Eric Johnson, Tim Scott, republican, Republican Party
by Daniel Johnson

October 3, 2023

Tim Scott Visits Eric Johnson In A Show Of Support After His Party Swap In September

Tim Scott came to Dallas to visit the newest member of the Republican Party, Eric Johnson, on Oct. 3. As reported, Johnson flipped his party allegiance from Democratic to Republican in an open letter, calling for more Republican mayors nationwide. According to The Dallas Express, Scott is enthusiastic about what the mayor of Dallas represents for the Republican Party.

“The Republican Party is the Grand Opportunity Party,” Scott said.

“Common sense values — lower taxes, safer communities, and empowered parents and families are what we are about. These are American values, and we are happy to have Mayor Johnson.”

Johnson, for his part, reciprocated the support in a statement he posted on his X account:

“I’m looking forward to meeting Sen. Tim Scott during his visit to Dallas and showcasing our city’s successful efforts to lower violent crime. As I’ve previously stated, I don’t endorse candidates in partisan elections as mayor, but I certainly endorse Senator Scott’s interest in the Dallas Miracle.”

 

 

Since Johnson switched parties, a movement to have him recalled is slowly building. The Dallas Democratic Party called for the mayor to resign, launching a petition to achieve that goal. Thirty-three-year-old Kardal Coleman, who is at once the youngest party chair in Dallas and the first Black chairman of the Dallas County Democrats, told the Dallas Morning News what drove him to seek Johnson’s resignation.

“Dallas voters are frustrated; they feel deceived and feel they have been defrauded,” Coleman said. “We’re creating a space for Dallas voters to be heard.”

Dallas’s city offices, like the position of mayor, are nonpartisan by design, so candidates run without having to declare their party affiliation. According to the National League of Cities, those who support nonpartisan elections believe that it fosters communication between members of different parties and that ultimately political affiliation is irrelevant to whether or not an elected official can serve a populace. Dallas is the only major city in Texas with nonpartisan elections; Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all practice partisan elections for its municipal elections. 

In their petition, the Dallas County Democrats wrote, “He knowingly portrayed himself as a lifelong Democratic voter and representative throughout his re-election campaign for mayor. Now, less than four months after being re-elected to his final term in office, he has declared that he will govern the city as a Republican. This switch is the launch of a selfish and cynical strategy to get his next job at the expense of his current job, the one Dallas voters elected him to do. He is putting politics and his resume ahead of the people.”

Jerry Hawkins, director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, told Texas Public Radio that Johnson’s jump to the right should be a wake-up call to Dallas voters to be more engaged about who they vote for.

“He has been spewing right-wing catchphrases and conservative policies since 2020, and I have been ringing the alarm,” Hawkins said.

“He has betrayed every Democratic voter that cast a vote for him, including me. … I hope this is a wake-up to City of Dallas voters to be more vigilant and to be more engaged.”

RELATED CONTENT: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson Leaves Democratic Party, Jumps To The GOP

child, abuse, verbal, physical, sexual, parents, health
by Stacy Jackson

October 3, 2023

New Study Warns Parents That Verbal Abuse May Be As Detrimental To Children As Physical, Sexual Abuse 

A new study may have parents thinking twice before they sound off at their kids. 

The study, published in Child Abuse & Neglect, informed people of the implications of verbally threatening children. Researchers found verbal threats may be as detrimental as sexual or physical abuse to a developing child.

Words Matter, a British charity that seeks to improve children’s health by ending verbal abuse, commissioned the research. Researchers at Wingate University in North Carolina and University College London conducted the study. The literature review analyzed 166 articles to support the claims regarding the effects of verbal abuse on a child’s development. 

According to the study, there are four categories of child maltreatment: physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect. Verbal abuse, which includes shouting, yelling, and verbal threats, falls within the scope of emotional abuse. In the study, child abuse was placed in its own category. Of all the other forms of emotional abuse, such as silent treatment, indifference, and observing domestic violence, verbal abuse was classified as a more “overt” form that “warrants special attention.”

“Childhood verbal abuse desperately needs to be acknowledged as an abuse subtype because of the lifelong negative consequences,” said Professor Shanta Dube, the study’s lead author and director of the Master of Public Health Program at Wingate University, CNN reported.

The study assessed the various effects of shouting by authority figures on children. Researchers examined shouting from parents, teachers, and coaches, concluding that these effects on children may display as depression, anger, committing crimes, substance use, or committing abuse. It may also result in detrimental health outcomes such as developing obesity or lung disease.

The founder of Words Matter, Jessica Bondy, emphasized the need to understand “the true scale and impact of childhood verbal abuse.”

“All adults get overloaded sometimes and say things unintentionally,” Bondy said. “We have to work collectively to devise ways to recognize these actions and end childhood verbal abuse by adults so children can flourish.”

According to the new research, there appears to be a shift in childhood abuse. The research cites sources such as the World Health Organization 2014 and four more studies to show that childhood emotional abuse has increased, while there’s been a decrease in physical and sexual abuse. In 2019, Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin who also researches parent discipline, discussed the importance of avoiding critiques when yelling. She also encouraged parents to consider who they are yelling at. Toddlers may sense frustration and not the meaning of the yell, while an older child will have a different interpretation and response.  

The Words Matter site provides resources to motivate parents to consider the words they use before expressing them to their child and on how to mend the relationship with their child if a hurtful comment has been made. The website also seeks to help parents stop using insults and name-calling.

Issa Rae
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 3, 2023

Issa Rae Takes Miami, Named Creative Director For 2024 American Black Film Festival

Issa Rae‘s success in film and television has garnered her the role of creative director for the 2024 American Black Film Festival (ABFF).

The announcement was made Oct. 2, ahead of the annual film festival taking place June 12-16, 2024, in Miami Beach. Rae will work closely with ABFF founders Jeff and Nicole Friday to program the lineup for the festival’s 28th edition, Variety reports.

The “Insecure” creator is “honored” to team up with the Fridays as a partner years after using the festival to introduce her own early work.

“As one of the first major festivals to showcase my work, ABFF continues to elevate Black creatives from the ground up, and I’m excited to join its co-founders and producers, Nicole and Jeff Friday, in that mission,” Rae said.

The feeling is mutual for the Fridays, who have watched Rae’s rise in media over the years and applaud her continued advocacy for Black creatives in the field.

“Throughout the course of her career, Issa Rae has made an indelible impact within the entertainment ecosystem ranging from her wide array of roles — in front of and behind the camera — to her fierce advocacy for equitable representation and opportunities for Black creatives,” Nicole and Jeff Friday said in a statement.

“We couldn’t think of a better partner to help us continue to embody the ABFF mission of showcasing Black talent — and discovering and amplifying new voices.”

Rae’s return to ABFF comes two years after she served as the festival’s ambassador in 2022 and previewed her Max series “Rap Sh!t,” which returns to HBO in November following a delay due to the writers’ and actors’ strike.

“There’s no other festival highlighting us in this way, highlighting our film, highlighting our television shows, and it’s in an elegant way,” Rae said of ABFF in 2022. “That’s what I admire so much about this particular festival — it’s so intentional.”

RELATED CONTENT: Issa Rae Chosen To Represent Women In STEM At Black Tech Week

Outrage Over The Violent Arrest Of Le’Keian Woods Spreads After Video Is Released
by Daniel Johnson

October 3, 2023

Outrage Over The Violent Arrest Of Le’Keian Woods Spreads After Video Is Released

Following the release of a video depicting at least three Jacksonville, Florida police officers holding 24-year-old Le’Keian Woods down near a car, the man’s family is calling for the officers to be held accountable.

In the footage, Woods has a bloody face, swollen eyes, and a cut on his lip. As the video made the rounds on social media, outrage spread as the view count rose, and the Woods family retained civil rights attorney Harry Daniels to represent them.

Daniels released a statement condemning the actions of the officers, saying, “If this video of the officers repeatedly assaulting Le’Keian, slamming his head in the ground and tossing him around like a ragdoll while he’s handcuffed and defenseless isn’t enough to convince you that these officers need to be off the street, just look at Le’Keian’s face. He looks like he just went 12 rounds with a professional boxer.”

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said in a press conference that the force used by his officers was appropriate even though it looked alarming. “There was force used by arresting officers, and yes, that force is ugly. But the reality is that all force, all violence is ugly,” Waters said.

“But just because force is ugly does not mean it is unlawful or contrary to [agency] policy.” Waters then said that the officers remain on the street, “where they belong.”

In response to Waters’ assertion, Daniels told ABC News: “It’s unfortunate that the sheriff believes the beating of an unarmed man is justified,” adding, “It is obvious that he is complicit and an enabler of clear misconduct by his officers. It is not surprising that [the sheriff’s office] didn’t find any misconduct, because they investigate themselves.”

The incident once again draws attention to the fact that Black people’s negative experiences with law enforcement begin with a traffic stop. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences set forth that, over 577 routine traffic stops, the first few minutes of a stop dictates how the encounter will go. Essentially, if an officer opens up the encounter by issuing orders instead of explaining the reason for the stop, then the officer is going to escalate or make the encounter worse for the person who has been stopped.

The group that conducted the study also analyzed the first 27 seconds of George Floyd‘s encounter with the police in Minneapolis and found that even though Floyd was compliant, he only received commands and not answers to his questions. Jennifer Eberhardt, a social psychologist at Stanford University, told NPR, “We analyzed the first 27 seconds of Floyd’s encounter with police on that day. And we found that Floyd apologizes to the officers who stand outside his car window, Floyd requests the reason for the stop, he pleads, he explains, he follows orders, he expresses fear. Yet every response to Floyd is an order.”

In the one-month study, the town that the group studied found that officers pulled over Black drivers 577 times but only pulled white drivers over 262 times, underscoring the racial disparities in how Black people are policed.

Micheal Jordan, Brightness In Black,storyCorp, Jordan Bran
by Iman Milner

October 3, 2023

Michael Jordan In ‘Rare Air’ As He Notches A Spot On The Forbes 400 List With $3B Net Worth

Considered by sports enthusiasts to be the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan now finds himself in rare air on the Forbes 400 list of the country’s wealthiest people, with a reported net worth of $3 billion.

Following the billion-dollar sale of his majority stake in his NBA franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, and further building on his untouchable Jordan Brand empire, the 6-foot-6 former shooting guard from North Carolina is now the first athlete to be named one of America’s wealthiest, as reported by Forbes.

“Michael’s one of the few people that have had success three times,” said Ted Leonsis, the Washington Wizards, Mystics, and Capitals owner who has partnered with Jordan on several endeavors.

“A lot of entrepreneurs, they make it once. They have a big win, take their winnings, retire, and [we] never hear from them again, or they try something a second time and it doesn’t work. He’s had three mega successes.”

Jordan’s good fortune began with his God-like dominance of the NBA, for which he was the highest-paid player in 1997 and 1998, earning $94 million across 15 seasons. However, his one-of-a-kind relationship with Nike truly etched him into the financial Mount Rushmore of sports talent. The six-time NBA champion most recently received $260 million in royalties from the athletic brand, as reported by Forbes. The Jordan Brand has continued to dominate sales for Nike via re-releases of some of the former player’s most beloved sneakers, with a reported wholesale revenue of $6.6 billion annually.

To date, only three former or active athletes have achieved billionaire status: Jordan, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods. However, James and Woods have not yet cracked the Forbes 400 list.

Though Jordan has stepped away from his majority ownership role with the Charlotte Hornets, he still holds a small stake in the team. He also cofounded NASCAR Cup Series team 23XI Racing in 2020.

RELATED CONTENT: Michael Jordan Is Now The Richest NBA Player Ever After Selling Hornets Franchise

Philadelphia Woman Defends Herself When Biker Kicks Out Car’s Rear Window as Kids Sit in Backseat, Police Searching for Suspect
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 3, 2023

Philadelphia Woman Defends Herself When Biker Kicks Out Car’s Rear Window as Kids Sit in Backseat, Police Searching for Suspect

A female driver had to go through a harrowing experience when a man on a dirt bike stomped out her car’s back window as she was riding with another passenger and two children in the car. Now, police officers are looking for the suspect.

According to Fox 29 Philadelphia, Nikki Bullock, who works as a delivery driver, was seen on video having an altercation with a man who stomped out the back window of her vehicle, amid several motorcycles and dirt bikes on a Philadelphia street.

The incident took place on the 1400 block of South Penn Square on Sunday, Oct. 1, before 9 p.m., according to investigators. The video showed a man jumping on the roof of the car and using his feet to smash the back window (There were two children in the back seat when this took place). Bullock got out of her vehicle and approached the suspect, who dropped a handgun but picked it up as she yelled at him.

As she continued to scream at him, he pointed his gun at her, before giving her a head bump (he was wearing a helmet when he did so) and shoving her. When the man got on his bike, she continued to approach him and pushed him off his bike. While this was happening, other bikers looked on and slowly rode by, but  no one came to her aid.

 

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A post shared by George Coloney (@vortex.hz)

The Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Auto Squad released a video and identifying photos of the suspect in hopes of finding him. The police are asking for help in capturing this individual. Authorities say he is wanted for aggravated assault and vandalism.

CBS News Philadelphia reported that the video was recorded via mobile phone on a double-decker tour bus by George Coloney, who was visiting from Florida. He said, “Got stuck in some traffic, and I just started filming all of the bikers that are going through, and then they get in an argument with a car.”

After the incident was posted on social media, Bullock has been deluged with people offering to pay for her windshield.

snoop dogg, family, the children's place
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 3, 2023

Snoop Dogg Reveals New Partnership With The Children’s Place

Snoop Dogg is getting The Children’s Place some new swag. The hip-hop icon will be part of the clothing company’s holiday campaign that celebrates music, family, and, of course, fashion.

“The Snoop Dogg Holiday Collection” invites three generations of the rapper’s family to take part in the festivities. The new campaign features Snoop and his wife, Shante Broadus, with their children, grandchildren, and dog Charlie as they gather round for the holiday season.

The news was celebrated with an Oct. 3 commercial titled “An Iconic Holiday Part 2” that showcases the entrepreneur’s family decked out in “head to toe swag” while decking the halls with joy.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg)

In true fashion, patriarch Snoop Dogg is playing Santa, complete with matching pajamas for all as they enjoy dinner.

“Got me the family decked out head to toe for the Christmas season—the grand-babies, too. The host with the most learns from the best,” the legendary artist says as he nods to his wife of over two decades.

The Children’s Place cheered on their newest face in a comment underneath the post.

“Iconic family in some iconic holidays looks,” shared the brand.

“Family is everything,” expressed Snoop Dogg, a father of four. “Working with family is truly a blessing. Having Shante, my kids, and my grand-babies part of this holiday campaign is nothing short of incredible.”

The entire collection will feature formal wear and comfortable sleep sets to fit all members of the family so those holiday photos remain timeless. The introduction of beloved icon and his family dressed in this new assortment hopes to spark stylish cheer to millennial families nationwide.

To feel “festive and fly” like the California native himself, buy the new Snoop Dogg collection for The Children’s Place, which is available now.

RELATED CONTENT: Snoop Dogg Severs Ties With Coffee Company Months After Launch

Malika Andrews
by Iman Milner

October 3, 2023

Malika Andrews Granted Restraining Order Against Crazed Stalker Of ESPN Talent

ESPN anchor and NBA Today host Malika Andrews has been granted a restraining order against a man accused of stalking the sports journalist and her coworkers, including Stephen A. Smith.

The 28-year-old TV personality asked a Los Angeles judge to order Ahmed Abubakar to stay 100 yards away from her and her fiancé, reporter Dave McMenamin, and fellow ESPN talent. The temporary restraining order was granted mere hours after the petition was filed.

Andrews alleges that the 41-year-old New Jersey man began sending her direct messages via Twitter in September 2022. When Abubakar’s attempts at communicating with her went ignored, Andrews claims the man’s messages became menacing. The accused allegedly traveled to Los Angeles to make contact with Andrews and other ESPN on-air talent at the network’s facility.

“You malignant c*nt. You work 1 hour today. You didn’t even tell me you were going to a fu**ing wedding. You keep so many fu**ing secrets from me,” one of the messages Abubakar allegedly sent to Andrews reads.

“As a friend you treat everyone well except for me. You are great on camera and also off camera with most friends except me. Why you treat me like s**t as a friend.”

According to TMZ, Abubakar was allegedly arrested for attempting to make contact with ESPN’s First Take host Molly Qerim at her Connecticut residence back in August. Andrews claims that Stephen A. Smith has been another target of Abubakar in recent months. Andrews alleges that the 41-year-old located her unlisted personal phone number, which he used to further his unwanted communication with the journalist by placing several phone calls throughout the summer.

“You lied to police you b***h saying you never met me,” another alleged message from Abubakar to Andrews reads. “I hope endometriosis destroys all your genital organs so you never get a man, and you[r] sickening obsession with money.”

A hearing has been set for later this month.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Shark Tank’ Investor Daymond John Seeks Restraining Order Against Former Contestant ‘Stalker Much?’

Water boys, atlanta
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 3, 2023

Atlanta’s Water Boys Make A Business Out Of A Childhood Hustle

Atlanta is known for its many enterprises, and its local water boys are among its most known cultural elements. Three of these young entrepreneurs have turned the everyday hustle into a viable business that does more than make some extra cash.

Three Atlanta adolescents have turned their after-school gig into Water Boyz ‘N the Hood, a brand that references the classic 1991 film.

11Alive spoke to Amir, Serg and Mekhi on how they found a way to make their brand about communal support and entrepreneurship. What was once boys selling water bottles on the side of the road has catapulted into all types of merchandise, including hoodies, hats, T-shirts, and now branded bottles of water.

The water boys’ efforts are not stopping with new marketing. They’re visiting water plants to gain knowledge on the distribution of safe, clean water to their communities. Not only are the sales connecting them to learn more of the industry they are undoubtedly are part of, but also to gain funding to support their families.

“It did make me feel good,” shared Serg. “I can buy my mom on my brother something. I could buy my family something, and it won’t hurt me.”

A former water boy, filmmaker Greg Williams, has chosen to film their lives and what it means to make a brand for oneself out of this seemingly simple idea.

“The bottle is way bigger than just part of their hustle, a water boy’s story is bigger than just a bottle,” Williams said.

While the many waters boys across the city are trying to find legal ways to make money, their services are not always conducted with a smile on everyone’s face. The safety of both seller and patron has been a growing risk, with the boys venturing out onto busy streets at a young age, as well as the scams tweens can push onto unsuspecting customers.

However, this cohort of aspiring salesmen seeks to reduce that stigma by creating a brand that uplifts the tradition and celebrates their hardworking hustle.

The impact that water has had for this pioneering trio has been quite lucrative, as the money amassed can have a profit of hundreds from a $5 case of water.

Now, it’s allowing them to buy into their dreams and begin a new legacy for the group.

Penn museum, human remains, display, British museum, Black, indigenous people, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
by Daniel Johnson

October 3, 2023

Amid A Racial Reckoning On Museums, Penn Museum Will No Longer Display Human Remains

The Penn Museum in Philadelphia announced Oct. 2 that it will no longer display visible human remains such as bones, teeth, and hair. As NPR reports, the change comes as museums face criticism over how they procured human remains from Black and indigenous peoples to put them on public display.

In April 2021, the museum formally apologized for including the skulls of Black people that the museum acquired in an unethical manner. Christopher Woods, the museum’s director, said in a statement at the time:

“The Penn Museum and the University of Pennsylvania apologize for the unethical possession of human remains in the Morton Collection. It is time for these individuals to be returned to their ancestral communities, wherever possible, as a step toward atonement and repair for the racist and colonial practices that were integral to the formation of these collections.”

Regarding the more recent move, Woods told NPR, “It’s about prioritizing human dignity and the wishes of descent communities. We want to make sure that these are our front and center of how the museum operates.”

Woods said that the school would continue using human remains in its advanced classes, but the museum would not be putting those remains on public view. 

Penn’s policy is so far the most radical of any museum in the world. Others, such as the British Museum, have created ethical policies regarding human remains but still allow them to be displayed.

Another Philadelphia museum, the Mütter Museum at the College of Physicians, is famous for its extensive collection of diseased human remains, but announced an Oct. 17 event in which it will hold a public discussion about the ethics and consent regarding those displays.

“This two-year-long project will be the most robust community collaboration project ever undertaken by the museum,” Kate Quinn, executive director at the Mütter, told NPR. “Over the past few months, many in the Mütter community have passionately expressed their thoughts about the Museum’s future, and we’ve been listening.”

Post-George Floyd, museums faced a reckoning in how they displayed exhibits, and it was not limited to natural museums such as the Mütter. A planned Philip Guston retrospective, which was to be simultaneously displayed at several fine arts museums in 2020 including the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, was postponed until 2025 because of the multiple Black Lives Matter protests that summer. Some of Guston’s paintings portrayed the KKK, albeit unfavorably.

A collective of artists denounced those museums’ lack of preparation amid the cultural and moral moment that faced them, writing in an open letter that there was a “longstanding failure to have educated, integrated, and prepared themselves to meet the challenge of the renewed pressure for racial justice that has developed over the past five years.”

The museums responded by moving the retrospective up to 2022 and adding a note from a trauma specialist regarding some of the works on display. In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Guston’s daughter, Musa Mayer, discussed her feelings about how postponing the retrospective was essentially a misreading of her father’s work.

“The history of racism in the United States is one of periods when it is submerged in the popular consciousness, followed by periods of great unrest, like the present one, when it is manifest, and no one can deny its existence,” Mayer said to the newspaper. “My father made those works at a time when the Ku Klux Klan were no longer as menacing as they had been in his youth, but racism was still, of course, a presence in the consciousness of mainstream white America. The paintings are essentially about white culpability — the culpability of all of us, including himself.”

RELATED CONTENT: Stolen Memorials Used As Museum Artifacts Returned To Kenya

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