R. Kelly, victims, lawsuit
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 9, 2025

R. Kelly Sued By Six Victims Claiming He Owes Them Over $10M Awarded In 2022 Judgment

The victims claim that they have yet to receive the bulk of their $10.3 million awarded in a 2022 judgment.

R. Kelly is still facing legal trouble from behind bars. Six of his alleged victims have sued the disgraced singer, claiming he owes over $10 million awarded in a 2022 judgment.

According to People, the victims filed the lawsuit on Jan. 31. In the filing, they assert that Kelly has yet to pay their full $10.3 million judgment. The plaintiffs, Lizette Martinez, Lisa Van Allen, Kelly Rodgers, Faith Rodgers, Roderick Gartell, and Gem Pratts, were supposed to receive over $5.1 million in combined compensatory damages and over $4.5 million in punitive damages, including interest.

They claim that the vast majority of this payment, over $9.9 million, has yet to be paid. In the filing, they named Kelly’s record label, Universal Music, and its sublabel and revenue-sharing platform, IndyBuild. Kelly’s former manager, Donnell Russell, was also listed.

The victims claim that the label, despite its contract with Kelly ending in 2019, “remains contractually obligated to collect revenues and remit music publishing royalties” to the incarcerated singer. Two of the victims, Van Allen and Martinez recalled their abuse and sexual assault by the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer in the striking docu-series, “Surviving R. Kelly.” The women recalled meeting Kelly as teenagers, as the singer proceeded to have sex with them despite knowing their ages.

However, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Boujean, has spoken out against the lofty payout. Boujean called the judgment “outrageous,” emphasizing how the awarding occurred without her 58-year-old client knowing.

“This outrageous default judgment was entered contrary to court rules, legal precedent, and basic principles of fairness,” expressed the lawyer.” A New York court conducted a hearing in Mr. Kelly’s absence and without his knowledge while he was incarcerated in Chicago, awarding a staggering $10,000,000 to plaintiffs for conduct committed by someone else.”

Boujean then alleged that Kelly’s race played a role in his money being stripped so freely from him.

She added, “A pattern has emerged from courts across the country deciding that Mr. Kelly is not entitled to the same Due Process rights as everyone else. It’s getting old. No court would have been that cavalier with the money of a white man. Our appeal is pending on this issue.”

The singer remains in federal prison in North Carolina. He continues to serve his two sentences concurrently for charges of sex trafficking, child pornography, and racketeering, among others.

RELATED CONTENT: R. Kelly Sued by Former Business Manager



Sam Nujoma, Namibia
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

February 9, 2025

Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s First President And Leader Of Independence Movement, Has Died

Nujoma was the leader of Namibia's fight for independence from apartheid South Africa.

Sam Nujoma, the activist who led Namibia to independence and became its first president, has died at age 95.

Namibia’s current president, Nangolo Mbumba, announced Nujoma’s death on Feb. 9. Mbumba stated that Nujoma died the night before following his hospitalization in the nation’s capital city of Windhoek.

According to NPR, the freedom fighter was deemed the “father of the nation” for his efforts in Namibia’s fight to separate from apartheid South Africa. Upon gaining independence in 1990, Namibia elected Nujoma as its first president, a position he held for 15 years. The freedom fighter is now remembered for his esteemed place in the country’s history.

He served three terms as the first President of Namibia, from 1990 to 2005.

“The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” shared Mbumba. “Over the past three weeks, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian Nation was hospitalized for medical treatment and medical observation due to ill health… Unfortunately, this time, the most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness.”

Among many other African leaders who pioneered the break from colonial rule, Nujoma has remained a revered figure for helping Namibia become a democracy. Known for his white beard, Nujoma spent decades trying to gain independence for his home country. Prior to his presidential appointment, Nujoma spent almost 30 years in exile for leading the independence movement in the country.

While in exile, Nujoma aided in the establishment of the South West African People’s Organization, becoming its president in 1960. Deemed SWAPO, the political party launched a guerilla campaign while under his leadership to combat South Africa’s continued control over the country. SWAPO has since remained in power in Namibia.

While Nujoma championed national healing and reconciliation within its countrymen, the man many branded a Marxist also gained support from North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and China for his liberation movement. Despite this and his fierce push against the West, Nujoma also built relations with Western democratic powers. He became the first African leader to stay at the White House, hosted by former President Bill Clinton. Clinton described him as the “George Washington” of Namibia and a “genuine hero” for global democracy.

Nujoma’s legacy, while esteemed, has faced its criticisms as well. He called AIDS a “man-made biological weapon” while also calling homosexuality a “foreign and corrupt ideology.” Despite his controversial views, he still shaped Namibia’s democratic structure through its constitution and relations with other countries.

RELATED CONTENT: Humanitarian Influencer Dora Moono Nyambe, Who Built A School In Zambia, Dies At 32

NYPD, Black teen, mass shooting, false
by Daniel Johnson

February 9, 2025

NYPD Faces Backlash For Falsely Accusing Black Teen Of Mass Shooting

Many are calling for the police to take public accountability for the troubling misidentification.

According to The Associated Press, the New York City Police Department is facing backlash for falsely accusing a 15-year-old Black teen of a mass shooting at the West Indian American Day Parade in September 2024 on social media.

Camden Lee, the teenager who was falsely accused by the NYPD, described to the news service what he felt when he first saw his name and face attached to the shooting that resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of four others.

“I see the NYPD logo. I see me. I see ‘suspect wanted for murder,’” Lee recalled to the AP. “I couldn’t believe what was happening. Then everything went blurry.”

Lee’s mother, Chee Chee Brock, whose elder son recently joined the NYPD, indicated that the incident caused her to lose faith in the NYPD.

“I used to have a lot of trust in the NYPD and how they do things,” Brock said. “But I raised my kids to admit when they made a mistake. If you can blame an innocent kid for murder, what else can you get away with?”

Although the NYPD privately met with Lee’s lawyer and scrubbed the photograph of him from their social media accounts, his family said they feel the department has not yet taken any public accountability.

Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Delaney Kempner and the NYPD’s newly appointed spokesperson indicated to the AP that she would look into what happened but did not elaborate further.

Lee, who was at the parade when the shooting happened, was captured in a surveillance image watching in disbelief after his friend was grazed in the shoulder by a bullet and subsequently carried away on a stretcher.

Once the police put out the image positioning Lee as the suspect, his mother immediately called a lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, who set up a meeting with NYPD homicide detectives that night.

According to Montgomery, although the detectives said the department made a mistake, their attitude rubbed him the wrong way.

“They conceded they got it wrong,” Montgomery told the AP. “But these officers were so cavalier about it. It was like they were playing a game with a kid’s life.”

According to Wylie Stecklow, a civil rights attorney representing the family, the department’s inability to own up to a significant mistake is troubling

“There’s tremendous pressure on the NYPD to serve up results in a high-profile shooting like this,” Stecklow told the AP. “The fact that they’ve failed to explain how this mistake was made, and how they’ll avoid it in the future, is deeply troubling.”

The NYPD said at a news conference immediately following the shooting that their suspect was a slim man in his 20s who wore a bandana and a paint-stained brown shirt and that they suspected that the shooting was gang-related, neither of which matched the now 16-year-old Lee.

Lee, meanwhile, has suffered academically as a result of the fallout from being falsely accused of the shooting, and his mother worries for his safety.

“As a mom, the No. 1 thing I’m scared of is losing my kids to the streets or the jail system,” Brock said. “So he doesn’t have freedom now. When he goes to the corner store, I time him.”

The image of Lee, although it was scrubbed from the department’s social media, was not pulled from media reports or explained by the NYPD publicly that Lee is not and never was confirmed to be the shooter, which led to the image’s recent recirculation, which for Lee, has brought everything right back to where it was when he was first falsely accused of being the shooter by the NYPD.

“For the photo to come out again, it brought it all back to the start,” Lee said. “My mom was just thinking of letting me go on the train again. It takes me to a dark place. I don’t feel like myself anymore. I don’t have the opportunity to explain my side of the story. Everyone is so fixed on this one image of me: murderer.”

RELATED CONTENT: NYPD’s Top-Ranking Officers Criticized for ‘Irresponsible And Unprofessional’ Social Media Posts

Wendy Williams, guardian, medical Evaluation
by Mary Spiller

February 9, 2025

Wendy Williams Said She’s ‘Not Cognitively Impaired’: Guardian Calls For New Medical Evaluation

The request came after Wendy Williams recentlycalled into the Breakfast Club and complained about her conservatorship.

Wendy Williams and her niece, Alex Finnie, are requesting new medical testing for William’s capacity. Williams, who was previously diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia in 2023, recently called into the “Breakfast Club” and claimed that the current care she is receiving at the decision of her guardian is too intense and unnecessary.

This is the latest update in an ongoing legal battle between Williams’ appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, and A+E over the Lifetime documentary “Where is Wendy Williams?” In it, Morrissey alleged that the television personality was mentally incapable of consenting to be filmed.

However, the former talk show host, 60, called into the Breakfast Club on Feb. 6 and opened up to guest host Loren LoRosa and regular hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God.

Williams and Finnie insisted that her conservatorship was nothing but “emotional abuse” and that Williams is “not cognitively impaired.”

Williams told the show, “I feel like I am in prison. I’m in this place where the people are in their ’90s, their ’80s, and their ’70s. There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.”

Morrissey’s lawyers reportedly quickly sent a letter to a New York judge, as Williams’ court-appointed guardian, calling for an updated round of testing to confirm Williams received the correct diagnosis.

As reported by USA Today, the letter states, “[Williams] has now repeatedly stated publicly that she disagrees with her diagnosis.” Morrissey countered that it is “not uncommon for patients with FTD who have impaired awareness even regarding their own impairments [and] believes that it would be prudent for [Williams] to undergo a new medical evaluation that will involve comprehensive neurological and psychological testing by a specialist in the field.”

The filing continues, “The issue of whether (Williams) has the capacity to assess what is in her own best interests deserves renewed careful consideration by qualified experts, and should not be left to careless speculation in tabloids, radio, or on the internet.”

Finnie backed up Williams’ claims and stated that the conservatorship system is predatory — and that people have abused it to take advantage of the “wealthy and vulnerable.”

Finnie said, “Williams hasn’t had, from what I understand, a medical evaluation to see if her rights can be restored. And it seems as though that instead of this guardian, Sabrina [Morrissey], working with her, it seems like she’s made it difficult every which way for my aunt to be able to live any sort of healthy, independent life.”

Morrissey has since offered to pause the pursuit of legal action against the A&E Networks until the new test results are available.

The letter read, “To be clear, the whole point of the A&E matter is to benefit Williams and her estate. Morrissey brought the A&E matter for one reason: to recover substantial monetary damages for the benefit of Williams which could be used to help pay for Williams significant healthcare needs going forward.”

Through the lawsuit, both A&E Television Networks and Lifetime Entertainment Services have denied any wrongdoing against Williams.

They argued that Morrissey’s lawsuit was in retaliation since their docuseries showed that Morrissey “isolated her from her family, left her largely alone and unattended in her apartment, exacerbated her self-destructive behavior and mental decline, and failed to prevent Williams’ use and/or abuse of alcohol.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, frontotemporal dementia describes a set of progressive brain diseases that attack the frontal and temporal lobes — affecting language, personality, and behavior.

RELATED CONTENT: Wendy Williams Has New Attorney To Battle Conservatorship

DJ Stormy Monroe, Super Bowl LIX, NFL, music
by Kandiss Edwards

February 9, 2025

DJ Stormy Monroe Spins The Block For Super Bowl LIX

DJ Stormy Monroe returns home to deejay for the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LIX is on its way, taking place at the New Orleans Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9. For only the second time in history, two Black quarterbacks—Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes—will face off on the field. Fans and non-fans alike are also tuning in to watch the much-anticipated halftime show by 22-time Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar. While these Black men are part of the main event, there are also Black women in support roles, helping keep the vibes immaculate. One of them is New Orleans native DJ Stormy Monroe.

DJ Stormy Monroe will partner with the NFL to entertain patrons before kick-off. A graduate of Edna Karr High School and Dillard University, the creative was shaped in the birthplace of jazz. While music was not her first career choice, she has made a name for herself in the music and entertainment industries. A former contestant on the OWN Network’s “Ready to Love,” she is no stranger to the spotlight. DJ Stormy Monroe has traveled the world, spreading joy through music.

As she travels home to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, she took a few minutes to speak with BLACK ENTERPRISE about her journey.

Was a music career always the goal? If not, how did you arrive at this point?

I can’t say that being in music was always my career goal, but I can say I’ve always had a love for it. I actually managed local artists when I was in high school and college. This was before SoundCloud and digital music releases. I eventually became an EDM artist, but that was short-lived once I learned how little control artists had over their careers at that time. In 2015, I started DJing part-time until I stepped out on faith and left my corporate career to become a full-time DJ in 2018.

As a New Orleans native, how does it feel to come back and represent the city at a national event of this magnitude?

Growing up in New Orleans and witnessing our city host enormous events like the ESSENCE Festival, Sugar Bowl, and now the Super Bowl for the 11th time, the opportunity to DJ on the main stage for the Super Bowl for the third year in a row is the ultimate full-circle moment for me because it’s in my hometown.

New Orleans is one of America’s most uniquely original, culture-rich cities. How does that culture shape your artistry?

New Orleans is rich in culture, especially music history, as the birthplace of jazz. That deep history influences every aspect of my artistry.

Have you had to temper your Southern sensibilities to expand your career across the U.S. and the world?

Actually, because New Orleans has such a diverse pool of influences, I was probably more prepared for the industry than most. I’m able to be myself in every room I enter or stage I perform on because I grew up listening to Louis Armstrong, Ellis Marsalis Jr., Harry Connick Jr., Cash Money and No Limit, Trombone Shorty, Bounce DJs like DJ Jimi, and more.

How have you maintained your relationship with the NFL over the past few years? What about you keeps them coming back?

I’m just grateful they keep booking me. Ultimately, I think it boils down to being easy to work with and understanding that the NFL has a very large but multifaceted brand that draws people from various demographics. I’m great at reading the room and making a concerted effort to play music that fits the crowd.

You appeared on ‘Ready to Love’ on the OWN Network. Are there any other TV appearances in the works?

Yes, “Ready to Love” was my first opportunity to be on national TV, but that was clearly a dating reality show and not tied to my brand as a DJ. LOL. As for seeing me on TV again, I’m not at liberty to discuss the details, but please know that I will be back on national TV in the near future—this time as DJ Stormy Monroe.

Where can we find you after you leave the stadium? What’s next?

After the Super Bowl, I’ll resume touring with multi-platinum and Grammy-winning R&B group 112 as their official tour DJ. Follow me on Instagram to keep up with me @DJStormyMonroe.

RELATED CONTENT: Alicia Keys Introduces New Graphic Novel ‘Girl On Fire’ Featuring A Black Girl Superhero

Meghan Markle,Tyler Perry, Black Women
by Mary Spiller

February 9, 2025

Meghan Markle Featured In Tyler Perry Tribute To Black Women

Markle was honored along with Nina Simone, Oprah, Donna Summer, and Shirley Chisholm.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been featured in a moving, powerful new tribute celebrating Black women’s achievements. The tribute was shared on Instagram on Feb. 5 and headed by filmmaker Tyler Perry.

Perry shared the montage on his Instagram as a tribute for Black History Month, especially highlighting historical trailblazers and contemporary Black women in the spotlight today. Other notable faces like Nina Simone, Oprah Winfrey, and Tracee Ellis Ross were also featured.

The post also acted as a promotional clip for a new song titled “BLKWMN,” which is set to be released on Feb. 21. The black-and-white photos are set to the up-and-coming track by singer Ledisi and produced by Jocmusiq.

Markle is among the showcased images in the BLKWMN tribute, among other moving images from the Black community and cultural events to political movements that all serve to honor Black women and their contributions through the decades.

Markle’s photo was originally used as a promotional shot for her Archetypes podcast, but Perry celebrates the Duchess of Sussex in the post for advocating for representation in predominantly white spaces.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFrQfsgsO1Q/?igsh=MW5zMzBsaDU4amk5dA==

Markle has been a notable advocate in recent years and is also close friends with Perry.

The two began their friendship around 2018 when the 55-year-old actor and filmmaker offered a shoulder to lean on after Markle’s royal wedding to Prince Harry.

As previously reported, in 2020, he provided both Markle and Harry with a private residence as they became acclimated to the United States, and Perry even offered up his own nearly $20 million home for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to live in after they stepped back from their overseas royal duties in 2020.

Markle and Prince Harry were also in attendance at Perry’s 55th birthday.

RELATED CONTENT: Meghan Markle Criticized By Haters For ‘Out of Touch’ Netflix Series

Black men, unemployment, Januray jobs report
by Kandiss Edwards

February 9, 2025

New Orleans’ Trombone Shorty Foundation Reflects On Unforgettable Cultural Exchange In Cuba

The Trombone Shorty Foundation brings New Orleans to Cuba.

The Trombone Shorty Foundation completed its annual “Get Funky In Havana” pilgrimage, Jan. 16-20. 

Described as a cultural exchange, the trip was chronicled in a three-part series on PBS NewsHour.

The “Get Funky In Havana” trip, now in its fourth year, connects the youth of New Orleans and Cuba through music. The foundation partnered with Cimafunk and Cuba Educational Travel and was sponsored by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation.

Thanks to the willingness of all involved to donate time, energy, and funding, the exchange highlighted Cuba and its rich musical history, which once faced restrictions in its dealings with America.

Founded by world-renowned brass musician Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, the foundation aims to inspire the next generation of musicians. Cuban students and locals enjoyed performances by Taj Mahal, Trombone Shorty, George Clinton, and Cimafunk. The mash-up of different styles and rhythms from each artist created a rich tapestry of sound woven from excellence.

“Poet of Havana” Carlos Varela gave an intimate performance and reflected on the initiatives’ communal nature.

“Some people build walls, and some people build doors,” he said via press release.

Cimafunk echoed the theme of unity, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to bring together such vibrant cultures to discover what binds us and how that can create lasting bonds.

“I’m so grateful to explore and celebrate the deep cultural connections between New Orleans and Cuba through Getting Funky in Havana,” Cimafunk said. “It’s all about coming together to celebrate Africa, funk music, and the New Orleans-Cuba friendship.”

The Trombone Shorty Foundation’s dedication to building long-lasting ties with the people of Cuba is evident. The foundation’s namesake spoke passionately about the joy gained from the collaboration. 

RELATED CONTENT: Atlantic City Theater To Be Transformed Into Cultural Arts Center For Jazz And Black History

New York AG Letitia James , DOJ, Trump, Grand Jury
by Daniel Johnson

February 8, 2025

New York AG Letitia James Wins Ruling To Block Musk’s DOGE From Accessing Sensitive Data Of Millions Of Americans

Englemayer, stated that anyone who is prohibited from having access to the sensitive data retroactive to Jan. 20 must immediately destroy all copies of any material downloaded from Treasury Department systems.

On Feb. 8, U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction after 19 Democratic attorneys general sued President Donald Trump to prevent Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Treasury Department records containing sensitive taxpayer information, such as the Social Security and bank account numbers of millions of Americans.

According to Time Magazine, the suit, filed in New York City, alleged that the Trump administration’s decision to give Musk and his DOGE team access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system violated federal law.

In his ruling, Englemayer, an appointee of President Barack Obama, stated that anyone prohibited from accessing sensitive data retroactive to Jan. 20, must immediately destroy all copies of any material downloaded from Treasury Department systems.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office filed the lawsuit against Trump, said that Musk and DOGE’s access to sensitive information raises security issues and the possibility of illegally freezing federal funds.

“This unelected group, led by the world’s richest man, is not authorized to have this information, and they explicitly sought this unauthorized access to illegally block payments that millions of Americans rely on, payments for health care, child care, and other essential programs,” James said via a video message released by her office on Feb. 7.

In a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE by James’ office on Feb. 8, she also called attention to the effect Musk’s seizure of sensitive data has had on Americans nationwide.

“From the moment Elon Musk and his DOGE employees gained unprecedented access to our personal private data, state bank account details, and other sensitive information, Americans across the country have been horrified. Over the past week, my office has heard from more than a thousand New Yorkers who were afraid they would lose their privacy and the critical funding their communities count on because of Musk and DOGE’s interference.”

James continued, “We knew the Trump administration’s choice to give this access to unauthorized individuals was illegal, and this morning, a federal court agreed. I have said it before, and I will say it again: no one is above the law. Now, Americans can trust that Musk – the world’s richest man – and his friends will not have free rein over their personal information while our lawsuit proceeds.”

According to the lawsuit, DOGE’s access to taxpayers’ personal information is both a violation of federal law and the United States Constitution’s doctrine of the separation of powers.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is also accused of changing the department’s longstanding policy of protecting sensitive data to allow Musk and his cronies access.

“This decision failed to account for legal obligations to protect such data and ignored the privacy expectations of federal fund recipients,” which includes states, veterans, retirees, and taxpayers, the lawsuit states.

According to a statement from Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, “This is the largest data breach in American history. DOGE is an unlawfully constituted band of renegade tech bros combing through confidential records, sensitive data, and critical payment systems. What could go wrong?”

The ACLU has also stepped up to challenge Musk’s access to sensitive information, as Nathan Freed Wessler, the deputy director of the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, indicated in a press release.

In a letter to various Senate and House finance-related committee members, the organization called on Congress to do its job and check the executive branch’s overreach of power.

“The American people deserve to know if their private financial, medical, and personal records are being illegally accessed, analyzed, or weaponized by Trump’s unaccountable team of unvetted outsiders. There’s every indication that DOGE has forced its way into the government’s most tightly protected databases and systems, without consideration of longstanding privacy safeguards mandated by Congress. We need answers now,” Wessler said.

RELATED CONTENT: Federal Employees Blocking Musk’s DOGE Staff Could Be Breaking The Law, US Prosecutor Says

Elon Musk, Tennessee, pollution, super computer
by Daniel Johnson

February 8, 2025

Elon Musk Rehires Racist DOGE Staffer After Vance, Trump Call For Reinstatement

Elon Musk rehired a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer who had previously resigned after racist and pro-eugenics social media posts linked to him came to light

On Feb. 7, Elon Musk announced his decision to rehire a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer who had previously resigned after racist and pro-eugenics social media posts on an X account linked to the former staffer came to light.

According to USA Today, Musk’s decision came after Trump’s Vice President JD Vance voiced his disapproval of the consequences for 25-year-old software programmer Marko Elez’s actions on social media, and was later supported by Trump.

A few of Elez’s offensive statements include: “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool,” “Normalize Indian hate,” and “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.”

Of note is that Usha Vance, Vance’s wife and the mother of his children, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.

Vance repeatedly infantilized Elez, referring to the 25-year-old man as a kid.

Vance and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) got into a spat on X over the proposed rehiring of the DOGE staffer.

“Are you going to tell him to apologize for saying ‘Normalize Indian hate’ before this rehire? Just asking for the sake of both of our kids,” Khanna said on X. 

“For the sake of both of our kids? Grow up. Racist trolls on the internet, while offensive, don’t threaten my kids. You know what does? A culture that denies grace to people who make mistakes. A culture that encourages congressmen to act like whiny children,” Vance wrote in reply to Rep. Khanna.

Vance continued, “I don’t worry about my kids making mistakes, or developing views they later regret. I don’t even worry that much about trolls on the internet. You know what I do worry about, Ro? That they’ll grow up to be a US Congressmen who engages in emotional blackmail over a kid’s social media posts. You disgust me.”

“Here’s my view: I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life,” Vance said on Feb. 7. “We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back. If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.”

Trump was asked for his view of Vance’s comments at a press conference at the White House, and after initially indicating that he didn’t know what the reporters were referring to before asking Vance if he made the comments in question.

After Vance replied in the affirmative, Trump stated, “I’m with the vice president.”

According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and contrary to Vance’s claims, Elez resigned after reporters for The Wall Street Journal asked him about the social media posts linked to him.

Musk, meanwhile, seemed to indicate on social media that he wants the reporter who uncovered the posts to be fired.

Musk replied underneath a post that seemed to come from a right-wing conspiracy theorist that Katherine Long, a reporter at the WSJ, should be fired immediately.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Elez was also a central figure in a legal fight over DOGE’s access to sensitive taxpayer information and systems used by the Treasury Department to process trillions of dollars in payments per year.

On Feb. 6, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that Elez could keep his access to the department’s payment systems but limited his ability to share the data. Later that day, Elez resigned from DOGE.

RELATED CONTENT: Rep. Jasmine Crockett Opens Up About The Reality Of Elon Musk Getting His Hands On Federal Funding

Donald Trump,judge, DEI, Executive orders
by Daniel Johnson

February 8, 2025

Trump’s ‘Sanitized’ Black History Month Proclamation Alarms Expert

Shaun Harper, a University of Southern California professor, says Trump's proclamation is 'incomplete.'

Like most presidents of the past 30 years, Donald Trump issued a proclamation that recognizes February as Black History Month; however, it is what the proclamation doesn’t mention that has sparked protests from historians and other experts concerning the proclamation’s sanitized version of Black people’s place in American history.

According to The Huffington Post, Shaun Harper, a professor of education, business, and public policy at the University of Southern California, believes Trump’s Black History Month proclamation is “sanitized” and “incomplete.”

For starters, Trump fails to address the country’s history of racial discrimination.

“America’s Black history includes slavery, Jim Crow, separate and unequal schooling, redlining, racial violence, and far too many well-documented inequities,” Harper told the outlet. “A sanitized proclamation that fails to acknowledge any of this is incomplete and inconsistent with prior years.”

https://twitter.com/aorridge88/status/1885501969617281277?s=19

As Harper pointed out, Trump’s latest Black History Month proclamation contains a vague celebration of “black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history,” only mentioning Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, and Tiger Woods by name.

In his comments to the Huffington Post, Harper alluded to Trump’s actions in gutting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the federal government and his proclamation affirming Black History Month as disrespectful to Black “heroes and sheroes” of the past.

“On his first day in office, Trump swiftly dismantled government offices and federal programs that aim to right America’s past and present wrongs against Black people,” Harper said. “Don’t wish us a Happy Black History Month after having spat on the graves of Black heroes and sheroes who died in pursuit of unfulfilled promises to us. It’s offensive.”

According to Dr. Kevin Gaines, the interim director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia, Black History Month exists because of efforts by Woodson and others to combat the kind of whitewashed history that Trump’s proclamation appears to present to the nation.

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Honors Black History Month With Tribute To ‘Black American Patriots,’ Including Tiger Woods, Amid Controversial DEI Ban

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