Category: African-American

Essence Magazine:

Insecure actor Kendrick Sampson was on the front lines Saturday at a protest in Los Angeles where he was hit by rubber bullets and by police batons, injuring him.

Sampson took to Instagram Live Saturday afternoon to share his thoughts on the protest and to show his injuries, which included a cut to the face along with bruising on his chest, arm and leg.

“They shot me four times already. I already got hurt and I got hit with a baton,” Sampson said.

“Y’all ain’t see no police f-cking White folks [up] when they took guns to the statehouse,” he said, referring to the recent protests over self-isolating due to the novel coronavirus. “Y’all didn’t see police attacking White folks, beating them up with batons, shooting them with rubber bullets when they brought guns to f-cking state houses.”

Protests sprang out across the globe—from Hollywood to Harlem, from London to Berlin—after a White Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin murdered a 46-year-old Black man, George Floyd, in broad daylight as three other responding officers watched on. Although Chavin was charged Friday with third degree murder and manslaughter, protests still raged on.

kendrick sampson is the leader we need rn #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/oZIQqyc6y5

— moi. blm (@ciIIiqn) May 31, 2020

Sampson, who is a racial justice activist and organizer, took to Instagram Live to describe the scene in Los Angeles and, as he said to the nearly 7,000 watching at one point, to show “what these motherf-ckers are actually doing to people.”

“I still got blood all over my shit and I’m in pain, I’m not gon’ lie…I wanna go home, but I’m also like are people seeing what’s actually going on and putting it into actual context?” he continued. “I wonder if I go home will people see that shit.”

“They are an unlawful assembly, look,” he said, before turning the camera to show police officers hitting seemingly peaceful protestors with batons.

Protesters complained about being hit with rubber bullets across the nation yesterday, with one photojournalist and author, Linda Tirado, tweeting that she is now permanently blind in one eye due to being hit by a rubber bullet while covering the Minneapolis protest.

an update: I am permanently blind in my left eye, and the docs absolutely refuse to let me go back to work for they say six weeks. I’m definitely not allowed to be near smoke or gas.Usually if I had to stay home I’d spend a lot of time amplifying folk but reading hurts today

— Linda Tirado (@KillerMartinis) May 30, 2020

“I took a rubber bullet to the face. It exploded my eyeball, which has now been patched back together but who knows if it’ll need more surgery,” she detailed on Saturday.

Shooting rubber bullets to protestors’ faces is a strategy often used in other countries, including Chile where a 22-year-old student named Gustavo Gatica was left totally blind last November after being shot by rubber bullets, according to Reuters.

Show up pic.twitter.com/jl9fkEh4eU

— TINASHE (@Tinashe) May 30, 2020

@JColeNC and @Dennis1SmithJr Downtown Fayetteville NC for protest today pic.twitter.com/MwmGzl1Odb

— Richmond . (@HereCumMimi) May 30, 2020

Sampson, who recently stopped by ESSENCE’s Yes, Girl! podcast, was not the only celebrity to lend their fame to the cause. Tinashe also shared she was protesting in Los Angeles, and J. Cole was spotted at a protest in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where Floyd was born.

The post ‘Insecure’ Star Kendrick Sampson Hit By Rubber Bullets At LA Protest appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

During these stressful times, people are prioritizing their health and well-being more than ever in order to protect themselves and their immune systems. One thing that each of us can do everyday is simple though: staying hydrated. Drinking water and staying hydrated, not only allows your body to receive electrolytes and helps your bodily functions to run at optimal levels,  but also helps your body naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness — especially during cold and flu season.

Though many of us know that we need to drink water for survival, many don’t realize that it’s also necessary for optimal nutrition, given that it’s the one nutrient we can’t survive without. 

And even knowing about it’s survival, most still aren’t doing what they need to do. “An estimated 70% of the population is dehydrated at a subclinical level,” says Dr. Ralph E. Holsworth, D.O., Director of Clinical and Scientific Research, Essentia Water. 

He continues, “Proper hydration plays a vital role in overall wellness by optimizing immune function, maintaining proper mucus production, liver and kidney function and also provides dietary satiety. It’s essential to hydrate with electrolytes such as sea salt or an alkaline water, such as Essentia, to support the mineralocorticoids of the adrenal glands to control both physiological and psychological stress.”

But we’ve learned over the years that not all bottled water is created equal (for those who want to skip the tap). In addition to performance focused Essentia, there are a few other brands that not only keep you hydrated, but healthy as well: Ultima Replenisher is an electrolyte powder that is made with all 6 balanced macro-electrolytes plus support minerals, and is the perfect companion in your COVID-19 hydration kit, while OXIGEN contains O4 – two O2 molecules fused together using a proprietary 120-step manufacturing process to create one oxygen super molecule that remains stable in water. That O4 super molecule is bioavailable, which means it enters your bloodstream upon consumption, helping your muscles recover faster, giving your brain clarity. 

“Hydration is vital at all times — including when we’re in the heat outdoors,” says Holsworth.” We do not have the ability to store water, so maintenance of proper hydration requires small and frequent aliquots of water. Humans do have the histamine system to transport cellular water to various parts of the cells, tissues, and organs. Not all waters are absorbed the same.”

This is especially important with the summer months on the horizon. While we may have spent the past few months indoors, states are beginning to open, and many will take every opportunity to head back outside — this is when you need to be prepared the most. “We should be hydrating throughout the day,” says Holsworth. Our bodies are constantly balancing with our physical surroundings, metabolism and physiological requirements, so maintaining rehydration is key. 

You may have heard that there’s no science behind the age-old advice to drink eight cups of water a day, but how much should you be drinking? “Start by drinking ounces per body weight,” encourages Holsworth. “So a 170 lb person would initially drink 170 ounces minimum, and then increase the amount by 10 percent to ensure urination every three hours.”

The post How Staying Hydrated Can Help Support Your Immune System appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Still trying to figure out what to buy for the man who has practically everything? What better gift is there than the gift of health? With more time spent working — and working out — at home, there’s no better time to upgrade dad’s home fitness and health regime so you can spend Father’s Day together for years to come. 

Though he may think he has the essentials down, a few new items will bolster the simplest or most complex workouts. Here are a few gifts for dad that will take his next workout or adventure to the next level — whether you join in or not.

The post Father’s Day Gift Ideas For Dads Who Love To Workout appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

The tall white man was dressed in all black and carrying an umbrella. In one of his hands, he held a hammer and calmly attacked an Auto Zone store in Minneapolis. Black protestors looked at him quizzically, and some even tried to stop him. He’s now known on the Internet as the “umbrella man”.

This unknown man, some who have said was an undercover cop who intentionally was inciting mayhem, is nothing new when it comes to protests. Agent provocateurs place themselves in the center of it all as distractions and are typically masochists and anarchists who are just out wreaking havoc for the thrill or attempting to infiltrate a movement.

Also, I filmed this man shortly before 7pm on 5/27. Fast forward to about 37 seconds. pic.twitter.com/oOG5JpPSNB

— Thomas C. Lang (@ThomasCLang1) May 29, 2020

Of course, it should be no shock to people, that they’re mainly white. And currently, with all of the protests going on across the country, they’re purporting themselves as allies. But beware, they’re anything but.

We’ve seen photos of white people flipping cars. We’ve seen them setting fires. We’ve seen them masked. We’ve seen them wear white bands around their arms, signaling to their fellow plainclothes cop comrades that they’re one of them. And that’s not to say all of these agent provocateurs are cops. But best believe, the ones who are cops, are easily identifiable.

The ones who aren’t cops? The ones burning buildings and masquerading around as if they care about the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery? Those are the ones you should be worried about. Those are the ones destroying cities they don’t live in, and after they get their rocks off, they return to their idyllic home in the suburbs, turn on their televisions and laugh.

If I had to describe the typical personality of one of these agent provocateurs, I’d say they were typical 4chan and Reddit thread members coming to life. These people couldn’t give a damn about the movement they’re infiltrating. They don’t care about Black lives mattering. They’re only there to get off on the destruction.

Agent provocateurs are nothing new and in a lot of instances sometimes the United States government has used them to infiltrate and disrupt movements. And considering we have the biggest agent provocateur living in the White House, it would only make sense that they are also out on the streets during this time of unrest.

The post When Raging Against The Machine Beware Of The White Agent Provocateur appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

When you’re a brand that segmented itself in the beauty industry as a major go-to for false lashes, you really have to bring the heat when you finally launch a mascara. So I had pretty high expectations when Huda Beauty launched its first ever LEGIT Lashes Double-Ended Mascara.

Launched out of Huda Kattan’s undying love for lashes and lack of lush lashes herself, this mascara is poised to be another game changer for the brand.

“For me lashes are the epitome of femininity, which is why I became obsessed with fake lashes since mine are so short and sparse!” said Kattan. “Finally, I have a mascara that gives me the confidence to go falsie-free when I want.”

Huda Beauty LEGIT Lashes Double-Ended Mascara, $27, hudabeauty.com

But does LEGIT Lashes mascara stack up to competitors and falsies?

I typically don’t trust mascara commercials or photo ads. They often use false lashes or rely on tons of post-production touch ups. My eyelashes never look like the ads.

My lashes are so curly that they sometimes touch my eyelids. They’re also long but unruly, and my top corner lashes fall down until they appear to be bottom lashes. These are some of the reasons that I’m so bad at applying false lash strips. And I almost always need to use a primer before I can apply any mascara.

Immediately I noticed that the curl and length side of the LEGIT Lashes wand helped tame my unruly hairs with no primer. It helped to lift up fallen lashes and keep them lifted, and stretched out those super curly ones to give them nice length. Score 1 LEGIT Lashes.

After seeing what the wands did solo I decided to use them together. I noticed that my lashes were dramatically different even before I combined them, but together they really popped. I did need to comb through with a clean spoolie between applications when I used both to avoid too much product buildup. But the result was worth it—I almost got that wispies look.

A model from the LEGIT Lashes campaign(Courtesy Huda Beauty)Me after applying LEGIT Lashes to my top eyelashes (No primer, No filters, no photo touch-ups)

I’m still such a novice at applying lashes so I’m excited about mascara that gives me this much pop. It’s not a substitute for your most dramatic falsies. But it’s the closest you’ll come to falsies in a bottle. And since I’m too frugal to keep getting lash extensions (and honestly concerned about the damage they can cause) I’d rather invest in a mascara that gives me several applications for my money.

Simply put, I think Huda’s got another hit on her hands.

The post Review: Huda Beauty LEGIT Lashes Mascara appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

There are some Verzuz battles that will go down in history—see Jill Scott verzuz Erykah Badu and Beenie Man verzuz Bounty Killer.

But given the recent killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin along with subsequent nationwide protests and social unrest, America needs the upcoming Verzuz battle between gospel greats Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond. 

While music heads have watched hip-hop, R&B and dancehall dominate their quarantine evenings, this is gospel’s first time stepping up to the mic. Get ready for praise and worship on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET as songs such as Hammond’s “No Greater Love” and Franklin’s “I Smile” serve as a temporary balm.

View this post on Instagram

Timb & I had to call a few of our friends!! Join Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond and Bishop TD Jakes for this Sunday’s special edition of VERZUZ – THE HEALING Everyone needs a hug @kirkfranklin @bishopjakes @realfredh song by @keedronbryant@timbaland this one will be special Live on @verzuztv this Sunday 5pm est…

A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz) on May 28, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

And if you thought you were at a real-live Jamaican concert (uh, duh, you were) when Beenie and Bounty teamed up for the ’Gram, just wait for Bishop T.D. Jakes to turn your living room into holy ground. The Potter’s House founder will bless the Franklin verzuz Hammond match up, known as The Healing, with some uplifting opening words.

Like all of the battles before it, the catalogs of Hammond and Frankin are impressive. Hammond’s dates back to 1991 (I Am Persuaded) and Franklin’s starts in 1993 (Kirk Franklin and the Family). 

In a video clip shared on Franklin’s Instagram, Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, are seen fleshing out their gospel-centric battle with “amazing geniuses,” who know how to bring light to these dark times.

“We think our culture needs a hug. We think that we need to heal some people. Well, we need to heal a lot of people,” Swizzy said to the group. “We need to help some people heal this Sunday. Tim, what do you think about that?”

View this post on Instagram

In the midst of all this darkness, let’s celebrate light. Excited to join my brother @realfredh on @verzuztv this Sunday at 5pm EST

A post shared by Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin) on May 28, 2020 at 1:10pm PDT

“I think I need to hear the word,” Tim confessed. “I think we need some anointing because right now, the air is thick, the air is very thick…If we don’t get that anointing and that word and that good celebration anything can happen.”

Let the church say Amen!

The post Kirk Franklin And Fred Hammond Up Next In Verzuz Battle appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

According to multiple reports, the former police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has been taken into custody by Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Calls for Derek Chauvin’s arrest and everyone involved in his killing have led to days of civil unrest in the city. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The investigation is ongoing and could lead to additional charges.

Hennepin County prosecutor Michael Freeman said during a press conference that the three additional officers involved in the case have not been taken into custody, but he “anticipates charges” for them as well. Freeman also added that the prosecutor’s office was focused on getting the “most dangerous” assailant off the streets first.

On Tuesday, news of Floyd’s death, accompanied by the gruesome video detailing his murder, sparked outrage on social media. That anger then spilled onto the streets of Minneapolis, leading to protests and rioting. Many were furious that nobody was arrested in connection to the death of George Floyd, while others were motivated by the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others that have left much of Black America reeling from two pandemics. 

BREAKING: Officer in custody according to Publuc Safety Commissioner Harrington #tptalmanac @tpt @NewsHour pic.twitter.com/xmNyxaUxbP

— Mary Lahammer (@mlahammer) May 29, 2020

Protests have led to the burning of a Minneapolis police station and the destruction of several businesses within the immediate area. The governor of Minnesota has called in the National Guard to help restore order to the streets. Still, activists and protestors have promised to keep fighting for justice as long as the men involved in the case are free. 

“They took a life; now they deserve life,” Philonise Floyd, George’s brother, told Don Lemon earlier this week, “I don’t feel sorry for them. They hurt me; they hurt my family.”  

Freeman says Chauvin’s arrest is the quickest the city of Minneapolis has acted in any officer-involved murder case. He also added that his office waited to collect all the evidence needed in the case before bringing charges. “The case is now ready,” Freeman told reporters, “and we have charged it.”

This story is still developing.

The post Former Minneapolis Police Officer Responsible For George Floyd’s Death Arrested, Charged With Murder appeared first on Essence.

Essence Magazine:

Former President Barack Obama is speaking out about the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, while calling for a new “normal” in the United States.

In his statement, which he shared on Twitter, the president also referenced the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while jogging down the street; as well as the incident involving Christian Cooper, who was harassed by a white woman who threatenedto call the cops on him for asking her to leash her dog—noting that these are the sad, “normal” realities of Black life in America.

“It’s natural to wish for life ‘to just get back to normal’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us,” Obama wrote, referencing the current crisis with the novel coronavirus COVID-19. “But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’— whether it’s while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”

My statement on the death of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/Hg1k9JHT6R

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 29, 2020

The former president insisted that we should not accept this as normal; and he called on everyone, including those in law enforcement, to come together to seek justice and bring about a “new normal.”

“It will fall mainly on the officials of Minnesota to ensure that the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death are investigated thoroughly and that justice is ultimately done,” the president said at the end of his note. “But it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station—including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day—to work together to create a ‘new normal’ in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”

The post Barack Obama Speaks Out On George Floyd’s Killing appeared first on Essence.