Source: Suwannar Kawila / EyeEm / Getty A former Orlando police officer working as a resource officer in an elementary school is now without a job after he arrested a pair of six-year-olds. Dennis Turner, who is Black, has a history of violent behavior on his record according to several reports. CNN reports : An Orlando elementary school resource officer who arrested two 6-year-olds in two separate incidents was fired Monday, said Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon. Rolon said during an afternoon press conference the department was trying to give the officer “at least the benefit” of reviewing paperwork and statements. “It was clear today when I came into work that there was no other remedy than to terminate this officer,” he said. Rolon added that one of his top priorities as the chief of police is “to earn and protect the trust between the community and its officers” and this incident put that trust into question. “On behalf of myself and the Orlando Police Department, I apologize to the children involved and their families,” Rolon said. Police initially said one child was 8 years old, but Rolon said Monday they were both 6 years old. Turner attempted to arrest a six-year-old girl who was having a temper tantrum last week at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy. The family of the girl claimed that the girl was fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken of her, but Orlando police denied the claim and say the girl was not processed. The other six-year-old, a boy, was reportedly processed through the juvenile system and released to his parents. Chief Rolon made slight mention of Turner’s own issues with his son, whom he allegedly beat after bringing home a bad report card in 1998 when the boy was seven years of age. Turner was arrested but said in an interview with The Sentinel that he felt within rights to administer discipline to his child. In 2015, Turner was reprimanded for excessive force after tasing an already-downed suspect repeatedly. — Photo: Getty
A Florida police officer was suspended after he arrested two young children in school last week, including a 6-year-old who “threw a tantrum” only because of an apparent medical condition, according to a relative and police. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said in a statement that school resource officer Dennis Turner (pictured left) did not obtain the approval of a commanding officer before making the arrests last Thursday. Department policy requires such. “The Orlando Police Department has a policy that addresses the arrest of a minor and our initial finding shows the policy was not followed,” Rolón said. “As a grandparent of three children less than 11 years old this is very concerning to me.” The 6-year-old was charged with battery after she kicked someone at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy, a K-5th grade charter school. Florida is one of a few states in the country that has no age requirement when it comes to arrests. According to the girl’s grandmother, her behavioral issues stem from sleep apnea. Her arrest was halted by a supervisor and she was returned to school. According to her grandmother, her granddaughter was fingerprinted and even had her mug shot taken. “They told us we had to wait a few minutes because [she] was being fingerprinted, and when she said finger printed it hit me like a ton of bricks,” Kirkland said. “No six year old child should be able to tell somebody that they had handcuffs on them and they were riding in the back of a police car and taken to a juvenile center to be fingerprinted, mug shot” The 8-year-old, who was arrested in a separate incident, was processed and later released to a relative. The story prompted massive outrage on social media. A study was done on the “adultification” of Black girls & showed adults (even Black) view Black girls as less innocent/in need of protection as their white peers starting @ 5 yrs old. This is a perfect example of that. A 6yr old was arrested at school. https://t.co/4T6uczjs2O — Reagan Gomez (@ReaganGomez) September 23, 2019 Officer WITH HISTORY OF ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT arrested 6-year-old for throwing a tantrum in school. (Why was he still employed as an officer? Oh wait, I know…cop union and lack of accountability for police) https://t.co/R19Q2cO5T0 via @HuffPost — Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) September 23, 2019 A 6-year-old. *A 6-year-old.* A 6-YEAR-OLD. They would put our newborns in prison if they could get away with it. Just dispense with the pretense and go right back to slavery. https://t.co/6Ag5BSceog — N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) September 22, 2019 Kaia Kirkland is six years old. So what if she had a tantrum? Children that age sometimes do. Orlando cops saw fit to handcuff her for it. To fingerprint her. To take her mug shot. She is only six, and consider how cavalierly she was put into the system. https://t.co/wRoMazcFS4 — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) September 22, 2019 RELATED: NYPD Fires Officer Accused Of Fatally Choking Eric Garner RELATED: SMH: Jack In The Box Drive-Thru Employee Fired For Mocking Deaf Woman & Refusing To Serve Her PHOTO CREDIT: NBC News
Source: WENN/Avalon / WENN Lizzo got on the wrong side of Twitter last week after using Twitter to out a Postmates driver she accused of stealin g her expensive food by name. The “Juice” star has since apologized for putting the driver on blast, who has since come out saying she fears harm will come to her based on Lizzo’s accusation of theft. TMZ reports : The driver, Tiffany W., tells TMZ … her world was turned upside down when the “Truth Hurts” singer excoriated her on Twitter — to her near-million followers — saying, “this girl Tiffany W. stole my food she lucky I don’t fight no more.” Lizzo also included a screenshot of her profile photo. This has scared the crap out of her. She’s afraid to leave her home and even go to work, for fear someone might harm her or even worse. As for the delivery incident … we’re told Lizzo’s order was supposed to go to a Boston hotel, but there was no room number listed and no one answered the phone linked to the account. We’re told Tiffany went the extra mile and hit up the hotel concierge. She says she went into the lobby and continued to try to contact the customer and heard nothing back. Tiffany ended up waiting for a total of 10 minutes and finally left. As for the food … it was seafood, which Tiffany doesn’t even eat. For what it’s worth, Postmates says that the driver was not in the wrong and waited for five minutes to deliver the food before moving on to her next destination. — Photo: WENN
Source: The Washington Post / Getty Cokie Roberts Dies Cokie Roberts , the legendary ABC News journalist, and political commentator has passed away. ABC News reports that Cokie passed away from breast cancer complications. She was 75-years-old. “We will miss Cokie beyond measure, both for her contributions and for her love and kindness,” her family said in a statement. Cokie named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress in 2008. She also won three Emmys and was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was cited by the American Women in Radio and Television as one of the 50 greatest women. She is survived by her husband, fellow journalist Steven Roberts, her children, Lee and Rebecca and her six grandchildren.
Source: Alexx Mayo / Courtesy of Urban Decay Cosmetics Lizzo Vs. Postmates Lizzo is not one to be played with. She’s got a number one song in the country for the third week in a row and has been killing it all summer. But even the most perfect summer plans go awry. Lizzo’s hot girl summer took a slight detour when she tried to order some food from Postmates and it never showed up. Apparently some lady named Tiffany snatched the dinner. How do we know that Tiffany snatched the dinner? Because Lizzo posted the girl’s whole entire fact on Twitter. This has caused a lot of drama and argument. People do this all the time when their food gets stolen, but it’s different when it’s a celebrity, right? After all, she does have a LOT more power than the average person and more access to grabbing more dinner. However, does that make her snitching wronger than Regular Joe doing? If you thought white women went up for Lizzo before, just wait until they find out she has big let me speak to the manager energy — Beyonce has an uncle named Larry Beyince. Bruh…. (@DragonflyJonez) September 17, 2019 Twitter certainly has thoughts and a WHOLE lot of comedy. Take a look and tell us what you think. Snitching or nah?
Source: Madiha Ali / Getty Man Opens Fire After AN Argument At A Youth Football Game According to CNN , a woman and young girl suffered non-life threatening injuries after a shooting outside of a youth football game. A group of parents were allegedly arguing near a youth football game at Eastern Hills Elementary School when the son of one of the parents arrived with a handgun and started shooting . A woman on the scene was shot in the leg and the girl was grazed by a bullet on her back. As of this writing, police are still searching for the person they believe was the shooter. A football player who was stretching for the game told WFAA he saw a man shoot a gun, then take off running. “I ran, and they said ‘Duck!’ so I ducked on the floor,” 11-year-old Adrian Moreno said. “I was laying. It was scary.”
Source: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Megan Thee Stallion Signs With Roc Nation Management Hot Girl Meg has her own bag, but now she’s in Jay-Z’s too! The Houston rapper just announced she’s now a part of the Roc Nation family. Last week, Megan was seen hanging with Jigga at a Puma event in NYC and now we know they were probably sorting out their business dealings. “I would like to announce that I am officially a part of the @rocnation fam,” Meg revealed on Instagram. “The grind don’t stop!” View this post on Instagram I would like to announce that I am officially apart of the @rocnation fam!!! The grind don’t stop ! #realhotgirlshit A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on Sep 13, 2019 at 1:18pm PDT According to Complex , Meg will continue to release her music through 1501 Certified Ent/300, but Roc will give her a huge push as part of their management team. Shortly after the deal was revealed, Megan reflected on her career and her late mother. “After my mom passed I promised myself I was going to keep going hard bc not only is music my dream but it was her dream for me too,” she wrote. “I have days where I want to go hide and cry bc she’s not here but i kno that ain’t what she would want me to do! I kno she’s proud of me !” After my mom passed I promised myself I was going to keep going hard bc not only is music my dream but it was her dream for me too. I have days where I want to go hide and cry bc she’s not here but i kno that ain’t what she would want me to do! I kno she’s proud of me ! — HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) September 13, 2019 It’s been a huge year for Thee Stallion already. Congratulations to her!
Source: Hello Beautiful / Courtesy of Hello Beautiful and Madame Noire On Wednesday evening, Madame Noire and Hello Beautiful held a screening for ‘ The Weekend ,’ a new screenplay written and directed by Stella Meghie. The rom com is about a comedian named Zadie, played by Sasheer Zamata, who spends the weekend at her judgmental mothers’ (played by Kym Whitley) bed and breakfast with her ex-boyfriend (played by Tone Bell) and his new girlfriend (played by DeWanda Wise). The movie begins with Zadie doing a stand-up routine essentially discussing how stupid it is to think she could actually be friends with her ex-boyfriend before leading us directly into the movie. The trailer for this movie doesn’t do the actual movie justice. I was pleasantly surprised when watching this movie at the painfully honest, relatable moments that many Black women can feel when fully trying to let go of an ex. The movie is beautifully shot and the lighting for the movie is extremely well done. I loved that Meghie cast two dark skin women to play the lead and illustrate that they are desirable by men whether it’s with their natural hair or their weaves. The movie shows the range of DeWanda Wises’ acting and Sasheer Zamata will leave you gasping for air with laughter. At the screening, actor Tone Bell was in conversation with Madame Noire culture editor Veronica Wells and admitted that out of all the actors’ Zamata ad-libbed the most. He further revealed, “We had a lot of fun with this movie but many parts were cut out, I realize, if they left it in, it would have been a totally different movie.” I’m glad it’s the movie it turned out to be. It was refreshing and relatable and easily can become a cult classic in the Black community. I haven’t felt anything so authentic since Awkward Black Girl back in its YouTube days. Zamata is undoubtedly the star and in future I want to see everything and anything she’s involved in. The movie releases Friday, September 13th and will be available in select theaters and on demand. This is definitely one to watch! Keep clicking to see images from the screening party in New York City hosted by Madame Noire and Hello Beautiful .
Source: GEOFF ROBINS / Getty Keke Palmer is living her best life! When the 26-year-old triple threat isn’t busy sharing co-hosting duties on Strahan, Sara and Michael , she’s working on other projects in TV, film and social media. Her most recent foray onto the big screen is Hustlers , female-helmed stripper revenge drama that also stars Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Constance Wu, and Lizzo. Palmer plays Mercedes, a crafty comedic vixen who is down with the #GirlGang of strippers hustling unwitting clients out of money. Hustlers is in theaters today, and we got to briefly chat Palmer about preparing for the film, her NYFW debut, comedic aspirations, and how the Marvel Universe would be a good look for her! Hello Beautiful: Tell me about Mercedes and what attracted you to the role? Keke Palmer: What attracted me was that when I read some of her lines, I felt like she was a bit of a comic relief, and I really love and have been excited in the past few years with just my skits on my [social media], and just really going into comedy and embracing that aspect of myself. So, I was excited about the opportunity to showcase some of that, but then also just the entire group of women that I would be working with. The director was great. This is a movie that’s very gag-worthy where it’s like, strippers and Jennifer Lopez! Yes! But then to meet her and to know that it’s a movie that had depth, that the production also put women in a very powerful position and that it was going to be very cinematic; I was like, okay, I really want to be a part of this! HB: Your character didn’t have any pole routines, but I heard you went and took some classes at Foxy Fitness in Manhattan. Is that true? KP: Yes. HB: Did you train with Ashley Fox? KP: I did go there but I feel bad that I don’t remember the girl’s name, but I did go there. I know that Foxy Fitness is where we went and did a training class. I just wanted to try it because so often people at say that it’s such a good workout and there’s also so much fun. So I was just like in my life. I’ve been trying to make time to go to one and when I did the movie I said, they’ve got somebody that’s doing classes. I might as well just go and so me and Lili [Reinhart] went and we had a blast, but it was not easy. HB: Did you learn anything about the pole community that you didn’t know before? KP: I think I really understood that pole dancing is a true art. Even if you are a stripper in the club, it doesn’t mean you know how to pole dance. That’s something that some girls never learn or never play with. So for me, I was just like, if you’re a pole answer you are dope! HB: Okay, so you had a big moment at NYFW. You walked your first runway with cornrows and red lipstick. So what did that mean to you? What does that mean for the brown girls out there who might still be afraid to wear red lipstick or think that brains can’t be chic? KP: We got to step into ourselves and own ourselves, which I think many of us do! This is the thing, people might have comments about your hair being this way or being that way, but I think the real point is that it’s about what you think. So if you’re not into something then cool, that’s your prerogative, but we can’t do it based off of what other people think about us. And I think the most beautiful thing about you is what is uniquely you. I did the big chop a couple of years ago and embracing my natural curls and finding ways to compliment them has been such an amazing and empowering journey for me because don’t nobody have this hair! This is my journey. Just don’t get to a place where you feel like what you have already isn’t good and like you have to fix it. HB: So speaking of hair, I heard you know how to do hair like with sewins and what not! KP: Yup, I do! HB: Do you know how to braid too? KP: Yep. HB: With extensions? KP: I do know how to braid with extensions, but I need to get better at tucking. HB: So let’s say you’re going on vacation soon and don’t feel like dealing with your hair. What would be your go-to braided style? KP: I would just do two braids. HB: With hair added or just natural? KP: I would do it with my natural hair, especially if I’m on vacation. Who the hell I’m tryna impress [laughs]? I’m on vacation love, two braids! And then if I had somebody do it, I might do individuals. Braids are always a perfect go-to. HB: Absolutely and they last forever. Well not forever— KP: But they do, somewhat! HB: Going back to red lipstick, what’s your favorite red right now? KP: I used to feel like yuck about dark colors, but not because of my complexion, because sometimes I felt like it aged me. I always try to keep a very youthful type of look, but I’ve learned different ways to rock red lips that have made me feel like, okay, this is a moment. This is how I pull the look together. I think really figuring out, you know, maybe I don’t go heavy on the eyeshadow, maybe I do something lighter, or maybe just an eyeliner is what I need and sometimes I’m not going to go too heavy on the contour but I’ll go heavier on the lip. It’s about finding different ways to enhance it. I think because a red lip, I don’t care what comes out you are. It’s always strong color in matching it and figure out what it looks good with. HB: Back on a more serious note, how do you feel about black female visibility in the media right now? I feel like It’s always changing. It’s always Ebbs and flows. I feel like sometimes it’s what you seek out. It depends on what you’re looking for; if you’re looking for something that’s commercial. We don’t always see that Black Panther moment [but] I want to be the kind of person that says I’m happy we’re getting a Harriet Tubman film. I’m happy that Viola Davis has her own hit show. I’m happy that Will Smith broke the record on Netflix. There are great people out there that are representing and getting major platforms to do it, but of course, at the end of the day, the more people that we can have of color, of more diversity, the better. We can have men and women, young and old, Black and White. That way, more our stuff is going to look realistic to the world. If we only have certain people that are putting the movies together and putting the music together, putting the Fashion shows together, they’re not going to relate to as much to the other groups that are being ignored. I want more representation to be behind the scenes because if they’re behind the scenes then we’re going to see it in front. HB: It’s funny you mentioned a Black Panther moment because I high Key want you to be part of the Marvel Universe. I want you to play Madam Slay or something! KP: O h my God! I would love to be a part of Marvel! And you know I’m with Disney now, girl! That would be a dream. I would love to do an action movie. HB: What are some other types of roles are you looking forward to? KP: I’m definitely in the bag of comedies and action. I’m loving to do that kind of thing or a coming of age story, like to put you in the mind of an everyday movie. So often, especially as black people, we either do something very dramatic or it’s just funny, but it’s never like Bridget Jones’s Diary or the kind of movies that Jennifer Aniston. We don’t often get those kinds of things from the perspective of, I’m just a Black woman living life and that’s why I’m excited for Issa Rae’s new movie, The Photograph because I think it’s going to be just a day in the life. You know, I want to see Black women, just everyday Black women. I also really love Taraji’s What Women Want. I love those kinds of movies where it’s just like this just a story, that’s just how life is, it’s just a vibe. That’s something I’m very interested in giving especially to the millennial, young adult a generation. HB: You mentioned the sketches you do online earlier, and I’ve seen some on Instagram. It’s so unique because you only have a certain amount of time to convey your message so talk about why you’ve opened yourself to that lane as an actress? KP: [Social Media] is a very powerful tool because in this industry, especially knowing how it is with traditional talent, it’s kind of hard because there’s only so much you can do when it comes to people seeing you for a role. And, wanting to produce things takes a lot of time. When I produced Pimp, that took us almost six years. So social media is something that you can do quick and fast and you can create an avenue for yourself that maybe the industry doesn’t see for you and you can actually accumulate data and proof that it works and you can learn your audience and then it becomes easier when you go to knock down the door. A s a creative rebel was just saying that this is what I want to do. I had no platform to really do it other than this one so I’m going to do it. And at first, people didn’t know what was going on when I did, “The gag is!” or when I did, “Southern Belles.” It was something that they didn’t expect but it’s just me expressing myself, following my audience and just really trying to entertain and also have fun doing it. RELATED POSTS GET THE LOOK: Keke Palmer’s Black and Neon Style Won’t Set You Back One Month’s Rent Money! Cardi B Cast In Stripper Revenge Drama With J-Lo And Keke Palmer
Source: TongRo Images Inc / Getty The death of a 14-year-old girl who committed suicide has sparked outrage in Kenya. According to The Guardian , the girl took her own life after a teacher allegedly embarrassed her for having her period during class. The girl’s mom said her daughter died last Friday after she got her period in class and stained her clothes. The teacher allegedly called her “dirty” and sent her away from the classroom in Kabiangek. According to the girl’s mother, it was her first period and she didn’t have a sanitary pad. The girl’s death has sparked protests from women parliamentarians and reignited national talk about “period shaming” and access to menstrual products. A 2017 law requires the Kenyan government distribute free sanitary pads to all schoolgirls. However, poor execution of the law has been the subject of a parliamentary investigation. On Wednesday, female MPs took over the education ministry to protest the girl’s death and to discuss the program, said MP Esther Passaris on Twitter . More than 200 parents also made their outrage known outside the school in Kabiangek this week, according to local media. They condemned both the teacher and the alleged lack of action from authorities. Cops used tear gas to break up the protestors and they arrested at least five people. The school has been temporarily closed and a regional police chief, Alex Shikondi, said the girl’s death is being investigated. Access to menstrual products is a big issue across sub-Saharan Africa due to an inability to afford sanitary products. This causes girls to avoid school during their periods. A 2014 Unesco report estimates that one in 10 girls are absent from school during menstruation, which means they’re not present for 20% of their schooling year. Kenya was considered a leader to addressing this issue, especially when they passed their 2017 law requiring the government give out free pads to schoolgirls. However, some people question whether the $4.5 million set aside for the program has helped with access to sanitary products and increased school attendance. Passaris said on Wednesday that the program’s budget would have to be “at least 10 times” larger than it is now if all Kenyan schoolgirls were to get free sanitary towels. The education ministry and Teachers Service Commission of Kenya are carrying out their own investigation into the schoolgirl’s death, according to Passaris, and the report is scheduled for publication in the coming weeks. “We had a candid discussion about sanitary towels, the little girl who died, and the investigation that is ensuing,” she said. “We need to make it so that girls aren’t ashamed of their periods, and I don’t think we’ve won that battle yet.”
