South Carolina ACLU Joins Fight To Free BLM Protestor In Prison
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 14, 2024

South Carolina ACLU Joins Fight To Free BLM Protestor In Prison

A South Carolina protestor who was sentenced to prison for talking back to police continues the fight for her release.

In the summer of 2020, Brittany Martin joined others in her South Carolina community in protests for the Black Lives Matter movement. Today, she remains in prison for talking back to police while at the demonstrations.

Martin was arrested on multiple charges, including instigating a riot and threatening the lives of police officers. She spent nearly a month in jail for the offense, with an arrest warrant issued the day of her release, as reported by Capital B.

Since her first detainment, Martin became entangled in years of pre-trial litigation before she was sentenced in May 2022. The mother, however, remains adamant about her wrongful arrest and conviction. Now, her supporters continue to advocate for not only her release but also her exoneration.

Martin is currently being held at the Logan Correctional facility in Lincoln, Illinois, for breaching the peace in a high and aggravated manner. The charge has been used before in South Carolina to criminalize protestors’ actions and discourage using their right to organize. Her trial lawyer says that Martin was solely convicted for speaking her mind during the demonstration.

Martin’s prison sentence is another case among organizers who faced legal trouble for engaging in protests. Her appeal is now being handled by the South Carolina Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which details that “discriminatory enforcement” of common laws led to her conviction.

“With this kind of vagueness in criminal laws, [it] leads to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. That is exactly what we’re seeing in Ms. Martin’s case,” stated her appellate attorney, Meredith McPhail.

While in prison, Martin is leaning on the community as they rally behind her and the fight for freedom.

“What I am asking for the public, from God’s people, is to help me survive this,” expressed the social justice advocate. “Give that same energy that I was given when I was out there. The same love, candor and care … is what I need for my life to be saved so that I can come out and celebrate that moment with everyone of my exoneration.”

Martin is expected to be released in March 2025.

Neo-nazi, WHITE SUPREMACIST, TRUMP
by Sharelle B. McNair

March 14, 2024

White Supremacist ‘Active Clubs’ Use Trump’s Fat-Shaming Tactics To Recruit For Race War 

This is highly disturbing....

A growing network of white supremacist fitness clubs is emerging across the United States by openly fat-shaming former President Donald Trump and his supporters and recruiting men to prepare for a race war, Business Insider reported. 

Known as “active clubs,” disenfranchised white men are the ideal members and are being recruited to prepare for a race war. Often promised a strong sense of community, with martial arts practice or workout regimens to cover up a cynical agenda, another tactic bonding over the disdain of Trump’s size. Once aligned with the viewpoints of the former president, members now openly criticize him for not moving fast enough to advance their extremist agenda or not being “a true revolutionary.”

“The groups I track have long since turned on Trump,” Southern Poverty Law Center researcher Jeff Tischauser said. He said many view Trump as a “puppet to Jewish interests who steal their nationalist rhetoric to win votes” and “cannot be counted on to enact nationalist policies.”

Videos, posted on an app called Telegram by the Alamo Active Club and Nashville movement associates, show clips of Trump rally attendees, described as either overweight or people of color, along with mocking Trump’s weight. 

The concept was inspired by Robert Rundo, who founded the white supremacist MMA club, “Rise Above Movement.” His ideology of “white nationalism 3.0” advocates for nationalists to operate in smaller, decentralized groups to improve their online image and avoid issues with law enforcement. 

Researchers are finding the clubs’ growth is becoming a key stable in white supremacy radicalization. “They are quickly becoming one of the most prominent vectors for white terrorist radicalization in the United States in recent years,” Jon Lewis, a Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said.

“They’re training for what they view to be this kind of inevitable race war, this inevitable violent clash for the future of civilization.” 

Once welcomed in, the group’s extremist views are revealed, often filled with neo-Nazi imagery, racist and antisemitic memes, and racist articles about people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. A former member told Vice News things get started by simply making racist jokes to new members and beginning conversations about articles tackling ethnic-based issues. 

Sooner than later, extremist ideology is introduced. “They believe that there’s an inevitable cultural war that’ll come, and because they tie culture directly to race, a culture war means race war,” the identified person said.

“They never were like, ‘You need to learn how to fight so you can beat up people of color. It was like, ‘You need to learn how to fight because people want to kill you in the future.'” 

In 2023, a report from the Counter Extremism Project highlighted close to 46 active clubs in 34 states. Lewis said one of the most important strength values is their ability to recruit white men nationwide, encouraging them to organize and lead their own clubs.

“This is an unprecedented growth. I’ve never seen a network in right-wing extremism grow so fast. Usually, it takes years to build a transnational network,” Alexander Ritzmann, report author, said. “It’s concerning.” 

These clubs don’t just find homes in the United States. Some have been found overseas in Denmark, France, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Canada. Once just housed online, members have begun to make real-life appearances, primarily at anti-LGBTQ protests. 

Isiah Thomas, Apology, Michael Jordan, beef
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 14, 2024

Isiah Thomas Wants Public Apology From Michael Jordan

Will he ever get it though?

These two NBA Hall of Famers haven’t played against each other since the 1990s, yet the beef between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas still exists, and Thomas wants Jordan to apologize to him publicly.

Former Detroit Pistons legend Thomas, affectionately known as “Zeke” during his playing days, appeared on Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green’s latest episode of The Draymond Green Show. During the conversation, Green asks Zeke if there is any way that the relationship with Jordan could be salvageable, to which the former Piston states an emphatic “no!”

“No. This dude got on national television, international television, and called me an a**hole,” Zeke responds. “Somebody who has been really good to him. Until he apologizes on international television, there is no conversation. You can not apologize and have a private dinner. When you embarrassed me publicly, and you didn’t mean it, say it publicly. If you meant it, let it stand. I am good with that.”

This isn’t the first time Thomas has talked about his beef with Jordan. He stated that he never knew that there was bad blood between him and the six-time NBA champion until he viewed the 2020 documentary series The Last Dance.

While speaking at the ForbesBlk summit in Atlanta last year on Nov. 6, Thomas told the audience about it.

“I didn’t know we had beef. I really didn’t,” Thomas said. “And if you see me in that interview, I’m dressed in a three-piece suit. We did the interview right across the street from NBA TV. Jordan and his producer called me themselves and said, ‘Hey, we want you to participate in the documentary. Michael admires you, so forth, and so on, can’t tell the story without you.'”

During the documentary, Jordan spoke about how Thomas and the Pistons played defense against him and the Chicago Bulls, where they instituted “The Jordan Rules.” The Pistons intentionally played Jordan more physically than other players. When the Bulls finally outplayed the Pistons in the 1991 playoffs to eliminate them, the rivalry was so intense that Thomas and the rest of the team stormed off the basketball court without shaking their hands.

Gang violence, Haiti
by Sharelle B. McNair

March 14, 2024

Rising Gang Violence In Haiti Forces Emergency Caribbean Leadership Meeting

Something has to be done..and fast!

Caribbean leaders have called for an emergency meeting in Jamaica following a “dire” situation in Haiti. 

Members of the Caricom – a 15-member intergovernmental community – invited the United States, France, the United Nations, and Brazil to a meeting scheduled for Mar. 11 to discuss the relentless attacks that have left Haiti crippled for more than a week. Haitian gangs launched massive attacks on at least three police stations in the capital city of Port-Au-Prince on Mar. 8 and carried them out to the next day. 

In a combined statement from the Caricom, they acknowledge regional leaders are still committed to bringing opposing parties and civil society groups together for a unified government, but “stakeholders are not yet where they need to be.”

“It is vital that this engagement be at as high a level as possible to send a clear message of unity between Caricom and the international community as we work together to provide the critical support to the Haitian people at this time of crisis for them,” the statement read. 

For months, leadership has been working to get political actors to agree to form a transitional unified government. However, residents are tired of waiting, leaving many who may have been forced from their homes due to the violence to take matters into their own hands. “We are the ones who pay taxes, and we need to have shelter,” one woman said anonymously.

“They (the gangs) came with big guns. We have no guns and cannot defend ourselves,” another unidentified resident said. “All of us, the children, are suffering.”  

The violence was so intense that members of the European Union forced their staff to evacuate, describing “dramatic security deterioration.”

European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano issued a statement in response to the decision. “As a response to the dramatic security deterioration, we took the decision to reduce our activities on the ground and we moved the staff of [the] EU delegation in Port-au-Prince to a safer location outside the country,” Stano said.  

“This is not really helping the people of Haiti who have been suffering for a very long time.”

Haiti has been stricken with economic and structural crises for years. With limited food and water supply, the World Food Programme says that close to five million people – half of the island’s population suffer from acute hunger. And without a functioning government for more than a year, a solution has yet to be identified. 

The country’s previous president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in July 2021 and was succeeded by the unelected current prime minister, Ariel Henry, who is refusing to step down. However, In February 2024, Henry agreed to hold general elections by mid-2025, and the international community has worked to find foreign armed aid willing to fight against gang violence.

Darryl Strawberry, trump, pardon
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 14, 2024

Darryl Strawberry Recovering From Heart Attack

We wish him a speedy recovery.

Former MLB player Darryl Strawberry, who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Tuesday, March 12, is recovering from a recent heart attack.

According to MLB.com, the former New York Mets superstar spent his birthday in a hospital bed after suffering a heart attack  on Monday, March 11. He posted a message on his Instagram account thanking the doctors and staff at St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis, Missouri, for saving his life.

“So thankful for the medical team and staff at St. Joseph West in Lake St. Louis for responding so quickly and bringing me through a [stint] procedure that has brought my heart to total restoration!!! Your prayers are so absolutely appreciated as I continue to recover, in Jesus Name!”

The Mets announced earlier this year that Strawberry will have his No. 18 uniform retired at the team’s home stadium, Citi Field, on June 1. His teammate, Dwight Gooden, will have his No. 16 jersey retired on April 14. Gooden will be the ninth, and Strawberry the 10th player to have their jerseys hanging from the stadium’s rafters. They will join former Met players Willie Mays, Keith Hernandez, Jerry Koosman, Mike Piazza, Jackie Robinson, Tom Seaver, Gil Hodges, and Casey Stengel.

Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, released a statement on Tuesday morning, sending well wishes to Strawberry.

“On behalf of the entire organization, we are sending positive thoughts to Darryl Strawberry, his wife Tracy, and his entire family after last night’s heart attack. We are looking forward to Straw’s speedy recovery and welcoming him for his number retirement ceremony on June 1.”

Strawberry played in the league for 17 years after being drafted with the number one pick by the Mets in the 1980 MLB Draft. The outfielder won Rookie of the Year in 1983 when he hit 26 home runs for the team. He still holds the team’s career home run record with 252.

Joe Biden, homebuyers, homes, money
by Sharelle B. McNair

March 14, 2024

President Joe Biden Proposes $10,000 Tax Credit For First-Time Homebuyers 

Biden is putting in the work!

President Joe Biden is proposing a new way to combat the crippling housing market by proposing a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. 

A separate credit would also help owners get out of a “starter home” — defined as homes below the median home price in their county — and grab keys to a bigger house. Announcing it during the State of the Union address on Mar. 7, Biden feels it would assist homeowners in moving on after locking in low mortgage rates during the pandemic and being afraid to face significantly higher mortgage rates. 

Americans must earn six figures to buy a typical home, compared to just $59,000 in 2020. Housing prices have moved by 27% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with mortgage rates increasing, the cost of buying a house comes with a heavier price tag. 

Affordable housing advocates, including National Housing Council CEO David M. Dworkin, are praising the ideas of the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. However, the plan must first be voted on by Congress, as Dworkin called it “the most consequential State of the Union address on housing in more than 50 years.” Tax credits would help Americans of all ages and creeds tackle the rising issue of lowering the cost of purchasing a home. 

Here’s how it would work: First-time homebuyers would qualify for an annual tax credit of $5,000 over two years, equal to $10,000. Geared towards middle-class families, the credits would be limited to households earning under $200,000. A tax credit would also be open to current homeowners who already own starter homes. The owners would then have to sell their home to another owner-occupant over an investor. 

Homebuyers looking to build can also take advantage of the plan. The Biden Administration also proposed efforts to fund the construction of affordable homes and rental units. With the new Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit, providing an incentive to build or renovate starter homes or properties appealing to first-time homebuyers, the plan could potentially lead to 2 million new units. 

With the overall goal of helping melt a frozen real estate market and make homebuying more affordable, some critics say the tax credits will lead to a rise in demand without increasing supply – which would circle back to an issue of affordability. Jaret Seiberg of investment bank TD Cowen called the plan “disappointing.”

He feels it doesn’t address the need for entry-level homes in the areas homebuyers actually want to live in.  

But Biden feels the plan would help over three million middle-class families buy their first home by providing a fair 1.5% reduction for two years on the median-priced home. “Many homeowners have lower rates on their mortgages than current rates,” the White House said. “This ‘lock-in’ effect makes homeowners more reluctant to sell and give up that low rate, even in circumstances where their current homes no longer fit their household needs.”

The plan may take some time to implement before the November 2024 election. However, Biden wants Congress to pass legislation so homebuyers would receive the credit they could claim on tax returns starting during the 2024 or 2025 tax year.

Glen
by Daniel Johnson

March 13, 2024

Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis Wants Us To Know He Filmed Porn

Well, this was a weird flex.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis wants folks to know that despite a conviction for healthcare fraud, he has other talents, including shooting adult films, Complex reports.

This is in conjunction with a video circulating where Davis “jokes” about potentially raping a woman because she smells good and left her scent lingering inside a building. According to TMZ, Davis issued an apology for the old video, which has circulated along with the adult film director’s revelation.

Then, on Instagram, Davis defended his onetime occupation.

“Listen, everybody got so mad about my porn,” Davis said. “That was just an experience in my life and I just posted it. Right? As basketball players, we’re kind of low-key porn stars. So, I just wanted to see, I didn’t f*** those girls. I just was watching and admiring and getting good shots. C’mon bro. I love film, I love production and I wanted to try it out so I have that experience. I know how to shoot porn.”

According to Sportkeeda, Davis retired from the NBA following the 2014-2015 season, ostensibly to focus on his film career. At the time, the outlet reported that he told TMZ, “I’m gonna put basketball in a hole. I have some opportunities with some movies and things like that so directing and doing some stuff executive producing some stuff. Got a Pistol Pete (Maravich) movie coming out soon.”

It is unclear if anything ever became of the Maravich movie, but Davis did eventually end up shooting some movies—just not the family-friendly variety. 

Glen “Big Baby” Davis was convicted for his role in a scheme to defraud the NBA’s healthcare plan.

Carmelo Anthony, soccer trial, Puerto Rico, invstment
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 13, 2024

Carmelo Anthony Reveals He Wore Jordans At Adidas ABCD Camp

On his recent podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony revealed that although he attended the Adidas ABCD (Academic Betterment and Career Development) Camp as a high school phenom, he wore sneakers from the sponsor’s competitor, Nike.

At the time, the summer camp featured the top high school players in the country, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Stephon Marbury. Anthony, AKA Melo, grew up in Baltimore and attended Towson Catholic High School in Maryland. He transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, whose basketball team was sponsored by Jordan Brand, so he already had an allegiance to the brand. He spoke about being the only player to have worn Jordans at the camp sponsored by Adidas.

“In the history of Adidas camps, in Adidas history ever, anything Adidas and there was no disrespect to Adidas, I was the only person that ever wore Jordans to the Adidas camp,” Melo commented. “This is a fact. I think it was the 16s, like the Cranberry 16s or 17, 16 one of them, but that was the only way I would go to the camp.”

He felt a sense of loyalty because he was already attending a Jordan Brand-sponsored school, although he mentioned playing in games sponsored by both brands.

“So when I get down there, I said, ‘Damn, this is a Jordan school.’ But again, I played for the Adidas circuit, so I played in the Adidas big-time camp, but I also played for the Nike circuit. It was like whoever was whatever we doing, I’m just out here at that point in time and I don’t really care about the sneakers at that point in time. I cared about getting them, but I don’t know none of that.”

After attending Syracuse University for only one year, where he won an NCAA Championship before being drafted by the Denver Nuggets, Melo was signed to Jordan Brand as the first signature athlete with the burgeoning company. Jordan selected him to be the first one, and Melo was given a six-year contract.

KANSAS CITY POLICE, BLACK WOMEN
by Stacy Jackson

March 13, 2024

3 Black Women Sue Missouri To End State Governance Of Kansas City Police

Three women, including the mother of a 24-year-old who was killed by a Kansas City officer, are suing Missouri Governor Mike Parson and other state officials.

A groundbreaking federal lawsuit has been filed by three Black women against the state of Missouri who are challenging the state’s control over the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD).

The plaintiffs say the arrangement perpetuates systemic racism and denies equal rights to Black citizens. The lawsuit backs its racism and inequality claims by citing the original law, formed back in 1861, which was “to keep Black people captive, and to deny Black people basic human rights and dignities,” according to KCUR.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, further claims that the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners’ governance structure is “an effort to keep slavery legal and Black people in chains.” KCUR reports that the lawsuit hits the core of a controversial arrangement that benefited the Confederacy to control the city and St. Louis’ weapons during the Civil War era.

Plaintiff Narene Crosby, whose son Ryan Stokes was killed by KCPD in 2013, said: “My family has gotten no apology, no accountability, and no justice. They took my only son and then called it a ‘tragic mistake.'”

The lawsuit also references the aforementioned 1861 law enabling state control, saying, “The legislature passed the police bill with the direct knowledge and awareness that the law would be used to further discriminate against Black people by keeping them enslaved and considered property.”

Arguing that KCPD operates with impunity, the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit: “KCPD are effectively unaccountable to those whom they police.” In contrast, they noted that Jackson County residents can vote for their sheriff, a democratic process denied by KCPD leadership.

Per KCUR, Kansas City is the sole U.S. city that lacks local jurisdiction over its police force—a relic of Confederate efforts to control the metropolis and its weapons caches. The governor appoints four seats on the police board, while the mayor holds the fifth and final position.

RELATED CONTENT: Kansas City Cops Shoot Unarmed Pregnant Black Woman Suspected In Carjacking

Makeup, black beauty brands
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 13, 2024

Forever The Blueprint: Black Beauty Brands Are The New Go-To For All Shoppers, Report Says

Black beauty brands are taking over, emerging as the go-to companies for shoppers of all races.

A new report has revealed an uptick in sales for Black-owned beauty brands from shoppers of all backgrounds. However, the upward trend comes amid a decline in venture funding for these very companies.

The Economic Advancement Report by the Braintrust Founders Studio recorded that consumer spending reached $142 million in 2023. The data was collected through the studio’s partnership with 209 beauty company founders whose sales reached the amount. Black women accounted for 91% of the group.

The numbers increased by 42% from 2022, with venture-backed companies only accounting for a little under $100 million in sales. The racial diversity of customers and increased profits are assumed to stem from the social media followings of these founders and their companies. The racial makeup of their follower lists reflects the demographics of shoppers.

The news also comes at a time when venture capital funding is scarce for diverse entrepreneurs, especially women, as venture funding for Black founders has dwindled to .05%. While this obstacle has prevented newer Black-owned beauty brands from taking off, it has not stopped established companies from growing.

Fortunately, the data assures that these businesses are not dependent on a majority Black consumer base for profits. In fact, customers of Asian, Hispanic, and white descent combined bought more products than their Black counterparts.

“These data further prove Black entrepreneurs create beauty and wellness products that everyone buys,” explained Kendra Bracken-Ferguson and Lisa Stone, co-founders of the BrainTrust Fund. “Despite the fact that venture funding to Black founders has fallen to a three-year low, Black beauty and wellness entrepreneurs are growing the American economy with new, innovative products and services that drive sales by leading retailers, online and in-store, and create jobs. We are celebrating this commercial and cultural leadership by our members, most of whom are Black women.”

This achievement indicates the profitability and longevity of Black beauty brands. As they find new ways to thrive within the beauty and wellness sphere, they are also forging a path for more diverse founders to come next.

RELATED CONTENT: Melissa Butler’s The Lip Bar is the Leading Black-Owned Brand in Target

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