#FASHIONFILES: Bottega Veneta Chinese New Year Campaign
For the new year, Charlotte Wales works with Bottega Veneta on its campaign. Wales photographs the thrilling new ad for the fashion brand, which has model Wang Chenming as the star. Chenming stands in front of Wales’ camera lens on an enlarged set that mirrors the quality and beauty of Bottega Veneta’s trademark leather bags.
Wang Chenming represents the Bottega Veneta man in the fashion house’s latest collection. The model dresses in a laid-back manner, with denim jeans and bold items such as a tangerine and sky blue puffer jacket, among other things. Wang also sports a variety of accessories, such as sunglasses and handbags.
Nice!
#RHOA: Drew Sidora’s Husband Is Called ‘GAY’ In New Season of RHOA!!
Drew Sidora, one of the newest peach holders on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, is facing a pretty big scandal,
According to multiple sources close to production, Drew’s husband is being called “gay” on the current filming season of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.
OK, So here’s the tea. Drew Sidora is married to a very handsome man named Ralph. He and Drew share three kids together — 9-year-old Josiah, 5-year-old Machai, and 2-year-old Aniya Grace.
Ralph is an actor and a model who lives in Atlanta. And he and wife Drew own a production company. Here are some modeling pics of Ralph.
Now onto the gay rumors. Drew recently hired a new assistant – an openly gay man. But what Drew didn’t know is that assistant used to work for another housewife, Sheree Whitfield.
According to our insider, Drew’s assistant has been playing the role of a “double agent”, and has been leaking intimate details about Drew’s life and her marriage to Sheree.
One of those intimate details,we have learned, is speculation that Drew’s husband Ralph may be gay – at least according to Drew’s assistant. Now we were not able to determine what specific tea that assistant has on Drew’s husband, that makes him so confident that the married man is gay.
Our insider tells us that Drew’s assistant told Sheree that he suspected Ralph was gay. And later, Sheree and one of her girlfriends brought it up during an outing with Drew.
As you can imagine . . . ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.
#NewMusic: J. Holiday – Zero To Sixty
R&B singer J. Holiday is gearing up for the release of his fourth studio “Time” which comes out February 7th. He dropped the lead single “Ride” last year and now he’s back with the song “Zero To Sixty”. The new single is just another bedroom banger from the singer.
“Time” is the follow up to the underrated “Guilty Conscience” album which came out in 2014. The entire project was written and produced by J. Holiday as well as MilknSizz.
Check out the new single from J. Holiday HERE
This is what J had to say about the new project. “On this album, we played around with a lot of different sounds. A lot of people have never heard me in my lower register like on my new song “Ride”. I usually don’t sing in that tone. You have to expand your horizons and let your fans see what you’re capable of.
Go check it out!
#HipHopNews: RIP: Houston Rapper Sad Frosty Dead At 24
Fans are mourning the loss of Texas rapper Sad Frosty, who reportedly passed away on Friday (January 14) from unknown causes, according to The Sun.
The 24-year-old rapper was best known for his “Beavis and Butthead” collaboration with DC The Don, which has amassed over 1.5 million YouTube views. Frosty’s YouTube channel additionally has over 95,000 subscribers.
Fans learned of Sad Frosty’s death through a post on his Instagram that simply read “Long Live Sad Frosty 3/4/97 – 1/14/22.” The only other post to his Instagram was a photo of Frosty and Chief Keef, with the former asking if his fans wanted “that old Frosty” in the caption. While he was born and raised in Houston, much was unknown about the rapper’s personal life. He originally broke into the scene back in 2018 with “ADHD Freestyle.”
While Sad Frosty’s cause of death remains undisclosed, fans and fellow collaborators alike reacted to his untimely passing via Twitter on Monday (January 17).
“i would trade everything i have to have you back,” DC The Don wrote of the loss of his friend.
Yung Gravy, DJ Scheme, 347Aidan, Baby Santana and Suigeneris also reacted to Sad Frosty’s death, whose most recent release was last year’s “Dopamine Freestyle.” The freestyle had followed his 2019 album Playground, which featured DC The Don and others.
We offers our condolences to the friends and family of Sad Frosty during this difficult time.
Pastor Mike Todd Apologizes, Admits 'It Was Disgusting' To Wipe Spit On Man's Face During Sermon
UPDATE: Pastor Mike Todd of Transformation Church has posted a social media video acknowledging “it was disgusting” Sunday when he wiped spit on another’s face to illustrate a point during a sermon.
“That was gross. I want to validate everybody’s feelings,” he said, apologizing and encouraging people to watch the full message. “That was a distraction to what I was really trying to do.”
A Tulsa pastor is stirring controversy after he was seen wiping spit on a man's face during his sermon Sunday.
Pastor Mike Todd of Transformation Church made some people in the crowd and online uneasy during the demonstration as he wiped spit onto the face of another parishioner to show that "receiving God's vision can sometimes be nasty."
After the move, a gasp from people in attendance could be heard.
We have reached out to the church, but they say they have no comments at this time.
Click here to watch the full sermon.
Rihanna Teases A New Valentine’s Day Savage X Fenty Collection
Rihanna is turning heads with a new set of steamy Valentine’s Day-themed photos for her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand.
via: Uproxx
Rihanna has been especially inspirational to people around the world lately. When her native country of Barbados officially renounced the British crown and became a Republic this past November, she was declared a “National Hero of Barbados,” by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and rose to the distinguished occasion. Ed Sheeran recently revealed how she inspires him specifically, and asks himself “What would Rihanna do?” when he starts making songs. Her talent clearly stretches across the cultural spectrum. She has also become much more than just a fashion icon, but also a creator of iconic fashion, with her Savage x Fenty line of “lingerie for every body.”
As she has customarily modeled many of the new collections for the Savage x Fenty line, she teased a new Valentine’s Day collection in a series of photos on social media. Wearing a red number with pink accents — naturally — she posed for the evening shoot in a modest living room. She wrapped her legs in fishnet stockings that complemented the laced look. “Valentine’s Day is for me….but you can watch,” read the racy caption.
LOOK BELOW
“Can y’all handle this heat?,” read the caption on Fenty Beauty’s post from the shoot. This marks the first collaboration between her Savage x Fenty and Fenty Beauty cosmetics brand too. The post explained that Rhihanna’s “purrfected pout” is from Fenty’s Glow Bomb Heat lip luminizer and plumper, which is due out soon.
Now as far as the incredibly-anticipated follow-up to ANTI goes, Rihanna was quoted as saying that new music is coming “soon, soon, soon.” And that whatever comes from her next is going to be a totally unexpected sound, because “music is like fashion: you should be able to play.”
Rachel Zegler Apologizes After Facing Backlash for Her Dramatic Reading of Britney Spears' Tweets
Rachel Zegler has released a formal apology after she received tons of backlash for the dramatic reading she did of Britney Spears‘ tweets.
The 20-year-old West Side Story actress performed a monologue of Britney‘s tweets directed at her younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears.
One person tweeted, “Rachel Zegler — people aren’t all of a sudden not liking her just bc it’s trendy. She took someone’s trauma & did a weird ass monologue for her own pleasure.”
Rachel took to her Twitter account on Monday afternoon (January 17) to apologize.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Britney and am rooting for her always. While I meant no disrespect whatsoever, I should have thought about how this could be perceived, and I’m so sorry for upsetting or disappointing anyone,” Rachel tweeted. “This is not a situation to be taken lightly, and we should all be lifting Britney up in this pivotal time. Thanks for hearing me out, and a big thank you to all who held me accountable.”
Vic Mensa Arrested After U.S. Customs Agents Find Shrooms On Him
Vic Mensa found him slammer after U.S. Customs Agents claim he allegedly returned with a stash of mushrooms.
According to TMZ, the rapper was taken into custody Saturday at Dulles International Airport outside D.C. where he’d just returned from Ghana. Law enforcement sources tell the news site that Vic was pulled aside for a secondary search, and that’s when agents found what they believe are shrooms. Feds are still testing the substance they allegedly found to confirm what they think it is.
Vic had been hanging in Ghana with Chance the Rapper and even snapped a pic with President Nana Akufo-Addo. So far, Vic has been booked for felony narcotics possession.
Reps for the Chicago born artist has not yet released a statement on this latest incident
Las Vegas Michael Jackson Impersonator Filmed Fighting With Drunk
Michael Jackson impersonator Santana Jackson has gone viral after a clip showed him performing an impressive beat down on a Las Vegas drunk.
Jackson, who is also a pro wrestler in addition to his work as an MJ impersonator, was filmed dealing with a man in a green shirt who he said came out of nowhere causing trouble. Funnily enough, the person who recorded the clip had a good enough sense of humor to zoom in on the unidentified man’s shirt, which reads, “You can’t fix stupid.”
After the clip went viral online, Jackson shared a repost of the video along with a statement on the matter. “That’s why I train I’m not trying to hurt this guy just trying to restrain him from swinging at me,” he wrote. “So I was performing and this guy came out of nowhere and started hitting me so I have to put him down for his own good. Please know I don’t think fighting is the answer so try to avoid a fight if u can. Stay safe.”
TMZ has since spoken to Jackson, who reiterated that he did not want to be violent with the man but felt as though he had no choice. “I was doing a song, I’m dancing to ‘Smooth Criminal,’ and then the guy walked over to me. I thought he was trying to give me a compliment or something, [but] he hits me in the face. Hit me right in my face.”
He explained that the video was recorded moments after he was struck, and he initially tried to deescalate the situation before he continued to berate him. “I had my hands up,” he said, “I didn’t want to hurt the guy, I knew something was wrong with him.” When the man got up, he wanted to fight Jackson again, but he “turned around and hit the police in the face.” The man was arrested shortly after, Jackson added.
T.I. Tells Fans That ‘Nobody F-cking’ with Him When It Comes to Rapping, Name Drops Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nas and Pusha T
T.I. wants people to put some respect on his name and stop downplaying his skills when it comes to rapping. The rapper, who also claims to be The King of the South, recently spoke on Instagram in a now-deleted video, confidently stating that “ain’t nobody f–king with me” in the rap industry.
He started off saying, “Motherfuckers can’t f-ck with me in no way, shape, form, or fashion when it comes to doing no music, man. I got a lot of other s–t going on so I don’t do music like on no consistent basis. I don’t depend on that s–t to feed me. You hear me.”
The father of seven continued on proving his case as to why he believes and knows he is the best. He said, “when you’re talking about doing music, when you’re talking about cutting records, n–ga, you talking about putting shit out, talking about making sh-t that’s better than anything out there. Man, ain’t nobody f–king with me. Nobody f–king with me, bruh.”
He went on to say even if the listener prefers another artist over him, it does not mean that they are actually a better artist. “Now you might like somebody else better,” he said. “There might be somebody else, you know ‘I like this better than I like T.I.’ Okay, fine. Because you like them better. That’s cool. That’s your preference “That’s cool; that’s your preference. But n–ga, when it comes to putting sh-t out, ain’t nobody f–king with me, man.”
T.I. said that he felt the need to explain himself because sometimes people get things “twisted and tangled.” So he’s come to straighten them out and let them know that, “When it comes to getting behind that motherf—ing mic, n–ga, putting some shit to music, ain’t nobody f—ing with me, n–ga. None of them.”
The “Let’s Get Away” artist assertively said that even the other artists in the hip-hop realm are aware of his talent. “To the point where they don’t even wanna be on the same record with me, n–ga, because they know they can’t f–k with me. You ain’t never heard of me on no record with nobody and they dusted me, n–ga,” he said.
He dropped some rap legends’ names, alluding to the fact that his music could go toe to toe with theirs. “Jay, Nas, Wayne, Ye… n–ga, that’s who you need. Bring them. Pusha T. Yeah, all them,” he said.
T.I. ended his video by saying he would continue to put out music and prove to everyone why he is the best and why “nobody f—ing” with him.
In the meantime, T.I. is getting ready to release what he said last year might be his final album called “Kill the King.” He has not given a release date, but on Saturday he released three snippets of a few songs from the album.
As for whether fans agree with T.I.’s proclamation, reactions are mixed.
One person agreed, saying, “TI is definitely in the same group as the guys he named.”
Paul Carter Harrison, Playwright and Theatrical Scholar, Dead at 85
Paul Carter Harrison, a playwright and theatrical scholar whose work was a staple in the Black community, has died. He was 85.
In a statement to the New York Times, Paul's daughter, Fonteyn Harrison, confirmed that he died on Dec. 27 at a retirement home in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fonteyn did not provide a cause of death for her father to the outlet.
"We cannot express more the utmost respect and affection he had from many people in the U.S. and across the oceans, as a writer, award-winning director, teacher, colleague and friend," Paul's family said in a statement obtained by WSB-TV 2. "For the family he was the Pater Familia."
Alongside his daughter, Paul is now survived by his second wife, Wanda Malone, and a grandson.
Born in New York City on March 1, 1936, Paul grew up falling in love with theater and later enrolled at New York University, according to the Times. After realizing, however, that he wanted to follow a career in psychology, he transferred to Indiana University, where he earned his bachelor's degree.
Paul then found his way back to New York and obtained a doctorate in psychology at the New School for Social Research. But, after rediscovering his love of theater, he took a year off to write, the outlet added. In his travels, Paul met actress Ria Vroemen, whom he married in 1963 before they separated in 1968.
When he returned to the United States that same year, Paul taught theater at Howard University in Washington, D.C., before later teaching at California State University, Sacramento, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Columbia College Chicago, where he remained until his retirement.
Throughout the years, Paul also worked on projects that included books, essays and plays, which, according to the Times, "provided a theoretical structure for the Black performing arts." In his works, Paul would utilize African ritual and myth, the outlet noted.
Paul's play, The Great MacDaddy, even won him an Obie Award — a prestigious achievement given to theatre artists and groups in New York City.
Bradley Cooper Says His Nightmare Alley Full-Frontal Scene Required Him to Be Naked on Set for 'Six Hours'
Bradley Cooper is opening up about stripping down.
The Nightmare Alley actor has a full-frontal scene in the new Guillermo del Toro-directed psychological thriller, and recently chatted with The Hollywood Reporter editor-at-large Kim Masters about doing the "big deal" scene on her KCRW podcast The Business.
"I remember reading in the script and thinking, 'He's a pickled punk in that bathtub and it's to story. You have to do it,' " Cooper, 47, told Masters of his character, Stanton Carlisle.
The scene went down during Toni Collette's "first day" of filming — and Cooper was required to be nude "in front of the crew for six hours."
"It was just like, 'Whoa.' It was pretty heavy," said the eight-time Academy Award nominee.
Set in the 1940s, the dark and twisted plot of Nightmare Alley, based on William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 novel of the same name, follows the wild ride of Carlisle, an ambitious carny-turned-mentalist who discovers a knack for sleight of hand and showmanship and begins a journey into a bigger city as a master manipulator.
Benefiting from the exploitation of his conned clients, he finds himself desperate to escape his own dark fate as he plots to fool a dangerous tycoon with a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) by his side – who might be his most threatening opponent yet.
When he read the script, Cooper told Masters, he wasn't fazed by the nudity requirement "because there was nothing gratuitous about it. It was to story."
"The content of what the movie is, what we were exploring, in order to do it in a real way, it demanded that we'd be naked emotionally and soulfully," he also said.
Cooper previously told Deadline that his Nightmare Alley role (which marks his first completely nude scene) "terrified me, for many reasons."
"But as we started to delve into it — and we had the real benefit of time and prep to work on this — the idea of inhabiting somebody who doesn't know who they are, and who's in search of who they are through the whole film, right up until the last scene," he explained. "I thought, 'Maybe that's where I am in my life as an actor and a human being.' "
Cooper continued, "It was important to go there, unflinchingly and boldly, which I was able to do with Guillermo hand-in-hand. It cost something for us emotionally, making this movie. It was very risky to go to these places of, 'Are we this person? Is this a side of ourselves? Is this who we really are?' "
"I found that to be quite vulnerable as an actor," he added. "All my characters tend to linger, but this one, I have to say, was an especially hard one."
Nightmare Alley is in theaters now.
Novak Djokovic Could Be Barred From French, Spanish Opens As Well, Say Officials
Just days after missing the Australian Open and being deported from Australia because he was unvaccinated, Novak Djokovic, found out he may be barred from the next Grand Slam tournament on the tennis calendar, as well.
A new vaccine pass law was approved France’s parliament on Sunday. It will require proof of vaccination to enter public buildings including sports venues, restaurants, cafes and cinemas. According to ESPN, the country’s Sports Ministry said Monday there would be no exemptions allowed, even if it meant the world’s No. 1 tennis player missing the French Open.
“The rule is simple. The vaccine pass will be imposed, as soon as the law is promulgated, in establishments that were already subject to the health pass,” a statement from the ministry read.
“This will apply to everyone who is a spectator or a professional sportsperson. And this until further notice.”
There was a ray of hope for Djokovic, however, as he chases his 21st Grand Slam title.
“Now, as far as Roland Garros is concerned, it’s in May. The situation may change between now and then and we hope that it will be more favourable,” continued the statement. “So we’ll see, but clearly there’s no exemption.”
And it’s not just the French Open.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said today that Djokovic would have to follow his country’s Covid rules to participate in the Madrid Open in April.
“The rules are there to comply with and no one is above the rules,” said Sanchez according to CNN.
Spain currently requires visitors to show proof of full vaccination, a recent PCR negative test within 72 hours before arrival or a certificate of having recovered from Covid-19, according to its health ministry.
The two final Grand Slam tournaments of 2022, Wimbledon in late June and the U.S. Open in late August, could also be problematic for Djokovic.
Per ESPN: “England has allowed exemptions from various coronavirus regulations for visiting athletes, if they remain at their accommodation when not competing or training. The U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the US Open, has said it will follow government rules on vaccination status.”
Those rules currently require that all participants in professional sporting events be vaccinated, as Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving can attest.
Paris Hilton’s ‘Cooking With Paris’ Canceled By Netflix After One Season
Paris Hilton‘s Cooking With Paris will not be back as Netflix has opted not to renew the cooking reality series for a second season according to Deadline.
The six-episode series, which premiered in August and briefly cracked Netflix’s daily Top 10 rankings, sees the media personality tackle a range of recipes, from savory main dishes to succulent desserts, with guests including Kim Kardashian West, Nikki Glaser, Demi Lovato, Saweetie, Lele Pons, and Kathy and Nicky Hilton.
Cooking With Paris showcased the host’s unconventional — and often chaotic — cooking practices. She flattens burgers with a diamond-encrusted spatula and dredges meat while donning a flashy feathered ensemble.
Hilton executive produced along with Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, and Rebecca Hertz. Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corporation produces.
Stephen A. Smith Says COVID-19 Nearly Killed Him. Glad to be Alive
Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith is lucky to be alive after a near-fatal battle with COVID-19.
The ESPN host returned to “First Take” Monday, where he detailed the severe symptoms he endured while fighting the virus. Smith says he was diagnosed with pneumonia in both his lungs, night sweats, “massive” headaches, a persistent cough, and had a 103-degree fever nightly. After spending New Year’s Day in the hospital, the 54-year-old says, “I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”
“I can’t tell you how lucky and sincerely blessed I am to be sitting here with you guys today because two-and-a-half, three weeks ago, I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”
He accredited the vaccine with saving his life, saying that doctors informed him it was the only thing sparing him from death.
Smith encouraged everyone to continue wearing masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Michael B. Jordan Says Denzel Washington Helped Him Direct ‘Creed III’
Michael B. Jordan is making his directorial debut with ‘Creed III’ — with a little help from Denzel Washington.
via NYP:
The “Black Panther” actor has revealed that his “A Journal for Jordan” director and mentor Denzel Washington actually gave him some serious pointers for the upcoming third installment of the “Rocky” spinoff series.
In a revealing new sit down with AP Entertainment, Jordan, 34, spoke about how he was in the midst of pre-production on “Creed III” last year while he and Washington, 67, were working on “Journal.”
California native Jordan said that seasoned two-time Oscar winner Washington explained to him the significance of the storyboarding process before shooting a script. The “Training Day” icon then immediately called a storyboard artist he had collaborated with and hooked him up with Jordan so they could knockout the project together.
“He literally called up a friend of his who’s a storyboard artist — and dialed him up right there, pitched him [and] me in the project and put me on the phone,” said Jordan, Jordan, 34, who is also starring in “Creed III,” which is set to premiere Nov. 23. “I talked to him and that’s how I got one of my storyboard artists. Right there on the spot at rehearsal.”
He said he took the phone from the “Glory” legend and couldn’t believe what was happening. Jordan fumbled over his words and said into he phone, “Uh… OK… hey… what’s up, man? What’s goin’ on?”
Jordan continued, “That’s D, man. He’s willing to do anything to help. He wants to pass on knowledge and make art a little easier in however he can help.”
The “Fantastic Four” star previously opened up about his directorial start with Variety.
“Directing has always been an aspiration, but the timing had to be right,” he revealed last month. “‘Creed III’ is that moment — a time in my life where I’ve grown more sure of who I am, holding agency in my own story, maturing personally, growing professionally and learning from the greats like Ryan Coogler, most recently Denzel Washington, and other top tier directors I respect. All of which sets the table for this moment.”
Meanwhile, Washington also told the publication how he advised Jordan to “prepare, prepare, prepare,” adding “It’s much harder than you think because he’s acting and directing. But [Michael’s] motivated and he’s very, very bright, so I’m sure he will do well.”
“Creed III” will follow young Adonis Creed on the next stage of his boxing journey. Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors and Phylicia Rashad are set to co-star in the film
Kanye West On Punching Fan: “That Blue Covid Mask Ain’t Stop That Knockout
“Kanye West has been through the media ringer since 2022 rang in, but the fashion and music mogul could potentially be facing a judge after allegedly punching out an autograph seeking fan in Los Angeles last week.
Even though ‘Ye is being investigated by the LAPD for knocking down 40-year-old Justin Poplawski with punches to the head and neck, Kanye sat down in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Unlocked‘s Jason Lee and says that the John Hancock seeking vet gave him “attitude” after Yeezy refused his request.
“It was 3 a.m. in front of [Soho] Warehouse,” Kanye says. “I’m saying, ‘You don’t know what I’m dealing with right now.’ I just finished these two songs, I came from the studio … And this dude, he just had this real attitude, like, ‘Whatchu gonna do?’”
He later adds, “I’ma just tell you, that blue COVID mask ain’t stop that knockout.”
In the interview, Yeezy doesn’t admit to hitting Poplawski, but he does admit that he was upset after his cousins came back with bad news about parenting issues between him and Kim Kardashian.
Kanye West’s Hollywood Unlocked interview came just days before the Chicago rap icon was forced to crash his daughter Chicago’s 4th birthday party this past Saturday (January 15). He was denied the location of the party until Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott sent him the address so that he could celebrate with his daughter.
Tami Roman Opens Up About Being Sexually Assaulted by An Agent After The Real World
Tami Roman opens up about the challenges Black creatives face while trying to navigate the entertainment industry.
As you may know, Roman started out as an aspiring singer on one of MTV’s most famous reality shows “The Real World” in its second season back in 1993.
During an interview with State of Black Entrepreneurship: The Check-in, Tami was asked about personal challenges in the industry.
As soon as the clip started, Roman revealed that she was sexually assaulted by an agent at 23-years-old, shortly after The Real World ended.
She said, “people didn’t really know that on the show we were living our real lives, people thought we were actors and so agents started contacting me for representation.”
Roman went on to detail her account of meeting up with one of the agents and how he suggested she get a “boob job” because it could help her make it in the industry.
She said that he told her, “aesthetically there’s a certain thing they like to see from Black women.”
Tami admitted that she was so green to the situation back then that when the agent asked to see her breasts, she said “say what now, come again?”
Eventually, the agent persuaded her into showing her breasts. She said that when she left the agent’s office she felt belittled, taken advantage of, and humiliated.
Roman revealed that the agent did not sign her to his roster and even shared that he is still working in the industry today.
According to Tami, she has moved on and dealt with what happened to her but she constantly thinks about how many other women this could’ve happened to.
Protestors threaten Chicago Transit Authority shutdown ahead of release of Jason Van Dyke
Protestors, upset by the impending release of the former Chicago police officer who killed Laquan McDonald, are calling for a citywide shutdown of the Chicago Transit Authority, The Chicago Tribune reports.
According to the publication, nearly a dozen activists protested on Saturday (Jan. 15) at the 95th Street train station. They chanted, “Say his name: Laquan McDonald,” and “Black Lives Matter” before handing out flyers detailing why they want a CTA shutdown.
As previously reported, ex-Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke is set to be released from prison early after serving more than three years behind bars. Van Dyke will reportedly be freed on Feb. 3 after being convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery in 2018.
Chicago-based community activist William Calloway thinks Van Dyke should remain behind bars. He and others who attended Saturday’s protest want Chicago U.S. Attorney John Lausch to federally charge Van Dyke.
“You got a white man that murdered a boy, shooting him 16 times in cold blood on camera,” Calloway told reporters at a news conference at the CTA 95th st. stop. “And the federal government has not even touched him. That’s not justice. That’s racism. We got to call it what it is.”
Calloway also mentioned to The Chicago Tribune that activists are trying to convince transit unions to agree to stop operating the trains and buses until Van Dyke is federally charged.
“You have Black men in the federal penitentiary for nonviolent drug offenses doing more time than Jason Van Dyke has done in the state penitentiary,” Calloway said. “That’s not justice. That’s horrible. And we can change that.”
One of McDonald’s kin, however, believes that federally charging Van Dyke won’t change the systemic issues that led to his family member’s death. Reverend Marvin Hunter, McDonald’s great-uncle, told The Tribune that “getting Jason Van Dyke to go to jail, to federal prison, at best it will only cost the taxpayers more money.”
“… If we really want to have change, if we really want to use this for a moment for change, then let us get criminal justice reform for real.”
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
NAILS
How do you clean after you poop?
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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