Category: African-American

Essence Magazine:

In a world influenced by social-media clout and likes, it’s necessary to clarify that protests are not a vain occasion but what you wear is essential.As history shows time and time again, even the most peaceful of protests have led to violence. Much like during the Civil Rights Movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s, it’s important to be prepared — specifically in your choice of clothing. So when you’re deciding what to wear to a protest, put style aside and practicality and safety at the forefront.

Contrary to popular belief, clothing has almost always been about something other than appearances. But to the black community, specifically, dressing in our “Sunday Best” has always held a different kind of power. The antithesis of white hippies who used their disheveled clothing to “resist the system” is to Black activists in the 1960s who wore suits, ties, and dress shoes as they protested in the streets for their rights to be fairly integrated into society. Many protesters believed that “proper” dress and a certain level of presentability would make them appear less threatening, and then maybe, just maybe, it would change the perception of Black people in the eyes of white people and other communities of color. This idea to go without protective gear, though needed at times, as they marched through the confederate south was deliberate and in many ways for their own safety; as they weren’t wearing “fighting clothes”, but clothes for peaceful negotiation. However, if the last 40 years have proven anything, it’s that being Black is the only prerequisite for being subjected to these severe injustices that wind through our nation’s history— it doesn’t matter how one dresses or how eloquently one speaks. Our presence is threatening, simply because we’re Black.

Now In 2020, as protesters continue to flood the streets and demand justice, it’s important that your outfit is strategically put together. There are an assortment of items needed to keep you protected that doesn’t include a well-tailored blazer or suspenders. But instead, like influencer Aerin Creer suggested on Twitter, grabbing for pieces like a drawstring hoodie and sneakers instead — as comfort is key for long days. As for the rest of the outfit, try opting for your favorite black activewear leggings to keep you moving freely and a short-sleeve fitted top made from a water-wicking material for air circulation on particularly hot days.

This list goes on to include other sensible items, there’s an eerie difference in clothing needed today, compared to that of the late ‘60s. And while both styles of dressing were essential to the times, they also represent self preservation, even in times of injustice.

Mask

COVID-19 Pandemic aside, police have been asking people at protests to submit pictures of individuals in attendance and wearing a mask helps prevent your identity.

Gloves

In case you come in contact with fire or teargas while peacefully protesting, having a pair of techknit gloves in your arsenal is beneficial in keeping your hands protected.

Drawstring Hoodie

Opt for a hoodie that’s your right size and provides a slightly snug fit. It should also have a drawstring hood, as it gives you the option to secure your goggles on your head and keep your hair out of the way.

Sneakers

Protesting often means a lot of walking so comfortable footwear is a must. But you’ll want to go with a pair of sneakers or running shoes without any flashy colors, details or logos, as to not call attention to yourself. 

Backpack

A backpack is great for keeping your smaller essentials for the long day ahead. This can include everything from a water bottle, granola bar, and snacks, to your keys, wallet and first aid kit.

Glasses/Goggles

To protect your eyes from flying debris, teargas, and other unknown elements always have a pair of shield-style glasses at your disposal.

Nondescript Clothing Without Logos

While logos make up the majority of our clothes, be sure to wear something that’s not easily identifiable to protect yourself. If you can’t find any non-descript clothing, try wearing them inside out to distort the branding image.

Black/Dark Colored Clothing

Dressing in all black and dark-colored clothing will help you blend in and distort if necessary. It also helps you maintain a low-profile both in pictures and in person.

Fitted Clothing

Wearing close-fitting garments are essential in case things escalate and you need to remove yourself from the situation. It will allow you to run a lot faster than you would with wide-leg pants and baggy sweatshirts.

Moisture-Wicking Materials

The weather can be unpredictable and wearing water-wicking materials will keep you cool and dry in unexpected downpours. Find pieces made from windbreaker materials and nylon for the best results.

The post Clothes You Should And Should Not Wear To A Protest appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

During such a tense climate where systemic racism is being brought to the surface, actress Tika Sumpter has some poignant advice based on her experience as a Black woman in a relationship with a white partner.

The Mixed-ish actress tweeted that the topics of race should never be off limits between interracial couples. “Dear Black interracial couples with a significant other who is white (raises hand),” she said. “We DO NOT need to protect them. I promise, they will be A. OK. They need to continue to fight for us. If they get offended when you talk about racists, you have a bigger problem on your hands.”

Dear Black interracial couples with a significant other who is white (raises hand), we DO NOT need to protect them. I promise, they will be A. OK. They need to continue to fight for us. If they get offended when you talk about racists. You have a bigger problem on your hands.

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) June 5, 2020

Sumpter herself is in a relationship with fellow actor Nicholas James, whom she met on the set of Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots in 2016. They’re currently engaged and share a four-year-old daughter named Ella. The pair’s relationship initially started out very private, but they’ve gradually opened up about their life together over the years.

Sumpter has also never shied away from sharing what its like being in an interracial relationship as a Black woman. During a recent appearance on The Real, she said, “I think peolpe have a problem when it comes to [black] women having interracial relationships,” she told the show’s hosts. “A lot of other people step outside of their race and date and it’s fine.”

Not only has Sumpter been using her platform to have candid conversations about race, but she’s also bringing transparency to the world of parenting with her new motherhood platform Sugaberry – co-founded with her friend and media executive Thai Randolph.

Kudos to this queen for keeping it real!

The post Tika Sumpter Speaks To Black Women With White Partners About Having The Race Talk appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Last week, UOMA Beauty Founder and CEO Sharon Chuter charged beauty brands to “pull up” and show the number of Black corporate employees and leadership at their companies. As we could expect, followers of her #PutUpOrShutUp challenge instantly began to call out brands on the Pull Up For Change campaign Instagram page. And over the weekend, beauty brands began to come forward with those numbers, confirming what many of us already knew—there’s a lot of work to be done.

To say that diversity is lacking in the beauty industry is like saying COVID-19 is just a flu. Some brands revealed having as little as two and three percent Black corporate employees with none in leadership positions.

The revelations brought up conversations about many topics, including the exclusion of Black women from the feminist movement.

When NuFACE, a brand that specializes in at-home beauty devices, revealed that it only has 2 percent Black representation across the company with no people of color on its executive team, followers of the Pull Up For Change account had much to say. They were especially frustrated with the brand’s insistence on identifying how many employees and executives were women.

“This is why it’s hard for black women to support feminism as a whole,” said one commenter. “The sole and initial purpose if it did not regard black women at all and a lot of white women dominate it today. Intersectionality is a big problem. Either way, idk this company and they won’t be getting my money.”

“I’m noticing how they emphasize the female representation as if that will somehow be equivalent to black,” wrote another commenter.

Another follower added, “The high percentages of ‘POC’ I keep seeing vs how much of that percentage is actually black is really confusing.”

We noticed that stark difference as well.

While many companies like to pride themselves on diversity as it pertains to employees “who identify as a person of color” and their high number of women executives, it’s clear that hiring Black leadership has not been a priority. The #PullUpOrShutUp challenge forces brands to specifically identify Black employees versus grouping them into all employees of color, revealing how few Black people they hire in those corporate and leadership roles.

And while the Pull Up For Change initiative strives to be a resource to help these organizations make deep systemic changes, followers on social media are calling for receipts.

“Transparency is cool but I want to see targets attached,” one person wrote in response to a post revealing Anastasia Beverly Hills’ numbers. “What’s their target black representation and when will they achieve it by?”

Other brands such as Revlon, tarte, Glossier, and Milani were criticized for their lack of Black representation, while Natasha Denona, NYX Cosmetics, Ulta Beauty, and mented, which has an 100 percent Black employee base and 75 percent Black board, were praised.

Consumers made it clear that vague responses would not be accepted, nor would conglomerates grouping numbers across their brands. And many praised the campaign’s results, requesting for the same call-to-action to be made across other industries, namely fashion.

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72hrs is up time for direct action. The fight has only begun. Every 2 days we will post a list of 8 brands for us all to protest their silence and ensure they heard us and chose to ignore. We will give them 72hours each to respond or we will assume they are not ready to be part of change. We will be publishing the list of those who decline to speak up.The first set of brands are ones that profit directly from black culture and $$ They owe is an explanation of what they do with our dollars. Here is the list @nike @adidas @fashionnova @supremenewyork @maccosmetics @fentybeauty @kkwbeauty @kyliecosmeticsPlease tweet at them all at once and comment on their photos on IG. Please comment multiple times and tweet multiple times. We must make sure we are heard clearly. #pulluporshutup

A post shared by PULL UP OR SHUT UP! (@pullupforchange) on Jun 6, 2020 at 1:37pm PDT

“It takes a lot of courage to self-reflect and I love that a lot of brands saw that it was much needed,” Chuter said in an IGTV post. “To look in their organizations with a very different lens than brands usually look a things, and implement lasting changes, that’s going to have an enormous impact on Black lives and the Black community in general.”

She also explained that every two days the campaign will call out eight brands who have not pulled up, to ensure that they are aware of the campaign, and to will them into transparency.

It will be interesting to see how the brands transform this information into action, and what that timeline for change looks like.

The post Beauty Brands Reveal How Few Black People They Hire appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

It was a bright Monday morning, when congressional Democrats got into formation, donning kente cloth and took a knee during a moment of silence in Washington, D.C., before unveiling the new “Justice in Policing Act” bill. On the heels of George Floyd’s death, the bill would ban chokeholds, as well as no-knock warrants, which lead to the killing of Breonna Taylor.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is leading the effort, called it “transformative.”

“The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in this country,” Bass said.

The bill, which is being supported by 200 Democrats, would require local police departments to be held accountable when it comes to their use of force data and making it available to the federal government. Also, the bill requires an independent process, led by state attorney generals, to investigate misconduct, according to

The post Donning Kente Cloth Congressional Democrats Unveil Police Reform Bill Banning Chokeholds, No-Knock Warrants appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Across the globe, citizens everywhere have flooded the streets to protest police brutality amid the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other victims. One couple made the bold decision to use this historic time as the backdrop of their wedding, and their powerful wedding photos instantly went viral.

Kerry Anne Gordon, a Jamaica native and OBGYN, and her husband Michael Gordon, a wireless deployment manager originally planned to wed on May 26th of this year, but like many engaged couples, their wedding plans were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Vogue, the couple found out that The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia was offering garden ceremonies with 25 or less guests for couples whose ceremony had been affected by the pandemic. Knowing that they wanted to be married by this summer, wedding or not, they went for it.

Just three days before their ceremony, the Gordons were informed that a peaceful protest would be happening in front of the hotel on their wedding day. Rather than go into panic mode, the bride and groom embraced this as a moment to be apart of history. “We could hear the sounds in the air. We could hear the sounds of the helicopters above us,” Kerry Anne told Vogue. “You could almost feel the energy around you, and in addition to that, we’re about to get married.”

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My first in-person elopement since quarantine… It couldn’t be a better @marriedbyrevroxy WEDDING… First looks in the heart of protest… #blacklivesmatter . . . Today’s photographer is @lindamcqueenphotography … photo to follow… . . BRIDE @callmedoctor.p

A post shared by REV. ROXY (MORRIS) Birchfield (@marriedbyrevroxy) on Jun 6, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

The viral moment was filmed during the couple’s first look, which happened outside of the hotel. As soon as she stepped outside, protesters surrounded the bride with cheers. Michael heard the commotion from around the corner and met her there. “I come running around the corner and I see Kerry standing with a circle of people around her just cheering, and she’s literally standing there looking like a Black princess,” the groom said. “That’s all I see. These peaceful protestors, positive energy, cheering, yelling, people with their phones out taking pictures and videos,” he says.

Though they initially planned to keep their nuptials a secret until their bigger wedding in 2021, the Gordons are proud to have shared this moment with such a pivotal moment in history. . “The narrative of love, of Black love, doesn’t always get put out there,” Michael said. :But that’s what [the movement] is about, that’s what we’re looking for. Black love is a beautiful thing. Black love exists. Black love is powerful.”

Congratulations to the beautiful couple.

The post This Couple Said ‘I Do’ During The Black Lives Matter Protests appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

While Black folks have been protesting on the frontlines to demand justice for George Floyd and to call for the eradication of police brutality and racism, there’s one man who is trying to caution us against “Black supremacy” in the process— actor Terry Crews.

The Brooklyn-Nine-Nine star came under fire for a tone-deaf tweet he posted Sunday, writing that White and Black people must work together to defeat White supremacy or else there is a risk of creating “Black supremacy.”

Of course, Black Twitter saw this as an opportunity to drag Crews for once again proving that he doesn’t stand with the plight of the people, and for his use of the term “Black supremacy,” which many feel isn’t valid ideology nor does it aid in the progression of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth.Like it or not, we are all in this together.

— terry crews (@terrycrews) June 7, 2020

Celebrities even spoke out against crews, including his former Everybody Hates Chris co-star Tyler James Williams, who played his son, Amanda Seales and Orlando Jones.

Black supremacy? We represent 13% of US population, hold no institutional power & gaslight our coworkers. We got 99 problems and your math isn’t the only 1. #StrongerTogether https://t.co/cprFHDQMVJ

— Orlando Jones (@TheOrlandoJones) June 8, 2020

I’m not trying to call you out @terrycrews. You know it’s all love always . But we’re rightfully angry right now and fed up with anyone not with our cause wholeheartedly. I don’t want to see that energy pointed your way or diverted from the cause.

— Tyler James Williams (@TylerJamesWill) June 8, 2020

WELP! Now we know why @terrycrews threw @itsgabrielleu under the bus. Always beware of coons in the midst.

— Amanda Seales (@amandaseales) June 8, 2020

3: @terrycrews tweets and previous actions are a demonstration of anti-blackness. When you use yourself in any way to obstruct the truth of another black person’s PRO-BLACK experience you are a coon. He did that with Gab and he’s doing that with this movement.

— Amanda Seales (@amandaseales) June 8, 2020

I love you as a friend Brother Terry. But I disagree with you 100 %. No such thing as Black Supremacy. That is a tactic that Racist whites use to counteract our rebellion to their horrific treatment of us. It’s called Gas lighting. Black pride isn’t anti white.

— godfrey (@GodfreyComedian) June 8, 2020

After the swift backlash, Crews went on to clarify his comments, stating that what was said came from a “spirit of love and reconciliation.” 

Please know that everything I’ve said comes from a spirit of love and reconciliation, for the Black community first, then the world as a whole, in hopes to see a better future for Black people.

— terry crews (@terrycrews) June 8, 2020

He added, “I believe it is important we not suffer from groupthink, and we keep minds of our own, and be allowed to ask difficult questions to each other. I believe this dialogue is important as we get through this trauma together. I love you.”

Crews also oddly questioned critics who called him an Uncle Tom, saying that if they so they’d be “a Black supremacist, because they have determined who’s Black and who is not.”

Just so that we’re all clear: White supremacy is the idea that White people are superior than other races and therefore should dominate society. So if the Black Lives Matter movement is successful, it wouldn’t create Black supremacy as Crews believes because the movement’s aim is to gain equity not superiority.

This isn’t the first time this year, Black Twitter had to collectively drag Crews for his lack of support for “us.” The America’s Got Talent host previously faced questions when he was criticized for not supporting Gabrielle Union after she spoke out against racism on set on the show. 

While celebrities and fans of the show supported Union after being fired, Crews praised the show and said he’d never experienced racism on set and it was “the most diverse place I have ever been in my 20 years of entertainment.”

After experiencing a lashing from fans, he apologized to Black women and said: “I hear you, I respect you, and understand you” without mentioning Union.

The post Terry Crews Faces Backlash Over ‘Black Supremacy’ Comments appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

After almost three months of lockdown, New York City has begun phase one of its reopening plan on Monday.

According to the New York Times, that means some 400,000 nonessential workers could begin returning to construction jobs, manufacturing sites, retail stores (limited to curbside, in-store pickup or drop off), and other certain industries.

“This is a triumphant moment for New Yorkers who fought back against the disease,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “My message is to stick to it.”

New York City has been hit particularly hard by the virus, with more than 200,000 confirmed cases, and almost 22,000 dead.

As CNN notes, at the height of the pandemic, more than 500 people were dying each day from the virus in the city. However, the numbers of since shrunk considerably with 35 dying on Saturday and 45 dying on Sunday across the entire state.

“Compared to where we were, this is a big sigh of relief,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, according to CNN.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2020/05/03: A medical worker applauds along with the crowd outside the NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan amid the coronavirus pandemic. New York City continues to see a decrease in hospitalizations, a sign that confinement and social distancing measures have been effective. (Photo by Braulio Jatar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

As the deaths and hospitalization have slowly dropped, testing has improved as well, reaching some 33,000 people recently, according to the Times, bolstering hopes that contract tracing can stop another wave of the virus.

As businesses start to reopen, Cuomo has also signaled that he will sign an executive order allowing commercial businesses to take the temperature of individuals walking in.

“We’re giving commercial buildings the right to take the temperature of everyone who walks into a building. It’s not just your health, it’s the people you could infect,” Cuomo said.

The post New York City Begins To Reopen After Months Of Restrictions appeared first on Essence.