• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 7, 2020

Video: Correction Officers Tase Shackled, Seizure-Suffering Black Inmate Prior to His Death

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In another shocking case caught on video, a 41-year-old man died in a jail cell as experienced an epileptic seizure. The video shows several correction officers not aiding him until it was too late, according to News One.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Shaheen Mackey, who was an inmate at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, died of natural causes.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump posted this video to his Twitter account.

WARNING: DISTURBING. Shaheen Mackey had a seizure at Luzerne Co. Correctional Facility. Staff covered his face with a spit mask, cuffed his hands behind his back, shackled his feet, and STILL tased him. By the time they realize he was dead, it was already too late… Sickening!! pic.twitter.com/Hgw2tmsjJC

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) August 6, 2020

The incident took place back in 2018, but this footage was leaked this week by the husband of a woman who is the administrator of Mackey’s estate. The video was released just weeks after a $3 million settlement was reached between the county and Mackey’s estate.

District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis from the Luzerne County D.A.’s office issued the following statement about the incident.

“This incident began with one inmate witness, who said he feared for his life, screaming for help because Mr. Mackey was violently attempting to chew and rip his fingernails off, ripping out his own hair, and spitting, which was confirmed by another inmate. A C.O. responded with two medical assistants, but could not calm Mr. Mackey down or restrain him and in fact lost his radio in the process resulting in the cellmate running to the command center screaming that the C.O. needed help.

“According to the witnesses, seven C.O.s responded and continued to have difficulty restraining Mr. Mackey remarking that it was “unreal the amount of strength [Mackey] seemed to have,” that Mr. Mackey “had incredible strength,” and one had never seen the type of strength that Mr. Mackey had. At no time was Mr. Mackey choked or struck in any way by anyone.

“As the video then shows, the guards are attempting unsuccessfully to restrain Mr. Mackey for their safety, his safety, and the safety of the medical team trying to assist. Eventually, after approximately 20 minutes, the officers are able to restrain Mr. Mackey and he appears to go unresponsive. Medical staff is present and they attempt to resuscitate him. He was successfully resuscitated in the ambulance, but passed away two days later.”

Mackey’s family has stated that they don’t want money, only accountability and reform with better training for prison staff. None of the corrections officers involved in the incident were disciplined, criminally charged, or fired for what family members have called mistreatment and medical negligence.

• Entrepreneurship

by Dana Givens

August 7, 2020

These Women Entrepreneurs Raised $2.6 Million For Their Skincare Brand

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The skincare industry generates billions in revenue each year with numerous collections promising to hold the secrets to beautiful skin. This week, two women of color entrepreneurs set out to create their own line of skincare products aimed to treat stigmatized skin conditions so they can indulge in their own self-care regimen that can also tend to their special needs.

Topicals is a newly launched skincare company founded by Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng for people dealing with chronic skin conditions that one in four Americans deal with. Both women deal with their issues when it comes to maintaining their own skincare regimen and wanted to create a product that represented women like them.

“With my background in clinical research and dermatology, I saw firsthand the lack of access to care that existed for these types of skin conditions,” said Teng, chief product officer and co-founder of Topicals in a press statement.

“For me, I knew there was a serious opportunity to create something affordable, and that not only educated a broad amount of people, but also made their treatment experience more enjoyable.”

The young women were able to raise their $2.6 million starting capital with the help of celebrity angel investors including Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John, entrepreneur and DJ Hannah Bronfman, and Insecure actors Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji, lead by venture capitalist firm Lerer Hippeau in partnership with Mucker Capital.

“Olamide and Claudia have deep founder-market fit supported by their expertise in skincare and intimately understand their target consumer,” says Caitlin Strandberg, principal at Lerer Hippeau in a press statement.

“They’ve developed an authentic product for a Gen-Z audience that addresses an underserved area of the beauty market while changing the conversation through skin positivity and self-expression. We’re thrilled to partner with them on this journey.”

The founders will be donating 1% of the profits to various organizations specializing in advocating for mental health issues and have partnered with nonprofit organizations such as Therapy for Black Girls and Fearless Femme 100 to provide more resources for those suffering from related ailments.

“This is an industry that has not evolved and has used many of the same formulations over the last 30 years,” says Olowe, CEO and co-founder of Topicals in a press statement.

“Having lived with a serious skin condition myself, I found there were limited treatment options available, and none of the brands looked like me. I could use an over-the-counter product that didn’t address my specific needs as a Black woman with darker skin, or spend thousands on pricey prescriptions. With all of the amazing beauty products out there, I still didn’t find one that helped me with my flare-ups. I knew we could do better.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Hey everyone, Olamide + Claudia, Co-Founders of Topicals here! We started Topicals with the dream of transforming the way you feel about skin. We both grew up with visible skin conditions (Olamide has post-barbae folliculitis + hyperpigmentation, Claudia has eczema + seborrheic dermatitis), and we connected over feeling excluded from the beauty conversation. We live together, we work together, we ❤️ each other, and we’ve loved spending the last year building community and (soon!) great product with and for you all.⁣ ⁣ We’re so excited to be able to share more of the stuff we’ve been building soon! This includes product and a whole lot more. Tell us more about what skin conditions you have in the comments below. Go! ⤵️ You might just see a product made just for you in the future 😉 #ApplyLiberally

A post shared by Topicals (@mytopicals) on May 25, 2020 at 12:00pm PDT

With conversation around race becoming front and center ahead of the 2020 elections, both political parties have been making moves to attract Black voters to swing the tides in their favor.

Former vice president Joe Biden revealed his new national advertisement directly aimed at Black American voters titled “Better America,” a one-minute video confronting the questionable actions of the current president without mentioning him by name while paying homage to prominent figures in Black history including U.S. Rep John Lewis and Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress. It also highlights the current protests over the deaths of George Floyd and others due to police brutality and the call for racial injustice to end.

“We must choose to fight for that better America,” the narrator says in the video. “And just like our ancestors who stood up to the violent racists of a generation ago, we will stand up to this president and say, ‘No more,’ because America is better than him. So we choose to be bigger. We choose to be bolder. We choose to bring back justice, respect, and dignity to this country. We choose Joe Biden to lead us all toward that American promise together.”

The video is a part of Biden’s $280 million digital and television ad buy that is scheduled to run through the fall.

“Our robust paid media strategy, which will include the largest general election investment in African American paid media by a presidential campaign, will allow us to disseminate Vice President Biden’s policy proposals and targeted initiatives that speak directly to Black communities across the United States,” the Associated Press quoted a statement from the Biden campaign.

The ad will air in 15 Democratic and Republican states including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, and Florida. Reps from the Biden campaign also confirmed that there will be a similar ad targeting Latino and Asian American voters in the coming weeks.

In addition to educating Black students, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been a safe ground for Black activism and stories as well as a source of African American pride since the 19th century. Often designed and built by African American architects and students, HBCU campuses are prized landmarks in Black communities that groom young people into world leaders. Despite their pivotal role, many HBCUs are vastly underfunded, leading to deferred maintenance, vacancy, and the threat of demolition. To help preserve the legacy of HBCUs, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit that works to save historic sites, unveiled the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative.

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, which is a multiyear initiative led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, announced a $1 million investment to pilot the HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative. According to a statement, the program will “provide technical assistance and fund preservation-based stewardship plans at up to eight HBCU campuses across the country.”

The HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative will fund up to six single-structure and two campus-wide preservation plans during the pilot program. The Initiative’s grant cycle will open in the fall, and eligible HBCUs are encouraged to apply for direct funding to hire qualified consultants to develop stewardship plans, reads the news release.

The National Trust will also support HBCUs by providing technical assistance during the planning process, connecting HBCUs to resources, and recruiting African American design and preservation students, architects, and professionals during the planning and implementation phases.

“The National Endowment for the Humanities is proud to assist the nation’s HBCUs in preserving their historic buildings and campuses through this partnership,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede. “These institutions have provided opportunities, fostered community, and informed and inspired generations of Black Americans.”

For more information on the HBCU Stewardship Initiative visit, www.savingplaces.org/hbcus.

Eleven-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu from Nigeria caught the world’s attention when a video of the young boy practicing ballet in the rain became a viral video across social media with hundreds of users in awe of his talent. Since then, Madu has garnered a new fanbase from all over the world and now it has been revealed that the aspiring dancer will receive a scholarship to one of the best ballet schools in the world.

Madu is heading to one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the U.S. after the viral video made its rounds on social media. The video caught the eye of Cynthia Harvey who works as an art artistic director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Dance, who found a way to get in contact with the boy. After a couple of days, Harvey was able to get in contact with Madu and his teacher, Daniel Ajala, to present him with a full scholarship to the prestigious American ballet school with the option of attending its three-week virtual intensive summer workshop for young dancers beginning this month.

“A friend who lives in the U.K. sent me the video. Within a day, I was trying to find him,” says Harvey to the Cincinnati Inquirer. “Here, we’re complaining about not being able to open our buildings but in that video, I saw a boy who was a perfect example of the tenacity someone can have when they have love and a dream. It was immediately obvious how much determination he had.”

“A child who shows this much dedication, you just have to help,” Harvey added. “If there is anything the world has taught us, it’s that we have to inspire all sorts of people and that we all have a lot to learn from one another. Providing opportunities for Daniel and Anthony is the right thing to do.”

The academy has presented Madu’s self-taught teacher, Ajala, with his own two-week training course to further develop his skills to help other students he teaches at his dance academy in his home where he offers free classes to local kids in the area.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

As a dance school in Africa, and Nigeria to be precise our academy stands to educate our audience that ballet is here to stay; “It’s for both boys and girls” said Anthony Mmmesoma Madu. (When ballet was created 400 years ago, it was created for men. Men were the first dancers. a @collagedance ) Special shoutout to all parents who have have allowed their boys to dance. Speaking from the Nigerian perspective most children are enrolled in school to have a white collar job but never to become a dancer. We hope supportive and inspirational mom like Anthony’s mom has given us a reason for early child talent discovery. We are the Nigerian ballet school. A heartfelt thank you to our partners @blacksinballet @ingridsilva @jmentzos @fabiocmariano @m.s.t_dance_center @ruangaldino @travelingtutusinc @fernandomontan0 @thalemawilliamsstudiosusvi @grishkoworld @nikolayworld @bbcnews @graceekpu @balletnoire @abtschool @hurkmanslinda @katwildish #boys #blackboydancetoo #boyswillbeboys ##boyscan #blackboysrock #blackdancers #goboy #dancer #blacklivesmatter #qualityaboveall #nigerianballetschool #nigeria #leapofdanceacademy #vocationaltraining #boys #dancingintherain #viralvideo #vocationalballetschool #goon #bbc #bbcafrica #bbcnews #2020

A post shared by Leap of Dance Academy (@leapofdanceacademy) on Aug 5, 2020 at 3:04pm PDT

LeBron James has a response to President Donald Trump’s claim that seeing professional athletes kneel during the anthem makes him want to “turn off the game”: the NBA will not miss him.

“I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership, him viewing the game,” James said, according to ESPN, after his Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. “And that’s all I got to say.”

James initially tried to keep his comments brief saying it could become a story if he said too much on the topic. “I already know where this could go, where it could lead to for tomorrow for me,” James said. “I’m not going to get into it.”

Trump suggested Wednesday the NBA’s popularity is falling because others, like him, refuse to watch.

“When I see people kneeling during the playing and disrespecting our flag and national anthem, what I do personally is turn off the game,” Trump said in a phone interview with Fox & Friends. “I think it’s disgraceful. We work with [the NBA], we worked with them very hard trying to get open. I was pushing for them to get open. Then I see everybody kneeling during the anthem. That’s not acceptable to me. When I see them kneeling during the game, I just turn off the game. I have no interest in the game. Let me tell you this, plenty of other people out there, too.”

However, James, who has donated $100,000 to help former felons vote in the 2020 election, used the moment to speak on the upcoming presidential election and Trump’s refusal to watch the NBA because of the peaceful protest from the players and coaches.

“I think our game is in a beautiful position and we have fans all over the world and our fans not only love the way we play the game—we try to give it back to them with our commitment to the game—but also respect what else we try to bring to the game and acknowledge it: what’s right and what’s wrong,” James said.

“And I hope everyone, no matter the race, no matter the color, no matter the size, will see what leadership that we have at the top in our country and understand that November is right around the corner and it’s a big moment for us as Americans. If we continue to talk about, ‘We want better, we want change,’ we have an opportunity to do that. But the game will go on without his eyes on it. I can sit here and speak for all of us that love the game of basketball: We could [not] care less.”

James’ comments weren’t far off from Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers’ comments on the situation.

“Well we lost one guy,” Rivers said when asked about Trump Wednesday. “I mean, so what. Like really, I don’t even care. We know that justice is on our side. Right?”

• COVID-19

by Dana Givens

August 7, 2020

Black Americans Now Account For The Highest Increase In Gun Sales Of Any Demographic

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The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus pandemic, has changed the way normal life functions in America. Compounded by the national protests over racial injustice and police brutality, many Black Americans have been advocating for the purchase of firearms for protection amid the current political climate.

Overall, gun sales have been surging across the United States. According to The Brookings Institution, nearly 3 million firearms had been purchased since March when the public health crisis caused the shut down of major cities across the U.S. The research also shows that since March 13, when Trump first declared the viral outbreak a national emergency, firearm sales increased significantly over the next two weeks climbing as high as 176,000 orders on March 16 alone. In the month of March, there were an additional 700,000 firearms bought more than usual. The data showed that the number increased again with a 50% increase for June sales around the time the protests over police brutality began to take over the nation.

The protests over the death of George Floyd and others at the hands of law enforcement have sparked a surge in gun sales among Black Americans who have seen the highest increase since the beginning of the year.

“The highest overall firearm sales increase comes from Black men and women, who show a 58.2% increase in purchases during the first six months of 2020 versus the same period last year,” wrote Jim Curcuruto, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) director of Research and Market Development, in his report according to AOL News. “Bottom line is that there has never been a sustained surge in firearm sales quite like what we are in the midst of.”

Groups like the Black Gun Owners Association have been said to experience a tremendous spike in interest and online traffic since the protests started. “Whether it was fear of a food shortage, lack of a grocery store, the short response times for law enforcement or whether people were just fearful they were going to be attacked, I don’t know,” said Derrick Morgan, national commander of the Black Gun Owners Association, to Politico.

“A lot of people are reaching out to us, mainly new gun owners and people who wouldn’t have considered owning a gun or firearm for their protection, have been lining up to purchase firearms and access information from our website.”

The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus pandemic, has caused many Americans around the country to lose their employment due to the economic fallout. The steep rise in unemployment has forced many to fall behind on their bills, including their rent or mortgage payments, with landlords closing in on tenants who don’t know how they will continue moving forward. As more states allow landlords to move forward with potential eviction cases, President Donald Trump has announced that he is considering offering some resolution to halt evictions.

In a news conference held on Wednesday, Aug. 5, Trump said that he is considering signing an executive action to prevent landlords from evicting their tenants and is looking into providing more relief for unemployed workers due to the public health crisis. This news comes as the Senate is considering whether or not to continue the additional COVID-19 relief payments with unemployment. According to the New York Daily News, roughly 23 million people could potentially be evicted by October due to the pandemic if the government does not intervene.

“My administration is exploring executive actions to provide protections against eviction. Eviction is a big problem—very unfair to a lot of people. It wasn’t their fault that this virus came from a far away land,” said Trump at the conference, according to CBS News. 

“As well as additional relief to those who are unemployed as a result of the virus, very importantly I’m also looking at a term-limited suspension of the payroll tax,” the president continued. “Something that has great support from many many sides especially some of our top economists and some people that we have great respect for.”

“By Friday if we haven’t made significant progress and we’re just too far apart, the president is prepared to take an executive action on those two items,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said in a CNN interview about the matter. “The good news for your viewers is if Congress can’t get it done, the president of the United States will.”

• News

by Derek Major

August 6, 2020

N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James Moves To Dissolve NRA Amid Fraud Probe

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N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James filed a suit Thursday seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association following a probe showing the group is “fraught with fraud and abuse.”

According to NPR, James claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday she found financial misconduct in the millions of dollars and that it contributed to a loss of more than $64 million over a three-year period. The suit accuses NRA executives of misusing charitable funds for personal gain, awarding contracts to friends and family members, and providing contracts to former employees to ensure loyalty.

“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” James said in a statement. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”

James is seeking to dissolve the group, which is the most aggressive sanction she could have sought against the nonprofit organization, which James has jurisdiction over because it is registered in New York.

James’ complaint is against the NRA as a whole, but also names current and former executives Wayne LaPierre, general counsel John Frazer, former Chief Financial Officer Woody Phillips, and former Chief of Staff Joshua Powell.

The lawsuit lists dozens of examples of alleged financial malfeasance by the group. The charges include executives using NRA funds for vacations, private jets, and expensive meals. James’ office said the association “instituted a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight” that contributed to “the waste and loss of millions in assets.”

In addition to dissolving the NRA, James is also asking the court to order the four executives to pay back the unlawful profits and to remove LaPierre and Frazer from the organization’s leadership and prevent the four named executives from ever serving again on the board of a charity in the state.