Category: African-American

Essence Magazine:

For the past two weeks celebrities took a break from posting just-for-fun selfies and beauty shots on social media to decry the unjust murders of Black civilians at the hand of the police. Instead, our favorite Tinseltown beauties posted messages supporting the Black community and calling for systemic changes.

Last week, celebrities, influencers, editors, creatives, change makers and other real women took to Instagram with a challenge to further the message that Black lives matter and that Black women have a voice that will no longer go unheard.

The result: a collection of photos showcasing just how beautiful Black is. Whether they were old photos, the ladies were in full glam or wearing nothing to enhance their natural beauty, these beauties looked stunning. And the posts not only normalize and highlight Black beauty, but they magnify the support that they women show to one another, especially in trying times.

Check out some of the women who participated and posted photos we double-tapped, bookmarked, and couldn’t look away from, further proving that Black women will be seen.

The post Celebrity Beauty Looks Of The Week June 7 – June 13 appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

This week our favorite fashionistas are back on the gram’ after being pretty silent for a few days. Last week during the pandemic, a large number of still active protest broke out in result of the recent killings in the Black community from white supremacist. Our Instagram feed, which usually floods with content from creators who specialize in all things social media, took a rightful break to post donation and petition links, protest information, and show their solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement. While the support has not stopped, we were able to catch a few outfit flicks in between the constant activism.

If your lucky, your community has started to open back up after a couple months of closure from Covid-19, which would explain the summer colors we spotted on our feed. From hot pink to neutral hues, our favorite creatives are showing us how to come out of quarantine on fire. Let’s be honest, Instagram can serve as the best place to find your next outfit.

There is nothing wrong with grabbing a little inspiration from the internet and these creatives brought the best style this week.

The post The Best Dressed Black Creatives On Instagram This Week appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Roderick Foster, co-founder of Velvet Noir, is ultimate example of doing it for the culture. The hustle that he put behind his men’s grooming brand is a story for the ages.

In a recent Shop ESSENCE Live he shared his brand journey with viewers, and it was both a heartbreaking, and heartwarming story.

After being fired from his corporate gig a year ago Foster had to reassess what he wanted to do professionally. With Velvet Noir already in the works as a “side project,” he made the decision to develop it into a full-fledged brand. Foster said he was on a mission “help every Black man become the best version of themself.”

But after falling behind on his payments (he was putting all of his money back into the brand) his car was repossessed. Foster was not feeling like the best version of himself but he was determined to get his products into Black men’s hands.

“For three weeks I walked a mile and a half to the post office dropping off packages to make sure my product got out,” he tells ESSENCE. “Because I knew it was going to blow [up].”

View this post on Instagram

Picture Worth 1,000 Words. Costs Substantially Less. Top2Not2.

A post shared by Velvet Noir Beard Care. (@velvetnoirbc) on Jun 8, 2020 at 12:09pm PDT

It took Foster another three weeks to get the money to get this car back. And as he put it, “I ain’t look back since.”

It’s the ultimate story of a small Black business owner persevering in spite of the astronomical challenges placed in front of him on his way to greatness. It’s the answer when people question anyone’s resolution to shop mostly Black-owned businesses and keep their coins in the community.

“If you’re on your mission right now don’t stop,” he says choking back tears. “Put it in your heart. Put the work in. And you will get out of it what you put into it. We’re on our way to becoming a staple and I’m grateful.”

The post Velvet Noir Co-Founder Shares Heartwarming Story About Journey To Brand Success appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was recorded with his knee in George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd pleaded for help could still receive more than $1 million in pension benefits...even if he is convicted in Floyd’s death.

According to CNN, Minnesota does not have a state law that calls for the forfeiture of pensions for employees convicted of felony crimes related to their work. As such, Chauvin, who is currently 44, is eligible to file for pension—partially funded by taxpayers—in the next few years, as early as age 50.

“Neither our Board nor our staff have the discretion to increase, decrease, deny or revoke benefits,” a spokesperson for the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association told CNN. “Any changes to current law would need to be done through the legislative process.”

The Association declined to confirm how much Chauvin is eligible for, but CNN says that the former officer is likely eligible for annual payments fo around $50,000 a year or more if he opts to collect the pension starting at age 55.Chauvin could collect up to $1.5 million or more over a 30-year period, the network estimated.

Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder in Floyd’s death. The three other officers who were present at the time, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, are facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)

Lane was released on $750,000 bail and freed from Hennepin County Jail earlier this week, KARE11 reports. Chauvin was recently transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Oak Park Heights, where, according to the report, many inmates “need a higher level of security.”

The post Derek Chauvin Could Still Get More Than $1 Million Pension, Even If Convicted In George Floyd’s Death appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

The world may be going through some unfortunate things right now, but its a happy day in the Shumpert household!

Singer Teyana Taylor and NBA player/rapper Iman Shumpert are expecting their second child. The announcement was made in the music video for their new song together called “Wake Up Love” which will appear on Taylor’s new project THE ALBUM.

The dreamy visuals show the married couple lounging around in bed. They recite the lyrics while getting lost in each other’s eyes. In the beginning, Taylor’s baby bump is strategically hidden with the sheets from the bed. In another scene, she’s submerged fully in a foamy bubble bath. In the final scene, Taylor and Shumpert’s four-year-old daughter joins them to cuddle in bed. Taylor then lifts up her tank top to reveal her pregnant belly. It’s like they just knew we would need all this Black family love after such a tough week!

In a statement to People, the couple revealed they’re expecting another little girl. “We’re ready, and we’re very excited,” Taylor told the magazine. “Iman is super excited. Junie is ecstatic — I’m talking super ecstatic. Everybody is just excited. I can’t wait. I’ve got three more months left until we meet our little princess.”

Fans of Taylor have been suspecting for a couple of weeks now that she might be gearing up to announce the baby news. During an Instagram live session, little Junie innocently asked mom if she could “kiss the baby.”

Taylor and Shumpert welcomed their daughter Junie in 2015. The singer often tells the story of her giving birth in the bathroom of her home, with Shumpert assisting the delivery with the help of a 911 operator. The following year, the couple tied the knot in the same exact spot their daughter was born.

View this post on Instagram

Love is an emblem of eternity; it confounds all notion of time, it effaces all memory of a beginning, and all fear on an end….. #TimelessLove #My2FavPeople #Hitched #Adayiwillneverforget #TB

A post shared by Jimmy Neutch- Shumpert (@teyanataylor) on Nov 2, 2016 at 12:29pm PDT

Congratulation to this beautiful family on the new addition.

The post Teyana Taylor And Iman Shumpert Are Expecting Their Second Child appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Dave Chappelle’s 8:46, released on Netflix’s YouTube channel, is not so much a comedy special as it is a sermon. It’s his testimony. It’s his indictment of the many forms of violence that Black people face every day in America.

Filmed in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on June 6, just one week after the killing of George Floyd, 8:46 also gives us a glimpse into the future of entertainment. Attendees at the outdoor set wear branded ‘C’ masks, ushers conduct temperature checks, and seats are spaced six feet apart. It looks more like a revival than a comedy club.

While I have found myself disappointed with past Chappelle Netflix specials due to his stances on trans people and survivors of sexual assault, this special is so searing and focused that there is no time for anything else except to express the urgency of the moment we are all living through. Clad in all black, wearing a gold ‘C’ chain and carrying a black Moleskine notebook, Chappelle has never looked as weary or as righteously angry—even though speaking out against racism and police brutality is nothing new for him.

He tells deeply personal stories that also connect to a larger history of violence: how he was sure he was going to die when he experienced an earthquake in Los Angeles, how that terror lasted 35 seconds, but felt like an eternity. He then asks the crowd to imagine that kind of terror lasting for almost nine minutes for George Floyd. He also explains why he doesn’t believe celebrities should be speaking up at the moment: “I don’t need to talk over the work that protesters are doing.”

Chappelle also takes brief aim at conservative commentators Laura Ingraham and Candace Owens, saving some especially venomous barbs for them. But ultimately, 8:46 is not about them, although I am sure those parts of the special will grab headlines.

8:46 is not even really about jokes. 8:46 is about history. It’s about resistance. It’s about the fundamental need to speak the truth, even when, especially when, it is uncomfortable and painful.

“These streets will speak for themselves whether I’m alive or dead,” Chappelle says in the closing moments of his special. And he ends it with one of the most revolutionary things a person can say: “I trust y’all.”

The post Dave Chappelle’s New Stand Up Special ‘8:46’ Tackles Police Brutality appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Keke Palmer is taking a lead role in Alice, a sci-fi thriller inspired by true events. 

The talk show host, actress and activist will portray a Georgia woman trapped in servitude in the 1800s. Her character will manage to travel across fifty-five acres to secure her freedom only to be faced with the bewildering fact that just outside of the property line the rest of the world has been living in 1973. 

Palmer, a former child star who’s dramatic range has expanded in films such as Hustlers and Pimp, will also be executive producing the project. Screenwriter Krystin Ver Linden take on the real events is what drew Palmer to the film. 

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 26: Keke Palmer attends the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on August 26, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim Spellman/FilmMagic)

“So many films that depict this time in our history are rooted in victimization of the Black female lead. This story is the opposite and that’s what attracted me to Krystin’s perspective,” said Palmer. 

“It tackles the harsh realities of slavery and White supremacy while also offering inspiration and vindication through the story of Alice’s journey. I don’t want anyone to leave the theater feeling debilitated, I want them to feel empowered,” she continued. 

Ver Linden said: “Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny. Huey Newton’s resounding quote has been affixed on my corkboard for as long as I can remember picking up a pen to write.”

“Those words echo every creative endeavor that I’ve undergone, so when I read about the true story of a woman who escaped the confines of a self-proclaimed plantation, becomes radicalized and seeks out her

The post Keke Palmer To Star And Executive Produce In Slavery Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Alice’ appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Ohio State Sen. Steve Huffman is out of at least one job after he posed a racist question during a Senate hearing on whether to declare racism a public health crisis.

According to Cleveland.com, Huffman, who also worked as an emergency room doctor, was swiftly fired from that job as news spread about him questioning whether the “colored population” were more likely to contract the novel coronavirus “because they do not wash their hands as well as other groups.”

“Dr. Huffman’s comments are wholly inconsistent with our values and commitment to creating a tolerant and diverse workplace,” McHenry Lee, a spokesman for TeamHealth, a professional contractor who employed Huffman for his role as a doctor, told the news site. “TeamHealth has terminated Dr. Huffman’s employment.”

Huffman drew swift backlash for his line of questioning on Tuesday.

“My point is, I understand African-Americans have a higher incidence of chronic conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID. But why it doesn’t make them more susceptible to just get COVID,” said Huffman said during the hearing before the Senate Health Committee. “Could it just be that African-Americans or the colored population do not wash their hands as well as other groups or wear a mask or do not socially distance themselves? That could be the explanation of the higher incidence?”

He was swiftly called out by colleagues, but the backlash had clearly only just begun.

Huffman initially claimed that his question was misunderstood, however he later took to Facebook to apologize for his comments.

“At a legislative committee hearing on Tuesday, I used an insensitive and offensive term while asking a question,” he wrote. “I had absolutely no malicious intent, but I recognize that my choice of words was unacceptable and hurtful. I apologize, and I make no excuses.”

At a legislative committee hearing on Tuesday, I used an insensitive and offensive term while asking a question. I had…

Posted by Ohio State Senator Steve Huffman on Thursday, June 11, 2020

“We all say something we regret and wish we could take back, and that’s certainly the case here for me,” he added. “We need to be more careful about the words we use and the potential harm they can inflict, even when that’s not our intent. I am reaching out to those who I offended to ask for their forgiveness, to listen to their input and to seek their guidance on how we can turn this mistake into a time of learning as we work together to build a better Ohio.”

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus has called for all legislators and staff to take racial equity and implicit bias training, “to identify racial biases within the General Assembly and make it easier for us…to recognize racist policies.”

Unfortunately, the stories of Ohioans who came to testify in support of SCR 14 to declare #RacismIsAPublicHealthCrisis was undermined in a moment by a question of a Senator. Here is the @_OLBC response to the “colored” statement. pic.twitter.com/ayQ9I8fBnM

— Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (@_OLBC) June 11, 2020

On the other hand, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation, a 501(c)3 which is comprised of former lawmakers, is taking it a step further, demanding Huffman’s resignation as a senator.

“Steve Huffman demonstrated that he is unfit for office and should resign immediately. His remarks are insensitive, hurtful and set us back in our efforts to address the genuine reasons that the COVID-19 outbreak is having a particularly harsh impact in the Black community,” Barbara Sykes, the CEO and president of the Foundation said in a statement, according to NBC4i.

“Mr. Huffman is a doctor and one would expect more empathy and insight, but unfortunately he revealed his true character with his remarks. Black people and minorities are suffering and dying at alarming rates from the coronavirus, and we need elected officials who are willing to get to the heart of the matter rather than spout heartless sentiments,” Sykes added.

The post Ohio Senator Fired From ER Job After Racist Question About The Hygiene Of The ‘Colored Population’ appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

In a unanimous vote, the Louisville, Ky. Metro Council approved “Breonna’s Law,” banning no-knock warrants in the city, NPR reports.

The law is named after Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT from the city who was shot and killed by police who barged their way into her home while executing a no-knock warrant on March 13.

As NPR notes, in addition to banning no-knock warrants, the law requires that body cameras are worn when officers serve warrants. The cameras must be turned on five minutes before the execution of the warrant begins, according to the site.

Protesters march holding placards and a portrait of Breonna Taylor during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Hollywood, California on June 7, 2020. – Demonstrations are being held across the US following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, while being arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Agustin PAULLIER / AFP) (Photo by AGUSTIN PAULLIER/AFP via Getty Images)

Louisville’s mayor made it clear that he intends to sign the legislation as soon as it hits his desk.

This is one of many critical steps on police reform that we’ve taken to create a more peaceful, just, compassionate and equitable community. 2/2

— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) June 11, 2020

“The risk to residents and officers with this kind of search outweigh any benefit,” Mayor Greg Fischer added in his tweets.

Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, said that the law will allow Taylor, even in death, to save lives.

Bre, this is for you! #BreonnasLaw not only BANS no-knock warrants in Louisville, but also requires the use of body cameras by anyone executing a search warrant. Thank you all for your support in advocating for justice!! Let this be part of #BreonnaTaylor’s legacy. #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/yBozQ6QJBM

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 12, 2020

“Breonna, that’s all she wanted to do was to save lives,” she said. “So with this law, she will be able to continue to do that. So we’re grateful for that. She would be so happy.”

Louisville Police Sgt. John Mattingly and Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Bret Hankison, all of whom are involved in Taylor’s death have yet to be fired, arrested, or charged.

The post Louisville Bans No-Knock Warrants Following Breonna Taylor’s Death appeared first on Essence.