly notable," he said.At the end of the clip, Trudeau can also be heard saying, "You just watched his team's jaws drop to the floor."Trudeau said the comment was referring to the president's announcement about hosting the G7 summit at Camp David. "Every different leader has teams who now and then [had] jaws drop at unscheduled surprises, like that video for itself, for example," he said.Despite his comments, the Canadian leader said he wasn't concerned about it interfering with the country's relationship with the U.S.Trump, however, may have thought otherwise. During a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he referred to Trudeau as "two-faced." Trump implied that the prime minister had some ill feelings toward him criticizing Canada for not meeting NATO's 2% defense spending budget, according to CNN."The truth is I called him out on the fact that he's not paying 2% and I guess he's not very happy about it," Trump said, adding that Canada "has money.""I can imagine he's not that happy, but that's the way it is," Trump said.Johnson said it was "nonsense" to believe the conversation was about Trump. "I don't know where that's come from," he said during a press...