It seems the NBA is willing to face an NRA backlash and maybe even a financial hit to take a stand against gun violence. In conjunction with Everytown for Gun safety (http://everytown.org/) the NBA has released several anti gun violence ads. Check out one of the commercial featuring current league MVP Stephen Curry below:
The family of Tamir Rice released the following statement about today's announcement that a grand jury has declined to press charges against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by police.
Today, more than a year after Cleveland police shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a grand jury voted not to indict the shooter. Tamir’s family is saddened and disappointed by this outcome–but not surprised.
It has been clear for months now that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty was abusing and manipulating the grand-jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment. Even though video shows the police shooting Tamir in less than one second, Prosecutor McGinty hired so-called expert witnesses to try to exonerate the officers and tell the grand jury their conduct was reasonable and justified. It is unheard of, and highly improper, for a prosecutor to hire “experts” to try to exonerate the targets of a grand-‐jury investigation. These are the sort of “experts” we would expect the officer’s criminal-defense attorney to hire—not the prosecutor.
Then, Prosecutor McGinty allowed the police officers to take the oath and read prepared statements to the grand jury without answering any questions on cross-examination. Even though it is black-letter law that taking the stand waives the Fifth Amendment right to be silent, the prosecutor did not seek a court order compelling the officers to answer questions or holding the officers in contempt if they continued to refuse. This special treatment would never be given to non-police suspects.
The way Prosecutor McGinty has mishandled the grand-jury process has compounded the grief of this family.
The Rice family is grateful for all the community support they have received and urges people who want to express their disappointment with how Prosecutor McGinty has handled this process to do so peacefully and democratically. We renew our request that the Department of Justice step in to conduct a real investigation into this tragic shooting of a 12-year-old child.
President Obama and his wife have released the following statement in honor of Kwanzaa
Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to families across the country celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today begins a week-long celebration of African-American heritage and culture through family and community festivities. Kwanzaa’s seven principles – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith – are also shared values that bind us as Americans. And in the spirit of the season, we reflect on the blessings of the past year and commit to building a brighter future for all our children. As families, friends, and neighbors come together today to light the Kinara, our family sends our best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.
[SOURCE]
Several hundred protesters against police killings of black men marched on Thursday along Chicago's Michigan Avenue, calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to step down and aiming to disrupt Christmas Eve shopping in a glittering, upscale commercial area.
The demonstration was peaceful, but after the main march concluded, police scuffled with a few dozen protesters who were trying to block the entrance to an H&M store and to obstruct traffic both ways on Michigan Avenue, a major thoroughfare.
Read more: Chicago 'Black Christmas' protesters march against police violence
RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) today announced its urban streaming channel UMC – Urban Movie Channel is now available to Amazon Prime members as part of Amazon’s newly announced Streaming Partners Program. As part of the program, Amazon Prime members can easily add UMC via the Amazon Video app. A 14-day free trial is available to Prime customers and the service thereafter is $4.99/month.
Robert L. Johnson, Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of BET says, “We are excited that UMC is among the initial streaming channels to be included in the Amazon program. UMC provides viewers seeking high quality and entertaining urban-themed content. Being aligned with Amazon will allow us to reach tens of millions of Prime members and is a tremendous opportunity increase the awareness and subscriber growth for our UMC digital channel.”
About UMC
UMC – Urban Movie Channel was created by Robert L. Johnson, Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), UMC features quality urban content showcasing feature films, documentaries, original series, stand-up comedy, and other exclusive content for African American and urban audiences. New titles added weekly include live stand-up specials like Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand Up and Comedy Underground Series, and performances featuring Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx and comedic rock star Kevin Hart; dramas including Blackbird starring Academy Award® winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington, and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, and Playin’ For LoveDark Girls and I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac; action/thrillers including The Colony starring Laurence Fishburne; and stage play productions including What My Husband Doesn’t Know by David E. Talbert.
The African American Film Critics Association has relaunched the AAFCA Seal of Approval program for film marketers and distributors.
Titles that earn the AAFCA Seal of Approval must meet quality standards, including cultural/historical relevance, and are evaluated by a special panel of AAFCA members, film journalists and academics.
[SOURCE]
In the weeks leading up to the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens there was some controversy about the storm trooper played by John Boyega being black and being a lead character, although after seeing all the teaser trailers how anyone was surprised by Finn being a lead is beyond me. But back to the topic at hand.
Many wondered how that could be since storm troopers were supposed to be white. (Am I the only one wondering why some were so quick to want to claim the bad guys as one of them?). The movie itself does a great job of explaining why Finn (Boyega) is black which I wont post here because of the spoilery thing.
But what many of those bitching obviously don't know is that the storm troopers NEVER WERE WHITE!
As shown in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (the less said about that movie the better) they were clones of Jango Fett, the father of Boba Fett. The actor, Temuera Morrison that portrayed Jango Fett was Māori. The Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. So that means the storm troopers were Polynesian which I'm sure is not white.
So everyone can syop bitching about black storm troopers and do what millions already have. Enjoy Star wars: The Force Awakens for the great movie that it is!
A grand jury has decided not to indict anyone in the case of Sandra Bland, whose death in police custody raised questions of excessive force and the role of race.
The grand jury met for more than eight hours Monday.
"After reviewing all the evidence in the death of Sandra Bland, a Waller grand jury did not return an indictment in the death of Bland, nor were any indictments returned against any employee of the Waller County Jail," said Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor handling the case.
The grand jury will reconvene in January to consider other indictments.
Read more; Grand jury decides against indictments in Sandra Bland case
This is all in fun people. Both men excel at what they do and simply had a bad day, like many of us do. Unfortunately their bad days happened in front of millions. Both will get over this. George Cook , AfricanAmericanReports.com
Wow what a weekend to come off like a jackass in both sports and entertainment. NY Giants star receiver Odell Beckham came off like a complete fool with his actions against Carolina Panther, Josh Norman. Beckham got three unsportsmanlike penalties costing his team 45 yards with one penalty being for a nasty helmet to helmet hit to Norman's head. His actions and inability to focus on the game cost his team the game. Beckham has been suspended for one game for acting stupid. Watch the head to head hit below.
Then there's talk show/game show/radio show host Steve Harvey and his screw up at the Miss Universe pageant in which he announced the wrong person winning. Harvey announced Miss Columbia when he should have announced Miss Philippines. They gave Miss Columbia the crown, the roses, the whole winner treatment only to have to take it back from her and give it to the actual winner. Steve Harvey quickly apologized but the damage was done. Now Steve wont get suspended like Beckham but about 6 million people saw the screw up live and millions more have watched online. But if you missed it check it out below.
So who do you think had the worst weekend, Harvey or Beckham?
In this week's address, the President celebrated the end of the year tradition of list-making with a year-in-review list of his own. The President offered his roundup of the top 10 things that happened in 2015, all of which should make us optimistic about the prospects for 2016.
North Carolina A&T came out on top of Alcorn State in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. In the battle of HBCUs between the SWAC and the MEAC champs, MEAC champ North Carolina A&T outlasted Alcorn State 41-34.
The Aggies were led by running back Tarik Cohen who rushed for for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
The Aggies finished the season 10-2 and are now HBCU national championship. Congrats to the North Carolina A&T Aggies!
The New Orleans City Council has voted in favor of removing prominent Confederate monuments along some of its busiest streets — a sweeping move by a city seeking to break with its Confederate past.
The council's 6-1 vote on Thursday afternoon allows the city to remove four monuments, including a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that has stood at the center of a traffic circle for 131 years.
The decision came after months of impassioned debate. Now, the city faces possible lawsuits seeking to keep the monuments where they are.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu first proposed taking down these monuments after police said a white supremacist killed nine parishioners inside the African-American Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in June.
Read more: New Orleans council votes to remove Confederate monuments
I hate Lebron James because he's making it real hard to hate him anymore. He's helping kids go to college in his hometown and speaking out on social issues. And now during halftime of against a game against Boston he took the time to go say hi to a young man that has overcome several surgeries due to suffering from spastic hemiplegia since birth. That young man was named MVP during a special olympics basketball tournament and is a huge basketball fan. Lebron made his day. watch video of that great moment below:
African-Americans have become a shrinking presence in the boardrooms of the biggest U.S. companies in recent years, setting back a push by pension funds for greater diversity.
African-Americans, who make up about 13 percent of the U.S. population, account for 8.6 percent of the directors on the boards of the largest 200 companies by revenue in the S&P 500 in 2015, down from 9.6 percent in 2010, according to the annual Board Index study by Spencer Stuart, one of the largest executive search firms. The figure was 9 percent in 2006, the first year the firm reported the measure.
Read more: Black presence on U.S. boards shrinks, hedge funds cited by some
From WMAR (Baltimore) 4 PM Eastern time 12/15/15.
The jury in the trial of Officer William Porter sent a note to Judge Barry Williams saying they were deadlocked.
Judge Williams called the jury back in, instructed them again, and sent them back to continue deliberation.
Sports Illustrated's 2015 Sportsperson of the Year is not Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Ronda (you got knocked the f*ck out) Rousey, or a damned horse. It's Serena Williams! Long live the Queen!!!
A show that was foolishly derided by some for its lack of diversity, The Wiz Live is proving that success is the ultimate revenge. Not only did the show get 11.5 million viewers when airing, the show has been nominated for 5 Critic's Choice Awards. To top it off it received the most nominations for a broadcast network show and the most for NBC.
The Wiz Live was nominated in the following catergories:
ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Shanice Williams – The Wiz Live! – NBC
MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
The Wiz Live!
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
David Alan Grier – The Wiz Live! – NBC
Ne-Yo – The Wiz Live! – NBC
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Mary J. Blige – The Wiz Live! – NBC
Two rape victims, Jannie Logins and Sharday Hill have spoken out on that living piece of sh*t Daniel Holtzclaw and the former cops guilty verdict and sentencing.
