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Pass That Doctorate: Missy Elliott Shares Inspirational Message While Receiving Honorary Degree
If there’s only a handful of redeemable qualities about 2019, surely one of them is this: it’s the year Missy Elliott is getting her flowers. Earlier in 2019, the hip-hop innovator and vanguard became the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Now, Elliott’s officially a doctor, walking across the stage at…
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After Receiving Death Threats, Chris Darden Says He Will No Longer Defend Suspected Nipsey Hussle Killer
Chris Darden, an attorney best known for his part in prosecuting the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial, says he is withdrawing from his role representing Eric Holder, the man charged with gunning down Nipsey Hussle (born Ermias Asghedom), citing personal reasons. Darden announced his withdrawal in a fiery Facebook post on Friday afternoon, which he said…
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After Georgia Passes Restrictive Anti-Abortion Bill, Film Companies Vow to Bounce Productions to Other States
Several film production companies say they’re taking the midnight train the hell out of Georgia until the state reverses its recently passed anti-abortion law, which is now among the most restrictive in the nation. Known as “the heartbeat bill,” Georgia House Bill 481 was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday and bans…
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The Best Mother’s Day Gift: Activists Join Together to Bail Black Mamas Out for the 3rd Consecutive Year
At the age of 52, Veronica Rex was put behind bars. The Philadelphia native and grandmother of nine was arrested last year after disarming an armed man in a bar where she worked—unaware that the man had a license to carry a firearm. After he filed a complaint several days later, Rex was arrested; her…
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Tease Me, Stacey: Abrams Says She'll 'Jump In' Presidential Race If Fighting Voter Suppression Isn't a Top Priority
Yes, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams says she is still mulling over a run for the White House in 2020—and that the decision will rest on an issue dear to her: voter suppression. In an interview on the podcast Pod Save America Thursday, Abrams confirmed that a presidential run is still on the table.…
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Smize on the Prize: Tyra Banks Is Back on Top With Sports Illustrated Comeback Cover
Tyra Banks is back like she never left. The first black woman to ever land a solo cover of Sports Illustrated’s iconic swimsuit issue came out of modeling retirement to unveil her 2019 cover on Wednesday. The High Priestess of Smizing, the Pope of “Kiss my ‘fat’ ass,” and One of the O.G. Capital S…
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Krusade for Freedom, but Make It a Reality Show: Kim Kardashian to Make Kriminal Justice Documentary
In the House of Kardashian, no good deed goes unfilmed. Fitting then, that its most well-known member would take her recent criminal justice work and flip it into a two-hour documentary. Greenlit by Oxygen, the documentary is tentatively titled Kim Kardashian: The Justice Project, and will focus on Kardashian’s recent foray into criminal justice work,…
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Cory Booker and Ayanna Pressley Introduce Sweeping Bill to Prevent Pregnancy-Related Deaths Among Black Women
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) will unveil on Wednesday legislation aimed at tackling America’s rising maternal mortality rates, particularly among black mothers, among whom death rates related to childbirth and pregnancy are highest. Introduced days before Mother’s Day, the Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services, or the MOMMIES Act, comprises two…
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New York City Jail Guards Indicted for Conducting Illegal Strip Searches on Women Visitors
Six female corrections officers were arrested and arraigned in New York State Supreme Court following allegations they performed illegal strip searches on women attempting to visit their loved ones in a Manhattan jail. The New York Times, quoting the 27-count indictment, reports corrections officers “blocked exits, surrounded visitors on all sides, forcibly removed visitors’ clothing,…
