• Legal

by Mary Spiller

February 23, 2025

Is A Black Louisiana Man Facing Homicide Charges For Defending Himself Against An Attack By A White Man?

Video footage shows Trevor Moses, 25, defending himself.

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Activists are closely monitoring the case of a Webster Parish man who recently died from injuries sustained in a fight in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, in January. Christopher Temple, a white man, was involved in an altercation with 25-year-old Black man Trevor Moses on Jan. 26. Despite a video of the fight reportedly showing Temple as the primary aggressor, Moses has been charged with the crime. The case has raised concerns about the criminalization of Black men and the dynamics of white fragility.

Moses was originally charged with second-degree battery after defending himself outside of a nightclub in Shreveport, but after Temple died, further charges can potentially be added. 

The video of the altercation shows Moses standing outside of the nightclub and engaging in a verbal argument with a group of white women. The women screamed at Moses and pointed their fingers in his face, but Temple led the women away and then suddenly hit Moses in the head, as seen in the video. Moses fell to the ground and Temple continued to hit him as he was on the ground. 

Although the next moments of the fight were not caught on camera, Newsone reported that Moses hit Temple in the face, causing the 43-year-old white man to fall and hit his head on the concrete. 

Temple was unconscious on the scene, and after being transported to the hospital, Temple had surgery for his head injury. He was in hospice until Feb. 15, when he succumbed to the injuries sustained in his fight with Moses.

According to KSLA News, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith and Cpl. Chris Bordelon watched a video of Temple and Moses fighting. Bordelon said the department was aware of the discourse surrounding the case. 

He stated, “We’re very aware of what the public is saying; obviously, this is a complicated matter. You have an incident that occurs where this man [Moses] is obviously the victim. He’s struck first, and then he returns later and another incident ensues, ultimately resulting in the death of that individual. And at this point in time, he has not been charged with the death of that individual because we understand there’s moving parts. So we’re communicating with the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges should be upgraded, and what they should be. And it’s really just an unfortunate situation.”

So far, the Shreveport, Louisiana, police have not announced if they will give Moses additional charges, but the case has now been upgraded to a homicide investigation.

“We really want to speak to our community to ensure that people make good decisions, and don’t put themselves in situations that ultimately end in some kind of tragedy like this,” Bordelon concluded.

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by Ida Harris

February 23, 2025

Adiba Nelson’s ‘Oshun And Me’ Is An Ode To Braids And Black History For Afro-Latin Children

A story of love and braids

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At a time when Black and marginalized groups are under attack, Adiba Nelson drops a children’s book that reinforces Black aesthetics and identity. The Afro-Latina author does this through the eyes of Yadira, a young girl who invites young readers along on a natural hair journey in Oshun and Me: A Story Of Love Snd Braids. It begins with the ritual of having her hair braided and bedazzled on a Sunday. Yadira lays out the process and becomes curious about a cowrie shell her mother uses as adornment. What unfolds is a cultural and historical dialogue between mother and daughter. The conversation beautifully maps the mythology of African traditional religion practiced within Black Latin culture—against the backdrop of equally beautiful illustrations created by Alleanna Harris. 

The story continues with Yadira heading to school. The young girl is beautifully braided and beaded but wonders if she’ll fit in and make friends.

The thoughtfulness and inclusivity displayed in this text cannot be ignored. 

A muted but visual theme in the book is Yadira’s disability—she sits in a wheelchair as she gets her hair braided and uses a walker when she arrives at school.  

According to research by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a mere 3.4% of children’s books feature a child with a disability as the primary character. That number sharply contrasts with the 29.2% of children’s books with animals as main characters. 

Weaving in this often overlooked reality, in such a way, shows young readers who are navigating disabilities that they are seen, that they matter, they are indeed normal. Oshun and Me is sure to spark conversation among and around children with disabilities and children curious about disabilities. 

Yadira goes on to tackle school and make several discoveries. She is filled with the confidence her mom has bestowed on her and armed with the Afro-Latina pride that runs through her heritage. 

Oshun And Me ends with a letter from the author and a diagram of braided hairstyles. 

This tale is a great read for children three and up. It was released on Jan. 25 and can be found on the shelves of your favorite Black bookstores and online from Black booksellers. 

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• Black History Month

by Daniel Johnson

February 23, 2025

Natasha Broxton Drives Home The History Of Black Excellence In The Automotive Industry

Broxton uses both in-store and social media to tell the stories of pioneers like Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light, and C.R. Patterson, the first Black automaker.

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Milwaukee’s Natasha Broxton is a rarity in the automotive industry. She runs one of the nation’s only Black-owned auto parts recyclers. As a woman, she is also a marginalized demographic in the industry, which has historically been white and male.

According to WTMJ-TV, Broxton also knows that the automotive industry doesn’t always highlight the contributions of anyone who isn’t a white man. Through her Automotive in Black initiative, which she recently launched in honor of Black History Month, she seeks to preserve and tell the stories of Black pioneers in the automotive industry.

Broxton uses both in-store and social media displays to tell the stories of pioneers like Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light, and C.R. Patterson, the first Black automaker because some of those stories are not as well known as those of other historical figures.

“They inspire me to keep going. It’s not put out there. We know about MLK, we know about Rosa Parks—but what about all these other contributions we’ve made to history that aren’t broadcasted?” Broxton asked the outlet.

She continued, highlighting Morgan’s contribution to automotive history.

“One of the inventors I learned about, Garrett Morgan, created the stoplight. One of the creators of the Ford Bronco was a Black man—like, who would know that? One of the reasons I’m doing this is because I know this knowledge—this education, this history—can inspire someone else. Our young people need to see this,” Broxton said.

Broxton was exposed to the automotive industry at a young age; her family’s business, Select Auto Parts and Sales, has been part of Milwaukee’s North Side for over 40 years.

Broxton hopes that her project can be brought into schools and mentorship programs so that the next generation can learn about names like Garrett Morgan and C.R. Patterson, as well as modern pioneers like Edward Welburn, the first Black automotive designer hired by GM in 1972. In 2003, Welburn became the first Black vice president of Global Design in the entire automotive industry.

La Shirl Turner, a Black woman leading the inspiration, research, development, and coordination of all interior and exterior colors and materials for Stellantis’s North American division, shared with Newsweek in 2022 that finding support from other women—and offering that same support in return—has been crucial to her success in the industry.

Turner also credits early exposure to the automotive industry, and has seen it become more inclusive over time, as she told Core77 in 2018.

“You know, when I first got into this, it was predominantly a male environment, but I can also say that I’ve been a witness to how it’s changed. There are more females within automotive, not just in Color and Materials, but also designers. So, I think there’s a great opportunity for females in automotive,” Turner said.

According to Wired, women usually only appear in a few spaces at automotive companies, typically relegated to head up OEM trim, finish, and interior design departments. This is despite an attempt by Harley J. Earl, a General Motors executive, to give 10 female industrial designers their chance to put their stamp on the automaker’s designs in the mid-1950s.

However, after that attempt, nothing else really happened in a major way for female auto designers, and the list of cars designed principally by women remains at four: Marilena Corvasce designed the 1982 Ghia Brezza, Mimi Vandermolen designed the Ford Probe, Diane Allen designed the Nissan 350Z, and Michelle Christensen designed the Acura NSX.

RELATED CONTENT: Car Pros CFO Shirley Jones Honored With 2024 ‘Women in Retail’ Award

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 23, 2025

Cancer Mortality Among Black People Declining But Still Higher Than Other Ethnic Groups, Study Finds

The American Cancer Society found a decrease in cancer mortality rates among Black people, but the community continues to have a higher impact compared to other groups.

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A recent study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) highlights a decline in cancer mortality rates among Black people but a continued higher cancer burden compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

On Feb. 20, the American Cancer Society released its “Cancer Statistics for African American and Black People, 2025” study, which revealed a 49% decline in cancer mortality for Black men and a 33% decline for Black women from 1991 to 2022 in the United States. Despite these improvements, African American and Black communities continue to experience a disproportionately higher cancer burden compared to other population groups.

“This report highlights the disparities the Black community has faced for decades. While the decline in cancer mortality rates is encouraging, the stark inequities in incidence and survival for many cancers underscore the urgent need for targeted research and interventions,” Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, interim chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) said in a press release.

Through the study, it becomes more clear that Black individuals face higher rates of cancer death risk that is twice as high as white individuals for cancers such as myeloma, prostate, uterine corpus (endometrial), and stomach cancers. Additionally, the risk is 40% to 50% higher for colorectal, breast, cervical, and liver cancers.

Survival rates are also lower for Black people compared to white people across nearly all cancer types and stages, with the most significant disparities observed in melanoma, uterine corpus, and cervical cancers.

“This is a critical opportunity for the scientific, clinical, and policy-making community to come together to drive meaningful change,” Dr. Frederick said. “Together, we must inform strategies to close these gaps, improve early detection, and ensure equitable access to life-saving treatments for the Black community.”

For the study, ACS researchers gathered the latest data on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, screening, and risk factors for Black individuals using population-based research from the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer remains the second-leading cause of death for both Black men and women, following heart disease.

“Overall declines in cancer mortality rates in Black people largely reflect behavioral changes, such as historical declines in cigarette smoking among Black teens, as well as advances in treatment and earlier detection for some cancers,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, and senior author of the report. “Yet, this population persistently experiences a much higher mortality burden than other racial and ethnic groups for many cancers. We must reverse course.”

To address the ongoing cancer disparities faced by Black women, ACS launched the VOICES of Black Women study last year. As the largest cohort study focused on cancer risk and outcomes among Black women in the U.S., it aims to provide a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to cancer and other health conditions in this group. By bringing these issues to the forefront, the study hopes to inspire collective action to improve health outcomes.

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• News

by Daniel Johnson

February 22, 2025

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Portions Of Trump’s Anti-DEI Executive Orders

In his ruling, the judge concluded that the orders likely violate several constitutional rights, including the right to free speech.

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On Feb. 21 in Baltimore, District Judge Adam Abelson temporarily blocked a key section of President Donald Trump’s executive orders to end programs supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. In his ruling, Abelson concluded that the orders likely violated several constitutional rights, including the right to free speech.

According to NPR, the plaintiffs, which include the City of Baltimore and various higher education groups, argued earlier this month that the Trump administration’s executive orders are unconstitutional and a blatant overreach of presidential authority. They also created a chilling effect on freedom of speech.

The Trump administration defended its use of executive orders to target DEI programs that violate federal civil rights laws, with administration attorneys arguing that federal spending should align with a president’s priorities.

In his ruling, Abelson indicated that the executive orders actively discourage businesses, organizations, and other public entities from supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

“The harm arises from the issuance of it as a public, vague, threatening executive order,” Abelson stated to the court during the hearing.

Later, he would expound on this statement in his written opinion. Abelson wrote that the orders are constitutionally vague and leave federal contractors “no reasonable way to know what, if anything, they can do to bring their grants into compliance.”

To illustrate the quagmire that the executive orders placed institutions like the public school system in, Abelson created a hypothetical situation where the Department of Education funded an elementary school for technology access and a teacher used a computer to teach about Jim Crow and another scenario where a road construction grant covered the cost of filling potholes in a low-income neighborhood but not a wealthy one, Abelson then asked rhetorically “does that render it ‘equity-related’?”

According to the plaintiffs’ argument in their complaint, the Trump administration’s seemingly arbitrary efforts to end the diversity, equality, and inclusion programs will cause widespread harm.

“Ordinary citizens bear the brunt,” they wrote. “Plaintiffs and their members receive federal funds to support educators, academics, students, workers, and communities across the country. As federal agencies make arbitrary decisions about whether grants are ‘equity-related,’ Plaintiffs are left in limbo.”

According to NBC News, Abelson also responded to this argument in his ruling.

“Plaintiffs have amply established a likelihood that they will succeed in proving that the Termination Provision invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement over billions of dollars in government funding,” Abelson wrote.

He continued, “According to a recent case, ‘approximately 20% of the nation’s labor force works for a federal contractor. The Termination Provision leaves those contractors and their employees, plus any other recipients of federal grants, with no idea whether the administration will deem their contracts or grants, or work they are doing, or speech they are engaged in, to be ‘equity related.’”

The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, along with several other nonprofits and Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, argued in their suit that Trump was “seizing” Congress’ role in determining how funds are parceled out.

In addition, they argued that not adequately defining what constituted DEI would allow the attorney general to exercise “carte blanche authority to implement the order discriminatorily.”

Furthermore, the organization declared in its suit, “In the United States, there is no king. In his crusade to erase diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility from our country, President Trump cannot usurp Congress’s exclusive power of the purse, nor can he silence those who disagree with him by threatening them with the loss of federal funds and other enforcement actions.”

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• News

by Mary Spiller

February 22, 2025

Baltimore Man Charged In Fatal Shooting In Senior Living Apartment Complex

Norman Waker was charged with first-degree murder.

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Baltimore man Norman Waker has been charged with murder after fatally shooting a 79-year-old man and critically injuring a 72-year-old man in a shooting inside a Baltimore senior living apartment complex on Feb. 20.

According to Baltimore authorities, police responded to the senior living apartment complex at around 11 a.m. 

The Pleasant View Gardens shooting, reportedly perpetrated by the alleged suspect Waker, caused lockdowns at the nearby schools in the area. Both the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and the National Academy Foundation went into lockdown in response to the shooting due to the proximity. 

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said they took Waker into custody after arriving and securing the premises. 

Waker was charged with fatally shooting Clyde Barnes, 79, and injuring another senior living resident. The second victim, a 72-year-old male, was quickly transported to a local hospital and is currently in critical condition.

According to authorities, an investigation revealed that Waker probably knew both victims.

Worley explained, “Our officers did a phenomenal job here, were here within minutes, secured the building, and were able to take the suspect into custody. Can’t talk enough about how well everything is coordinated by our men and women that go out and do this every day.”

Worley continued to discuss SWAT’s quick response to the situation, which allowed them to locate Waker quickly. The residents of the senior apartment complex were ordered to shelter in place as officers went door to door until the suspect was located. A PA system in the complex made the sweep of the building easier. 

Worley said, “If there is a PA system or something, we can get information to the residents to shelter in place, they all pretty much did that. Then our officers and our SWAT team swept the building, apartment by apartment until they found the suspect.”

Anyone with information regarding the shooting or Norman Waker’s alleged involvement is urged to contact Homicide Detectives at 410-396-2100.

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• Legal

by Mary Spiller

February 22, 2025

TV Anchor Ojinika Obiekwe Sues NY Station For ‘Slave’ Treatment And Unlawful Termination

Obiekwe is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who worked for the company for over 20 years.

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Ojinika Obiekwe, an Emmy Award-winning Black journalist, has filed a lawsuit against PIX11 for allegedly treating her like a “slave on a plantation” and wrongfully firing her for speaking out against the pervasive racial discrimination in its newsroom. The lawsuit against the New York-based TV channel lists her seeking unspecified damages.

Obiekwe points out the alleged racial discrimination she claims she experienced in PIX11’s newsroom: “All that’s left for me to do at this point is pick cotton.”

According to The New York Post, she explained that she received a disproportionately heavy workload and less support than her white counterparts.

The 46-year-old Nigerian-born journalist, who worked at the PIX11 news station for over 20 years, claimed she was forced to do the job of two or three people with little support.

After receiving a promotion in 2017, Obiekwe said she noticed two white men, who had the same role as her at sister stations, “were receiving more and better staffing support” and had less work.

According to the lawsuit, Obiekwe said of the station, “This might as well be a plantation.”

Obiekwe stated that as an entertainment anchor and reporter, she also completed tasks usually given to a segment producer or copy editor. With the added work, the two white men still allegedly earned a higher salary than she did.

She said she was vocal about the mistreatment she felt at work, which escalated in 2020.

“Just call me Django. But even Django was unchained,” she would say at PIX11. “I thought slavery was abolished.”

The next year, Obiekwe submitted a formal complaint to PIX11 Nexstar’s human resources department and finally met with Nicole Tindiglia, the channel’s news director. Although Tindiglia claimed she would look into Obiekwe’s grievances, according to the lawsuit, she allegedly never did.

Instead, in 2022, Tindiglia called a meeting with Obiekwe and allegedly told her that her constant race rhetoric was “making people uncomfortable.”

The lawsuit states that Tindiglia fired Obiekwe in January of the following year for “failing to perform job duties and insubordination.”

Obiekwe’s lawsuit claims that the firing was retaliation for her speaking out against racial discrimination in PIX11’s practices. Her SAG-AFTRA union lawyers have claimed that the news anchor’s former employers have failed to provide proof of Obiekwe failing to perform her job duties.

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• News

by Daniel Johnson

February 22, 2025

Trump’s Firing Of Gen. CQ Brown, Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff, Over Racial Justice Advocacy Raises Alarms

Brown, a former combat pilot, rose to become the first Black man to lead a branch of the military as Air Force chief.

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In another move breaking with long-standing tradition in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 21, President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position normally immune to turnover when presidential administrations change hands.

According to NPR, Trump announced Brown’s firing on Truth Social. Before assuming the position of Joint Chiefs of Staff after his nomination by former President Joe Biden in 2023, Brown was the first Black man to lead a branch of the military, rising to the rank of Air Force chief.

In his post, Trump thanked Brown for “his over 40 years of service to our country” and said he was a “fine gentleman and an outstanding leader” before announcing his intention to nominate Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as Brown’s successor.

According to Trump, “General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience,” before adding that Caine “was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate.”

According to a CNN report, Brown’s firing and the subsequent plan to replace him with Caine are unusual because Caine is retired and not a four-star general.

According to federal law, the president is supposed to choose top military officers from either the combatant commands or chiefs of the military services, all four-star positions, but the president can also waive this direction if there is a need to preserve national security.

After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s confirmation, replacing Brown was believed to be one of his priorities. Hegseth seemed to believe that the now-former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff presided over a “woke” agenda to the detriment of military readiness.

In a November appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show, Hegseth argued for firing Brown, telling the host, “First of all, you’ve got to fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” which stemmed from his beliefs regarding Brown’s tenure.

Brown received national attention in 2020 for a passionate video he made discussing race in America as the nation was in the middle of grappling with the implications of the death of George Floyd, which he later told NPR was inspired by his sons and his own experiences as a Black man.

“It was my own personal experiences but thinking about our two sons and their experiences, [is] actually what got me to do it.” Brown told NPR in 2020.

Brown continued, “I thought it was more important than in some cases confirmation. If confirmation had been withheld for some reason, I knew in my heart of hearts I did what I thought was the right thing to do. And that’s the way I approach life.”

Following Trump’s announcement, Hegseth made his own announcement, indicating that he would be firing more military officials, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead the Navy as Chief of Naval Operations, and Gen. James Slife, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), the top member of his party on the Armed Services Committee, issued a statement in response to the firings, framing them as part of a premeditated campaign from the Trump administration.

“This appears to be part of a broader, premediated campaign by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to purge talented officers for politically charged reasons, which would undermine the professionalism of our military and send a chilling message through the ranks,” Reed said in his remarks.

Reed continued, “Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our service members require to achieve their missions.”

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• Entertainment

by Mary Spiller

February 22, 2025

Soul Singing Legend Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Butler Dies At 85

Butler had been living with Parkinson's disease prior to his death.

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The co-founder of the music group The Impressions, Jerry Butler — an iconic baritone singer, has died. He was 85 at the time of his passing, which took place in his Chicago home on Feb 20.

Most known for his hits “For Your Precious Love” and “Only The Strong Survive,” Butler had two Grammy nominations. The soul singer had been living with Parkinson’s disease before his death.

As reported by USA Today, Butler served on the Cook County Board of Commissioners for around 30 years as a public servant for the Chicago area.

Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board, expressed his condolences in a statement shared with USA Today.

Preckwinkle said, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Butler, a legendary artist, dedicated public servant, and beloved member of our Cook County community. His contributions to music and public service are immeasurable. As a founding member of The Impressions, his distinguished voice helped shape the sound of R&B and soul, leaving an indelible mark on American music.”

Preckwinkle continued to call The Impressions singer as more than just a musical icon but also an advocate for the Chicago people.

“As a Cook County Commissioner from 1985 to 2018, [Butler] worked tirelessly to expand healthcare access, improve infrastructure, and advocate for policies that strengthened our communities. His leadership as Chair of the Health and Hospitals Committee helped ensure that critical resources reached those in need,” Preckwinkle concluded in his statement.

Butler was originally born in Missouri to parents who worked as sharecroppers. In the late 1950s, he co-founded the musical group The Impressions with his friend Curtis Mayfield; the fellow members included Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and Art Brooks. Butler signed with music label Vee-Jay Records, and the Impressions debuted with their hit singles “For Your Precious Love” and “Come Back My Love” together. After a successful run, Butler went solo in 1960.

He later released “Only the Strong Survive,” and it became Butler’s highest-charting hit. The collaboration with songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff charted within the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time of its release.

Butler had 38 tracks on the Hot 100 list throughout his soul-singing career.

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• Entertainment

by Mary Spiller

February 22, 2025

African American Film Critics Association Awards Celebrates Black Excellence As Amber Ruffin Throws Shade At Elon Musk

Tyler Perry made a special trip to present an award to Nicole Avant.

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Filmmaker and actor Tyler Perry attended the Los Angeles 16th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards on Feb. 19 to present his friend Nicole Avant with the Beacon Award. The ceremony included touching and relevant speeches from Avant and AAFCA host Amber Ruffin.

Perry made a roundtrip journey to attend the AAFCA awards ceremony, feeling the quick turnaround was worth the sacrifice. He wanted to be the one to present Avant with her award as part of the AAFCA’s mission to uplift Black storytellers, “especially in this climate when there’s so many attacks on who we are, what our stories are,” Perry said.

Avant, the daughter of the late philanthropist Jacqueline Avant and Clarence “The Black Godfather” Avant, opened up about coming from generational talent and Black excellence on the red carpet.

Avant said, “I’m sure they are beaming down. My mom would always tell me to go out in the world and be the light. Choose which side you’re on, and then play ball.”

According to Variety, Avant’s on-stage speech after receiving the Beacon Award discussed coming from “Hollywood royalty” and how she hoped the AAFCA continued encouraging all those who capture the Black experience through their art.

“These giants just happened to be some of my parents’ very best friends, and I was fortunate enough to be fueled by them and by their grit, their grace, their gratitude, their compassion, and their resilience,” Avant told guests. “They each asked me, in their own way, to take their survival energy, and transmute it into a new energy, and that energy would thrive. They reminded me of their hardships and their obstacles, and they asked me to never forget them. But more importantly, they reminded me that I am the promise, and all of you are the promise.”

Other notable award recipients included “Sing Sing” star Colman Domingo and “Hard Truths” actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Filmmakers Malcolm Washington and RaMell Ross were also honored.

Perry referenced the tumultuous political climate in America as the AAFCA ceremony took place, but awards host Amber Ruffin explicitly called such events important at a time like this.

Ruffin delivered a relevant opening monologue for the night, making reference to the Trump administration’s targeting of federal DEI programs across the country.

Ruffin began, “I have to be honest, though, things feel pretty bad right now. Between the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion; the price of eggs; and the price of Cowboy Carter tickets.”

“Ticketmaster needs to be canceled; I don’t trust anything with master in the name. Can anyone give me a ride home? I no longer have money for an Uber.”

Ruffin continued to say that she was uplifted by the energy of AAFCA and the progress that comes from celebrating producers and political activists like Avant.

“This group proves that no matter what they think they can take from us, we will continue to spread joy through the power of film. And our joy is our resilience,” She stated.

Ruffin concluded, “That’s the beautiful thing about Black cinema and Black art in general: we create in spite of. We boldly tell our stories in spite of. We excel in spite of. And tonight, we celebrate with each other in spite of. We’re going to leave the BS out there for right now as we uplift our artists and filmmakers and their little white DEI hires.”

AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson agreed: “Our image is a powerful one. If you consider that we are 15% of the population, but yet our influence just cuts into just about every area, every index of this country, Black folks have changed the game, have redefined, have rescripted, have transformed.”

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