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Tavis Smiley’s Upcoming Trial Against PBS Will Raise Important Questions About Consent and Workplace Relationships
For years, Tavis Smiley, the former PBS late-night talk show host, has been defiant in the face of sexual misconduct allegations. Smiley has been entangled in a legal battle with his former employer, PBS, since 2018, over accusations that he sexually harassed, intimidated, and verbally abused employees, as well as having more than a decade’s…
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Wave of House Democrats Announce Boycott of Trump’s ‘Sham State of the Union’ Address
Eight house Democrats announced Tuesday that they will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, citing a lack of trust in the president and the Senate trial that is expected to acquit him of all impeachment charges on Wednesday. The first five Democrats to announce their boycott were Reps. Al Green (Texas),…
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A Star Washington Post Reporter Called Out a Racial Blindspot in an Article. Leadership Threatened to Fire Him
Following last week’s debacle at the Washington Post over a staffer’s Kobe Bryant tweets, a new article published Monday morning from the Daily Beast establishes that the Post has had ongoing issues over its stringent social media policy. Last year, that policy was used to threaten Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery’s job. According to the…
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Mayor Bloomberg’s ‘Black People Like Me’ Super Bowl Ad Was Just as Cynical as Donald Trump’s
Two white billionaires, President Donald Trump and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg pitched their 2020 campaigns during Super Bowl LIV last night. Both prominently featured black subjects—Bloomberg’s highlighted his record on gun control and combating gun violence, while Trump highlighted Alice Marie Johnson, a black woman Trump pardoned after being petitioned directly about…
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Kobe Bryant and the Perils of the 'Transcendent' Athlete
The premature, unbearable death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other souls on board his helicopter last Sunday triggered an outpouring of grief rarely seen on this scale. It’s been a week of mourning and tributes: From the Philippines to Philadelphia, makeshift vigils and elaborate murals have bloomed on sidewalks and storefronts…
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A Black Woman President by 2040? Stacey Abrams Says That's Her Plan
For many news cycles now, Stacey Abrams has told us one thing: No, I don’t want the presidency, not now. But that doesn’t mean “not later.” I know, I know. Let Abrams live a non-presidential life! And that’s exactly what she’s been doing, making the 2020 elections the fulcrum of her organizing work to ensure…
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Austin Police Still Disproportionately Arrest Black and Latinx Motorists, Despite Attempts to Address Racial Disparity in Policing
Black people make up only 8 percent of Austin, Texas’ adult population, yet comprise a quarter of all motorist arrests, a new report from the city government finds. The study (h/t CNN) analyzed traffic stops and arrests for black, Latinx, white, and Asian drivers, finding that black and Latinx drivers were overrepresented in stops and…
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As I Say, Not as I Do: Parents of All Backgrounds Say They Want Diverse Schools, but Their Choices Are Still Rooted in Bias
Privileged parents say they want their children to attend integrated schools—but their choices tell a different story. That’s what a study published by Harvard Graduate School of Education this week reveals. As the education blog The 74 reports, the new study found across all demographics, parents tended to agree that racial and economic integration in…
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Vanessa Bryant Speaks Publicly for 1st Time Since Kobe and Gianna's Deaths: 'There Aren't Enough Words to Describe Our Pain Right Now'
Vanessa Bryant spoke publicly Wednesday for the first time since her husband Kobe and 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant died in a horrific helicopter crash Sunday morning. “My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely…
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Dylann Roof’s Lawyers Appeal Death Sentence, Saying He Was Too Mentally Ill to Represent Himself at Trial
Lawyers for Dylann Roof, the avowed white supremacist convicted of killing nine black parishioners in a South Carolina church in 2015, want his death sentence overturned. In a 321-page motion filed Tuesday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals, Roof’s lawyers appealed his death sentence, arguing that Roof was mentally unstable when he represented himself…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
