Baltimore On An 11-Day “Murder-Free” Streak The city of Baltimore hasn’t had a murder on record in just over 11 days — a winning streak for the town, unseen since three years ago. According to NYDN , the notoriously violent city went for a record 17 days without a homicide in 2014. But the city hit a low point last year, going on record for the most annual homicide rate last year, with 343 murders. This is actually a far cry from how the city kicked off 2018 , with a steady streak of 11 murders in the first 12 days of the year. However, it isn’t all peace in the streets quite yet. Though no one has been killed since February 2, there have still been five shootings — three of which occurred on the same day. Hopefully, the people of Baltimore will keep this momentum and keep the violence to a minimum! Getty Continue reading →
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The man accused of driving into a crowd protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville faces a new charge of first-degree murder after a court hearing Thursday in which prosecutors presented surveillance video and other evidence against him. Prosecutors announced at the start of a preliminary hearing for James Alex Fields that they were seeking to upgrade the second-degree murder charge he previously faced in the Aug. 12 collision in Charlottesville that left 32-year-old Heather Heyer dead and dozens injured. The judge agreed to that and ruled there is probable cause for all charges against Fields, including nine lesser felony counts, to proceed. Fields’ case will now be presented to a grand jury for an indictment. Authorities say the 20-year-old, described by a former teacher as having a keen interest in Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, drove his speeding car into a group of counterprotesters the day of the “Unite the Right” rally that drew hundreds of white nationalist from around the country. The attack came after the rally in this Virginia college town had descended into chaos — with violent brawling between attendees and counterdemonstrators — and authorities had forced the crowd to disband. Surveillance footage from a Virginia State Police helicopter, played by prosecutors in court, captured the moment of impact by the car and the cursing of the startled troopers on board. The video then showed the car as it reversed, drove away and eventually pulled over. The helicopter had been monitoring the violence, and prosecutors questioned Charlottesville Police Detective Steven Young about the video as it played. Another surveillance video from a restaurant showed the car head slowly in what Young testified was the direction of the counterprotesters, who were not in view of the camera. The car reversed before speeding forward into the frame again. After that footage, a man in the crowd shouted an expletive and cried out, “Take me out.” He and others left the courtroom. Fields, of Maumee, Ohio, sat quietly in a striped jumpsuit with his hands cuffed during the hearing. His attorney Denise Lunsford did not present evidence or make any arguments at the hearing, although she did cross-examine the detective. Fields was photographed hours before the attack with a shield bearing the emblem of Vanguard America, one of the hate groups that took part in the rally, although the group denied any association with him. A former teacher, Derek Weimer, has said Fields was fascinated in high school with Nazism, idolized Adolf Hitler, and had been singled out by officials at his Union, Kentucky, school for “deeply held, radical” convictions on race. During her cross-examination of Young, Lunsford asked if searches of Fields’ computer, phone or social media revealed any evidence that he was part of Vanguard America or any other white nationalist group. Young said, “No.” Young also testified that he was among the first officers to respond to the scene where Fields pulled over. No weapon was found in the car, he said. Lunsford asked the detective what Fields said as he was being detained. Fields said he was sorry and asked if people were OK, according to Young. When Fields was told someone had died, he appeared shocked and sobbed, Young said. Young said authorities had identified 36 victims of the car attack, including Heyer — a number higher than officials have previously given. Some have significant injuries and are “wheelchair bound,” Young said. Fields would have faced between five to 40 years in prison for a second-degree murder conviction. First-degree murder carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison. Charlottesville General District Court Judge Robert Downer Jr. also presided over preliminary hearings Thursday for three other defendants. Charged in cases related to the August rally are Richard Preston, who is accused of firing a gun, and Jacob Goodwin and Alex Ramos, who are accused in an attack on a man in a parking garage that was captured in photos and video that went viral. The judge certified the charges against all three men. All those cases will also head to a grand jury. Jason Kessler, the main organizer of the Unite the Right rally, was in court to watch the proceedings. When he arrived Thursday, a small crowd of angry protesters outside the courthouse chanted, “Blood on your hands.” PHOTO: AP Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook . Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Share your email below to receive our daily newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Today would have been Michael Jackson’s 59th birthday, in case you’ve forgotten how tragically young the music legend was when he passed away during the “Summer of Death” in 2009. He’s mourned by countless fans across all social media platforms today. But, obviously, no one could miss Michael Jackson more acutely than his own children. His daughter, Paris Jackson, posted a beautiful tribute to honor her late father on his birthday. Taking to Instagram, Paris Jackson posted a moving birthday message that both memorializes and celebrates who her father was — very specifically, to her. “Birthday wishes to the love of my life, the one person who showed me what passion truly was, the one that gave me solid morals to live by and how to dream.” Michael Jackson’s legacy in the public might be his music, accusations levied against him, and his distinctive image and brand. Though, mostly, music. To Paris, however, he was her father. Of course that’s how she remembers him. “i will never feel love again the way i did with you. you are always with me and i am always with you. though i am not you, and you are not me, i know with all of my being that we are one. and our souls will never change in that way. thank you for the magic, forever and always.” That is an extremely sweet, if lengthy, sentiment. Paris would certainly have made Michael Jackson proud on Sunday at the VMAs. While Katy Perry’s awkward VMAs hosting had network higher ups worried , Paris Jackson spoke out against the very alarming hate and violence that is increasingly popping up across the US. Remember back to a year ago, when people were warning that fringe right hate groups, neo-Nazis included, would feel emboldened by a Donald Trump victory? Well, since 2016 was a cursed year, Trump won … sort of … and those groups were very emboldened by a man who seemed to make it clear that he shares their values occupying the highest office in the land. Just a few weeks ago, torch-bearing Nazis descended upon Charlottesville , Virginia, to protest the removal of an enduring symbol of white supremacy. In separate attacks against counter-protesters, various white supremacists beat black men with planks of wood, menaced their opposition with firearms, and of course one of them plowed into a crowd in a terrorist assault, killing one and leaving dozens of others injured. A lot of celebrities spoke up “against the violence,” but nobody at the VMAs seemed willing to tell it like it is. Until Paris got her hands on a microphone, that is. Paris Jackson called out white supremacy for the evil that it is. “Lets leave here tonight knowing that… We must show these Nazi, white-supremacist jerks in Charlottesville and all over the country that as a nation with liberty as our slogan we have zero tolerance for their violence, their hatred, and their discrimination.” That’s not really a surprise coming from Paris Jackson. In addition to being a fairly woke young woman with strong spiritual leanings and a great deal of political awareness, like, she’s not exactly from an all-white family. For so many of us, the fight against Nazis is deeply personal. (It should be for all of us, really) To be fair, even though we love Paris Jackson, we should acknowledge that, in the days leading up to the VMAs, some of her tweets had us a little worried. She spoke about antifa as people who answer violence with violence. That’s often true — antifa are individuals who are “anti-fascist,” thus where the name originates. They show up where Nazis show up in order to make it clear that their evil views have no place in a good, just society. Paris, at the time, advocated responding to hatred with peace, in the fashion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We would point out that MLK was murdered, so we wouldn’t recommend that anyone try to mirror his footsteps. But since she didn’t say anything about antifa or counterprotesters at the VMAs, which seems to indicate that she listened as people responded to her on Twitter. And maybe she learned and grew as a person. That’s what really defines wisdom more than anything else — a willingness to listen. Michael Jackson would be tremendously proud of her.
On Thursday, August 17, 2017, HelleBeautiful.com hosted a dynamic town hall to discuss why Black women are removed from the conversation when we talk about state sanctioned violence. SpeakHER: Reclaiming The Visibility of Black Women Affected By State Sanctioned Violence, was moderated by Charise Frazier, HelloBeautiful.com’s news producer and included activist, writer and producer Agunda […]
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 16: Filmmaker/actor Moses Verneau attends the AOL Build Presents Moses Verneau discussing his film “Money And Violence” at AOL HQ on August 16, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage) Web Favorite Hits Prime Time “Money & Violence” has gone from Youtube to the boob tube. The hood favorite, which chronicles the lives of New York’s gritty criminal underbelly, is set to head to TV screens soon after making its debut on Youtube, it’s creator and star, Moetivation told BOSSIP. Moetivation, who was born Moses Verneau, told us he just inked a deal with a major yet-to-be-named cable network to bring “Money & Violence” to television. And although the show has changed mediums, he said it’ll be the same real life look at the world of drug dealers, gunmen and thieves that viewers have grown to love. “We’re going into television,” he told us. “Look out for season three. It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to have the same authenticity, the same grit that you know and love from ‘Money & Violence,’ only bigger and better.” Last season ended in a cliff hanger, with “Shooter” Shane hospitalized after his own brother (played by rapper Uncle Murda ) shoots him for “disrespecting” him. NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 16: Filmmaker/actor Moses Verneau attends the AOL Build Presents Moses Verneau discussing his film “Money And Violence” at AOL HQ on August 16, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage) “It’s going to have the same grittiness, but at the same time, the storyline is going to be much broader. because of budget constraints, we held back on a lot of things we did want to touch on in the first two seasons. But now going to a bigger platform, and having a bigger budget, we’re going to be able to do a lot more. “Money & Violence” made its debut on Youtube two years ago to critical acclaim, and spawned several other web-based urban series. Last year, Moe moved the show to Tidal, which broadcasted season two. But season three will now head to cable TV. “It’s amazing, and at the same time, it’s a learning process,” he said. “I’m still getting used to this. So just as much as I’m trying to be a creator, I’m also a student at the exact same time.”
Pusha T Responds To 6-Year-Old Lil J’s Viral Gun Violence Video Gun violence is running rampant in America and has for VERY long time. It affects all of us, man, woman and especially child. Enter St. Louis native Lil’ J. The 6-year-old took to Facebook to spread his message of peace and explain how gun violence has affected him: [protected-iframe id=”1bab526efb728f6a4f6e6485b91a1298-568005-15257034″ info=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https2F2FLeLe3812F1354255914655281%2F&show_text=0&width=225″ width=”225″ height=”400″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:none;overflow:hidden” scrolling=”no”] Have you shed a tear yet? Well, it’s likely that Clipse/G.O.O.D. Music rapper Pusha T did. Lil J’s viral video touched Terrence Thornton in a real way, so much so that he not only took the time to pen J a response letter, but also provide an outlet for the youngster to escape his Hell on Earth as well as resources for his future. Scroll through this Instagram post to read the letter in it’s entirety. https://instagram.com/p/BU2KE4wgfGK/ *wipes more tears* Cotdamn…it’s a new day. On the flip side, Lil’ J responds to Pusha’s incredible act of kindness, you should definitely check it out. Image via Getty [protected-iframe id=”d1b797b46452c3c632c2dafe010ad84e-568005-15257034″ info=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https2F2FLeLe3812F1369908939756645%2F&show_text=0&width=711″ width=”711″ height=”400″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:none;overflow:hidden” scrolling=”no”] Pusha T cares, if don’t nobody else care.
Barak Obama Visits Prince Harry, Offers Kind Words To Manchester Victims Former President, Barak Obama visited Prince Harry over the weekend at Kensington Palace. CNN reports Obama had been visiting Scotland, where he golfed, then Berlin before dropping in on The British Royal. In Berlin, he delivered a message to Manchester, where tragedy recently struck at an Ariana Grande concert, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. “As the father of two daughters, I am heartbroken by the extraordinary tragedy that has occurred in Manchester, o all the families who have been affected, to all those who are still recovering, to those who have lost loved ones, it’s unimaginable to think about the cruelty and the violence that the city of Manchester has suffered.’ At Kensington, Barack reiterated his condolences to the people of Manchester and Prince Harry. The also talked about their shared support for veterans and mental health.
Ariana Grande hasn’t just spoken out once again in response to the bombing that killed 22 of her fans this past Monday night . She’s spoken out in defiance . In brave, admirable, impressive defiance. Shortly after the mass murder in Manchester this week, Grande took to Twitter and simply wrote that she was “broken.” She sent her apologies to all affected by the heinous terrorist act, but, really, what else could she say at that time? Nothing. Not really. Not anything that could be of any real use or assistance or comfort to families that lost their children at her concert. Now, however, the 23-year old star has issued her longest and most heartfelt response yet to the unimaginable event. As you’ve likely read all about by now, a suicide bomber (with alleged ties to ISIS ) detonated a nail bomb around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, targeting attendees as they left Grande’s show. The dead ranged in age from 8 to 50, with Grande canceling upcoming European tour dates in response and asking everyone to keep these victims in their thoughts and prayers. Again, what else could she really say? After a few days home with her boyfriend and her family, however, Grande has formulated somewhat of a plan. She has once again extended her condolences to everyone impacted by this massacre, but she’s also stood strong in the face of such terrorist actions. And she’s made it clear that she won’t let hate defeat love. “My heart, prayers and deepest condolences or with the victims of the Manchester Attack and their loved ones,” Grande writes to open her new message, adding: “There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better. “However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I possibly can give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way.” Grande goes on to explain her plans, saying she’ll return to Manchester at some point down the line and she will once again perform in this beloved city. She’ll raise money for the families of the victims and she will try as hard as she can to serve as a positive role model in these trying times. Scroll down to read her entire, awe-inspiring statement… The only thing we can do now is choose how we let this affect us and how we live our lives from here on out. I have been thinking of my fans, and of all of you, nonstop over the past week. The way you have handled all of this has been more inspiring and made me more proud than you’ll ever know. The compassion, kindness, love, strength and oneness that you’ve shown one another this past week is the exact opposite of the heinous intentions it must take to pull off something as evil as what happened on Monday. YOU are the opposite. I am sorry for the pain and fear that you must be feeling and for the trauma that you, too, must be experiencing. We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn’t recoil. We will not quit or operate in fear. We won’t let this divide us. We won’t let hate win. I don’t want to go the rest of the year without being able to see and hold and uplift my fans, the same way they continue to uplift me. Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously then we did before. I’ll be returning to the incredibly brave city of Manchester to spend time with my fans and to have a benefit concert in honor of and to raise money for the victims and their families. I want to think my fellow musicians and friends for reaching out to be a part of our expression of love from Manchester. I will have details to share with you as soon as everything is confirmed. View Slideshow: Manchester Bombing: A Tribute to the Victims In conclusion, Grande writes: From the day we started putting the ‘Dangerous Woman Tour’ together, I said that this show, more than anything else, was intended to be a safe space for my fans. A place for them to escape, to celebrate, to heal, to feel safe and to be themselves. To meet their friends they’ve made online. To express themselves. This will not change that. When you look into the audience at my shows, you see a beautiful, diverse, pure, happy crowd. Thousands of people, incredibly different, all there for the same reason, music. Music is something that everyone on Earth can share. Music is meant to heal us, to bring us together, to make us happy. So that is what it will continue to do for us. We will continue in honor of the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans and all affected by this tragedy. They will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life. Amazing. So well said. Let us know when that benefit concert takes place, Ariana. We’ll be there for sure.
There's nothing rooty, tooty, fresh or fruity about the following video. But there is a whole lot loud, crazy, violent and extremely disturbing, that's for certain. In a piece of totally insane action captured by comedian Nick Nack Pattiwhack, a bunch of patrons begin to argue vociferously inside a New York Denny's… … only for their words to quickly turn into an array of flying fists. (Pattiwhack, it should be noted, rose to viral fame earlier this year after he pretended to break into NBA star Anthony Davis' residence and then filmed the sensational baller at home while constantly saying: “Oh no! What is you doing, baby?” He's become a household meme since and he narrates the following fight in the same, annoying, repetitive way.) As for the brawl you're about to witness? Good luck making sense of it; we have no idea what precipitated the violence. All we know for sure is that Pattiwhack has no interest in actually breaking it up. He just focuses on getting the best angles and uttering the same phrase over and over again. We'd say the throwdown was somehow staged to help the comedian boost his odd brand, but there's just no way. It's impossible to stage this kind of intense battle. This sh-t is real. And absolutely bananas:
Lee O’Denat, a pioneer in the world of music and the founder of popular website WorldStarHipHop, was found dead late Monday night. He was 43 years old. Best known within the industry simply as “Q,” O’Denat was both the CEO of WorldStarHipHop and its public face. According to TMZ, he passed away in his sleep. Q launched his premiere hip hop website in 2005 when he began posting his mixtapes on the Internet, eventually evolving the URL into a mixture of hip hop videos, fight footage and other outrageous clips. As you can imagine, the site really started to take off once cell phone cameras became all the rage. WorldStarHipHop quickly grew into one of the most popular websites for crazy, unedited and unexpected raw footage from its readers. But the site also remained a destination for breaking news and fresh music, welcoming up-and-coming artists to submit their tracks and be featured on the home page. The website gained such momentum over the past few years and become so synonymous with viral content that, often times when something outlandish happened in public, someone would scream out: WORLDSTAR! WorldStar has also hosted a multitude of music videos for artists such as Migos, Young Thug, Fetty Wap, Future and many more. A new series inspired by the site, “World Star TV,” is scheduled to air on MTV2 next month. “Nothing caught on camera can be denied, it’s right there in front of you = and you can’t question it,” O’Denat said in a 2014 interview about the success of his creation. “I believe that has contributed to WorldStar’s organic growth in popularity.”. Further details surrounding Q’s passing are unknown at this time. In 2015, he was asked by The New York Times why his website featured such adult-themed content, to which the founder replied: “Hip hop is for the sex, the drugs, the violence, the beefs, the culture. That’s the competitiveness of hip hop, so I felt like the site needed to be R-rated.” Expect plenty of musicians to express their shock and sympathy over social media in regard to this news as the day progresses. “My condolences go out to his family. Q was an entrepreneur, a pioneer and all around great guy,” Kevin Black, former President of WorldStarHipHop.com told AllHipHop.com. View Slideshow: 28 Musicians Who Died Too Young We also send our condolences to anyone that knew Q well. His influence will continue to be felt both online and within the music world for many years to come. UPDATE : An autopsy will be performed later today, TMZ reports. It also claims those close to the situation believe Q died of a heart attack.
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