Tag: Black Voices

Somebody needs to give Tina Knowles Lawson a show.

Lawson isn’t just a purveyor of truth, she’s a comedian. Her Instagram page is already a hilarious reminder that Beyoncé and Solange’s mom is just like everyone else’s, but every so often, she blesses her followers with her signature gem: Corny Joke Time.

That’s right. Mama Tina loves delivering punchlines one would find on the back of Laffy Taffy wrappers ― some a bit more PG than others.

As cliché as these jokes can be on their own, Lawson tells them so earnestly, which makes these videos hilarious. She even cracks herself up (though we’re not totally sure that her daughters are laughing along).

Here are 14 corny jokes that Mama Tina turned into comedic gold.

1. When she talked about a couple of competitive vegetables

2. When she went to the most lit wedding

3. When her husband, Richard Lawson, was clearly over her jokes

4. When she brought the funny to the safari

5. When she revealed a women’s alternative ending to “Lemonade”

6. When she made an unlikely duo work

7. When she told a really awkward joke about a vasectomy

8. When she literally LOL’d at her own joke

9. When she shaded a cop

10. When she told this semi-raunchy joke

11. When she hit this spicy punchline

12. When she gave some valid legal advice

13. When she had to discipline her dog

14. When she called out the phonies

Her mom humor is too strong.

— 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

RuPaul has some choice words for anyone who thinks we shouldn’t embrace diversity.

This week, TMZ pressed the world’s most famous drag queen, who was in New York City to attend the premiere of the ninth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” for his thoughts on the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the potentially history-making transgender rights case of Gavin Grimm. 

And, being RuPaul, his answer did not disappoint. He not only had some encouraging words for the LGBTQ community, he made it clear he’s fully confident that our society is beginning to embrace our differences ― and anyone working against that is caught in the past.

“Our best defense is our brightness, our love, our ability to have a spirit and dance,” RuPaul told TMZ. “That’s what we’re teaching kids to do ― you know we are moving forward into a place where the human race is expanding. The people who are against this kind of thing ― they are stuck in the 20th century. God bless them, but we’re moving this way, they want to go backwards. Fine! But just know that they are obsolete and they know it and this is their last ditch effort. We as human people on this planet are moving forward. Until then our best defense is to dance, sing and get excited ― get excited about life! And that’s what we’re going to do.”

The new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” premieres on Friday, March 24 at 8 PM ET/PT.

— 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

NFL player Michael Bennett said he was so inspired by Chance the Rapper’s $1 million donation Monday to Chicago Public Schools that he decided to make a difference in his own way.

Bennett, who plays defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, released a statement Thursday that credits Chance for the work he is doing to uplift others. It also announces Bennett’s own pledge to support inner cities and help provide a better future for boys and girls across the country. 

“I was inspired by Chance the Rapper to ‘think bigger’ when he pledged one million dollars to Chicago kids and their school system,” Bennett said in a statement, according to ESPN. “So, I’ll be joining him by investing in the future of our youth. The system is failing our kids, and it will be up to the community and our leaders to help keep the hope alive by focusing on improving our education system and the future of our kids.”

“Any company that decides to invest in me, just know that you’ll be investing in opportunities and providing inspiration for these families ― many who feel unnoticed or go unmentioned,” he added.

Bennett, who also wrote an essay in support of the women’s strike on Wednesday, said he will be donating 50 percent of the proceeds from his jersey sales this year to programs and initiatives that promote healthy living in underserved communities. He also encouraged other athletes to join the cause. 

“I’m asking all professional athletes to join me by donating a portion of your endorsements this year to a cause of your choice,” Bennett said. “We can make a difference. It’s up to us to help plant seeds of hope and help fuel the future. Power to the people.”

— 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

On the night of Nov. 9, 2016, and into the morning of Nov. 10, Twitter was inundated with parents wondering how they would explain President Donald Trump’s unpredicted win to their children when they woke up.

Dan Kois wrote on Slate that morning, “I want to hide our ashen faces and give them the long historical view and say: It’s going to be OK. That would be hard, if still easier than being honest.” Kois, and the many others who wrote on the topic, seemed torn between his instinct to protect and his desire to be frank.

But for some parents ― particularly, those alarmed by police brutality against unarmed black teens ― protection and frankness don’t feel so opposed.

Which is why a book geared toward young adults that address state violence directly ― The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ― is an important and timely new title. Its story follows 16-year-old Starr, a black girl who witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a police officer. Both Starr and her friend Khalil were rashly and wrongly judged to be connected with gang violence; for the remainder of the story, Starr copes with grief and guilt.

Thomas said the YA book is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2012 as a response to the murder of Trayvon Martin. Today, New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul shared that The Hate U Give is the top title on the paper’s bestseller list for Young Adult Hardcovers.  

The novel’s success isn’t only commercial; reviewers are praising its story and its relevancy. Erin Keane wrote for Salon that the “sensational debut novel should be required reading for clueless white people.” On NPR, Weekend Edition host Lourdes Garcia-Navarro discussed the author’s exploration of activism today.

Acclaim ― both critical and commercial ― comes in for The Hate U Give in a time when diversity is still lacking in the literary world. In its 2015 survey of diversity in publishing, Lee & Low Books revealed that 79 percent of the industry identifies as white; at the executive level, that number is even higher. In its own 2015 survey of author representation in the media, VIDA revealed more of the same: of the women authors covered in publications such as The New York Review of Books, a startling number were white.

So, The Hate U Give’s ranking on the YA bestseller list is a heartening sign that parents of young readers are looking to educate their children about racism and activism. But don’t let the triumph spur inaction; other stories like this are still in grave need of a wider readership. 

— 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

Hollywood has enjoyed a long tradition of telling stories about people of color while conveniently omitting actors of color to play their parts. But a casting call for leads Jasmine and Aladdin that’s making the rounds on social media suggests Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” remake will not fit that mold.

“These characters are Middle Eastern,” reads the announcement, which adds that shooting kicks off July in the U.K.

The Huffington Post has reached out to Disney to confirm the authenticity of the announcement but did not receive a reply by publication time.

In light of industry whitewashing criticisms and news that a November 2018 version of “Mulan” is set to cast a Chinese actress in the titular role, the studio is likely motivated to fill the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine with non-white actors.

That’s all good news for anyone who welcomes better representation of minority groups on-screen ― a classification that should cover all viewers.

While the announcement doesn’t necessarily mean that the “Aladdin” actors will be Middle Eastern themselves ― note the careful use of the word “characters” ― if successful, it indicates that two actors of color will be starring in a Disney feature.

Guy Richie is rumored to direct, Deadline reports.

“Aladdin” will follow the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” starring Emma Watson set for release March 17, and will join a number of other live-action remakes of Disney classics. 

“Mulan” aside, “Mary Poppins Returns” is set for December 2018 release with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt in the lead, and a live-action “Lion King” is also in the pipeline.

— 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

In our current America, undocumented immigrants are being targeted by both executive actions and hateful rhetoric. And there are one too many Latinos fueling that anti-immigrant sentiment with a pro-deportation stance.

The truth is that being documented doesn’t mean you’re immune to anti-immigrant hate. Not even being born in the U.S. with six generations of roots in the country saved Joe Solis from having his yellow 1971 Volkswagen spray-painted with the word “illegal” last month.

“I’ve never had that done to me,” Solis, who said he’s of Mexican descent, told KTLA5. “I’ve never felt that feeling before … It’s sad to see that someone might be picking me out or thinking I’m an illegal immigrant. I was born and raised here.”

Solis seemed shocked that anyone would consider him undocumented, but that’s exactly how hate works. Hate doesn’t stop to ask for your papers, hate profiles you based on your brown skin and asks tone-deaf questions like, “But, where are you really from?” Because it all comes down to the exact same thing in the eyes of those who spew white nationalist hate: You don’t belong here.

The vandals who defaced Solis’ van didn’t know the difference between documented and undocumented, all they likely saw was a man who didn’t fit their notion of what “legal” looks like.

Hate doesn’t stop to ask for your papers, hate profiles you based on your brown skin and asks tone-deaf questions like, ‘But, where are you really from?'”

There’s a reason some U.S.-born Latinos like baseball star Sergio Romo wear T-shirts that read “I just look illegal.” Because what does being documented look like? Or, more to the point, what does being undocumented look like? Arizona somewhat answered that question with its SB 1070 law, which allowed state police to stop anyone and ask for their papers. Activists repeatedly accused the law of profiling Latinos and others based on who police thought looked foreign.

Still, none of that has prevented me from having heated discussions with foreign-born or first- and second-generation Latino immigrants about whether undocumented immigrants deserve to be deported for not doing things the “right way.” They’re always so quick to dehumanize and villainize immigrant families, who very much resemble their own, based only on a piece of paper.

On Facebook I often see comments from people with Hispanic surnames under deportation stories that read something like “I did it the right way, why can’t they?” I won’t get into what makes those remarks simplistic and ignorant (but if you disagree, you should read this); I will, however, point out the hypocrisy and irony of documented Latinos bashing undocumented Latin American immigrant families.

First, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of the Latinos I’ve had these discussions with are white-passing. As a self-described white-passing Latina, I know that my light skin comes with a layer of privilege that I must check. Not all light-skinned Latinos understand that, but it’s more important than ever that we do. 

Race, class, gender and economic background are huge factors that affect the opportunities and resources available to members of our community in both Latin America and the United States. We don’t all face the same types of discrimination and marginalization, and, yes, that does make a difference when it comes down to whether someone can invest the time and money needed to go through the immigration process the “right way.”

I say all of this as a proud immigrant and a U.S. citizen. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and go back as often as possible to visit family, but my undying love for my birthplace doesn’t mean I’d ever move back. Twenty years drinking the “land of the free and the home of the brave” Kool-Aid in the United States changes a person, and my way of thinking makes me stick out like a sore thumb in Colombia now. Funny enough, my bicultural upbringing does the same in the U.S. 

And as an immigrant whose family did it the “right way,” I saw my mother jump through bureaucratic hoops and navigate confusing forms in English (which I could barely understand with my near native fluency), ultimately having to hire pricey legal counsel. To put it in grossly understated terms: It isn’t as easy as “getting in line.” We were lucky to have the money, but others aren’t, and many lose years of their savings to immigration scams so common even the government is worried about them. It’s very easy for the already complicated uphill citizenship battle to become an unclimbable mudslide. One missed letter, one lost check or one wrong form could be the difference between a green card and nothing.

That’s why it’s disheartening to see Latino immigrants condemn others who similarly came for a piece of the American dream and have worked equally as hard (if not harder) for it. Actually, it’s downright heartbreaking when Latino immigrants aim vicious verbal attacks at Latin American immigrants, who are likely escaping countries spiraling into chaos due to corruption, violence and poverty. Immigrating illegally under those circumstances is not only natural, it’s a human right. Just as birds migrate south for the winter, any human being would escape a chilling reality for the chance at a more secure and dignified life.

Pro-deportation Latinos can go ahead and cling to their shiny green cards or coveted blue passports and find solace in the fact that their family won’t be ripped apart based on nothing more than plastic and paper. But their paperwork won’t make a difference when anti-immigrant hate chooses to judge them based on the color of their skin, their heritage or their surname instead of their legal status.

The cruel irony is that if you’re a Latino currently taking aim at undocumented Latino immigrants or rejoicing in their deportations, you’re likely handing the shovel to the man who is digging your grave.

— 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

Twenty years since the untimely death of The Notorious B.I.G., Voletta Wallace is still hurt that the rapper’s murder remains unsolved.

Wallace spoke with the New York Post this week about the anniversary of her son’s death. Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997, in Los Angeles. He was 24. 

“It still hurts that nothing has been done,” she said. “His death is not something I want to celebrate. But I am grateful to everyone who remembers him.”

Since Biggie’s tragic death, Wallace has been active keeping the rapper’s legacy alive through different projects and events, including an upcoming documentary and a celebration of her son during this Sunday’s Brooklyn Nets game. 

The 64-year-old told the Post that if her son were still alive, he would either “be in jail or he might be a multimillionaire roaming the Earth and vacationing in Bora Bora.”

“Whatever the world sees him as, I just see him as my son,” she added. “He may not be here, but his memory is etched in me for life.”

Long live B.I.G.

Read Wallace’s entire interview at the New York Post. 

— 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

Florida made national headlines this summer when thick, green algae showed up on its southeastern waterways and coastlines. Once the algae cleared, fingers were immediately pointed inland to the rural parts of South Florida known as the Glades communities, an area with a significantly large African-American population. Environmentalist activists from mostly wealthy coastal communities tried to capitalize on the crisis by calling for the purchase of land south of Lake Okeechobee, attempting to link our farming communities to the algae. Within weeks, these activists found an ally in Florida’s Senate President Joe Negron.

This year, Negron is attempting to win over these vocal activists by proposing a plan to take 60,000 acres from the Glades for the purpose of building a water storage reservoir. Unfortunately for the Senate President, he may have failed to realize that his plan would devastate proud African-American communities such as Pahokee, which lies in his own Senate district.

Negron’s local newspaper, the Stuart News, is a strong ally of his plan and yet a recent report from it cites discontent among some of his constituents, including African-Americans. They make the case for focusing efforts on where water enters the lake from north and developing the land the state already owns to the south. According to one local pastor that has joined forces with other black citizens to oppose the land-buying plan, “We are responding to the fact that so many people are pushing to put this land out of production…It’s going to have an impact on our community.” It’s known that farmers have already given up 120,000 acres to aid in Everglades restoration, much of which can still be used to build a reservoir just like the one Negron is pushing.

Florida’s most powerful man in the Senate needs to listen to all corners of his district when searching for solutions to fix the country’s second-largest freshwater lake. Not just the wealthy, coastal ones.

Following through with Negron’s plan would take prime agricultural land out of production and dramatically hurt the area’s communities that rely on farming to fuel their economies. Faced with less land to harvest, one sugarcane mill would be forced to close, leaving hundreds out of work, many of them African-Americans. Everything from local businesses to schools and churches would suffer.

Having one of these communities in his own district is an unfortunate reality for Mr. Negron. Up until a few months ago, folks in Pahokee and other areas on the southwest edge of the lake were a distant distraction. He may have heard their objections, but they weren’t as amplified because the voices weren’t coming from his voting district.

But then his district was changed through a court-mandated redrawing of the Senate maps. Like it or not, those “distractions” now see his name on the ballot come Election Day.

Take away the opposition from Mr. Negron’s rural constituents, and his plan still seems like a stretch. Asking the state and federal government to split a $2.4 billion project isn’t a small request that can be taken out of petty cash. It’s monster-sized, especially when hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded, science-backed water projects are already under way in the region.

This type of environmental elitism has no place in politics today. Trying to fix one community’s water issues at the expense of another community demonstrates arrogance at best. But when it has an adverse impact on minorities in your own district, it shows a tremendous level of incivility and economic tone deafness at worst.

Janet Taylor is a former Hendry County commissioner in southwest Florida. She is the President of Glades Lives Matter, a Clewiston-based civil rights advocacy organization. #GladesLivesMatter. twitter.com/GLMatter

— 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

“President Trump, we’re not going anywhere.” 

That’s the crux of the message that women who participated in “A Day Without A Woman” actions have for President Donald Trump. The Huffington Post went to a 4 p.m. rally in New York City on March 8 to ask women there what they wanted the president to know. 

Those who spoke to the camera touched on the lack of respect that the president seems to have for the very women he is now responsible for. 

“Women’s rights are human rights and the way that you talk about women and the way that you treat women is very disgusting,” said one woman.

Another woman asked POTUS to “believe in the future of women, and trust us.”

“Read some black feminist theory and realize that intersectionality is the way that all of your constituents live their lives every single day,” a third rally participant implored the president. “We struggle and we deserve respect and equality.”

Another day, another persistent group of women (and men). 

This Women’s History Month, remember that we have the power to make history every day. Follow along with HuffPost on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in March using #WeMakeHerstory.

— 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