Month: March 2017

President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress last night has been widely applauded because of his tone and behavior. It appears that the fact that he did not misbehave or act in a belligerent or insulting way gave him high marks by many analysts and pundits. Before we all exhale, I remind you, we’ve witnessed these momentary outbursts of balance before, to then be followed up in days – if not hours – by tweets and abrasive behavior and language.

One thing is consistent: Whether Trump’s on good or bad behavior, the policies he represents and reiterated in his speech last night are bad, regardless of if you take them with sugar and sweeteners, or if you take them straight with no chaser.

For those who may have been sidetracked by his delivery, here’s a quick reminder of just a few of the items a Trump Administration is proposing.

First, there’s immigration reform designed to exclude people and target them based on nationality or religion. Then there’s repealing the Affordable Care Act with no clear measure on how to protect the tens of millions that now have insurance because of this historic legislation, and how to maintain those key elements that are critical to the American public – i.e. children staying on their parent’s insurance until the age of 26, health insurers no longer discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions, etc.

Trump wants to improve education, but education through vouchers and charter schools without investing and buttressing public education is not how you deal with the “civil rights issue of our time.” And, of course, let’s remember, that strengthening police without strengthening their accountability so that we do not add to the tensions that only help criminals is terrible policy and has proven to not work in the past.

Trump’s historically low approval rating for a new Commander-in-Chief may have pushed him into this softer, seemingly more restrained manner last night, but don’t be fooled, the agenda remains the same. Have we gone so far to the bottom in American politics that we now congratulate heads of state for not insulting us and excuse that they are still harming us? We do not need a kindler, gentler ride in the wrong direction. And that is precisely what this is. The President may have been on his best behavior last night, but he is still advocating ideas that will harm some of our most vulnerable communities and turn back the clock on so much of the progress that we have achieved.

When I look at the fact that on the 5th anniversary of the horrific killing of young Trayvon Martin whose death sparked massive calls for justice, and a movement that I was in the center of, there are troubling indicators of where we are headed next as a country.

The new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, promises to stop auditing local police department behavior and drops the part of the Department of Justice lawsuit that challenged Texas’ voter ID law which makes it harder for people of color, the elderly, the poor and students to vote.

The Texas voter ID law is one of the harshest in the nation and allows IDs like licenses to carry concealed handguns to be used as proof at the ballot box, but not government employee IDs or student IDs. Reversing course on this lawsuit and reversing course on police accountability are the very first actions taken by Sessions and obvious signs of where the Trump Administration is leading us.

It has become evidently clear that what we have fought for tirelessly through the decades and achieved with much sacrifice is now greatly at risk. We no longer need to speculate on where Trump and his team will take the nation – they are making it blatantly obvious. The question is, are people paying attention? The softer tone and the good performance are just that – a good performance. It will take more than decent behavior to sustain where we were and where we need to be as a society.

As any bad student can tell you: good behavior may keep you in the classroom, but it doesn’t mean you pass the test or get an A.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Facebook just revealed a really intriguing secret behind their “like” button options.

The company’s algorithm weighs your “reactions” to posts ― love, haha, wow, sad and angry ― over just regular “likes” to determine what sort of content to put in your News Feed.

In conjunction with the first anniversary of reactions, Facebook has determined over the last year that if someone takes the extra step to select a reaction, it’s “an even stronger signal that they would want to see that type of post than if they left a Like on the post,” a spokesperson told us.

Strangely, all reactions are weighted the same, which means the News Feed prioritizes things you “love” equally to things that make you “angry” or “sad.” And it prioritizes all of those over things you merely “like.”

So, if you wondered why you were constantly seeing that random high school friend’s wedding photos, it’s probably from that time you were scrolling through Facebook after a night out and felt particularly generous with your “love” on their engagement photos.

H/T Mashable

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s first speech before a joint session of Congress earned high marks on Wednesday from many pundits, who welcomed its optimistic tone after nearly two years of Trump’s doomsaying about the level of “carnage” in America.

Stylistically, at least, Trump acted and sounded presidential.

Yet many key assertions Trump made were patently false. America is neither crime-infested nor still mired in a recession, as he portrayed. Moreover, some of his bold rhetoric on issues like the environment, immigration, civil rights, women’s rights and child care are directly undercut by the policies he has pursued or promised to pursue since taking office on Jan. 20.

Immigration Reform

In noting the end of Black History Month, Trump said, “We are reminded of our nation’s path toward civil rights and the work that still remains.”

If the president is truly serious about advancing civil rights, however, he could start with protecting the right to vote. On Monday, Trump’s Department of Justice reversed its position in an important voting rights case involving a Texas voter ID law. The government is no longer arguing, as it had under Obama, that Texas enacted its voter ID law with the intention of discriminating against minority voters.

“If Donald Trump was extending an olive branch to the African-American community, it fell completely flat. We’re not interested in words, we’re interested in deed,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told The Huffington Post following Trump’s speech on Tuesday night.

Clean Air and Water

Similarly, Trump promised in his speech that his administration would “promote clean air and clear water.” But earlier on Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order that would dismantle the Waters of the United States rule, also known as the Clean Water Rule.

That 2015 rule was issued to clarify which waterways should be protected under the federal Clean Water Act to ensure that streams, wetlands and the smaller waterways that feed into them are protected. The rule affected waterways that 117 million people in the U.S. rely on for drinking water.

Trump’s budget proposal would also slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency by a reported 24 percent. Those cuts would affect, and in some instances even shutter, agency programs that deal with water and air protections. Trump also picked an EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, who repeatedly sued the agency to stop environmental regulations.

Women’s Rights

Trump promised to protect the rights of women, particularly “to invest in women’s health.” But a central promise from both him and the GOP-led Congress is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which provided significant protections for women. Before the passage of the law, insurance companies were allowed to deny health coverage to women who were pregnant or were thinking of becoming pregnant. In other words, being a woman was considered a pre-existing condition that was grounds for denial of coverage.

Obamacare also provided a number of preventive services for women, including free contraception, breastfeeding support, sexually transmitted disease screening and annual well-woman visits.

And in one of his first acts in office, Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which bans U.S. funding for international health organizations that counsel women on family planning options that include abortion. Experts have warned that the policy could be deadly for women and girls in developing countries and conflict zones, who often resort to dangerous methods of ending their pregnancies when they lack access to safe abortion.

Affordable Child Care

Trump spoke about the need to make child care “accessible and affordable” by ensuring that new parents have paid family leave. That a Republican president included the issue in his speech ― and found applause from House Republicans seated in the chamber ― is remarkable in its own right.

But the plan Trump has proposed allocates resources to the families who need them least. According to an estimate by the Tax Policy Center, 70 percent of the benefits included in the plan will go to families making more than $100,000 per year.

“The devil is in the details, and if these are the details, they are devilish indeed, leaving behind those most in need of leave and least likely to have access,” Ellen Bravo, co-director of Family Values @ Work, told HuffPost on Tuesday.

Scientific Research

Trump envisioned a nation in which “cures to illnesses that have always plagued us” are easily found. A smart way to accomplish such a goal would be to boost funding for scientific and medical research at agencies like the National Institutes of Health. Trump’s planned budget, however, would raise defense spending by $54 billion at the cost of $54 billion in non-discretionary spending, which includes funds for scientific and medical research.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) addressed some of Trump’s inconsistencies in a speech on the Senate floor.

“His actions don’t match his words. His words in the campaign are not matched by his actions. His words in his inaugural speech are not matched by his actions,” Schumer said on Wednesday.

Jen Bendery and Laura Barron-Lopez contributed reporting.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Sex and the City may have been mostly about the life and loves of Carrie Bradshaw, but I’ll forever be a card-carrying Miranda Hobbes. Her B-stories just moved me more.

Like the one where a guy named Will stood her up. Sadly, for once, the poor sap had a tragically good excuse. When Miranda finally gave in to her sassiest impulses and decided to call him up to chew him out, she found out from his mother that he had died that day.

A similar thing happened to me once, only it was Antonio’s boyfriend who notified me of his passing – and it all went down via email. Awkward and devastating as that experience was, it’s part of the reason why, for me, no response is preferable to flat-out rejection.

Now wait a minute. I’m not saying that ignoring me should be a crime punishable by death, at least not in real life. But radio silence does open up myriad ways of soothing a bruised ego and disappointed soul.

Radio silence and “not interested” both have the same result – alone again, naturally – but at least when someone doesn’t return our text or email, there might be a very good reason…or we can make one up. We have the option of rationalizing the disappearing act as it suits our self-esteem. Maybe he never received the message. Perhaps the phone is acting up, and his response is still queued-up for delivery. Hmm… Could he be dead?

As the lives and loves of Miranda and me prove, all are plausible scenarios, and we can use them to keep our egos intact and our mating muscles ready to pounce again. We might not get the closure that continues to be so in vogue in certain psychobabbly circles, but closure won’t keep you warmer at night.

Ignorance is bliss – and sometimes, so is delusion. The other great thing about radio silence is that we can use it not only to protect our ego, but to preserve a beautiful experience as well.

Back when I was living in Buenos Aires, I met a German tourist named Mattheus one Friday night when I was out with friends. He practically chased me around the nightclub before I gave in and went mouth-to-mouth with him. After a few hours of dance-floor passion, Mattheus walked me home – with nothing more than a goodbye kiss as his reward for going so far out of his way.

The next day I sent him a text message:

“Hey. It’s Jeremy. How are you doing? I’m about to meet up with my friend who is visiting from New York. Just wanted to say hi and see how you are.”

His response: “Hi. It was nice to meet you last night, and I had a lot of fun, but I’m not looking to start anything as I am only in town for a few days. But you should definitely enjoy this great city.”

Eek. Mattheus’s stone-cold presumption surprised and disappointed me. Had I asked for his hand in marriage? In a few sentences, he had turned a lovely and refreshing experience into one that would forever be memorable mostly for his day-after assholery. Some might say it’s better to know what the person is really like, but I believe that only applies if there’s an actual chance that you might get involved with him.

As for more established connections, I’m not advocating radio silence from significant others who are looking for an out. That’s even worse than dumping by text, email and Post-it. Married mothers and fathers who exit stage left without so much as a word will always be the absolute worst.

But the rules for casual flings have changed in this modern texting and social-media era where human interactions are far less personal than in the days of phone calls and face-to-face conversations. With one-night stands and dating-app crushes, where we are owed nothing and our expectations should be as low as possible, an unanswered message is neither a mystery nor the end of the world.

Most people seem to disagree with me. On Grindr, you come across countless profiles in which guys demand to be blocked or rejected outright rather than ignored. Some will respond to no response with more messages, often nothing more than a question mark, because presumably, you’re still in play until you turn them down flat.

But I’m an expert at reading between the lines – or reading no lines at all. For me, no response is tantamount to “no.” I get the impression that for some of these unrelenting Grindr suitors, though, it’s not about pursuing closure (multiple unanswered messages are nothing if not closure – translation: “We’re done here,”) but rather about punishing the person giving them the silent treatment into an awkward situation.

Personally, I’m as unlikely to outright reject someone as I am to court outright rejection. In my love life, silence speaks volumes, so why twist the knife? Although, to be honest, when I don’t respond to guys I’m not interested in, it’s more to protect myself from that awkward moment than it is to protect their egos.

And let’s face it: Outright rejection can be merciless. When I was living in Cape Town, a friend of mine, a fellow black American, was shot down by a white South African on Grindr in the most spectacular way. When my friend sent him a standard “Hi, how’s it going?” message, the guy responded with this:

“I’m sorry, but I do not believe in the crossing of racial barriers.”

Well, that’s definitely closure, and it gave my friend a good story to tell and proof that racism and psychological apartheid continue to thrive in South Africa. But while a simple “not interested” will always suffice, in a 100 percent forthcoming world where rejection would never be silent, it wouldn’t always be diplomatic.

Dating is difficult enough without the constant threat of brutal honesty that will destroy your self-esteem. Silence can indeed be golden – both in life and in love. There is even a popular app whose very existence is based on silent rejection. I’ve never done Tinder, but whoever invented swiping left was definitely on to something.

It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s final. And whether we want to admit it or not, where virtual strangers are involved, swiping left, like radio silence, is the epitome of closure.

Message received, not so loud, but oh-so clear.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Transgender identity has only entered mainstream vernacular over the past several years. As such, there’s been confusion about how to properly use this word in writing and conversation.

The term has gotten a lot of media attention of late, thanks to President Trump’s revocation of an Obama-era guidance that protects the rights of transgender kids to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity in the public school system, and the upcoming SCOTUS hearing on March 28 on the case of Gavin Grimm.

As is the case when talking about many marginalized groups, it’s best to educate yourself about proper language in order to more accurately describe their varied experiences. 

One key thing to remember is: “transgender” is an adjective ― not a noun.

Refer to people as “transgender men,” “transgender women,” “transgender individuals,” “transgender people” ― never “transgenders.” “Transgender” should be used to modify a noun ― never as a standalone. 

Don’t use transgender as a verb ― “transgendered” ― despite Lady Gaga enshrining this word into pop culture vernacular with the lyrics of her song “Born This Way.” This just simply isn’t correct.

Many people also use “trans” as a shortened version of “transgender” ― though the distinction between these two can mean different things for different people. 

As a rule of thumb when using “trans,” follow the same adjective-based rules that you would for transgender: “trans man,” trans woman” and “trans people.” Trans is also oftentimes use to describe a spectrum of gender identities under the umbrella term “transgender.” 

Use of the word “transgender” gained widespread popularity in the 1990s as a way to describe people who “cross over” traditional notions of the male/female gender binary. The history of the word’s evolution is certainly complex.

Language can be confusing, but it is so important to make an effort to get this stuff right, as this word is used to describe real human experience and real human beings. Language is also always evolving, and there could easily be new ways to talk about this realm of identity in the future.

And if it comes down to it and you find yourself confused ― just ask! It’s always better to ask about LGBTQ themes and ideas you are confused about than to assume or flat out not care.

Language always matters ― and so does your use of it, no matter how you identify.

James Michael Nichols is a queer writer and cultural critic whose work focuses heavily on the intersections of identity, art and politics. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Alicia Keys, a coach on “The Voice,” proved Tuesday on “The Tonight Show” that she can be a student of voices as well.

In a game of random musical impressions with host Jimmy Fallon, Keys hit the right notes while impersonating Adele on “The Alphabet Song.” It isn’t to the letter, but it’s good enough to wow the house.

Props for her Janis Joplin on “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” also. 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Actress Lauren London was prompted to remind her 3.2 million Instagram followers on Tuesday that she remains self-loving and unbothered despite criticism of her baby weight.

Last year, the 32-year-old managed to keep an entire pregnancy under wraps until September, when she announced via Instagram that she’d recently given birth to her second son.

Since then, public appearances have been rare for London. So when she stepped out for a Lakers game with boyfriend and rapper Nipsey Hussle on Monday, a few trolls took notice, and London became a trending topic on Twitter as people criticized her post-baby weight. 

While most of Twitter defended London, she still took the time to eloquently respond to the hateration in an IG post Tuesday.

“I’ve been getting compliments on my looks for years,” she wrote on Instagram. “I never let it ‘gas me’ because I knew the enduring value in all things is internal. When I decided to have my son, I knew the Internet would be cruel.”

“I knew that my body would change, but I did not let the fear of these things effect me to the point of going against my spirit,” London continued. “This lil weight will get worked off and who I am will be uncompromised. Win-win, no?”

What made the clapback even better was that she ended the post by referring to herself as “LL The Great.” 

Go awf, LL.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Setting emotional boundaries is the key to a healthy relationship, but it isn’t always easy to do when you’re so focused on another person’s needs and wants. To make sure you’re still taking care of yourself, follow these essential pieces of boundary-setting advice from three “SuperSoul” guests who have learned the hard way.

1. Say “no” ― without offering explanations or excuses.

As television producer Shonda Rhimes puts it, “’No’ is a complete sentence.” Though many of us are wired to run through reasons why we can’t, won’t or don’t want to do something, Rhimes says she has learned that we are not required to defend our “nicehood.”

2. Don’t let people that don’t matter too much matter too much.

When it comes to making decisions ― large or small ― there’s always this universal fact no matter what you decide: You won’t please everyone. That’s why best-selling author Wes Moore suggests not letting people who don’t matter, matter. “The decision that you make is not going to impact them, nor [should] anything they do … impact you,” he says.

3. Don’t make someone else’s “crazy” about you.

In her childhood, life coach Iyanla Vanzant believed her grandmother’s meanness was somehow all about Iyanla herself ― and many of us have a tendency take on other people’s problems like this, she says. Don’t get swept away by someone else’s story. “You’ve got your own stuff to handle,” Iyanla says. “You don’t have to take on anybody else’s.”

Want more stories like this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Oprah.com Relationships Newsletter.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: HuffPost Black Voices

Despite her past differences with Nicki Minaj and her recent concert with Remy Ma, Lil’ Kim has made it clear that she has “nothing to do” with the pair’s current beef.

In a new interview with Billboard, Kim gave her two cents on the rap feud between the two MCs, and denied rumors about her recording a “diss track” with Remy aimed at Minaj.

“That’s their situation and I have nothing to do with that,” she said. “They have a rumor out there like, ‘Kim is gonna do a diss track with Remy.’ First of all, let me tell you this. Number one: y’all giving ol’ girl too much credit. I’m not even thinking about that. I’m not even thinking about ol’ girl! I’m so far past that. That’s never on my mind. Ever. Ol’ girl has never been on my mind for a long-ass time at all. So I hate the fact of that being in the equation.”

Since Remy Ma’s scathing, nearly seven-minute track “ShETHER” was released Saturday, a slew of fans have responded via social media mocking Minaj in a string of memes and hailing Remy as the victor. The song appeared less than 24 hours after the release of Gucci Mane’s latest track, “Make Love,” in which Minaj appears to offer a few subliminal lyrics directed at Remy’s status in the rap world. 

Kim told Billboard there’s no reason Remy Ma would need her to jump on a diss track. 

“After hearing ‘ShETHER,’ that shit is so hard, Remy don’t need no damn help,” she said. “Why would I need to come together for that? I mean, I’m into the music and I’m speaking musically wise ― the song is just hard, period. Just like [Drake’s] ‘Back To Back’ was hard ― just good hip-hop music.”

“But I got nothing to do with that,” she continued. “So if it ain’t coming my way, I ain’t got nothing to do with it. Me and Remy is cool. I hate when media do that.”

While Nicki Minaj has yet to respond to “ShETHER,” on Tuesday Remy highlighted the track landing at No. 2 on iTunes’ U.S. Hip-Hop/Rap chart.

Read more of Lil’ Kim’s Billboard interview here.

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices

There were so many amazing moments to bask in this Black History Month.

We experienced 28 days of black excellence, even in the midst of a White House administration led by a man who’s constantly accused of racism. This month, black people shined brightly and proved that the resilience of our ancestors flows deep within our veins. 

 Here are 42 moments that made this Black History Month one for the culture.

1. Beyoncé kicked off BHM and blessed us with her pregnancy announcement.

2. Google honored iconic black sculptor Edmonia Lewis with a doodle. 

3. Frederick Douglass’ descendants put the president in check for his empty remarks on the abolitionist. 

4. Tiera Guinn, 22, exuded black excellence by becoming an engineer with NASA before her graduation from MIT.  

5. Viola Davis’ comments on the beauty of being a black woman after her Oscar win.

6. Savannah State University became the first HBCU team to win CheerSport Nationals. 

7. A Tribe Called Quest sent a powerful message against President Donald Trump ― and Busta Rhymes dubbed him “President Agent Orange” ― at the Grammys. 

8. English teacher Barry White Jr. was highlighted for having a personalized handshake for each student. 

 9. Iman and Halima Aden shared their Somali pride.  

10. Merriam-Webster threw “shade” into the dictionary.

11. “Get Out,” a thriller film about racism, debuted with a rare 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

12. After transforming into a literal goddess during her Grammy performance (while pregnant with twins), Beyoncé accepted her award for Best Urban Contemporary album by affirming that “Lemonade” was for black women.

13. A rare portrait of Harriet Tubman surfaced.

14. Alfre Woodard hosted her annual Oscar’s Sistahs Soiree and all of your faves attended.

15. Essence magazine honored Aja Naomi King, Yara Shahidi, Janelle Monáe and Issa Rae at its 10th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards.

16. College students honored black history by decorating their dorm room doors.

17. “Moonlight” won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and put on for every black person who’s been overlooked for white mediocrity.

18. Mahershala Ali won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Moonlight.”

19. Calvin Klein featured the men of “Moonlight” for their latest men’s underwear campaign.

20. BET blessed us with “The New Edition Story.”

21. Cardi B scored a multimillion-dollar deal with Atlantic Records. 

22. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) gathered everyone’s wigs and dragged the hell out of Trump’s Cabinet.  

23. Scholastic announced that 12-year-old Marley Dias will publish an activism guide for kids and teens.

24. Langston Hughes’ home in Harlem became open to the public.

25. Seven-year-old Jaden met his idol, Lester Holt. 

26. First-grade teacher Patrick Harris showed his students how to properly tie a durag.

27. Trayvon Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, released a book five years after his death.

28. Michaela Angela Davis and Dabo Ché launched Black Love Power.

29. Chance the Rapper won three Grammys and was the epitome of #blackboyjoy.

30. The ladies of “Hidden Figures” brought Katherine Johnson onstage during the Oscars.

31. Denzel Washington sent a powerful message to black Hollywood at the NAACP Image Awards.

32. Netflix’s “Dear White People” trailer drops and upsets racists.

33. Blac Chyna had a Black History Month photo shoot. 

34. Kiera Please had some amazing costumes in support of #28DaysOfBlackCosplay. 

35. Janelle Monáe celebrated U.S. Navy trailblazer Raye Montague on “Good Morning America.” 

36.  The U.S. Army lifted the ban on dreadlocks.

37. Raoul Peck’s James Baldwin documentary, “I Am Not Your Negro,” is released.

38. PBS released the “American Masters” documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.”

39. AOL’s black employee resource group, BAOLers, held a panel with four black influencers from the business, media, tech and activism fields.

40. Remy Ma “shethered” Nicki Minaj with nearly seven straight minutes of bars. 

41. Google pledged more than $11 million to organizations dedicated to achieving racial equality.

42. We celebrated our heritage unapologetically. 

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Source: HuffPost Black Voices