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Essence Magazine:

On Sunday morning, Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had a few choice words for Donald Trump, on the heels of her city experiencing a weekend of protests.

In an interview with CNN, Bottoms noted how Trump is fueling the fire by referring to protestors as thugs.

“He should just stop talking. This is like Charlottesville all over again,” Bottoms said on State of the Union. “He speaks and he makes it worse. There are times when you should just be quiet and I wish that he would just be quiet. Or if he can’t be silent, if there is somebody of good sense and good conscience in the White House, put him in front of a teleprompter and pray he reads it and at least says the right things, because he is making it worse.”

On Friday, in a series of tweets, Trump, in his typical unpresidential and racist dog-whistle way, stated that when the “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”.

….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020

Bottoms’ interview comes on the heels of her Friday night press conference where she urged Atlanta residents to stay home.

“I am a mother to four black children in America, one of whom is 18 years old. And when I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother would hurt,” Bottoms said. “And yesterday when I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do, I called my son and I said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I cannot protect you and black boys shouldn’t be out today.’”

The post Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms On Trump: ‘He Should Just Stop Talking’ appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

It’s been said over and over again, but the reality is: the future of travel as we know is now forever changed.

As many U.S. states have begun phase I of reopening amidst the global coronavirus pandemic, countries across the globe are also strategizing to figure out what’s next for their economies — with tourism being one of the biggest sectors. 

But the question is, who will be welcoming the U.S. back with open arms? As COVID-19 nears 370,000 deaths globally, the US alone accounts for 1.75 million of those cases and 103,000 deaths, making us the worst affected country in the world, both in terms of the number of cases and the number of deaths.

And despite the amount of cases, many of us (not all) are still itching for our next getaway after nearly three months of quarantining and self-isolation. So if you’re ready to jump on a plane this summer — protective gear, Lysol wipes and all — thankfully there are several countries plotting to welcome U.S. travelers (with new health guidelines and restrictions in place, of course).

The post These Countries Will Be Welcoming U.S. Travelers For Tourism This Summer appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

99 years ago today, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, also known as Black Wall Street, burned to its ground after a mob of angry white people torched Black businesses and left 36 Black people dead.

What started the massacre? It’s a phenomenon that is still happening. A white woman, Sarah Page, basically cried wolf on May 30, 1921, when a young Black boy named  Dick Rowland entered an elevator in the Drexel Building. Onsight, Page screamed once Rowland entered the elevator. He got startled and ran off.

Who knows that Page told her fellow white people what happened, but a newspaper headline declared she was sexually assaulted. Eventually, the town’s racist idiots formed a lynch mob to find Rowland, who had already been arrested.

The white angry mob attempted to get Sheriff Willard McCullough to hand over Rowland, but he did not. Black men in the town offered help in protecting Rowland, but he declined.

On June 1, the white angry mob grew angrier, they brandished weapons and fire. It is estimated that about 1500 white men were involved in the attack on Greenwood.

What was once a prosperous city, was burned to the ground. And to this day, although there are historical societies built around teaching people the history of the Tulsa Race War, you’ll be hard-pressed to find this history being taught in the classroom.

As cities across the country continue to burn, with people rioting and protesting about something that should be an inalienable right, remember the history of those who came before us. Remember their legacy. And remember that backing down isn’t an option.

The post On The 99th Anniversary Of The Tulsa Race Massacre, America Still Has A Long Way To Go appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Black people are fed up, y’all. Protests have erupted in at least 30 U.S. cities over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a Black man who was viciously murdered at the hands of a White police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

And while protests have largely been peaceful, some businesses are experiencing the impact of the rage that many of us have been feeling—in the form of destruction and looting. Real Housewives of Atlanta star Tanya Sam is one of the people whose business has suffered at the hands of protestors in Atlanta. 

“I’m just sad,” Sam said in a video that detailed the destruction, posted to her Instagram account.

In the video, the reality star showed how rioters and looters damaged Agency Socialthèque, the restaurant and lounge she co-owns in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. 

“I know ya’ll are mad, I’m mad, too,” Sam said as tears rolled down her face as she surveyed the damage of the space she said was created “for us.”

“Nobody is listening to us,” she continued.

This isn’t the first Black owned business in Buckhead that has been destroyed in the midst of protests. High-end boutique SacDelux was looted and had all of their merchandise stolen this week as well, according to photos on social media.

Atlanta celebrities have expressed their anger and frustration on what’s happening in this country, but also encouraged Black people not to take it out on the Black businesses that are supporting our communities.

The Dream, for example, took to Twitter to say, “…I OWN THINGS IN THIS CITY, A LOT OF BLACKS OWN THINGS  IN THIS CITY, FROM BANKHEAD TO BUCKHEAD. DO NOT DESTROY PROPERTY THAT NEGATES THE DECADES OF WORK. MY CHILDREN WILL NOT BE SET BACK BY YOU!”

Dear People, IF YOU ARE NOT FROM ATLANTA, DONT COME HERE AND PLEASE GO HOME. I OWN THINGS IN THIS CITY, A LOT OF BLACKS OWN THINGSIN THIS CITY, FROM BANKHEAD TO BUCKHEAD. DO NOT DESTROY PROPERTY THAT NEGATES THE DECADES OF WORK. MY CHILDREN WILL NOT BE SET BACK BY YOU!

— THE-DREAM (@TheKingDream) May 30, 2020

A visibly emotional Killer Mike also spoke out about the violent protests over the weekend.

“It is your duty not to burn your own house down for anger with an enemy. It is your duty to fortify your own house so that you may be a house of refuge in times of organizations,” he said. “Now is the time to plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.”

Drop everything and watch Killer Mike’s speech in Atlanta tonight.I don’t agree with him on all of his politics, but that doesn’t matter tonight.He’s 100% right about how to handle protesting and how to change the system… and it isn’t burning your city to the ground. pic.twitter.com/VzDNMTM0wH

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 30, 2020

“We don’t want to see Targets burning,” he continued. “We want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burnt to the ground.”

Sam, however, expressed that she doesn’t place blame toward the protesters, but instead, shows empathy and concern for what’s happening to Black people across the country.

Fans responded to the RHOA star’s emotional post with sadness and well wishes.

The post ‘RHOA’ Star Tanya Sam’s Restaurant Destroyed During Atlanta Protests appeared first on Essence.