Source: Rainer Fuhrmann / EyeEm / Getty 320 Pound Woman Gets Life In Prison After Sitting On & Smothering Young Girl To Death According to the NY Post , a Florida woman was sentenced to life in prison for killing her 9-year-old cousin after sitting on her as a form of punishment. Veronica Green Posey, 66, was convicted of first-degree felony murder after prosecutors say Dericka Lindsay had suffered horrific beatings from Posey, and Lindsay’s adoptive parents, James, and Grace Smith. Authorities say Posey sat on Dericka for over “five minutes” in October 2017, causing the girl to suffocate and die from lack of oxygen. Posey’s attorney said the 320-pound woman was only trying to help the Smiths and didn’t really intend to hurt Dericka. James Smith was previously sentenced to 10 years for his role in Dericka’s death. Grace Smith still faces charges but is currently mentally and physically unfit to stand trial, according to authorities. Assistant State Attorney Amy Shea said on the day of Dericka’s death, Posey was roused from her sleep by a phone call from Grace Smith saying that Dericka and her 8-year-old sister were acting up. “Once her feet hit the floor getting out of bed, she was determined to beat these children,” Shea said. Shea said that Posey then grabbed a ruler and thin pipe to “give it weight” and went to the Smiths’ home where she assisted in whipping the 9-year-old girl. She then took things up a notch; allegedly sitting on little Dericka while she was forced to kneel down with her chest on the seat of an armchair. The girl allegedly told Posey that she couldn’t breathe but was ignored. Do YOU think this woman deserves a life sentence??? 320-pound woman gets life sentence for sitting on, smothering young girl https://t.co/QlpF3vAL8Q pic.twitter.com/7NNdrE8DhP — New York Post (@nypost) March 16, 2019
Dyma Loving was arrested by Miami Dade police for reportedly being distraught after she called the cops to report her neighbor, who threatened her with a shot gun. The 26-year-old was arrested was arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an office without violence. According to Local 10 News , Loving and another woman, Adrianna Green, were walking by her neighbor Frank Tumm’s home when he allegedly called her a “whore.” Green reportedly launched a plant at Tumm, who then drew a shot gun and threatened their lives. Loving called the cops. However, instead of taking a police report or questioning Tumm, they violently arrested Loving. The encounter was captured on camera. A black woman Called Miami-Dade Police For Help After A Man Brandished A Weapon and threaten her life. Yet, She Was Arrested for being distraught pic.twitter.com/xQ2vvDZZsW — Brother Tyrone X (@tyrone345345) March 13, 2019 According to the arresting officers, Loving was “acting belligerent and would not obey commands.” Police said Loving was “upset, very irate and uncooperative.” Loving told a different story. “ I expected them to come, get our statement, you know, go get his statement, get his gun, arrest him, you know, for threatening us, you know, and, I don’t know, it completely went the opposite way,” she explained. “This is where, when I was on the ground, when he put me on the ground, the way he had me positioned, my arm was on the ground and he just ripped my arm from up under me, which made it scrape against the concrete,” she added. Juan Perez of the MDPD took to Twitter to respond to the viral video of Loving being thrown on the ground. I am aware of the concerning video circulating on social media involving our department. I find the actions depicted on the video deeply troubling and in no way reflective of our core values of integrity, respect, service, and fairness… — Juan Perez (@JPerezMDPD) March 14, 2019 Perez confirmed this matter is currently being investigated. “An investigation into the entire incident is currently ongoing and upon its conclusion, I will hold those that violated any of our policies and/or procedures accountable for their actions or lack thereof,” he wrote on Twitter. Loving’s arrest continues to highlight racial injustices and tension with police. Obviously there’s a huge between White and Black people when cops are involved. We hope Loving gets justice for the blatant disrespect against her Black body. RELATED STORIES: Video Shows Detroit Cop Forcing Young Black Woman To Walk In Freezing Cold, Calls It ‘Black Girl Magic’ Black Woman Who Died Carrying Infant Down Subway Steps May Have Suffered ‘Medical Episode’
Spike Lee had himself quite the eventful Sunday night. First, the veteran director won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2019 Academy Awards for helping to write BlacKKKlansmen. Incredibly, this was Lee’s first-ever Oscars victory and it was most definitely overdue, according to most viewers. But not according to one rather powerful viewer. A few hours after Lee delivered a passionate acceptance speech that touched on American history and slavery, President Donald Trump Tweeted his disapproval of Lee’s words. Let’s take a look at Lee’s full speech before trying to deciper which parts the President took issue with, shall we? Here it is: The word today is “irony.” The date, the 24th. The month, February, which also happens to be the shortest month of the year, which also happens to be Black History month. The year, 2019. The year, 1619. History. Her story. 1619. 2019. 400 years. Four hundred years. Our ancestors were stolen from Mother Africa and bought to Jamestown, Virginia, enslaved. Our ancestors worked the land from can’t see in the morning to can’t see at night. My grandmother, [inaudible], who lived to be 100 years young, who was a Spelman College graduate even though her mother was a slave. My grandmother who saved 50 years of Social Security checks to put her first grandchild — she called me Spikie-poo — she put me through Morehouse College and N.Y.U. grad film. N.Y.U.! Before the world tonight, I give praise to our ancestors who have built this country into what it is today along with the genocide of its native people. We all connect with our ancestors. We will have love and wisdom regained, we will regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment. The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing! You know I had to get that in there. Pretty well said, right? WRONG, responded Trump! Tweeted the totally secure Commander-in-Chief this morning: Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres! We’ll let readers determine whether Trump has a point, but we will say this: He likely has done more for African-American than the Presidents who actually owned slaves. We’ll give him that much. Elsewhere last night, Lee made headlines for actually getting up and nearly fleeing the scene when Green Book was announced a Best Picture. Talk about a memorable Oscars moment ! According to multiple witnesses, Lee got out of his seat and walked to the back of the auditorium after Green Book won the evening’s top prize, and he later explained why. “I thought it was courtside at the Garden, and the ref made a bad call. Courtside,” the die-hard New York Knicks fan said, prior to pivoting and joking: “The world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Knicks coming back next year.” That’s debatable… View Slideshow: 2019 Oscars Red Carpet: Who Wore It Craziest? (The Answer is #19) … as are some of the so-called facts behind the Green Book script. The movie centers on Dr. Don Shirley (Oscar winner Mahershala Ali), a world-class African-American pianist who embarks on a concert tour of the Deep South in 1962 along with his driver and bodyguard, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen). The film was co-written by a member of Lip’s family and has come under fire for essentially white-washing history. Dr. Shirley’s brother, Maurice, has called the flick a “symphony of lies.” Moreover, Mortensen used the N-Word while doing press for Green Book and director Pete Farrelly apologized for having exposed himself years ago while on the set of his 1998 romantic comedy There’s Something About Mary.
Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty Barry Jenkins Says He’s Not An Activist The 91st Annual Academy Awards are tonight and while we’re happy to see ‘Black Panther,’ Regina King, Mahershala Ali, ‘BlacKkKlansman,’ Spike Lee, Ruth E. Carter and Barry Jenkins nominated across a number of categories we’re convinced that ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ should have been recognized as a Best Picture nominee. In a year that saw a diverse range of black films – ‘Black Panther,’ ‘BlacKkKlansman,”The Hate U Give’ and ‘Sorry To Bother You’ were among our favorites – ‘If Beale Street Could Talk,’ was, as Regina King called it at one screening attended by our editors, ‘a visual symphony.’ The film truly struck a chord, pun intended, with our Sr. Director of Content Janeé Bolden, who spoke with Barry Jenkins in a one-on-one back in October, just before midterm elections, in a conversation that touched on the magnitude of reimagining James Baldwin for the big screen, the power of revealing the intensity of love between two dark-skinned lead actors and the importance of Regina King’s character as a symbol of black motherhood. The first question Janeé asked though, was about the music, which speaks so deeply to the emotions conveyed in the film that it may as well have been another character. Janeé Bolden: Can you talk about the score for the film and the song selection? The film was visually stunning, but the music played such an important role. Barry Jenkins: “Nicholas Britell who did the score for Moonlight did the score for this film. It’s interesting, we were in Belgium together at this composers conference at this music Q&A and this other composer said “Oh wait, you never heard Nick’s music before you did ‘Moonlight?’” I didn’t realize it, but it was like, no I didn’t — it was just a vibe. What happened was, as we watched, the film tells us what the music should feel like. We started out with this idea of jazz — you know brass, saxophone, French horn, things like that and as Nick started writing music in that way, we actually realized it wanted it to be strings but as brass compositions, so we organically began the film playing basically as a chamber orchestra but with jazz compositions, and by the end of the film we are playing with jazz instruments these orchestral compositions. It was a really organic process and what happens is, as you cut the film, when you watch it, the music is meant to feel like Tish is feeling, the way Fonnie is feeling, so a lot of the way the score ends and begins is dictated by the characters. And then with the needle drops, with the songs that play, I always just have in my head what the characters are vibing with. We’re just mixing and matching, put things in, you know Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Al Green, all those just things felt appropriate with the time period for these characters. Janeé Bolden: The film does a great justice to the book and I almost imagined that if James Baldwin could have seen this film he’d have been extremely happy with the result. Did you feel pressure to make the movie as Baldwin would have? Barry Jenkins: That was part of it for sure. Not that I was asking myself, ‘What would Jimmy do?’ in a certain way, but it was in the back of my mind. And just knowing how much of a cultural critic he was, how engaged he was, you know he wrote film criticism, he wrote about music, it was important for me to have a soundscape that reflected the things he listened to. He actually mentions a lot of music in the book. Music that I felt wasn’t the right fit for what we were doing, but it was a nice compass to have in my head. Not everything in the film is meant to be literally faithful to the book, but to be in the same spirit. Hit the flip for Jenkins’ take on Kiki Layne and the importance of casting a dark skinned actress for ‘Beale Street.’
Amy Schumer is hitting cancel on her stand-up comedy tour. But for good reasons. The pregnant comedian announced that she must take time to focus on her “health and the baby,” according to E! . Amy took to Instagram on Friday evening to share the news with her fans where she admitted that she is embarrassed for canceling. “I hate letting people down and I love stand-up and money!” she began her post, which she wrote in her Notes app. The show is called off due to complications from hyperemesis, which is basically just severe nausea and constant vomiting during pregnancy. She (over)shares, “I vomit mostly every time I ride in a car even for five minutes.” The I Feel Pretty actress is in her third trimester, so it is natural that she needs some time off of the stage and in her bed. “Due to complications from hyperemesis I am not cleared to fly for the next couple of weeks,” she continued. “I am going to cancel the remainder of my tour. Refunds are available at point of purchase.” She went on to explain that she and the baby are healthy and that everything looks good. Adding, “I have a pretty good attitude about it and some days I feel good for a couple hours. But mostly it sucks. I wanted to push through and do my shows.” The mom-to-be and her husband Chris Fischer are expecting their first child this coming spring. Last October, Amy shared the exciting news in a very unusual way on her friend Jessica Yellin’s Instagram account. She wrote, “I’m pregnant – Amy Schumer,” on a list of her candidate recommendations for the 2018 upcoming midterm elections. Her pregnancy announcement came about 8 months after marrying the 38-year-old chef in a secret wedding in Malibu . Which Jennifer Larence, Jake Gyllenhaal and Judd Apatow allegedly attended, according to E ! Some of Amy’s other “well-known” friends are helping her through her struggling fertility journey. Gwenyth Paltrow commented on Amy’s post saying “You are almost there! It will be so worth it, I swear!!” and Jennifer Garner stated, “You are a soldier.” And while we’re sure It wasn’t an easy decision to end her tour, we just hope the best for her health and future baby Schumer. Besides, there are plenty more shows to be had and money to be made for the 37-year-old entertainer. View Slideshow: Amy Schumer Wedding Photos: Here Comes the Hilarious Bride!
Source: Robin L Marshall / Getty Rapper 21 Savage has been released on bond pending a deportation hearing. Savage, who was arrested Super Bowl weekend by ICE for apparently over staying his visa. It’s not clear when 21 Savage’s hearing will be, but his lawyers say it will be sooner rather than later. We will keep you in the loop of any changes made to the case. RELATED: Social Media Reacts As Jay-Z Throws All His Resources Behind Freeing 21 Savage
Source: Mike Coppola / Getty Ariana Grande is speaking out after Grammys producer Ken Ehrlic said the she wasn’t performing because she “felt it was too late for her to pull something together.” Grande made her feeling known on Twitter, calling Ehrlich out by name and making it cleared she could have performed if her “creativity and self expression” hadn’t been stifled. See her tweet below: I can pull together a performance over night and you know that, Ken,” she wrote. “It was when my creativity & self expression was stifled by you, that I decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more.” i offered 3 different songs. it’s about collaboration. it’s about feeling supported. it’s about art and honesty. not politics. not doing favors or playing games. it’s just a game y’all.. and i’m sorry but that’s not what music is to me. — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 7, 2019 Grande who is nominated for two Grammys this year, was responding specifically to an Associated Press article published on Thursday, which quotes Ehrlich as saying: “As it turned out when we finally got the point where we thought maybe it would work, she felt it was too late for her to pull something together for sure. And it’s too bad. She’s a great artist. And I’d love to get her in the show this year.” The 2019 Grammys, hosted by Alicia Keys are set to air live Feb. 10 on CBS.
Source: Mike Coppola / Getty Ariana Grande is speaking out after Grammys producer Ken Ehrlic said the she wasn’t performing because she “felt it was too late for her to pull something together.” Grande made her feeling known on Twitter, calling Ehrlich out by name and making it cleared she could have performed if her “creativity and self expression” hadn’t been stifled. See her tweet below: I can pull together a performance over night and you know that, Ken,” she wrote. “It was when my creativity & self expression was stifled by you, that I decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more.” i offered 3 different songs. it’s about collaboration. it’s about feeling supported. it’s about art and honesty. not politics. not doing favors or playing games. it’s just a game y’all.. and i’m sorry but that’s not what music is to me. — Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 7, 2019 Grande who is nominated for two Grammys this year, was responding specifically to an Associated Press article published on Thursday, which quotes Ehrlich as saying: “As it turned out when we finally got the point where we thought maybe it would work, she felt it was too late for her to pull something together for sure. And it’s too bad. She’s a great artist. And I’d love to get her in the show this year.” The 2019 Grammys, hosted by Alicia Keys are set to air live Feb. 10 on CBS.
Source: Alex Wong / Getty On Thursday, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a new climate change resolution aimed at bringing a Green New Deal legislation to life. At 29 years old, Alexandria is repping for a millennial generation that’s often unfairly categorized as entitled at best and ill-informed at worst. But somewhere in between this is a generation demanding better from our leaders, and in many cases the youth are following the trails of movers and shakers that came before us. But with that being said, what are the goals of this Green New Deal and maybe more importantly… Should Black and Brown people care? In many instances, politicians might sell an idea to the most marginalized that ultimately won’t benefit us in the end. Well first, a couple of things on the Green New Deal, according to NPR : 1. Right now, this is a non-binding resolution Ocasio-Cortez isn’t actually introducing a bill that would create programs if passed by Congress. Instead, she’s introducing a proposal to the House entitled “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” If agreed upon, the House will affirm that the initiatives in the proposal should be carried out in the coming years. Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Ed Markey is introducing a companion proposal to the Senate. 2. The goal of the proposal is to create millions of “good, high-wage jobs” by aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. No matter if you’re Black, Brown, alabaster… Who doesn’t like a good “high-wage job?” As for greenhouse gases…they’re not cute. They trap a lot of heat in the atmosphere which contributes to global warming and thus climate change, and thus some of the bizarre ( and dangerous ) weather we’ve been experiencing lately. 3. It’s urgent According to the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , the world has 12 years to reverse greenhouse gas emission trends in order to prevent irreversible global warming. So yea, the Green New Deal is trying to carry out it’s plan in the next ten years. 4. The U.S. stay emitting greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide being the biggest one), and that’s gotta stop. According to the resolution, the U.S. is “responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014. 5. The goal is to switch from energy that creates greenhouse gases (e.g. the burning of fossil fuels) to clean, renewable energy (e.g. solar energy, wind energy, etc.) Just think about how oil powers cars or how coal might power electricity. The Green New Deal is trying to stop all of that and switch to renewable energy. O.K. so now that we know the primary goals, how are we going to get this, clean renewable energy AND HOW ARE BLACK & BROWN PEOPLE GOING TO BE AFFECTED? More on Black and Brown people soon. But first, below are some strategies the New Deal laid out in a FAQ sheet and summarized by NPR. A lot of these strategies hope to create new jobs, which can boost the economy: “upgrading all existing buildings” in the U.S. for energy efficiency; working with farmers “to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions … as much as is technologically feasible” (while supporting family farms and championing “universal access to healthy food”); “Overhauling transportation systems” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — including expanding electric car manufacturing, creating “charging stations everywhere,” and broadening high-speed rail to “a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary” Now for the big question… How will this affect Black and Brown people? Well first off, Black and Brown people are deeply affected by greenhouse gases and things that pollute the air. According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency report , when studying areas most affected by particular air emissions, such as soot, people of color and especially Black people are affected the most. The report showed that “those in poverty had 1.35 times higher burden than did the overall population, and non-Whites had 1.28 times higher burden. Blacks, specifically, had 1.54 times higher burden than did the overall population.” This equates to a 54 percent increase for Black people, and it shows that class still doesn’t necessarily keep Black people from dangerous pollution. With many factories and polluting facilities close to Black communities, the health risks increase, including higher rates of asthma, heart attacks and lowered life expectancy rates. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy will help decrease these risks. Now granted, the Green New Deal doesn’t explicitly say it’s goal is to benefit Black and Brown communities, but it does say it’s goal is “to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth…” A.K.A the front line and vulnerable communities, according to the resolution. The New Deal FAQ sheet listed out 15 requirements to adhere to these goals, which you can check out here . So again, should Black and Brown people care about the Green New Deal? Ultimately, yes. But it’ll take a lot more than an announcement and a lengthy fact sheet to get the masses hype. The impact of the Green New Deal will only be felt with further research, accountability and the actions of leaders to get more Black and Brown people invested.
Source: Alex Wong / Getty On Thursday, New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a new climate change resolution aimed at bringing a Green New Deal legislation to life. At 29 years old, Alexandria is repping for a millennial generation that’s often unfairly categorized as entitled at best and ill-informed at worst. But somewhere in between this is a generation demanding better from our leaders, and in many cases the youth are following the trails of movers and shakers that came before us. But with that being said, what are the goals of this Green New Deal and maybe more importantly… Should Black and Brown people care? In many instances, politicians might sell an idea to the most marginalized that ultimately won’t benefit us in the end. Well first, a couple of things on the Green New Deal, according to NPR : 1. Right now, this is a non-binding resolution Ocasio-Cortez isn’t actually introducing a bill that would create programs if passed by Congress. Instead, she’s introducing a proposal to the House entitled “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” If agreed upon, the House will affirm that the initiatives in the proposal should be carried out in the coming years. Meanwhile, Democrat Sen. Ed Markey is introducing a companion proposal to the Senate. 2. The goal of the proposal is to create millions of “good, high-wage jobs” by aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. No matter if you’re Black, Brown, alabaster… Who doesn’t like a good “high-wage job?” As for greenhouse gases…they’re not cute. They trap a lot of heat in the atmosphere which contributes to global warming and thus climate change, and thus some of the bizarre ( and dangerous ) weather we’ve been experiencing lately. 3. It’s urgent According to the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , the world has 12 years to reverse greenhouse gas emission trends in order to prevent irreversible global warming. So yea, the Green New Deal is trying to carry out it’s plan in the next ten years. 4. The U.S. stay emitting greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide being the biggest one), and that’s gotta stop. According to the resolution, the U.S. is “responsible for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, having emitted 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions through 2014. 5. The goal is to switch from energy that creates greenhouse gases (e.g. the burning of fossil fuels) to clean, renewable energy (e.g. solar energy, wind energy, etc.) Just think about how oil powers cars or how coal might power electricity. The Green New Deal is trying to stop all of that and switch to renewable energy. O.K. so now that we know the primary goals, how are we going to get this, clean renewable energy AND HOW ARE BLACK & BROWN PEOPLE GOING TO BE AFFECTED? More on Black and Brown people soon. But first, below are some strategies the New Deal laid out in a FAQ sheet and summarized by NPR. A lot of these strategies hope to create new jobs, which can boost the economy: “upgrading all existing buildings” in the U.S. for energy efficiency; working with farmers “to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions … as much as is technologically feasible” (while supporting family farms and championing “universal access to healthy food”); “Overhauling transportation systems” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — including expanding electric car manufacturing, creating “charging stations everywhere,” and broadening high-speed rail to “a scale where air travel stops becoming necessary” Now for the big question… How will this affect Black and Brown people? Well first off, Black and Brown people are deeply affected by greenhouse gases and things that pollute the air. According to a 2018 Environmental Protection Agency report , when studying areas most affected by particular air emissions, such as soot, people of color and especially Black people are affected the most. The report showed that “those in poverty had 1.35 times higher burden than did the overall population, and non-Whites had 1.28 times higher burden. Blacks, specifically, had 1.54 times higher burden than did the overall population.” This equates to a 54 percent increase for Black people, and it shows that class still doesn’t necessarily keep Black people from dangerous pollution. With many factories and polluting facilities close to Black communities, the health risks increase, including higher rates of asthma, heart attacks and lowered life expectancy rates. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy will help decrease these risks. Now granted, the Green New Deal doesn’t explicitly say it’s goal is to benefit Black and Brown communities, but it does say it’s goal is “to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous communities, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth…” A.K.A the front line and vulnerable communities, according to the resolution. The New Deal FAQ sheet listed out 15 requirements to adhere to these goals, which you can check out here . So again, should Black and Brown people care about the Green New Deal? Ultimately, yes. But it’ll take a lot more than an announcement and a lengthy fact sheet to get the masses hype. The impact of the Green New Deal will only be felt with further research, accountability and the actions of leaders to get more Black and Brown people invested.
