Spotify Wants to Amplify All Things Black With ‘Frequency,’ Its New Global Initiative
Spotify has announced a new initiative that will help amplify the voices of Black people on their music streaming platform.
Frequency is a global initiative and destination for the celebration of all things Black when it comes to art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on- and off-platform. The purpose and launch of Frequency was due to the current climate in which Black culture, specifically within music, fashion, business, constantly being left out of the narrative. Black voices have been feeling that their contributions were under-appreciated and underrepresented.
Spotify’s Kimmy Summers, hip-hop and R&B manager, artist & label partnerships, says, “For far too long, people have proclaimed that they ‘don’t see color,’ but if they don’t see our Blackness then they don’t really see us for who we truly are. People turn up to our music, they laugh at our jokes, and they nod at our commentary, but do they really see us? Are they just listening, or do they really hear us? Frequency forces people to see us, to feel us, and to hear us—and to me, that’s important.”
According to Spotfify, Frequency continues the company’s ongoing commitment to and for the investment in Black voices, further connecting the Black community to upcoming and established Black creators via new content, cultural partnerships, and an ambassador program.
Dzifa Yador, supervising creative producer, Studio 4, said, “Frequency is a celebration of resilience in all forms of creativity. The genesis of this brand came out of a demand from Black employees who felt it was important to be seen and heard. Those same employees created space for other Black employees to not just express themselves through the editorial voice of the brand, but give recognition to the culture shifters, artists, and creators that fuel our global brand. The brand does not exist to solve racial injustices. It’s here to celebrate resilience in the face of it.”
#WeDidItEd: State Rep Gainey On His Way to Becoming Pittsburgh’s First Black Mayor After Defeating White Incumbent
Pittsburgh’s incumbent Bill Peduto conceded the city’s Democratic primary for mayor to Ed Gainey, who can become the city’s first Black mayor in November.
Gainey, a five-term state representative, won the primary by a slim 46 to 39 percent margin Tuesday and is all but guaranteed to win the general election this fall.
Gainey won the support of minority and low-income voters as he consistently talked about getting equality for the city’s Black and poor residents. The HBCU grad also accused Peduto of ignoring those same voters and failing to ensure equity for all of the city’s residents.
In his victory speech, Gainey talked about all of Pittsburgh residents coming together to create and implement the change needed to help everyone.
“One person can’t change a city. A city is changed with all of us,” Rep. Gainey said, according to the New Pittsburgh Courier. “A city is changed when we all come together to improve the quality of life for everybody. That’s why I ran for mayor, because I believe that we can have a city for all, and we will work hard, not just I as mayor, but we as community, we as a city will work together to build a better city called Pittsburgh for everybody.”
Peduto, who was seeking a third term, becomes the first city mayor since 1933 to lose a reelection bid. The incumbent could not avoid the stark disparities between Black and White residents in Pittsburgh that he helped create in his first two terms.
Democratic Rep. Val Demings Set to Challenge Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022
The Democratic representative who served as an impeachment manager in the first Senate trial of former President Donald Trump last year is set to challenge Marco Rubio for his Senate seat.
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), is gunning to replace Rubio in the Senate seat he has served in since 2011, NBC News reports.
“I have received calls and texts and messages from people all over the state asking me to run because they feel that they are not represented and their voices are not heard,” she toldMSNBC last month. “I want to go, Jonathan, to the position where I can do the most good. And be the most effective and do the most work. My home state of Florida deserves that.”
Democrats have credited Demings with being their best chance at winning back control of the Senate, Politico reports. She was first considering a run for governor of Florida but decided to combat the two-term Florida senator.
“I would’ve supported her running for governor, but this is the right fit for her and for us,” said Alex Sink, Florida’s former chief financial officer.
“Val is an impressive and formidable candidate whose potential entrance would make the race against Rubio highly competitive,” a Democrat who opted to remain anonymous said.
Demings has served as the U.S. Representative from Florida’s 10th congressional district since 2017. She previously worked as a chief of Orlando’s police department from 2007 to 2011. Her husband, Jerry Demings, is also a former police officer and is currently the mayor of Orange County, Florida. President Joe Biden was considering bringing Demings on as his vice presidential candidate before ultimately choosing Kamala Harris as his running mate.
“She’s going to draw a contrast between who she is and how she represents Florida vs. Marco Rubio, who a lot of people where I live never see him,” Sink added.
Texas Officials Finally Pass The Botham Jean Act and It’s About Time
After an unarmed Black man was killed in his apartment by an off-duty police officer in Texas, a new law may be passed that will hold all police officers accountable for their actions.
According to a press release from Rep. Carl O. Sherman’s office, the Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill that would place “systemic accountability” in terms of policing in honor of police shooting victim Botham Jean.
Jean was killed by Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer who fatally shot him in his apartment. Guyger is serving 10 years in prison for the crime committed on Sept. 6, 2018. She testified in court that she mistook Jean for an intruder when she erroneously entered his apartment, on another floor, claiming to think it was her apartment, after working a shift. Guyger, 32, who was in uniform at the time but was off-duty, shot and killed Jean with her service weapon while he was eating a bowl of ice cream in his home.
Sherman presented legislation for House Bill 929 (which is better known as Bo’s Law). After a vote in the House, House Bill 929 passed as 64 Democrats and 34 Republicans voted in favor of it.
“I am thankful that we are continuing to work from a place of bi-partisanship and that we have found a common ground to move Bo’s Law into law in the State of Texas. I also want to thank House Speaker Dade Phelan for his support,” Rep. Sherman stated in a written statement.
He also added that Bo’s Law is about “more systemic accountability in policing. We want to make sure all the evidence is there to uphold the integrity of policing as a profession and not redact or edit out footage. In keeping with the spirit of the young man who HB929 was named after, ‘Let the spirit of Botham Jean continue to rise among us.’”
Black Thought and Questlove Partner With Disney Jr. For Animated Series
Disney is going hip-hop! The hip-hop band known as The Roots is collaborating with Disney Junior for a new animated-short series that will be focusing on race, racism, and social justice.
The animated series is titled, “Rise Up, Sing Out.” The Roots group members, Ahmir Khalib Thompson, who is better known as the drummer and DJ Questlove, and Tariq Trotter, the lead lyricist, and wordsmith, who goes by Black Thought have teamed up with Disney Junior in collaboration with Academy Award®-Winning Lion Forge Animation.
In a joint statement, Questlove and Black Thought said, “It is an honor to work with the Disney Junior team to help create a series of shorts that will empower and uplift the future generations in the way we know best, through music. We hope these shorts will encourage the young audience to recognize and celebrate our differences as human beings while learning the tools to navigate real-world issues of racial injustice.”
The series will feature music produced and performed by Questlove and Black Thought of the Grammy Award®-winning musical group The Roots. It will be executive produced through their Two One Five Entertainment production company alongside Latoya Raveneau (Disney+’s highly anticipated “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder”), who also serves as an executive producer. The Conscious Kid, which is an organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in youth, will be working with them in a consulting role on the series and they will develop a viewing companion guide for parents.
Joe D’Ambrosia, senior vice president, Original Programming, and general manager, Disney Junior, said, “We recognize that many kids are experiencing a multitude of feelings around what’s happening in our world today and know that many families are struggling with how to discuss sensitive issues around race. Our goal with these shorts is to open up the conversation and provide families with the tools and knowledge to address these important topics with their preschoolers in an age-appropriate manner through music and relatable kid experiences.”
Racist High Schooler Arrested And Expelled For Calling Black Classmate The N-Word, Suggesting He Should Be ‘In Chains’
A racist high school student in Connecticut got arrested, and reportedly expelled from school, after calling a schoolmate the n-word.
On May 7, a picture of Jamar Medor was taken at Fairfield Warde High School in Fairfield, Conn., by an unidentified white student who made a racist remark on Snapchat.
The student stated: “Why is there a [n-word] in my homeroom [and] why is he not in chains,” according to a report by WABC-TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TThv3HjMBWg
“I have no words,” Medor, a sophomore at the school, said. “Like I’m speechless. I’m kind of mad and upset and kind of sad, too.”
His mother, Judith Medor, said she believes her son is being targeted by racist students, having already received a racist video call from students at another school, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, once the photo to become viral.
“I just don’t feel comfortable going to school or walking the halls, so I stayed home today actually,” Jamar told ABC 7.
Just like her son, Medor’s mother told Patch that she was speechless as well, saying, “I have no idea what they’re being taught at home.”
The teenager who shared the Snapchat picture originally received a 10-day suspension, but he also has pending charges for second-degree breach of peace and ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality or race, according to WNBC-TV.
An online petition on the Care2 website to “tell Fairfield Warde to expel the racist bully” garnered more than 31,000 signatures. According to an update posted May 18 on the site, further action had been taken by the school:
“Thank you so much everyone for signing the petition. We’ve just been informed that Fairfield Warde decided to expel the student who made the post,” the update reads. “This would not have been possible without all of your help. So, thank you. Thank you for choosing accountability and thank you for showing the Medor family that Fairfield County cares.”
BREAKING: Legend Paul Mooney, The Godfather Of Comedy, Dead At 79
Comedian Paul Mooney has died from a heart attack at his home in Oakland. He was 79 years old.
The story first broke when journalist Roland Martin tweeted the news from a relative of Mooney, whose real name is Paul Gladney.
“His cousin Rudy Ealy just called me from Paul’s phone and said he passed away two hours ago after suffering a heart attack at his home in Oakland. He was 79. We will pay tribute to him tonight on #RolandMartinUnfiltered,” Martin tweeted.
Martin deleted the tweet and clarified his intentions with a follow up tweet.
A tweet from Mooney’s representative Cassandra Williams confirmed the death to Variety.
“Thank you all from the bottom of all of our hearts …you’re all are the best!…… Mooney World .. The Godfather of Comedy – ONE MOON MANY STARS! .. To all in love with this great man.. many thanks,” Mooney’s official Twitter tweeted.
Mooney’s comedic style is credited for being the foundation of modern-day Black comedy–“The Godfather of Comedy “as he puts it–according to his official website. He had a distinctive Southern attitude and his intolerance for political correctness inspired Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, John Witherspoon, and Richard Pryor.
Born in Louisiana, Mooney grew up in Oakland, CA. At a young age, he ran away from home and joined the Charles Gody Circus, becoming the first Black ringmaster.
Mooney is well-known for having controversial remarks as a comedian. However, the unsolved allegations regarding Mooney molesting Richard Pryor Jr., as reported by Comedy Hype, will remain a mystery. Pryor died in 2005
Disney Launches Onyx Collective for Underrepresented Creatives, Tara Duncan Will Lead
The Walt Disney Co. is launching a platform that will cater to creators of color as well as creatives who are underrepresented in the entertainment industry.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is launching a new brand called Onyx Collective that will be led by Freeform president Tara Duncan. The platform will be showcasing and premiering work from these creators primarily on Hulu, but will also use other Disney platforms that may host projects from the brand’s voices.
“We’re building a home where creators of color are inspired, empowered, and have unparalleled access to reach audiences around the world,” Duncan said in a written statement. “This artist-first approach will make Onyx Collective synonymous with entertaining, brave, and bold ideas told from a distinct point of view. I’m humbled by the opportunity and all of the possibilities.”
There will be some Onyx Collective titles that will be distributed internationally on Disney+ through the company’s Star brand.
“Our industry is immeasurably enriched by the incredible talents of emerging and established creators of color. Launching Onyx Collective allows us to be the best partners to those creators, providing them with the support they need to do their best work,” Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, said in a statement. “Tara Duncan is a gifted executive with fantastic instincts. With her leading this talented team, we have the opportunity to tell transformative stories that authentically represent our audience and are essential to our success.”
According to Deadline, the first project to debut on the platform is Questlove’s feature documentary Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised), which has been acquired by Hulu and Searchlight Pictures. The film tells the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which was often referred to as Black Woodstock. It is being released on Hulu on July 2 and will stream internationally on Disney+’s Star.
The second scheduled project will be The 1619 Project docuseries which is produced by Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate. The series is based on materials from The New York Times Magazine and Nikole Hannah-Jones’s work.
Matthew Zadok Williams’s Family Demand Release of Body Cam Footage Showing His Fatal Shooting
The family of a man who was shot and killed by Black police officers in April is pleading with the department to release the bodycam footage.
Matthew Zadok Williams, a 35-year-old Decatur, Georgia, resident, was killed on April 12 by DeKalb County police who thought he was a prowler to his own home, 11 Alive reported.
Police released two angles of the body cam footage that shows Williams wielding a long knife and lunging at an officer, but Williams’s family want the full video to be released, citing Williams was having an episode prior to his death.
“The camera footage that they did not release is one of the officer who fired the fatal shots,” the family’s attorney Mawuli Davis said.
“My brother was in a mental health crisis,” Williams’ sister Hannah Williams said Thursday after seeing the video. “He lunged at the police officer. We have compassion for that police officer and how he felt in that moment.”
The names of the officers involved were not publicly published and it is not known if police officers tried to save William as autopsy shows that he slowly bled out, News One reported.
A white woman reported that Williams was living in a vacant house in the woodland area. However, he indeed was a legal resident and warned officers that he was protecting his property.
“Hey what’s up, man? What are you doing around here? You live here?” an officer says to Williams on camera.
“I’m begging you. You’re a Black man. I’m a Black man. You don’t have to die today. I don’t want you to die today,” says one of the officers said through the front door. The officer is identified by his last name Perry. “I’m defending my property,” Williams says in response.
“Let me see (the knife) drop. I can get you an ambulance out here. We can talk about this,” Perry continues. “This is my property,” Williams says.
“Immediately release ALL media related to the murder of Matthew ‘Zadok’ Williams,” Hannah told law enforcement officials on a platform called Color of Change campaign. “This includes but is not limited to 911 call recordings, transcripts, and medical examiner reports.”
“Such an egregious disregard for my brother’s life speaks to the culture of policing in DeKalb County and across the country,” Williams continues. “Police officers are rarely held accountable for killing, harassing and assaulting Black people and my family is committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that these officers are held accountable and that other families in DeKalb County don’t have to endure what we have had to go through.”
The family has launched a GoFundMe in honor of Wiliams, and it is very close to reaching its initial goal of $35,000, as of reporting.
Goldman Sachs Announces First Round Of Capital Investments and Philanthropic Grants to 1 Million Black Women
Goldman Sachs has announced the initial grants, capital investments, and philanthropic grants for its One Million Black Women Initiative.
Goldman Sachs’ initiative will commit more than $10 billion to advance racial equity and the economic opportunity of Black women. The multinational investment bank and financial services company has partnered with Black women-led organizations and conducted listening sessions that engaged more than 10,000 Black women to determine what projects would receive funding in the first round.
Goldman Sachs’ advisory council, which consists of 17 Black business leaders and community organizations met Monday to provide guidance on the scope of the investments and grants.
The first round of investment capital and philanthropic grants will go to the following organizations:
Archer Towers (New York, NY) will fund the construction of a mixed-income residential development in Jamaica, Queens, which will consist of 181 affordable units, 424 market-rate units, and 224 parking spaces. Housing is intrinsically connected to better health outcomes, economic mobility, and employment prospects for Black women and this investment will provide stable, quality, affordable housing.
Birth Center Equity will support Black women-led community birth centers to access new resources to ensure their collective vitality, sustainability, and growth.
BlocPower WiFi (New York, NY) will expand broadband services across the Bronx and Upper Manhattan with a focus on low-income neighborhoods. The lack of affordable broadband access leads to barriers to education, employment opportunities, banking services, healthcare, social networks, and other services for Black women.
Buy From A Black Woman(Atlanta, Georgia) will continue website development, social media education, content, technical assistance, and grant funding to Black women-owned businesses.
Center for Maternal Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine(Atlanta, Georgia) directly addresses the disproportionate pregnancy-related mortality rate that Black women face in comparison to white women. 60% of maternal deaths are preventable and through this investment we seek to reverse this troubling statistic.
Columbus Urban League (Columbus, Ohio) will fund the pilot launch of Incubate Her, to create meaningful change in the economic health and outlook of Black women in Central Ohio.
Prosp(a)rity Project (East Palo Alto, California) will fund the development of the 35*2 Free Initiative, which provides personalized financial coaching and retroactive scholarships for “Prosperettes” to help manage student loan debt.
Sadie Collective(Washington, District of Columbia) to fund the creation of high school economic clubs for young Black girls to participate in the annual Federal Reserve Challenge.
Magnolia Mother’s Trust(Jackson, Mississippi) to fund the next iteration of the program which provides Black mothers living in extreme poverty with a $1,000 monthly stipend to help lift them out of poverty.
Women’s Fund of Central Ohio (Columbus, Ohio) to fund the Enduring Progress Initiative to fill the systemic funding gap faced by non-profits led by women of color.
“I have been incredibly inspired by the voices and stories that we’ve heard from Black women all over the country,” Dina Powell McCormick, Global Head of Sustainability and Inclusive Growth, Goldman Sachs said in a release. “We began this journey knowing that we didn’t have all of the answers. We are listening to and learning from Black women at every step, and are centering Black women in all aspects of the program. We believe that our investment capital will be transformational and will provide the infrastructure to support the ambitions and potential of Black women nationwide.”
Goldman Sachs advisory council for the One Million Black Women initiative includesMelissa L. Bradley, Rosalind G. Brewer, Bill Bynum, Melanie Campbell, Ayesha and Stephen Curry, Thelma Golden, Lisa P. Jackson, Valerie B. Jarrett, Lisa Mensah, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, Marc H. Morial, Dr. Dambisa Moyo, Issa Rae, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, and Darren Walker.
