Erica Garner, 27, passed away on December 30th following a medically induced coma. Garner, mother and activist, had become a prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter Movement after her father, Eric Garner, was killed by New York Police Officers, Daniel Pantaleo and Justin Damico. Eric Garner’s 2014 death incited numerous protests after a witness uploaded footage of Pantaleo and …
Photo by Thomas Hawk via Flickr Following Adele’s album of the year Grammy victory, criticisms about race in the music industry have dominated post-Grammy conversations. Critics asserted Beyonce’s Lemonade “dominated critical discussion in 2016” and her grammy-loss reflected racial bias and lack of diversity in the Recording Academy. Adele called attention to Lemonade’s significance and apparent “snub” during her acceptance …
Photo by Francisco Schmidt via Flickr I recently saw Hidden Figures at the Westwood Village theater and it was inspiring, to say the least. The phenomenal (and I do mean phenomenal) movie is about three Black women who worked at the Langley Research Center as scientists and mathematicians who helped launch NASA’s first successful space missions in 1962. It starred my …
Photo by Jason Karsh via Flickr On Saturday, George Lopez delivered a racially charged joke at his Phoenix standup comedy show. Lopez stated, “There are still two rules in a Latino family: don’t marry someone black and don’t park in front of our house.” Immediately following the joke, a woman sitting near the stage began to flip Lopez off. Angered …
Photo by Geoff Livingston via Flickr In the wake of President Trump’s refugee immigration ban, Moonlight Actor, Mahershala Ali delivered an impassioned speech about religious persecution and empathy at the 27th annual Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. Ali stated, “I think what I’ve learned from working on “Moonlight” is we see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves. …
Photo by Victoria Pickering via Flickr On Tuesday night, President Trump publicly nominated Neil Gorsuch as the 9th Supreme Court Justice. Gorsuch is to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia who passed at age 79 in February 2016. Many Republican members of Congress are pleased with Trump’s nomination; it gives Republicans a 5-9 majority on the Supreme Court. Trump’s judicial appointment–a critical …
Photo by Robert Couse Baker The Academy Awards has faced much criticism over the past few years for its lack of diversity and representation. In 2016, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite surfaced online and created a channel for critics of the awards show to boycott and voice their frustrations, anger, and disappointments. However, on Tuesday morning The Academy made an effort to …
Photo by Flickr Following Sunday’s 31-24 loss against the Miami Dolphins and the Friday announcement of Fidel Castro’s death, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made controversial comments in support of Castro. “I agree with the investment in education. I also agree with the investment in health care as well as the involvement in helping end apartheid in South Africa,” stated Kaepernick. …