US Army Expands Hair Guidelines to Include Single Ponytails or Braids
The US Army is expanding its hair guidelines to be more inclusive toward those who wear their hair in braids, locs, or twists.
Earlier this month, the Army announced that women can now wear their hair in ponytails in all uniforms, NPR reports. For years, female soldiers were only allowed to wear their hair in a tight bun. Now with the guideline updates, women can add a little more versatility to their updos to include a bun, single ponytail, two braids, or a single braid. The Army noted that pulling the hair into a tight bun could result in hair loss.
For those who wear their hair in locks, braids, twists, or cornrows they can combine their hair into either one or two braids or a ponytail; with their braids or ponytail only allowed to go down as far as to the bottom of the shoulder blades.
The Army made exceptions for ponytail and braid length for those female soldiers doing tactical or physical training. But they didn’t stop there. Women are also allowed to add natural colored highlights to their hair, wear “non-extreme” colored lipstick and nail polish, and earrings for women in combat uniforms. Meanwhile, male soldiers are now allowed to wear clear nail polish.
“Soldiers should avoid using colors that result in an extreme appearance,” as noted by the Army Study Guide. “Applied hair colors that are prohibited include, but are not limited to purple, blue, pink, green, orange, bright (fireengine) red, and fluorescent or neon colors.”
Sgt. Nicole Pierce, a behavioral health noncommissioned officer stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, revealed how “tightening of the bun has really over the years pulled my hair out.” It also led to postpartum hair loss and headaches.
She credits the updated hair guidelines with giving her “happiness of just having the option of how we want to do our hair: bun, ponytail, braids. I’m just excited that we have options.”
Republicans Infrastructure Bill Falls Well Short Of President Biden’s Package
Reuters – U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a new $928 billion offer to revitalize America’s roads, bridges and broadband systems on Thursday, which fell well short of President Joe Biden‘s latest infrastructure proposal but proved substantial enough to keep negotiations alive.
The eight-year plan, from a group of six Republicans led by Senator Shelley Moore Capito, represents their counter-offer to a week-old $1.7 trillion https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-says-it-has-pared-down-infrastructure-proposal-17-trillion-2021-05-21 White House proposal that removed more than $500 billion from Biden’s original $2.25 trillion plan in a bid to reach a bipartisan agreement.
Biden, who had imposed an unofficial end-of-May deadline on infrastructure talks, spoke to Capito by telephone and later said he invited her to contact him again next week, adding: “I told her we have to finish this very soon.”
Capito, the top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, described her call with Biden as “very positive.” She told reporters on Capitol Hill: “He didn’t make any commitment as to the substance, but he wants to continue working. Our teams are getting together … I got clear direction from him, so that’s good. Keep moving forward.”
The Republican proposal includes $506 billion for roads, bridges and major projects, with another $98 billion allocated to public transit. But just $257 billion of the funds represent an increase over existing spending plans, a feature that caught the attention of the White House.
“We remain concerned that their plan still provides no substantial new funds,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement that also said the means to pay for the Republican proposal remained unclear.
Republicans proposed using funds previously authorized for COVID-19 relief to fill a $575 billion gap between expected revenue from the U.S. Highway Trust Fund and the offer’s $928 billion top line.
“We are worried that major cuts in COVID relief funds could imperil pending aid,” the White House statement said.
A primary reason for the gap between the two sides is that each has a different definition of “infrastructure.” Republicans want the bill limited to physical assets, such as roads, airports and pipes, while the White House aims to include social spending programs and education.
Senator Roy Blunt said Republicans are willing to consider other means of paying for the plan, including a fee on electric vehicles and nearly $350 billion in “public-private” investments identified by business leaders.
Reaction among Senate Democrats was mixed.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper said he was encouraged by the proposal and called for negotiations to continue.
Other Democrats flatly rejected the idea of using COVID-19 relief money for infrastructure as a non-starter, while Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown called the offer too small: “We want to go big, the public wants us to go big. They need to pay attention to what the public wants.”
Some Senate Democrats have been pushing to go it alone if Republicans do not reach an agreement soon.
Capito warned that any decision to move forward on a Democratic infrastructure plan without Republican support could have consequences for legislation down the road. “A partisan reconciliation process would be destructive to our future bipartisan attempts,” the West Virginia Republican said.
Senate Democrats could pass a bill without Republican votes through a process called reconciliation that bypasses the chamber’s rule that requires most legislation to have 60 votes to pass. They did so earlier in the year to pass a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill.
But with the chamber divided 50-50, every Democratic senator would have to agree to the maneuver. Multiple moderates have raised concerns about using reconciliation again.
The White House has expressed willingness to negotiate on some of the finer details but has said it wants a large package that expands the definition of infrastructure to include items such as free community college and paid family leave.
To pay for it, the administration has said it is open to any ideas as long as they don’t include asking Americans earning less than $400,000 to pick up the bill.
Republicans initially proposed a $568 billion https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/republicans-vs-biden-whats-their-infrastructure-plans-2021-04-22, five-year plan and increased the top line to around $800 billion over eight years when the two sides met on Capitol Hill on May 18, according to the lawmakers.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Cornwell, Jarrett Renshaw, Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Daniel Wallis)
Black Winemaker Receives a Sizable Boost From Alcohol Giant
Constellation Brands Inc.—a leading alcohol and beverage distributor—announced that it has acquired a minority stake in the fast-rising rosé label, La Fête du Rosé. According to the press release, the Black-owned brand, which was created by winemaker Donae Burston, caters to diverse drinkers who share common interests across travel, food, experiences, and wine. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
On May 13, Miami-based La Fête du Rosé posted a Facebook message stating that in 2020, Constellation Brands Inc. announced that they would invest $100 million in African American/Black and minority-owned businesses in the beverage alcohol space and adjacent categories by 2030.
“We are happy to share that La Fête du Rosé is the first company to secure an investment from Constellation Brands Ventures. We are 100% committed to our mission of dispelling rosé stereotypes and building a brand that authentically speaks to diverse and multicultural consumers,” the post said.
@thurstonburstoniii- Instagram
CBS Miami also reported that Jennifer Evans, Constellation Brand Inc.’s vice president of Ventures, wrote in an email that Burston created a truly unique and distinctive lifestyle brand. It is believed the rosé category continues to have a lot of growth potential. Additionally, Evans credited La Fête du Rosé’s consumer-first approach to building a brand that reflects today’s multicultural consumer values, according to CBS Miami.
Burston’s win with securing the partnership will allow the brand to soar to new heights.
“For so many minority-owned businesses, the hardest part is access to capital and infrastructure,” Burston also said in the CBS Miami interview. “We want to continue to grow and grow the right way while maintaining our brand’s story.”
The entrepreneur also told Wine Spectator that he wants his wine to be the No. 1 luxury rosé in the world.
Tampa Rep. Fentrice Driskell Becomes First Black Woman To Lead Florida Democrats
Tampa State Rep. Fentrice Driskell has made history as the first Black woman elected to lead Florida’s House Democrats.
Driskell, who won Tampa’s District 63 in 2018, will lead state Democrats from 2024-2026, meaning she will have to be reelected next year. The Georgetown and Harvard graduate said she is honored to lead state Democrats and it shows the country is beginning to pay more attention to what Black women can do.
“I’m just so glad to get to be a part of that narrative and be a part of that story. And to have this chance to work for a brighter future for all Floridians,” Driskell said according to WMNF. “And really just leverage this platform to continue breaking down barriers and hopefully inspire more young people to want to run for office, and women of color to do it. If they see me doing it, hopefully, they’ll think that they can do it too.”
Driskell was one of the most outspoken opponents to Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ anti-protest bill HB 1 and worked with Republican lawmakers on police reforms bills including HB 7051.
Driskell is currently serving as the House Democratic Caucus Policy Chair for the 2020-22 term and her appointment is another sign of Black women winning in 2021. Earlier this week Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black woman to lead a White House presser in 30 years. Additionally, there are a record 117 Black women serving in Congress this year.
House Democrats also voted Rep. Ramon Alexander to lead the Caucus in the absence of Rep. Ben Diamond who is making a run at a congressional seat. Alexander, a Florida A&M University graduate is the first Tallahassee-area Representative to serve in a leadership role since 1978 according to Florida Politics.
Florida was one of the most affected by the coronavirus as its travel, bar and restaurant, cruise and hotel and hospitality industries were all hit with massive layoffs. That led to issues in signing up for unemployment benefits as former Gov. Rick Scott designed the state’s unemployment system to fail, according to Florida’s current governor.
Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance Producing Series on Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Wall Street
MTV Entertainment Studios and Bassett Vance Productions have just announced that Award-winning playwright Nathan Alan Davis will be writing an original limited series on Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The massacre is considered the single worst incident of racial violence in American history. This year marks the centennial anniversary of the tragedy.
“Angela and I have always had a deep appreciation for history, especially when it comes to stories that are rooted in the Black community. We look forward to working on this series with MTV Entertainment Studios that will explore an important slice of American history as we look to reflect on events that changed the lives of countless Black families in Tulsa, Oklahoma one hundred years ago,” said Courtney B. Vance, principal at Bassett Vance Productions. “We are excited to work with Nathan because his vision directly aligns with the story that Angela and I want to tell. Although the series will revisit the Black pain and tragedy that took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, it will also importantly introduce too many the stories of the extraordinary, entrepreneurial people who built Black Wall Street and all that this community accomplished.”
This is the first project from the Courtney Vance/Angela Bassett production team since they signed with MTV Entertainment Studios in 2020.
“As storytellers—together with Courtney, Angela and Nathan—we have the privilege of shining a light on a devastating event in our history that is important, necessary, and still resonates 100 years later,” said Nina L. Diaz, president of Content and Chief Creative Officer at MTV Entertainment Group. “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to raise diverse voices and create content our global audience is yearning for that is both timely and telling.”
Davis also stated, “I am honored to be partnering with Courtney, Angela, MTV Entertainment Studios and their extraordinary teams in this vital endeavor. Exploring the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District as a limited dramatic series affords us a precious opportunity and a deep responsibility. I greatly look forward to crafting a story that will not only shed light on the people of Black Wall Street, but give fresh life to the spirit, ideas, hopes, fears, and dreams that motivated them.”
Solange Expands Record Label Into Creative Agency To Highlight Overlooked Artists
Eight years after launching her Saint Heron record label, singer Solange has expanded the brand into a full-on creative agency aimed at highlighting underrated artists.
The artist, creative director, and musician took time to revamp the way her Saint Heron imprint serves her community of creatives, Artnet reported. On Monday, Solange announced the record label would transform into a multidisciplinary platform, studio, and creative agency.
“Worldmaking has been a huge part of my practice,” the singer said in a press release shared by UPROXX. “The idea of leaving behind cities, meccas, and universes that were occupied and celebrated by bodies, voices, celebrations, and rituals to be discovered down the line. As we transition to an institution, the answer and the vision become abundantly clear. We are creating a legacy where we not only continue the work we have already built but preserve collections of creators with the urgency they deserve.”
It was in 2013 when the “A Seat At The Table” singer launched her Saint Heron label to serve as a platform for highlighting conversations about music, art, and culture. Now, following its new transition, the online hub will act as an exhibit that showcases written and visual representations of art and life. Each week, the website will highlight new emerging artists.
“Together we want to create an archive of stories, and works we deem valuable,” Solange said. “We want to open up these works publicly and make them accessible to students, and our communities for research, engagement, and consumption, so that the works are integrated into our collective story and belong and grow with us.”
She continued, “We are creating an embodiment of living testaments to the glory of expression, and how that recharges and reaffirms the reverence we hold for our own cultural and artistic worth. We look forward to furthering the pursuit of authenticity that empowers the stories of our people.”
New York Rep Mondaire Jones Named Most Active Freshman In Congress, Sponsoring Almost 300 Bills
New York Rep. Mondaire Jones (D) is the most active freshman in Congress after serving just a bit more than four months.
The openly gay member of the U.S. House of Representatives has sponsored or co-sponsored 278 legislative measures, according to Axios. The freshman lawmaker’s activity has blown past other first-year lawmakers, including other lawmakers who have spent weeks to months in national headlines.
While Jones is working his way toward sponsoring more than 300 bills, Jon Ossoff, who helped Democrats take Georgia and Joe Biden become president, has sponsored 36 bills, the fewest of all freshmen lawmakers.
“I came to Congress intent on meeting the numerous crises we face with the urgency that this period in our history demands, and in my first months in office that’s exactly what I’ve done,” Jones said in a release, according to Yahoo News. “My team and I have wasted no time getting to work for the people of Westchester and Rockland [counties], and I’m thrilled to see that hard work reflected in the data. From crushing the COVID-19 crisis and jumpstarting our economic recovery to fighting to save our democracy and obtain racial justice in policing, we’ve made great progress, but our work has only just begun.”
Jones also took Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton to task when he argued against the statehood of Washington D.C. saying, “Wyoming is a well-rounded working class state.”
“I had no idea there were so many syllables in the word White,” Jones responded. “One of my House Republican colleagues said D.C. shouldn’t be a state because it doesn’t have a landfill. My goodness with all the racist trash my colleagues have brought to this debate, I can see why they’re worried about having a place to put it.”
Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams, who replaced the late John Lewis, and New York lawmaker Ritchie Torres also finished in the top five of bills sponsored with 222 and 183 sponsors and cosponsors, respectively.
Five Arrested in Connection With Shooting of British BLM Activist Sasha Johnson
Five men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson on Sunday morning.
The Taking The Initiative Party leader was reportedly facing numerous death threats ahead of the attack that left her in critical condition, CNN reported. London police arrested five men between the ages of 17 and 28 for other alleged offenses, including possession of drugs and weapons, before all five were arrested in connection with the shooting of Johnson, according to NPR.
A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of an offensive weapon and possession with the intent to supply class A drugs, Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard revealed on Wednesday. Three additional men–ages 18, 19, and 28–were arrested and charged with suspicion of affray (a group fight) and possession with intent to supply class B drugs. A fifth man, age 25, was arrested on suspicion of affray and failing to stop for police.
“While the investigation remains in its early stages, these arrests show that progress is being made,” Leonard said. “However, I would continue to appeal to those who may hold information about the events that led to Sasha receiving her horrific injuries, or about those responsible, to do the right thing and come forward and speak to police.”
London police and a friend of Johnson’s believe the facts don’t point to any signs that she was targeted in the attack despite the recent death threats the Taking the Initiative Party said Johnson had received related to her activism.
Johnson was attending the house party when four Black males entered and discharged the firearm that left the mother of three critically wounded, BBC reported. The suspects remain in police custody as Johnson fights for her life.
Johnson became a prominent figure within the Black Lives Matter protests in London after the movement spread across the globe following the death of George Floyd. The Taking the Initiative Party is credited with being the UK’s first Black-led political party, with Johnson serving as a leader within the movement.
‘Mississippi Goddam’: Four Officers Take Group Photo With Black Suspect After Hunting Down and Arresting Him
Four police officers that were part of an expansive manhunt were photographed in Mississippi with the suspect. The photo went viral, with people on social media saying the photo with a Black suspect looks racist.
In what appears to be a professional government and law enforcement operation concluded in a very lame and racist-looking group photo, Newsweek reported.
Officers from the ATF, FBI, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the Louisiana State Prison System K9 team, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, and Columbia Police Department were deployed to capture an armed Black suspect.
The mission was so demanding that the state sent out a drone to hunt down the Black perpetrator.
In the end, the operation was a success, one can suppose. However, it was excessive, considering the man was found 600 yards away from the Hancock Bank he stole from.
Eight different agencies went looking for a Black man who was hiding less than half a mile from the crime scene.
Eric Boykin was detained in what some believe was an inhuman fashion—he is shirtless, surrounded by four white officers, some of whom were smiling and posing for the camera, accompanied by two dogs in the woods.
One can view the image and make the assessment that the photo appears like the police officers from Prentiss Police Department went on a hunting trip, but instead of an animal they caught a “wild Black man.”
The tone-deaf image appalled Black social media, who saw the image as a sign of abuse.
Wth??
Anger as armed white police officers with dogs pose with captured Black suspect
The officers from Prentiss Police Department took the picture after arresting Eric Boykin for an alleged bank robbery. https://t.co/sfiFN4gQou
Not much is known about the robbery itself or how much money Boykin allegedly stole.
Bank robberies in Mississippi are regarded as one of the most serious levels of crime in the state and carries a sentence of three years to life imprisonment, according to Federal Charges.
Terry McMillan Deactivates Her Twitter After Calling Out Celebrities Who Announce Their Sexuality
Author Terry McMillan briefly deactivated her Twitter account over the weekend after getting a hard lesson on cancel culture.
The Waiting to Exhale writer faced a backlash after she sent out a tweet questioning celebrities who choose to come out of the closet, Love B Scott reports. “I don’t understand why celebrities have to announce their sexuality. Just be who you are,” she tweeted.
I don't understand why celebrities have to announce their sexuality. Just be who you are.
But leave it up to Twitter to remind McMillan of her past and the possible hypocrisy behind her statement. It was back in 1998 when the New York Times bestselling author married Jonathan Plummer, the Seattle Times reported, whom she divorced six years later after Plummer told McMillan he was gay.
One Twitter user was quick to take McMillan for a little trip down memory lane in response to her tweet. “As a straight woman you have the privilege of people assuming you are the sexuality that you are,” they wrote. “Gay/bi people do not. So instead of asking us why we have to “come out” why don’t you ask your fellow straight people to stop making said assumptions, mmkay?
As a straight woman you have the privilege of people assuming you are the sexuality that you are. Gay/bi people do not. So instead of asking us why we have to "come out" why don't you ask your fellow straight people to stop making said assumptions, mmkay? https://t.co/4DpC1IRDq4
He sent out an additional tweet that included an old photo of McMillan and Plummer and another photo of Plummer hugging another man.
“And really, had more celebrities ‘announced’ their sexuality sooner—maybe you wouldn’t have ended up here, sis. But that’s none of my business,” the Twitter user added.
Another tweeter recalled McMillan’s 2005 appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, where she confronted Plummer on national television. During the episode, she accused Plummer of betraying her during their six-year marriage.
“Sis didn’t you go on Oprah and act a fool about your bisexual husband lol,” the Twitter user wrote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MseHFRzExxg
After getting called out on the tone-deaf tweet, McMillan temporarily deactivated her account. But by Thursday was back on the social network–and the controversial tweet was still up.
