Month: February 2017

Feminist (or Bad Feminist) author and essayist Roxane Gay hasn’t warmed to Simon & Schuster after the publishing giant canceled its book deal with Milo Yiannopoulos on Monday following his comments on pedophilia.

In fact, Gay dismissed the news as a simple “business decision,” she wrote on Tumblr, “the same way they made a business decision when they decided to publish that man in the first place.”

A tape in which the Breitbart editor appears to defend pedophilia surfaced online recently; the controversy also revoked his invitation to a conservative conference planned for next week with Vice President Mike Pence.

“Simon & Schuster realized it would cost them more money to do business with Milo than he could earn for them,” Gay wrote. “They were fine with his racist and xenophobic and sexist ideologies. They were fine with his transphobia, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. They were fine with how he encourages his followers to harass women and people of color and transgender people online.”

The author yanked her upcoming nonfiction book, How to Be Heard, from Simon & Schuster late last month in protest of the company’s decision to publish Dangerous by the white nationalist alt-right figure. 

Gay also claims that Simon & Schuster reacted to her decision with pettiness, stating the company moved the publication date of Dangerous to June 13 ― the same day her next book, Hunger, is set to be released by a different publisher. She confirmed that she will no longer work with Simon & Schuster.

Yiannopoulos’ list of offenses against women, people of color, Muslims, transgender people and other groups is long. In June, he was permanently banned from Twitter after inciting racist harassment of comedian Leslie Jones. His appearance is enough to spark outrage; students recently stopped him from speaking at the University of California at Berkeley after violent protests broke out, and a journalist canceled his appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” after discovering Yiannopoulos had been booked on the same episode. 

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Right-wing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh claims any legislative success President Barack Obama enjoyed during his first year in office was because of the color of his skin.

“You have the first African-American president. You have everybody falling all over themselves to acknowledge that, to reward that,” Rush told Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,” adding: 

“Obama was going to get everything he wanted in the first year because if anybody opposed it, they were going to be accused of being a racist, or a bigot, or who knows what.”

Limbaugh also blamed Democrats for “driving this business that the Russians hacked the election” because “they just can’t accept that they lost.”

See the full interview above. The comments about Obama take place at about 8:25.  

(h/t Media Matters)

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Maybe “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek should start thinking about a new name for his burgeoning career in hip-hop. 

Dr. Tre showed off his rapping skills again on Monday night’s “Jeopardy,” with a category called “Let’s Rap, Kids!” Each answer featured lyrics, and The Notorious A.L.E.X. didn’t simply read them. 

Trebek, who has hosted the syndicated show since 1984, gamely rapped his way though each answer, which is something he’s been known to do on “Jeopardy” from time to time. 

Check it out above.  

Now, who’s ready to start remixing these?

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Divorce attorneys are experts on marriage. After all, every day in their offices, they see the petty squabbles and simmering issues that can easily bring down a long-term relationship.

What have they learned from their day jobs? We recently asked family law attorneys from across the country to share how their own marriages have been affected by their jobs and clients. To get a balanced account, we asked their spouses to weigh in, too! See what they had to say below:

Karen Covy, a divorce attorney and coach in Chicago, Illinois:

“I’ve been with my husband for 10 years and married for eight. I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve seen a lot of relationships that went south just because someone stopped paying attention to them. I see a lot of small mistakes that build into big problems. I’ve learned from the pain I witness every day. I consciously work on avoiding those mistakes myself. I try not to let my professional stress bleed into my personal life and I try not to cross-examine my husband. But I’m human!” 

Her spouse, Vit Homolka:

“It really doesn’t make much difference what profession my wife is in. She’s a strong woman and I like that. It’s true that sometimes when we’re talking, she hits me with her ‘lawyer’s logic.’ Our discussions get broken down into points and sub-points with supporting evidence. When she flips into lawyer-mode, it can feel like you’re in a court room. But, I know who she is inside. Her profession is not the primary thing in our marriage.” 

Margaret Klaw, a divorce attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

“I’ve been married for 34 years and for 30 of them, I’ve been a divorce lawyer. You might think I’d be deeply cynical about the institution of marriage. But you would be totally wrong. I, along with many of my colleagues in the family law bar, are deep appreciators of marriage. I think that is because we, more than most people, truly understand the value of family. We know it’s what gives meaning to people’s lives because we experience firsthand the depth of the pain when it doesn’t work out. And I know that has made me a better spouse and parent. I’m tolerant of small problems and differences because I am so acutely aware of the big picture, of how unimportant those differences may be when compared to the potential cataclysm of divorce. I have to admit, though, that I’ve heard this from my husband more than once during an argument: ‘Stop cross examining me!’ But really, if that’s all he has to complain about, he has no idea how good he has it.”

Her spouse, Alan Metcalfe:

“I may have just a few more complaints but I share my attorney wife’s perspective on marriage. I also love hearing about how badly couples behave (no names, of course!) in court, marvel at how generous her clients can occasionally be with their estranged spouses in the name of their children, and often think how lucky I am to be in a solid marriage. I also know that I would be screwed if I tried to divorce her because she is the only person I would want to represent me in court.” 

Alison Patton, a divorce attorney and mediator in La Jolla, California:

“You would think that with all I’ve seen and learned through the years, I’d be great at marriage and not make the same mistakes divorcing clients have made. Not always the case. For years, John’s common line to me when we were having a marital spat was, ‘Can’t you just use your mediator skills for a goddamned minute and try to understand my perspective?!? And stop interrupting me!’ What I’ve learned from being in this profession is we all make the same mistakes in marriage. Some of us are just lucky enough to have the marriage survive until we figure it out. I think we made it through the rocky stretches because John is as strong a person as I am. He’s an attorney too and he held his ground. Even when we were furious with one another, we never lost mutual respect. I’d be lost without him.”

Her spouse, John Thickstun:

“I’d been divorced for about a year when Alison and I met and started dating. I proposed a few months later. My friends asked me, why are you getting married again? And to a family law attorney!? So I explained, ‘This will guarantee that it will last. It has to!’ All kidding aside, divorce attorneys are participants in the end of a chapter -– the death of a relationship. But if they’re like Alison, they are also witness to the beginning of a new chapter -– a rebirth of sorts. Guiding people through the divorce process creates wisdom if you’re open and paying attention. Alison pays attention. She brings the wisdom she’s learned to our relationship. I love her more today than the day we were married over 18 years ago.” 

Christian Denmon, a divorce attorney in Tampa, Florida:

“Our situation is a little different: I’m a full-time divorce attorney. My wife does divorce work, but it is a minority of her practice. We apply what we learn from our practices to our relationship and it helps steer us on the right track. And I think, as we transition from what divorce lawyers call a short-term marriage to a medium-length marriage (we have been married seven years), we are still on strong footing. Much of it is thanks to her!” 

His spouse, Nicole Denmon:

“My husband listens more to other women’s problems than mine. The emergency phone calls at night and on the weekends used to bother me. I used to ask lots of questions as to why a female client needed to talk to him so badly at 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night. But then I listened to his conversations. Some were true emergencies and others were him just be an attentive lawyer who knew when that his client needed to talk and needed advice right then. Although it did not constitute an emergency to him or me, the person on the other line truly believed that it was. I have come to learn that a good divorce attorney must be attentive and on call if a client needs to speak with them. I know that my husband does not always want to return a phone call, but he puts himself in the position of his client that is experiencing one of the most traumatic experiences one can go through: divorce.”

Nancy R. Van Tine, a divorce attorney in Boston, Massachusetts:

“Stu talked me into going to law school while he was studying for the bar exam. Four years later we started our own firm. I didn’t choose family law. I backed into it. I was the only female lawyer in my location when we hung out our shingle, and the divorce clients came as a result. And they kept coming, and I loved doing it. Stu and I worked as a team. He did a lot of my legal research and all my appellate writing in the early years. We’d discuss strategy, law and the clients all the time. I think we were more careful of each other in our marriage as a result. Marriage and divorce law have been a fun partnership.”

Her spouse, Stuart Van Tine:

“Yep, I’ve been married to a divorce lawyer for 52 years. She wasn’t a lawyer for the first 14. I’d been an attorney for five years when she was sworn in and we opened our own shop. We later joined a larger firm together; I retired, she’s still there. For us, practicing law together was fun. My end was stodgy bank and real estate work. Her practice seemed to bring new and amazing bits of insanity every day. What I remember most is her ability to keep her composure where very few people could, like laughing along with our staff at the death threat left on our answering machine or the court battle over custody of a stuffed parrot. Those were happy days.”

Katherine Eisold Miller, a divorce attorney in New Rochelle, New York: 

“Divorce lawyers hear some pretty crazy stories and we know what destroys relationships. Knowing what destroys them gives us a window into how to nurture and preserve our partnerships. On the other hand, we also know how to protect ourselves and our assets and that could be pretty scary if things weren’t going so well.”

Her spouse, Richard Heller:

“I’ve been married to a divorce attorney for 18 years. From the beginning I needed clear boundaries between work and relationship ― and no prenup. Prenups look to me like a self-fulfilling prophecy, like you’re planning the way out when you have not even begun while to my attorney bride, it just made sense to get clear on financial boundaries. Keeping communications from becoming ‘litigious’ is an ongoing practice for both of us. I often joke that ‘I’m married to a divorce lawyer, I don’t mess with her,’ but I actually find my spouse appreciates what an amazing marriage we have because she has seen so many marriages that were less than that. She works long hours and I miss her terribly, but our time together is always sweet.”

Daniel E. Clement, a divorce attorney in New York City:

“As a divorce attorney, my problem is not making my clients’ issues mine. While I am sympathetic, I have to remain detached to keep my objectivity and maintain my sanity. I certainly don’t want to bring their problems home with me. That said, I can use my client’s issues as life lessons. I can identify the mistakes they made in their relationships, in raising their children, in their decision making, and consciously modify my behavior so as not to follow them. I do not want to be someone’s divorce client.” 

His spouse, Michelle Schwartz Clement:

“Most of the time, Dan seems immune to the stresses of the day. Yes, there are days he brings it home, but what successful professional doesn’t do so?”

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For HuffPost’s #LoveTakesAction series, we’re telling stories of how people are standing up to hate and supporting those most threatened. What will you stand up for? Tell us with #LoveTakesAction.

There’s now a site for people who are looking for local protests against President Donald Trump’s administration.

On Sunday, filmmaker and activist Michael Moore launched The Resistance Calendar, which features an extensive list of rallies taking place on any given day across the United States. The events listed focus on advancing progressive policies, from pro-choice fundraisers to dance party protests for LGBTQ rights.

“It’s one of the main things people have been asking me for since the election: How can I find out what’s going on in my area?” Michael Moore told The Huffington Post on Monday. “The main idea is to stop the damage of the Trump agenda, and protect the people that his administration is hurting.”

The events on the site are submitted by users, and then vetted by a team of volunteers for accuracy, Moore said.

The site allows users to filter events by location, date or issue. A quick search for “NYC” on Monday generated a number of events, including “Not My Presidents Day,” a rally protesting Trump’s policies, including his executive orders on immigration and on Dakota Access pipeline.

The Resistance Calendar site launched in time for Presidents Day, when thousands of people rallied at anti-Trump events across the country.

Progressives have taken to the streets in waves since Trump’s inauguration ― many for the very first time ― from the Women’s Marches on Jan. 21, to rallies against the immigration ban to a gathering in solidarity with Muslims in Times Square on Sunday.

“What you have happening right now are Americans who have never done anything political before, other than vote, come out of the house and say, ‘I want to be an active citizen,’” Moore said. “It’s the most amazing thing to see.”

Moore’s digital calendar makes navigating the numerous protests fairly user-friendly, by simply listing a date, location, headline, and a short summary for each event. The site features a wide range of events, some anticipating thousands of people, and others expecting less than 50 people to show up.

“One of the great things that mass protests do is to tell everybody who may not be able to be there that they’re not alone ― it’s a sense of solidarity,” Moore added. “The other thing mass protests do: it puts the politicians on notice.”

The site is the latest anti-Trump initiative from the filmmaker and activist, who spoke out against Trump throughout his campaign. Moore famously predicted Trump’s win, and last month called for “100 days of resistance” against the new administration.

While many of the events listed on the site may not appeal to Trump supporters, Moore doesn’t think Trump voters, some of whom voted for former President Barack Obama, should be written off.

“There are people I know in Michigan who voted for Trump, but also voted Obama. Not all Trump voters are rednecks or racists,” Moore said. “A lot of them are, and we can’t really help those… But the other half we should reach out to, hold our hand out to them ― some of them may be hurt the worst.”

Moore’s Resistance Calendar is one of a growing list of resources for people seeking to attend progressive rallies: Other sites, such as NextProtest.com or Town Hall Project, also list upcoming political gatherings, and groups like the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter post regularly about rallies on social media.

“There are a lot of calendars, this isn’t meant to be the only one ― it’s crowdsourced,” Moore said. “New York and Seattle have great ones, Ferguson Response is a great one ― and we plan to link to all of those. This is meant to inform as many people as possible. The more people that do this, the better.”

Know a story from your community of people fighting hate and supporting groups who need it? Send news tips to lovetips@huffingtonpost.com.

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Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, better known as Beyoncé, is perhaps the most famous American singer and songwriter in modern pop music. The superstar rose to fame as the centerpiece of the female supergroup Destiny’s Child in the 1990’s. In the early 2000’s she launched a solo career defined by powerful anthems advocating female empowerment and black rights. She’s a one woman powerhouse that routinely denies media coverage.

Despite this Beyoncé’s success has yet to take a hit. Last year the singer released her most successful album to date with Lemonade. It was a powerful culmination of a career dedicated to advocacy and performance art. The visual album showcases exactly why Beyoncé’s been such an important figure in the fight against oppression in all forms. Interested in learning more? Check out the spotlight below.

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A Washington, D.C. public school is firing back after U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos criticized its teachers for having a “receive mode” attitude.

In an interview with the conservative news site, Townhall, published on Feb. 16, DeVos expressed her belief that public school teachers are “limited by the top-down, one size fits all approaches, either at the school level, the district level, the state level, or in all too many cases, the federal decree.”

DeVos then referenced Jefferson Academy, which she visited on Feb. 10. She stated:

“I visited a school on Friday and met with some wonderful, genuine, sincere teachers who pour their heart and soul into their classrooms and their students and our conversation was not long enough to draw out of them what is limiting them from being even more success from what they are currently. But I can tell the attitude is more of a ‘receive mode.’ They’re waiting to be told what they have to do, and that’s not going to bring success to an individual child. You have to have teachers who are empowered to facilitate great teaching.”

Protesters initially blocked the Education Secretary from entering Jefferson Academy on that day, but she ultimately made it inside and visited several classrooms. At the end of her visit, she told reporters that the school was “awesome.”

“It was really wonderful to visit this school, and I look forward to many visits of many great public schools, both in D.C. and around the country,” DeVos stated.

Needless to say, school officials were taken aback by Devos’ later comments about its teachers.

The Jefferson Academy Twitter account unleashed a tweetstorm, starting by saying they were about to take Devos “to school.” The series of 11 tweets praised the teachers DeVos met during her visit and touted their individualized approaches to teaching students.

”JA teachers are not in a ‘receive mode.’ Unless you mean we ‘receive’ students at a 2nd grade level and move them to an 8th grade level,” the last tweet reads.

Parents, educators and local officials also defended the school and criticized the Education Secretary for mischaracterizing its teachers to make a political point about federal education programs.

DeVos, who has been criticized for her lack of professional experience in public education, responded to Jefferson Academy’s tweets.

“Your teachers are awesome! They deserve MORE freedom to innovate and help students,” she tweeted.

The Education Secretary then reiterated the statements she made during her interview about government programs aimed at improving education. “Great teachers deserve freedom and flexibility, not to constantly be on the receiving end of government dictates,” she wrote.

Ultimately, Jefferson Academy is moving forward with its mission to help students in the D.C. area. The school is using its time in the spotlight to share job listings and promote some teachers’ projects that need funding.

The school account tweeted, “If you’re in a giving spirit, they’re in ‘receive mode.’ :)”

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New York Fashion Week wasn’t just about clothes this year ― it was also about the message. 

This February, designers finally began making some bold moves toward inclusivity and diversity. But other shows also became political acts of resistance, like when LSR sent models down the runway in clothes denouncing President Trump’s Muslim travel ban and proposed wall between Mexico and the U.S. Or when designers and models wore white bandanas to signal they were part of the opposition, and pink Planned Parenthood pins to show their support. 

No matter the action, however big or small, the fashion world made it clear it won’t tolerate the intolerance found in the current political climate. 

1. “F**k Your Wall” clothing. 

Mexican-born designer Raul Solis had a clear-cut message for Donald Trump in his LSR NYFW show. He printed “No Ban, No Wall” and “F**k Your Wall” on models’ underwear. Solis told Dazed Digital he opposed Trump’s wall because the designer’s family is “first generation Mexican and some had to migrate to the U.S., [so] this issue is something extremely personal to me.” 

2. Trolling Trump with his signature slogan.

Public School New York put a fun spin on Donald Trump’s campaign hat and made it their own. They put the slogan on a cropped sweatshirt and hats for the show.  

3. White bandanas for solidarity, unity and inclusiveness.

The news site Business of Fashion started the bandana movement to show solidarity during a time of turmoil. Designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Prabal Gurung, Tommy Hilfiger, Thakoon, Phillip Lim, and Diane von Furstenberg either incorporated the bandanas into their shows or simply wore them.  

4. “This Is Not America” music. 

Raf Simons’ Calvin Klein debut included a mix of David Bowie’s 1985 song, “This Is Not America.” Attendees were also given white bandanas to wear before the show started. 

5. Fashion’s Planned Parenthood stance. 

Thanks to a partnership between the CFDA and Planned Parenthood, over 40 designers joined forces to include PP pins at their shows. The pins were also given out to PR people, modeling agencies, influencers and press throughout NYFW, along with a pamphlet outlining all the services Planned Parenthood offers.

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A new proposal from the Trump administration would increase screenings on visitors from China. 

The notice from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection details a proposition to ask Chinese visitors on business or tourism visas for their social media handles before they travel to the country. 

Customs and Border Patrol officers could use the social media information, which is optional to disclose, for examination. 

“This data will be used for vetting purposes, as needed, providing highly trained CBP officers with timely visibility into publicly available information on the platforms associated with the social media identifier(s) voluntarily provided by the applicant,” the notice stated. 

Through the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS), an electronic system in which international visitors with 10-year U.S. visas must enroll, Chinese travelers would be asked for their social media handles and corresponding platforms, the CBP proposes.

An officer would review the accounts, staying consistent with the user’s privacy settings, the notice says. And the information obtained would help discern between individuals with “similar characteristics, such as similar names,” and also provide another means to contact the applicant.

Those who choose not to reveal their social media information wouldn’t be negatively affected, according to the proposal, which will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday.

“The collection of social media identifiers will not be used to prevent travel based on an applicant’s race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation,” Jennifer Evanitsky, CBP spokeswoman, elaborated to Politico. “The social media provider will not be asked to violate any privacy settings or policies.”

The outlet points out that the Obama administration also employed a similar screening check. However, it gave visitors from a variety of countries ― including several European and other developed nations ― the option to disclose their social media handles through the Visa Waiver Program. 

The proposal to include Chinese visitors in social media screenings has become cause for alarm among some groups like Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (AAAJ-LA), which says it’s concerned that there’s more to the idea than meets the eye.

“As a civil rights organization, we fear that proposals such as the proposed social media check will be largely ineffective as a national security screen and will serve primarily to allow the discriminatory targeting of Chinese immigrants and visitors at border checkpoints,” the group wrote in a statement to The Huffington Post.  

Moreover, AAAJ-LA fears that the “scrutiny” of Chinese visitors could fuel anti-Chinese sentiment in the country.

A 2015 LA hate crime report released by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations revealed that anti-Asian hate crimes in the county had tripled. Most of the incidents were anti-Chinese and the nonprofit suspects that the spike had to do with President Donald Trump’s painting of China as a threat during the election. 

Karin Wang, the group’s vice-president, explained to the Huffington Post last month that there were several statements made during his campaign that reflected this message including a 2015 announcement, in which Trump said that “ISIS, China, Mexico are all beating us.” He also brought up China’s trade and military powers.

Wang told HuffPost that Trump’s note “really reinforces the dangerous foreign enemy image, even though he describes China’s threat as one of trade.”

There will be a 60-day comment period, starting on Tuesday, during which people can voice their concerns and suggest revisions. AAAJ-LA hopes those in the Asian-American community will take part in airing their opinions. 

“In the month since the inauguration, we have seen that mass protest and resistance works in pushing back on the current Presidential Administration’s efforts to vilify and target non-white and immigrant communities,” the organization said in its statement to HuffPost. “The regulatory comment period invites public comment and we encourage the public to take full advantage of that process.”

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At the height of the civil rights movement in 1967, Sidney Poitier defied the odds with his role in “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.” 

Earlier this month, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment commemorated the film’s 50th anniversary with the release of a special edition DVD. Directed by Stanley Kramer and starring Poitier, Katharine Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy, the controversial film ― released six months following the landmark Loving v. Virginia decision that legalized interracial marriage ― follows a liberal San Francisco couple’s introduction to their daughter’s distinguished black fiancé.

Fifty years after its release, Poitier’s daughter, Beverly Poitier-Henderson tells HuffPost that the motion picture was groundbreaking for its portrayal of how African-Americans and interracial families were accepted in American society. 

“I think that it was very telling for the writer to create the characters that he did, so that white America could relate to the situation I think in a more humane way,” Poitier-Henderson said during an interview with HuffPost. “Everybody believes that the character he (Poitier) played and the characters of the family were very relatable. So I think that was very unique and powerful during that time.”

Following its December 1967 release, the film became one of Columbia Pictures highest grossing theatrical features to date, amassing critical success with, 10 Oscar nominations and two wins. The comedy-drama was also influential of revamping how films featuring black characters and themes were marketed to mainstream audiences ― specifically in southern states, according to IMDB.  

The film’s critical acclaim also contributed to Poitier becoming the biggest box office drawing actor of any color in 1967 after starring in three of the years top-grossing films at age 40. The year also cemented the Oscar award winner as the first black actor to have his hand and footprints immortalized at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.  

Despite his cultural milestones, Poitier was faced with criticism from the black community, as he was labeled an “Mister Tom/Uncle Tom” for what some viewed as pandering to a white audience.

“I lived through people turning on me. It was painful for a couple years,” he recalled of the criticism during an interview in the October 2000 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. “I was the most successful black actor in the history of the country. I was not in control of the kinds of films I would be offered, but I was totally in control of the kinds of films I would do. So I came to the mix with that power ― the power to say, ‘No, I will not do that.’”

Poitier added that his trailblazing roles in films such as “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” were instead chosen to make a statement about society’s much overlooked prejudices.

“What the name-callers missed was that the films I did were designed not just for blacks but for the mainstream,” he said. “I was in concert with maybe a half-dozen filmmakers, and they were all white. And they chose to make films that would make a statement to a mainstream audience about the awful nature of racism.”

The legendary actor’s knack for maintaining his integrity by avoiding stereotypical, one-dimensional characters is one of the many traits Poitier-Henderson has always found honorable about her father.

“They were all based on the principle that they had to reflect well on him, his family, and his father’s name. And I think it’s a big lesson to learn in life,” she told HuffPost.

“I appreciate that and I admire him for doing that, because if he hadn’t, I think it would’ve took a lot longer for us to get where we are today as far as African-American films and more integrated storylines. It was the first time I think that white America got to see a better representation of African Americans.”

The special 50^th anniversary edition of “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” is now available at stores and digital retailers.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices