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Essence Magazine:

With a nationwide call to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement and other initiatives centered around eradicating racial inequality, Anastasia Beverly Hills (ABH) is pledging $1 million towards the fight against systematic racism, oppression and injustice.

The cosmetics brand shared the news to Instagram yesterday amid #BlackoutTuesday, a day created for those who work in the music industry, to disconnect from work, and reconnect with the Black community.

The call to action went beyond show business and reached beauty companies like ABH, who blacked-out an Instagram post in solidarity.

Anastasia Beverly Hills has already donated $100,000 across organizations like Black Lives Matter, The Innocence Project, The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Visions Collective and the Marshall Project—and is discussing internally, new initiatives that will financially support Black owned businesses and artists in the beauty industry.

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Anastasia Beverly Hills stands in solidarity with the Black community.We are pledging 1 million dollars towards the fight against systematic racism, oppression, and injustice.This weekend, we began with a donation of $100,000 across the following organizations: Black Lives Matter, The Innocence Project, The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Visions Collective, and The Marshall Project.We are taking the time internally to discuss new initiatives that will financially support Black owned businesses and artists in the beauty industry. When the details have been finalized, we will announce the process for submission or nomination, and we will update you monthly on recipients.We vow to remain constant and vocal supporters of equality. We vow to use our platform and our privilege to amplify the voices of marginalized groups that deserve to be heard. Thank you to our community for being a continued source of inspiration and accountability. #BlackLivesMatter

A post shared by Anastasia Beverly Hills (@anastasiabeverlyhills) on Jun 1, 2020 at 12:45pm PDT

“We vow to remain constant and vocal supporters of equality,” the brand wrote in an Instagram post. “We vow to use our platform and our privilege to amplify the voices of marginalized groups that deserve to be heard. Thank you to our community for being a continued source of inspiration and accountability. #BlackLivesMatter.”

The post Anastasia Beverly Hills Is Donating $1 Million To Support Black-Owned Businesses appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

With so much going on in the world, its high time we give our people something to celebrate.

Celebrities like Ludacris, Kandi Burruss and Eddie Murphy were all smiles as they watched their young ones mature into adults by becoming graduates. Though 2020 grads weren’t to physically walk across the stage due to the coronavirus pandemic, that didn’t stop the ones they love from giving them their flowers and celebrating the hard work it took to achieve this milestone.

Scroll through the gallery to see the celebrity grads we’re celebrating this month.

The post These Celebrity Parents Celebrated Their Kids’ Graduation appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

On Tuesday Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore apologized for saying that George Floyd’s death was on looters’ hands. But for many residents, walking back his words is simply not good enough. They want Moore to resign immediately, and they made that explicitly clear during a Zoom call where Angelenos were given the opportunity to voice their concerns.

During a press conference on Monday Moore said, “We didn’t have protests last night. We had criminal acts… We didn’t have people mourning the death of this man, George Floyd. We had people capitalizing. His death is on their hands, as much as it is those officers.”

In a clip of the Zoom call posted to YouTube by the Los Angeles Times, a young lady who identified herself as a 16-year-old Black woman asks, “Do you know the trauma behind watching countless Black men and women be killed by racist police officers? And you’re seriously going to sit here and say that it is our fault that an innocent Black man was suffocated to death? You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I’m 16-years-old and I know more than all of you.”

Source: Los Angeles Times YouTube

Her sentiments rang true for a number of callers who in succession asked Moore to vacate his position and looked to the commission to reinforce their stand. One caller pointed out that Moore’s comments suggested that his priorities are to protect the police force and not the people of Los Angeles. Another called his remarks “asinine and ignorant,” noting that his words are the reason much of the community has distrust in the police.

While many of those who offered remarks exhibited a level of disappointment in the police chief’s actions, one caller, in particular, was so vocal about his disgust, his comments went viral. “Black Lives Matter. Defund the police,” a man identified as Jeremy Frisch starts out. “I find it disgusting that the LAPD is slaughtering peaceful protesters on the street.” 

Frisch goes on to say, “I had two friends go to the protest in Beverly Hills a couple days ago and the protest was peaceful until the police showed up with their excessive violent force, shooting rubber bullets and throwing tear gas. Is this what you think of protecting and serving? Cause I think it’s bull—t.” 

Protesters in Los Angeles decry police brutality following the death of George Floyd and countless other Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement. (Photo: Bellamy Brewster)

Frisch’s account is similar to that of Los Angeles based photographer Bellamy Brewster who told ESSENCE this week that an officer beat him with a baton while he was attempting to document the protests. The justification of the police misconduct on Moore’s part led Frisch to add,  “F— you Michel Moore. I refuse to call you an officer or a chief because you don’t deserve those titles. You are a disgrace…[expletive, expletive] I yield my time.”

HE SAID IT HE REALLY SAID IT pic.twitter.com/2dxnLcG7cf

— 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐁 (@Ionelylight) June 3, 2020

No word yet on if Moore will resign or if the commission will “do its job” as callers suggest and ask him to vacate his position. There have also been calls to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti demanding that he fire Moore for his remarks.

The post Michel Moore’s Comments On George Floyd Sparks Outrage appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Rihanna’s words rang out to me from my Twitter feed, “We ain’t buying shit, we ain’t selling shit! Gang gang! #BLACKOUT AF!”

Gang gang!

I felt the uncontrollable emotion welling up in me fiercely. I couldn’t stop it, and quickly, the tears began. It was the first time I cried, I mean truly wept, about anything other than losing my sister since she passed in 2016.

I felt small, helpless and useless. Every pitch that I received about some “new” and “game-changing” beauty product made me want to fly into a rage.

I began to go to all of the websites for organizations that I knew had been fighting for equality and initiatives that help the Black community—M4BL, Black Lives Matter, Black Visions Collective. I wanted to do something. Small donation here. Small donation there.

Then I started changing all the plans for my upcoming wedding in November. My fiancé and I were already making an attempt to support Black businesses in our process as much as possible, but this sparked an immovable adamance in me to buy Black only. We switched everything from the drinks we would serve (in order to patronize only Black-owned liquor brands) to what dress I would wear. I still felt small.

That’s when I was reminded of an important resolution I made at the top of the decade: by the end of 2020, 80 percent of all my purchases going forward would be from Black-owned retailers. Today, I’m seeing the importance of that now more than ever.

It couldn’t only be important when looking for certain food, or getting my hair done. Although, buying Black-owned there was a given. After watching the documentary Black Girl Church, how could I continue to shop at Korean-owned beauty supply stores where I’m equally needed for my dollars and often times despised for my presence? With companies such as Latched & Hooked, Mayvenn, Upgrade, Harlem Hair Company, Natural Girl Wigs and more, I don’t need to take my dollars outside of the community for quality hair again. But that’s just a small part of it.

While I knew it would be easier to make this shift with items such as clothing, artwork, bars, even beauty products, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy effort altogether. Still, I resolved to find a Black grocer, a Black-owned bank, a Black-owned home goods store, and of course, a Black-owned beauty supply store near me. Thankfully, there were online resources to help me support Black-owned businesses, such as We Buy Black, Buy From A Black Woman, Black-Owned Brooklyn (where I live), Shoppe Black and the EatOkra app.

And sometimes buying Black-owned means spending more money on the same items, but I understand it isn’t because Black business owners want to stick it to their customers. They are often overcharged for materials, blocked by wholesalers and forced to buy their products at a higher price, therefore passing part of that cost onto the customer in order to make even a small profit. But if you would buy that $90 sweatshirt from Nike then you shouldn’t have an issue paying half of that for a sweatshirt at Melanin Apparel. For many of these brands every single purchase is important. So I’d rather pay more to support them in order to ensure that they can stay afloat.

After a few hours of contacting Black wedding planners and Black-owned restaurants for catering, I felt a little less small. It felt like I took some of my power back. While I’m only one person who can’t make up for a ton of spending in the community, it’s my responsibility to stay true to my resolution. There are so many brands out there that make amazing products (and trust me, I’ve tried lots of them), but it’s important to me to support my community because so many other people don’t.

You don’t always directly see the impact that your dollars can have on a business, or how your actions can impact others to act. But I’d like to think that having my friends and family get on board with me will spread out to their networks. And eventually my 80 percent will turn to 90 percent, until all of my purchases going forward come from Black-owned or Black-led businesses because our collective actions allowed for more and more of those businesses to exist.

The post Blackout Tuesday Reminded Me Why I Vowed To Buy Black Only appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Donald Trump is looking to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina after officials refuse to confirm if the event could be held in Charlotte without restrictions, even amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday night, Trump lashed out, blaming Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, “and his representatives” for refusing to guarantee the use of the Spectrum Arena, quipping that Cooper “is still in Shelter-in-Place mode.”

“We are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention,” he tweeted.

Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love. Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena – Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2020

…millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State. Because of @NC_Governor, we are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 3, 2020

According to CNN, despite Trump’s temper tantrum, contractually, some formal part of the convention has to be held in Charlotte, however, other performative parts, such as the speech by Trump, could happen in another location.

“The night the President accepts the nomination will not happen in Charlotte,” an RNC official told CNN.

The Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina,is seen on November 13,2019 and will be the site of the 2020 Republican National Convention. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the report, RNC officials are considering other cities such as Nashville, Las Vegas and Georgia for the convention, meant to be held in August.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp really liked that idea, tweeting that he hopes the president has Georgia on his mind.

Hope you have Georgia on your mind, @realDonaldTrump! https://t.co/4scxDSLOMj

— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) June 3, 2020

Time notes that there have been tense conversations between Trump and Cooper, with Trump demanding a business-as-usual event with a packed arena and no face coverings, even as the future amid the coronavirus pandemic is still uncertain.

Cooper pushed back, expressing concerns, giving the status of the pandemic in his state, and suggested a more toned down event with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings mandated.

“We think it is unlikely that we would be to the point at the end of August to be able to have a jam-packed 19,000-person convention in the Spectrum arena,” Cooper said. “So the likelihood of it being in Charlotte depends upon the RNC’s willingness to discuss with us a scaled-down convention, which we would like to do.”

The post Trump To Move Republican National Convention Out Of North Carolina appeared first on Essence.