Mary J. Blige’s ‘My Life’ Documentary Shines A Light On Singer’s Darkest Days
Mary J. Blige’s My Life documentary is coming to Amazon Prime Video on June 25 and it is a real, raw exposé that takes a look into her darkest days, suicidal thoughts, and her battle with addiction.
The Grammy-winning singer whose 1994 critically album My Life was highly personal yet dark and heavy, has risen to become an acclaimed singer, Oscar-nominated actress, and the beloved Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
The forthcoming documentary allows Blige to expose more real-life issues to her fans.
“It’s what I was living, what I was going through, what I’ve been through since I was a 5-year-old little girl… just so much hell,” Blige told Extra.
Per CNN in 2009, Blige opened up her tumultuous life during an official ribbon-cutting for the Mary J. Blige Center for Women.
“I always felt that I wanted to help women, period. As a child I [saw] women really, really suffer terrible, terrible situations, and I vowed as a child to want to do something–anything–that can help them have better self-esteem so that they don’t have to be subjected to men that wanted to kill them,” Blige said in the interview.
Blige’s timing of when and how she is opening up from a stronger place was discussed in a recent interview. The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah asked the famous singer about exposing her personal story through a documentary.
“Well, about two years ago, the whole world was celebrating to 25th anniversary of the My Life album. People were giving testimonies online, and you know, I was running into people. And you know, the whole thing about… this whole album saved my life was coming back up again. And so and it was time, and I felt like it was important to do it years later… on the 25th anniversary,” Blige told Noah.
The official trailer for Mary J. Blige’s My Life can be viewed by clicking this link.
Democrats Press Biden To Extend Pause Of Student Loan Payments
Democrats on Capitol Hill are pushing President Joe Biden to extend the federal student loan payment moratorium by at least six months as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent to Biden that was obtained by NBC News, a group of Democratic lawmakers ask Biden to extend the Sept. 30 deadline for student loan forbearance through March 31, 2022, or until the economy hits pre-pandemic levels, whichever is longest.
The effort is led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.).
“The suspension of payments and interest during the pandemic has provided essential relief to borrowers and their families during this economic and public health crisis,” the group wrote to Biden. “Restarting payments, however, will present a significant challenge for borrowers, loan servicers, and the Department of Education (ED), and we urge you not to let the payment pause lapse when borrowers are still depending on this financial relief.”
Biden has been under pressure to deal with student loans since he was inaugurated. On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order pausing student loan payments until October 2021. Neither Biden nor the Education Department has indicated whether another extension will occur.
Yahoo News reported a survey of nearly 24,000 student loan borrowers conducted earlier this month showed 9 in 10 respondents across all 50 states are not ready to resume making payments this October.
In their letter, the group noted resuming payments will affect the people that were most affected by the pandemic, Black Americans and minorities, who also make up a disproportionate share of student borrowers.
In April, White House Spokesman Ron Klain announced Biden directed the Education Department to prepare a memo examining the legal authority Biden has to wipe out debt through executive action. At the time, Klain said he was hopeful it would be a matter of a “few weeks” before the memo was on the president’s desk.
However, that was three months ago and there hasn’t been an update from the White House or the Education Department. In their letter, the group urged Biden to complete the process before the deadline passes.
Student loan debt is the third-highest debt Americans carry after mortgage ($10.31 trillion) and auto debt ($1.35 trillion).
Nancy Pelosi Announces New Committee To Probe Jan. 6 Attack On U.S. Capitol
Reuters – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday there will be a new House committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, after Senate Republicans in May blocked the creation of an independent commission to probe the assault.
Speaking at a news conference, Pelosi, a Democrat, declined to spell out a timeline for the panel to investigate, saying it will be “as long as it takes”. She gave no details of the make-up of the panel, but made clear both parties would be expected to name members, saying she hoped that House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy will appoint “responsible people” to the panel.
Pelosi said it would have been preferable to have an outside commission, and that she had not totally given up on that idea. The House passed legislation to set up an independent bipartisan commission, but Senate Republicans blocked it, saying existing committee probes as well as prosecutors’ investigations made it unnecessary.
“We see this as complementary, not instead of, and hopeful that there could be a commission at some point,” Pelosi said.
In an assault that stunned America, hundreds of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a failed attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. The violence left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer. More than 480 people have been arrested on charges linked to the attack.
Trump, who left office later in January, has repeatedly falsely alleged that his electoral defeat in November was due to voter fraud, a claim dismissed by multiple courts, state election officials and his own administration’s review.
“The Capitol of the United States has always been a glorious beacon of democracy for the American people and the world,” Pelosi said. She said that the select committee will be “about seeking and finding the truth” about the events of Jan. 6.
(Reporting by Susan Cornwell Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Frances Kerry)
Pharrell’s Family Is Suing Virginia Beach For $50M In Wrongful Death Lawsuit Of 25-Year-Old Cousin
Song producer and musical artist Pharrell Williams’s cousin got shot and killed by Virginia Beach police and was buried on his birthday. Now the family is seeking $50 million from the city and requesting a jury trial in a wrong death lawsuit.
Donovon Lynch was allegedly killed by officer Solomon Simmons, though the police department has not confirmed the officer’s identity, Revolt.TV reported.
Lynch’s father, Wayne Lynch, and the rest of family members, are accusing Simmons of excessive force and his 25-year-old son was fatally while being innocent.
Celebrity attorney Alex Spiro, who has represented Jay-Z and Robert Kraft, and Attorneys Josh Coe and Anthony Gantous of Anchor Legal Group, are representing Lynch family, The Virginian Pilot reported.
The shooting took place at the Oceanfront two months ago during a chaotic night of shootings – in the area, police were investigating three shootings that took place.
Donavan and a friend were running into their cars when Simmons “immediately, unlawfully and without warning” fired his gun twice, the lawsuit stated.
Police said Donavan was “brandishing” a handgun, something the Lynch family and a witness are denying.
Attorneys said the officer knew who was Donovon because he was a 6’5” 305-pound and a former offensive lineman for the University of Virginia College at Wise in addition to being Pharrell’s cousin.
It is also being reported the officer lack of training using death force, blaming the city for not training him well.
In separate lawsuit, the Lynch is also suing Simmons for $350,000.
The shooting of Donovan was not captured on police body cam for some reason, though said the incident is being investigated with Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott requested an independent probe by the Department of Justice.
“They spent $5.5 million on bodycams and dashcams and they’re not then utilized,” Wayne told WAVY-TV after Donovon’s death. “They know my family; they know we not like this. It ain’t anything to do with none of that and for them to betray him like that is wrong.”
Pharrell spoke up the incident in an interview with Town & Country Magazine, saying, “We had to bury my cousin on my birthday,” he said.
“It was bittersweet. The way he died was bitter. Where he is right now is sweet. I wasn’t able to deliver the speech with the fire and intention I wanted because I was just choked with emotion. It’s not just the loss of life. It’s also the cause of the loss of life. And it’s a much larger problem, you know?,” the Grammy-winning artist said. “Knowing that if Donovon had been white he wouldn’t have gotten shot multiple times and left in the street for an inhumane amount of time, ’til the next morning, no gun in hand—that’s gravity. The race of the officer doesn’t pertain to the conversation because if Donovan had been white they would have never shot him like that. So, there is gravity. And there, too, is hope that things will change.”
HUD Secretary: Student Loan Debt Lowers Black Homeownership
Appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Marcia Fudge said one major problem that needs to be addressed about housing equity is student loan debt.
As explained by Axios on HBO, Black homeownership rates have gone down while other races have seen better results.
“Part of our problem is that we have never totally enforced the Fair Housing Act,” Fudge answered. “That is why we are doing things like homeownership assistance, why we’re addressing the student loan issue, why we’re looking at how credit is distributed. For people of color, especially Black people, homeownership is wealth. It is not only wealth to us, but it is generational wealth.”
“Who has student debt? Poor people, Black people, brown people,” Fudge added. “We’re the people who carry most debt. And so the system’s already skewed toward us not being creditworthy.”
A report from The Hill shows that 1,000 people surveyed said that student loans affect their spending habits, especially in making riskier choices like buying a home.
Thirty-five percent of students, regardless of race, who are in debt have stopped repaying their loans, while the remaining 64 percent have lowered their payments.
One of the president’s campaign promises is forgiving $10,000 of people’s loans. Poll results show some are confident he will deliver on it (44.8 percent), some are under the impression the promise will not be kept (31.8 percent), and some are indifferent or unsure what to believe (23.4 percent).
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, homeownership is surging among all millennials, including Black millennials. Bia lack people owning homes grew to 47 percent in the second quarter of 2020. The first quarter was 44 percent.
However, there is a homeowner rate gap between 20 percent and 30 percent amongst Black and White people that has persisted for more than 100 years.
The Isley Brothers Will Have Two Streets Renamed After Them In New Jersey
The honors one receives over the course of a successful career may include proclamations, awards, recognitions, and financial stability.
One of the most successful groups in history, The Isley Brothers, will now have not one, but two streets renamed after the group in the state of New Jersey.
The famous brothers who had recently participated in a Verzuz battle against the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire this past April, posted the message recently on social media.
“Join us on Thursday, June 24, for the official street renaming on the corner of Van Arsdale Pl. and Van Cortland Ter. Teaneck in. New Jersey!”
According to North Jersey, The Isley Brothers are being honored in the North Jersey towns of Englewood and neighboring Teaneck. “I’m truly grateful and humbled that Teaneck and Englewood, two cities that are so near and dear to me, have chosen to honor the Isley Brothers in this way,” Ron Isley said.
The two separate ceremonies will occur on the same day as a stretch of Van Arsdale Place in Teaneck and a stretch of Liberty Road in Englewood will both be renamed in honor of the brothers, The Isley Brothers Way.
“We had feelings for both places,” said Ernie Isley, who had once lived on Liberty Road in Englewood. He and his brother Ron, who had previously lived on Van Arsdale in Teaneck, will be there for the twin re-christening ceremonies. The first will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Van Arsdale and Van Cortlandt Terrace in Teaneck, and then at 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Liberty Road and Greenleaf Avenue in Englewood.
“This is something very special to Ernie, me, and the whole Isley family, and something we don’t take for granted.”
‘Free’ LGBTQ+ Pride Event in Seattle to Charge White People ‘Reparation Fees’
White attendees will have to pay $50 in “reparation fees” if they want to attend a Seattle Black LGBTQ+ Pride event at Jimi Hendrix Park, The New York Daily News reported.
Taking place on Saturday, June 26, the “Taking B(l)ack Pride” aims as being a safe space for Black and brown members of the LGBTQ+ community and a source to lift up their “voices, narratives, and contributions.”
“All are free to attend HOWEVER this is a BLACK AND BROWN QUEER TRANS CENTERED, PRIORITIZED, VALUED, EVENT,” organizers pointed out on the Seattle Pride website.
“White allies and accomplices are welcome to attend but will be charged a $10 to $50 reparations fee that will be used to keep this event free of cost for BLACK AND BROWN Trans and Queer COMMUNITY,” the description continued.
Although the intent of the organization is to bring awareness to Black and brown LGBTQ+ lives, the perception of charging non-Black and brown people is being seen by some as discrimination.
“We will never charge admission over the color of a person’s skin and resent being attacked for standing in those values,” the statement concluded.
However, the execution of a reparation fee would be widely considered by the Capitol Hill Pride group as a violation of ethics.
“We consider this reverse discrimination in its worse [sic] form and we feel we are being attacked for not supporting due to disparaging and hostile e-mails,” Capitol Hill Pride directors Philip Lipson and Charlette LeFevre both wrote in a letter posted on Twitter.
Lipson and LeFevre have also called upon the Seattle Human Rights Commission to weigh in on the situation, but to their chagrin, the Seattle Human Rights Commission agrees with the reparation fees.
“The unique nature of your situation does not in fact violate any of your human rights as stated in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights,” Seattle HRC said on Twitter. “Black trans and queer peoples are among the most marginalized and persecuted peoples with the LGBTQIA2S+ community.”
“They often face shame not only from the cis-heteronormative community, but within the queer community at large as well. In making the event free for the Black Queer community, the organizers of this event are extending a courtesy so rarely extended; by providing a free and safe space to express joy, share story [sic] and be in community,” the commission wrote.
The commission turned the tables on Lipson and LeFevre, asking them what rights the reparation fees infringe upon and asked the duo to “examine the very real social dynamics and ramifications of this issue.”
Socialist India Walton Defeats Four-Term Buffalo Mayor In Primary Shocker
India Walton, a community activist and Socialist has defeated four-term incumbent Byron Brown in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for the city of Buffalo.
While the election isn’t final yet, the majority of votes cast during early voting and on Tuesday gave Walton large enough of a lead, analysts predict absentee ballots won’t overcome Walton’s lead.
Brown refused to concede Tuesday night but it’s all but guaranteed that Brown, whose political career has included stints as a council member, state senator, chairman of the state Democratic Party and Buffalo mayor, is ending.
Additionally, with no Republican challengers, Walton is all but assured to become the first woman to hold the position in Buffalo’s history and the first self-declared Socialist to be elected to lead a major U.S. city since 1960.
When asked by reporters if she considers herself a socialist, Walton answered quickly.
“Oh, absolutely,” Walton replied. “The entire intent of this campaign is to draw down power and resources to the ground level and into the hands of the people.”
Walton’s platform includes tackling an affordable housing crisis, making Buffalo a sanctuary city, making public safety and police reform, including barring police from responding to mental health calls and checks, discontinuing the enforcement of low-level drug offenses, and requiring unpaid leave for officers under investigation for police brutality.
Last summer, the Buffalo Police Department gained nationwide exposure for shoving 75-year-old Martin Gugino to the ground, giving him a concussion and a fractured skull. Officers Robert McCabe and Aaron Torgalski were charged with second-degree assault, but the charges were later dropped by the Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.
“This victory is ours,” Walton said in her victory speech Tuesday. “And the first of many. If you are in an elected office right now, you are being put on notice: we are coming.”
Walton wasn’t the only politician in the area celebrating a victory Tuesday. In Rochester, about 80 miles east of Buffalo, Malik Warren defeated two-term Mayor Lovely Warren, who was indicted on campaign finance charges last October and widely criticized for her handling of the Daniel Prude killing by Rochester Police.
In Poor Taste: Kodak Black Celebrates Birthday With A Kobe-Inspired Helicopter
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of the most liked and well-respected basketball players in the world. And after his unfortunate death early last year, fans and friends alike continued to mourn his life.
So, it comes as no surprise that when a young rapper, Kodak Black, celebrated his birthday with a Kobe Bryant-themed party that showcased him wearing the late basketball player’s jersey while standing next to a purple and gold helicopter, fans of Bryant were disgusted by the display.
Kodak Black, has been catching heat because of the Instagram post below that shows him posing next to a helicopter in a Bryant jersey. Many hit back saying that posing next to a chopper was in poor taste given that Bryant and his daughter died in a helicopter crash.
According to Rap-Up, Kodak Black, who was recently honored when he received a proclamation for his charitable work by a Broward County commissioner, conducted an interview with Florida radio station 99JAMZ, where he explained his decision to honor the fallen basketball player as he expressed his love for Bryant.
“I heard about his unfortunate demise,” said Kodak Black. “I was already saying like, ‘Man, you know when I come home, I’ma come home on the helicopter.’ And I heard how he passed and I was like, ‘Fam, that’s crazy.’ Maybe it’s a sign not to jump on the helicopter ’cause you know, he KB and I’m KB.”
The controversial rapper was also sentenced to 46 months in prison on federal weapons charges back in 2019 after he had admitted that he falsified information on federal forms to buy four firearms. He had his sentence commuted by former President Trump just before he left the White House in January.
Lawsuit: Minority NYPD Officers Pressured To Arrest Black And Latinx New Yorkers
Four NYPD officers have come forward with new claims that White NYPD officers target Black and Latinx people, based on an off-the-record quota system that targets minorities.
One of the four whistleblowers recalled a White supervisor asking, “Are you going to take someone’s freedom today?”The New York Daily News reported.
The new details of a minority-driven arrest quota will be filed in the Manhattan federal court alongside previous statements made by another group of four minority officers claiming they were punished for not reaching their quotas.
According to the previous group, White officers were not pressured in arresting minorities like minority officers.
A retired Black officer named Charles Spruill reportedly said he witnessed other Black officers being yelled at on a daily basis because they did reach the arrest quotas.
“On one occasion in the 40th Precinct a White supervisor asked an African-American police officer, ‘Are you going to take someone’s freedom today?’” Spruill said in his affidavit. “The African-American police officer had no choice but to say, ‘OK, boss.’ “
One officer who joined the force nearly 13 years ago, Lt. Edwin Raymond, filed a lawsuit against the department in 2015, saying “there’s an unlawful quota for arrests,” CBS New York reported.
Raymond, who was on administrative leave, ran for City Council District 40 in Brooklyn, only securing less than nine percent of the vote, according to City And State.
“Individuals who are not part of this case have made some baseless accusations in new affidavits in an attempt to support plaintiffs’ meritless case,” a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department said. “Mr. Raymond’s claims have no legal merit.”
The Manhattan federal court suit, filed in 2015, has only gotten bigger with more than a dozen current and former NYPD employees backing the claim that officers of color were pressured into arresting people of color.
The performance-monitoring program officers used to improve their policing is alleged to be used to punish officers who don’t meet arrest quotas.
The program also uses coded language to describe race-based arrests: “soft targets” are people who fall in the category of Asian, Jewish, and White, and “hard targets” are blatantly Black and Hispanic people.
“The NYPD has a lot of internal names for the arrest quota, but they all mean the same thing. That officers are supposed to bring in a certain amount of arrests and issue a certain number of summonses per month,” Officer Shawn Smalls, a Black retired officer said in the new affidavits.
“The NYPD calls this arrest quota in the internal lingo of the police department many things. These code names include, but are not limited to, productivity indicators, goals, activity, expectations, condition, and/or performance goals,” he added.
Hispanic officer Michael Soto reportedly said then-commanding officer of the 40th Precinct, Christopher McCormack, randomly lowered minority officers’ performance evaluation scores in 2011 after getting the position. The evaluations determine which officers will get overtime and assignments to specialized units.
“McCormack changed the evaluation for no reason other than to implement a new strategy of hunting minority civilians in order to make the arrest quota,” said Soto. McCormack is now an assistant chief.
Another Hispanic officer named Dan Quinones said his commanding officer at Transit District 34, Capt. Constantin Tsachas, allegedly lowered the performance scores of officers who failed to reach the race-based quota.
“Basically, he would put you on the edge of performance monitoring and then dangle the carrot of overtime in front of the officers. Those officers who needed the overtime to live would have no choice but to go out and manufacture as many arrests and summonses as possible,” said Quinones. “The NYPD used overtime as a way to control its officers.”
Tsachas denied the allegations.
“Minority officers who refuse to hunt Black and Hispanic civilians are stripped of overtime, negatively evaluated, and placed on performance monitoring,” said attorney John Scola, who represents the plaintiffs in the case.
“This toxic culture, which permeates the NYPD, forces officers to choose between standing up for what is right and being able to feed their families.”
